PET BIRDS
Information Compliments of:
Dr. Vanessa Rolfe
The Bird & Exotic Hospital, Inc.
6147 Lake Worth Rd.
Greenacres, FL 33463
561.964.2121
WHY WE RECOMMEND WELLNESS VISITS
Many of the diseases of birds, reptiles, and exotic animals are preventable and are often due to a
misunderstanding of proper care and feeding.
Since exotics may hide symptoms late into the course of illness, even “healthy” animals need
regular physical examinations. If problems are detected early they usually are more easily
treated. We have a special interest in these animals and keep up to date with new medical
developments in the field.
During your wellness visit we examine your pet to detect early signs of illness. We review your
questions and concerns and provide guidance on care and nutrition. We explain diagnostic and
treatment options. A partnership between us to optimize your companion’s care is one of the best
ways to keep your pet healthy and to minimize dangerous and costly illness.
THE BIRD & EXOTIC HOSPITAL OFFERS:
√ Wellness consultations for birds and exotic pets
√ Medical care for sick and injured birds and exotic pets
√ Grooming such as wing or nail trims
√ Boarding
√ Diagnostic, surgical, and x-ray procedures
√ Microchipping for identification
√ Vaccinations
√ Consultations for behavior problems and prevention
strategies
√ Demonstrations on handling, monitoring health, medicating,
and dealing with emergencies
√ Emergency care available
BIRD CARE
People have kept birds for thousands of years. Parrots are intelligent, social birds that are
able to view people as part of their own social group. Therefore, parrots can make great pets
if you meet all their needs—social, physical and nutritional. The parrot group includes the
most popular pets, the budgerigar (the “parakeet”) and the cockatiel; and range in size from
the very tiny “dwarf parrot” to the very largest, the hyacinth macaws.
Most pet birds (with the exception of a few species like budgerigars, cockatiels, canaries, and
a few finches) are still very much wild animals and have not been domesticated, meaning
they keep the instincts and behaviors of their wild relatives. Look carefully at your little
conure or African grey, Amazon, macaw or cockatoo, and you are seeing an animal that is
only a generation or few away from wild lands.
To take these beautiful, amazing creatures into our homes means we have taken an absolute
responsibility to provide everything necessary for a healthy and happy life. As intelligent and
as social as they are (even more so in many cases than dogs and cats), it is very sad to deprive
them of the attention, exercise, interaction, hygiene, nutrients, and basic health care they
need.
FEEDING
Unfortunately, many people believe that seed is ‘bird food’. They haven’t heard the scoop
that A SEED DIET IS NOT AN ADEQUATE FOOD; it is high in fat and deficient in
many nutrients such as vitamin A, calcium, and protein. Seeds are close to the nutritional
equivalent of white bread with margarine. For most birds, seeds should be small treats if
given at all. Birds like seeds because they are very tasty just like junk food.
WHY IS “BIRD SEED” A PROBLEM? Folklore and tradition have “bird seed” as the basis
of a captive bird’s diet. In fact, very few wild parrots eat seed as a majority of their diet, and
the species that do, do not eat the domesticated varieties of seed found in any seed mix. The
nutritional content of the growing wild-type grains and other natural plants eaten is very
different than the domesticated, dried, mostly dead, packaged and “sitting on a shelf” seed
mixes available for purchase. Because of that, regardless of “complete diet” notes on the
package, no seed mix is adequate. Make no mistake, birds will choose seeds, just like a child
may choose sweets over more nutritious foods, because they taste good and are high in carbs
and fat. To top if off, a bird’s instinct is to fill up on the dried seeds because when seeds are
mature and dried out it means the end of a growing season and lean times ahead. A seed diet
will likely lead to a shorter, less vibrant life.
Deficiencies in nutrients will prematurely age our pets. Pet birds have a significantly shorter
average lifespan than expected -- and many veterinarians think this is mostly due to dietary
factors. Birds neither thrive nor stay healthy and happy with these deficiencies. For example
many behavior issues such as screaming, aggression, and abnormal feather destruction have
their root in diet. Sound nutrition is a cornerstone of everyone’s lives and birds are no
different.
WHAT SHOULD MY BIRD EAT?
