A great post Sam
I have three pluckers (rescues)
Rosie came t me a plucker and a mutilator, in the first weekend of getting her she cost me in excess of £500, she had so many tests done and we found out she had airsaculitus and liver problems, she had the treatment, nebuliser used daily etc, back and fourth to the vets and us now clear, she stopped mutilating and for the most part has even stopped plucking, however she does pluck when she gets hormonal or stressed.
Charlee girl is another rescue that came to me as a plucker and mutilator, again all the tests have been done, again liver problems and other deficiencies were found, all down to bad diet, bad house keeping etc. The mutilating has stopped but she still plucks, she's on all the supplements needed as advised by my vet, she has annual vet visits,sometimes mire often if I'm worried etc. she's back next week for her annual health and bloods, but I have a feeling her results will now come back clear again yet she still plucks, which makes me wonder if she now plucks out of habit and because she can't fly.
Max is another rescue that came to me as a plucker, again he went to my vets when he came, we noticed his eyes just were not right, pupils were just not right and he could not see us if we were at a distance. He underwent all the tests, poor liver etc. from bad, fatty diet and he had a very bad eye infection, treatment of eye drops and supplements were given. His eye sight is now much better and he can now see pretty well (he went back and fourth to my vets due to his eyes etc.) and he can fly and land confidently. His pupils will never be "right" as he's had pupil trauma and he's stopped plucking, but where he plucked himself badly,mine feathers have never come back and he has a fair amount of red feathers due to follicle damage.
I would like to add that all three if the above birds had been clipped and couldn't fly, the clipping was done by their previous owners and all of them can now fly very well apart from Charlee girl, her clip was horrendous and her wing was damaged!!
Also all of the birds had all this treatment, funded by me even though I didn't have any intention on keeping them, I rescue/ re home birds personally, I don't charge etc. but I do take them to the vets to make sure they're in good health, the real poorly birds don't move to a forever family, they stay here with me as I wouldn't want somebody else to have the expense of their treatment as I always wonder if they would get it in another home as parrots are costly anyway without the added costs of illness etc.
Julie