A Sign of Illness When Your Parrot is Not Well

The Signs What to watch for when your parrot is not well. Do keep in mind parrots differ from one another with signs of illness. For one if the demeanor changes and they become depressed, not as lively as usual, their feathers are ruffled and soiled. Some do show they are not feeling well by plucking their feathers. Your parrot may tuck their head in into their back, though some do prefer to sleep this way. When they consistently sneeze (parrots do sneeze). The most noticeable show in illness is sneezing and discharge comes from their nostrils (nares), cloudy eyes, discharge coming from their eyes, any change in their droppings (feces). Other signs are beak swelling, runny or discolored droppings, red or swollen eyes, sitting on the lowest part of their cage and loss of appetite. The first thing you should do if you suspect you feathered friend to be ill, is line the bottom of their cage with newspaper. Give them a bowl with only seed; see if they eat it and see how they digest it. If their droppings are discolored, runny or undigested this is cause to go to the vet. Even if their droppings look fine and they have any the signs I mentioned you need to go to the vet and have your parrot examined.

If you suspect your companion to be sick you should have your parrot seen by an avian vet. I recommend a specialist in avian medicine. They have been trained to know the signs and how treat your parrot with extreme care. Parrots that are domesticated are renowned in hiding their illness until it is too late. Illnesses may be as simple as a change in diet to internal parasites. Make sure you have the correct diet you are feeding your parrot.

If you have any concerns for your parrot, do have it checked out. It is better to be safe than sorry. Know your parrots behavior, how they like to eat, what they enjoy doing and how they sleep. When you know all these factors it gives you a better idea of when your companion does become ill. Like your child’s pediatrician keep your parrot’s doctor on speed dial. There are always questions like behavior, what can it eat and if it becomes ill.

This is not to scare you but circumstances do come up that you need to be aware of. Parrots are very hardy creatures. Generally, diseases are what can take your feathered friend away from you. Dr. Branson Ritchie is the leader in avian medicine and is doing research on how to detect diseases in your parrot that are otherwise undetectable. Dr. Ritchie is helping avian doctors get more tools in their arsenal to help keep our beloved friends stay healthy. Dr. Ritchie is making a difference in our companions life by making them healthy so we may live a lifetime with our feathered companions.