For most parrots, an ideal diet should be based on a formulated food (frequently called
pellets), with small amounts of other highly nutritious ingredients. This means about 90%
pellets, with up to 10% high-nutrient vegetables. Use only tiny amounts of treats (i.e. fruit
and grains), since these don’t have many nutrients.
WHAT ARE PELLETS? There are many diets on the market that supply more nutrition
than seed mixes. These are called pellets or formulated diets. The advantage to these diets is
that nutrients are mixed in so that the bird cannot pick and choose deficient elements that
taste better. The concept behind these diets is exactly the same as commercial diets sold for
other animals, including dogs and cats but of course the ingredients are different.
It is not unusual for a bird to resist trying new foods. The next section called “Converting
the Seed Junky” suggests techniques to coax a reluctant bird. Don’t try to force the new by
taking away the old foods. First work with your bird to make sure he’s eating them or he
could starve.
HOW TO CHOOSE A FORMULATED FOOD: There are many pelleted diets on the
market. Characteristics of a quality product are: minimal additives (artificial coloring,
flavoring, preservatives); fresh and high-quality ingredients (human-grade over animal-grade);
and ultimately, one that makes your bird thrive and is liked. As with most products, you get
the quality you pay for.
High nutrient vegetables: Any vegetable that is meaty not watery, and richly colored is
usually high in nutrition. Examples: carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, broccoli, kale, greens (not
lettuce), green peppers, zucchini /other squash, asparagus, ripe tomatoes, hot peppers,
brussels sprouts. Clean them well and serve lightly steamed or raw. Ideally use organically
grown.
YELLOW LIGHT FOODS: Limit grains and carbohydrates: dry or cooked pasta; corn,
peas, rice, bar-ley or oatmeal; whole grain bread, air popped popcorn, unsalted crackers.
None of these are particularly nutritious.
VEGGIE IMPOSTERS: Don’t let corn or peas/limas fool you into thinking they are
vegetables. They are mostly carbohydrates and little nutrion and should be limited to small
occasional treats.
LIMIT FRUIT: Limit fruit overall because most fruits are grown for taste (higher sugar
content) and have less nutrition than their undomesticated cousins. Better choices are pears,
peaches, berries, pomegranate, cranberries; mango, kiwi and other tropicals.
RED LIGHT FOODS:
♦NO: chocolate, avocado, and large fruit seeds (apples, peaches, pears, and cherries) are
toxic.
♦ΝΟ: spoiled, salty, greasy, alcohol, sugary foods.
♦For most parrots, nuts and peanuts are too high in fat, and should rarely be given unless
directed by a veterinarian.
Discard moist foods after an hour. Replace pellets at least daily with a fresh serving.
Always give fresh water in a well-cleaned bowl at least daily. Disinfect the bowl frequently
with bleach and rinse well.
If seeds are fed, provide mineral blocks as sources of calcium to help prevent deficiencies.
Grit is not necessary for parrots because the food is soft enough for the gizzard to grind up.
In fact, grit may be dangerous because ill birds may gorge themselves on grit and block their
digestive system.
If you do not give pellets, a powdered vitamin-mineral supplement can be sprinkled on
moist foods to lessen deficiencies. These still won’t provide full balance to the diet. Vitamins
in the water can quickly break down and encourage bacterial growth. If the bird bathes in the
same water, chemicals can harm the feathers. Some species (budgerigars and cockatiels) are
desert birds and do not consume enough water to make a difference.
Canaries and some finches should eat a similar diet based on pellets and will usually accept
greens and shredded vegetables.
Some parrots for example, lories and some macaws, and other species may have unusual
needs. Also, not every bird reacts the same to any given food; gender, activity level and age
may be an influence. These subtle effects of the current diet will be reviewed with you
during your wellness visit at The Bird & Exotic Hospital and a diet plan can be customized
as needed.
WHY WONT HE EAT THE PELLETS?-- CONVERTING THE SEED JUNKY
Sometimes bird owners are intimidated by the process of getting their birds to eat anything
but seeds, especially if the bird has eaten only these for a long time. Many people give up
after offering foods other than seeds a few times and decide that the bird does not like them.
