Neglected elderly parrot nursed with spa treatments

An elderly parrot was nursed back to health by a kind animal carer after his previous owners were no longer able to care for him.

Cracker the parrot, who's believed to be 40 years old, was dirty, had a lump on his back and an overgrown beak when it was given to Emily, an animal carer.

Emily, who lives in Ohio, said: "Birds are extremely intelligent and great at reading intentions, I think he could tell in his own way that I was trying to help him."

The 37-year-old trimmed down the Craker's beak, which had become very overgrown.

She also gave him a mist bath, which was clearly very needed, as he was covered in dirt.

A vet had previously concluded that the bird had a benign fatty tumor on his back that should not be removed due to his age.

However, upon investigating, Emily discovered that it was a burst air sac, a part of the bird’s respiratory system that inflates, helping them breathe.

"Air sacs can be burst by rough handling of the birds, or a hard knock," Emily explained.

"It's uncomfortable, it causes them to breathe differently, there's a lot of pressure in there."

Cracker's recovery was very quick and noticeable, the condition of his feathers improved drastically.

"I noticed the difference in his demeanor as soon as I put him down," Emily continued.

"The biggest difference was after his bath, birds really don't like being dirty and I think he was very relieved."

Cracker will remain in Emily's custody and now lives with two parrot friends.

"They like to laugh, and Cracker does too, so they get in this circle of laughing, and of course that makes me laugh too.

"It's really rewarding seeing animals have a turnaround like this, and to be able to see the relief in their eyes."