Don’t give up! The most common reason for parrots not eating the pellets at first, is, simply,
they do not recognize the food as... food! Since pet birds do not have a good sense of smell
they don’t rely on what the food smells like, they use visual cues to know if something is
food. Such as watching their parents and flock guide them to where and what to eat. If the
bird wasn’t shown to eat a variety of foods as a baby you have to take over that role of
teacher and guide, and we have some suggestions up ahead.
Since seeds are high in fat and carbs, they do taste good and once the bird knows the pellets
are food, he or she may still have a preference for the seeds. BUT... It can take a long time
(months) and persistence to convince a bird to eat a variety or to get it to eat pellets. You
may have to try the different methods here or others to be successful. However,
NEVER REMOVE ALL FAMILIAR FOODS TO TRY TO FORCE THE BIRD TO
EAT THE NEW FOODS.
Before replacing seeds, carefully verify the bird is eating the new diet- monitor food
ingestion, body weight, and fecal output. That being said, most birds can be converted over
the course of a month or so. If the time stretches out more than a few months, let us know
at your semiannual wellness visit and we can possibly suggest some other more creative
strategies.
The best technique to try is the “Demonstration Method” especially if your bird responds to
you as a friend. Eat or pretend to eat a piece of food; show how much you enjoy eating it.
Then share some that has not touched the inside of your mouth (our saliva has bacteria that
aren’t normal for birds). You use ‘peer pressure’ as a good thing here. This teaches the bird
that not only that this substance is safe to eat (because you did not fall over dead) but that it
seems to taste good and the bird ought to give it a try.
Sprinkle pellets over a light-colored sheet on a flat surface for cockatiels and budgies
(“parakeets”); this will stimulate them to check out and taste the pellets as though they are
seeds on the ground. Try this with a flat mirror. This will ‘showcase’ the pellets and make
them more visible and attractive, and maybe they will try to steal food away from ‘the other
bird.’
Spread chopped foods or pellets over the seeds. Let the bird dig through and become
familiar with these items-- the bird should start to trust them.
Make food a toy so the bird may taste it while playing. Weave a carrot strip or some greens,
or stick a “tree” of broccoli through the cage bars. Place these near favorite toys. Place a
sprig of parsley or kale in a thin rosebud tube (in water) outside the cage, passing the leaf
through the cage bars. The leaves stay fresh like a cut flower and the birds will be more
interested in eating them than when wilted. Watch a bird try to chew on your houseplants
and you can see why this will work.
Birds tend to eat at dawn and dusk, so if the seeds are removed at daybreak and replaced
with the pellets, the bird will be more apt to eat them at breakfast. If the bird does not eat
them, give seeds mid-morning until the “new” diet is accepted. Or, try “interval feedings”:
several times per day the seeds for 20-30 minutes and then remove all food. Once this
routine is established, start to offer only “new” foods at the morning feeding; continue to
offer seeds at the other feedings. Once accepted, introduce the “new” foods during other
feedings. When the bird is eating these, offer them all day.
This is very frequently successful: If your bird likes some juicy foods (such as fruits or
vegetables), mix crumbled pellets in (like a Waldorf Salad) to allow the flavors to meld.
Gradually increase the pellets and decrease the soft foods. Make sure this mixture is
discarded after an hour or two because of bacterial growth.
A last resort uses slightly sprouted seeds gradually intro-ducing more and more growth; once
they accept the sprouts then you can mix the pellets in.
Some groups of parrots, especially cockatoos, cockatiels, and budgies are “carboholics” and
may be harder to switch to pellets. You just have to try longer and be more creative and
patient.
If your bird has been eating only seeds for a long time, your bird may already be deficient in
vitamins and minerals and need nutritional supplements given by injection.
During the conversion, you must carefully observe your pet and ensure there is no weight
loss or other problems. Call if you have any questions. Be patient, the rewards will be there
in the long run. And finally,
NEVER REMOVE ALL FAMILIAR FOODS TO TRY TO FORCE THE BIRD TO
EAT THE NEW FOODS.
ACTIVITY
Put as many bird-safe toys in the cage without cluttering, to provide mental and physical
exercise. You can purchase toys or make your own -- use safe tree branches, clothespins (no
metal), vegetable tanned leather strips (they are specially processed and will be labeled as
such, so make sure the leather is not tanned in the typical fashion), chunks of wood (not
chemically treated), or craft popsicle sticks. Verify the toy is the appropriate size for your
bird and make sure there are no parts that could be dangerous. Don’t give plastic that is soft
enough to be chewed up- bits could be eaten.
Locate the cage in an active, safe area (beware, the kitchen often has dangerous fumes).
Allow plenty of time out of the cage for flight or play. You can buy or build a “play-gym”
covered with toys and climbing branches to give the parrot independent, supervised safe
playtime.
Make sure you give yourself enough time to interact with your feathered companion on a
daily basis, ideally by handling and playing games. Too much cuddling and petting can cause
hormonal imbalances in susceptible birds-- ask during your wellness visit if you have any
questions. The most common cause of behavior problems is simply that the birds are not
played with often enough-- they often develop unpleasant habits and lose their
companionability.
For shy birds consider making sure that there is a sense of security- for example- don’t put
the cage right in front of a window without a place to get ‘out of view’ and arrange toys and
cage furniture so that there is place to hide.
HOUSING
Never allow a pet bird to be out around the house unsupervised. Birds have become
poisoned, drowned, electrocuted, stepped or sat upon, and attacked by dogs and cats. For
their safety, birds should stay in their cages when you are not around because they can go to
unsafe areas. Provide the largest cage possible.
Only put paper on the cage bottom, such as newspaper (no color if the bird chews it), paper
towels, wax paper or paper grocery bags. Do not use sandpaper, corncob, shavings, sand, or
kitty litter, they can cause impactions; the dust can carry fungus which cause respiratory
infections. You can monitor changes in the droppings much easier on paper and this gives
you early warning for illness
Perches of many shapes and sizes will give foot exercise. Do not use sandpaper covers, they
are very irritating to the feet. Perches made of terra cotta or mineral are fine for many and
can help keep nails dulled. But mainly, use natural branches- safe ones include dogwood,
seagrape, hibiscus, bottlebrush, and beech. Cages only need a few perches, up high- don’t
overcrowd the cage. Manzanita is too slippery for many birds and can lead to foot problems.
Consider the use of water bottles but they must be changed and cleaned daily too. Birds that
soak all their food in the water are especially good candidates for the water bottle.
ENVIRONMENT
Birds have very efficient respiratory systems which can be harmed by cigarette smoke,
insecticides, hairspray, solvents, cleaners, paints, and other air pollutants. Overheated
nonstick cookware (like Teflon) makes a poisonous gas and can kill a bird quickly. Ideally, do
not use it at all. Other household dangers include dogs, cats, toxic plants, ceiling fans, young
children, debris scattered in the carpeting, chewed-up bricks and walls, and lead (curtain
weights, old paint, stained glass).
Temperatures comfortable for you should be comfortable for healthy birds. Sudden changes
in temperature can be harmful for sick birds. If the air is dry, use a humidifier.
GENERAL CARE
Frequent bathing is good for all pet birds, but Amazon parrots and others that are from
humid areas need it most. Use only plain water; do not use most additives because these may
irritate the skin and feathers. Some birds prefer spray bottles, showering with their owners, a
bowl of water or rolling in wet greens. Some are scared of the process at first and need a
gradual introduction to each part of the bathing process.
Your bird may need periodic grooming, such as wing clips to keep it from flying. This
protects birds from escaping, hurting themselves, or a mischievous one from doing much
harm. However whether to clip your birds wings or not is a personal decision that you, your
bird and the Doctor can make. The goal of a wing clip is to allow a gentle glide down to the
floor after the bird jumps but not a crashing fall. However, do not assume a trim will prevent
your bird from being able to get far enough away to get in trouble, if you bring your bird
outside without a cage or a harness.
You may need to trim the nails on occasion to dull the tips, but beaks usually never need
trimming unless there’s a physical reason. If beaks or nails continually grow long it may
indicate health problems.
Birds spend a great deal of their time grooming (“preening”) their feathers by gently rolling
them through their beaks, to make sure they are in tip-top shape. If they yank out or destroy
them, this may be feather picking and can indicate an illness. Do not put any greasy
substance on the bird’s body or feathers such as oil, ointments or salves. The oil can spread
through the feathers and will damage them similar to birds caught in oil spills and can cause
the bird to be more susceptible to other illness.
Open leg bands may be dangerous and should be removed by an avian veterinarian. Closed
bands are also dangerous but perhaps less so. Check for swelling, dirt accumulation, or
constriction of the leg. We can permanently identify your bird by implanting a microchip
especially at the time of band removal.
It is best, when bringing a new bird into a home with existing birds, to keep that bird
separate for at least 60 days
Because of their intelligence, many species of parrots have certain emotional and
psychological needs. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Rolfe if you have any behavioral
concerns or to determine what your bird may require. Consider a behavioral consultation
BEFORE you have a problem, especially as a juvenile when the birds are going through very
formative periods.
WHEN SHOULD MY BIRD SEE A VETERINARIAN?
Regular physical examinations (usually every 6 months) at The Bird & Exotic Hospital can
help determine if there are any subtle symptoms that may indicate illness. At this time we
will review any specific care recommendations. The goal is a healthy bird that will live a
normal lifespan. A budgerigar (“parakeet”) can live 15 years but often die within two
because of nutritional deficiencies and “sudden illnesses” that had been going on for a while
but the symptoms were not noticed. Larger birds can live 25 to 95 years depending on the
species. There are some problems and diseases that should also be checked for to make sure
the bird is healthy and we may discuss these during the visit.
Most problems seen by avian veterinarians stem from the following:
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Birds hide their symptoms until illness has progressed to a critical degree.
Lack of proper care (especially with nutrition).
Many pet owners think that after their animal shows illness, they have time before they need
to call the “vet.” Do not wait. When a bird shows symptoms, the disease may already be at
an advanced state. Waiting will just allow the problem to advance. Birds are not delicate
creatures and do not necessarily die early in illness—this misconception arose when people
did not understand that birds that looked “healthy” may be hiding disease.
Hiding illness is thought to be a protection mechanism; often when a predator looks for a
meal it preys upon the weak, the infirm, the very old or very young. The birds have
developed instincts that tell them to hide their illness otherwise they might be a dinner for
another animal.
Do not use over-the-counter bird “antibiotics” or bird ‘salves.’ These are ineffective against
avian bacterial disease because of underdosing and development of resistance. Also,
antibiotics do not treat non-bacterial conditions at all. The main problem in using these
products is that they delay proper treatment and allow the original problem to get worse and
harder to treat. They also can cause invalid test results, making it harder to determine what
is wrong. Between wellness visits, call if you notice any subtle signs such as:
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Change in the droppings
Decrease in talking or activity
Picking at feathers other than normal preening
Discharge from the eyes, nose, mouth
Anything else out of the ordinary or questionable in nature
Call us immediately for:
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A bird that is not eating
A weak or “fluffed” bird
Bleeding
Convulsing
Bird caught by a cat or dog
Regurgitating other than with courtship
The most common diseases are actually often due to inadequate nutrition- including obesity,
vitamin A deficiency, and abnormal bone development. Infectious diseases commonly seen
include parasitism, gram negative bacterial infections, yeast and fungal infections, and
Psittacine beak and feather disease.
There are few diseases that you can catch from birds. The main one is psittacosis or “parrot
fever” (caused by the organism Chlamydophila) and birds can show a wide range of
symptoms. Ask your physician if you have any questions regarding your health. Many birds
can carry this bacteria and shed it intermittently. We cannot definitively say that a bird is
free of psittacosis with current technology, but we have tests available that are important to
use periodically while screening for health.
HEALTH SCREENING: The physical examination performed during a wellness
consultation is BY FAR the most important part of health screening. Much about the bird’s
health can be determined by this. However, that being said, there are some tests that are
good to consider being done periodically. A psittacosis test is one of them. Another is a fecal
gram stain which allows us to see the microscopic bacterial balance in the bird’s system.
Other tests that can be performed to screen for disease include a complete blood count
(CBC), a biochemistry panel and bile acids, cultures, and radiographs. Some species like the
smaller birds should have fecal examinations to check for parasites. Ask during your wellness
visit for further information about these tests.
We look forward to seeing you and your feathered companion!
COPYRIGHT THE BIRD & EXOTIC HOSPITAL, INC. 2008