Information on Parakeet Pet Bird Health
Knowing how to properly care for your pet parakeet's health could also protect your own health. Parakeets are the smallest members of the parrot family, varying in color, shape and personality. There are about 120 species each, with dozens of subspecies. They are social, intelligent and lovable birds and are a popular choice for pets.
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Nutrition
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Proper nutrition goes a long way in protecting the health of your pet parakeet. Talk to your veterinarian about your pet bird's specific nutritional needs. Commercial seed mixes are widely available in avian and general pet stores. These mixes are formulated to meet parakeets' general requirements. Offer your pet parakeet fresh fruits and vegetables, cut into appropriately sized pieces, in addition to its regular feed. Provide clean fresh water each day. Vitamin drops can be added to the parakeet's drinking water as a nutritional supplement.
Care
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A pet parakeet should be housed in a cage that is sufficient in size for the bird to move about unrestricted. Make sure the pet bird's head does not touch the top and that its tail does not drag on the bottom of the cage when the bird is standing on its perch. Keep the parakeet in a draft-free and smoke-free environment for optimum health. As with humans, stress can be an important factor in your pet parakeet's health. Spend time interacting with and observing your pet bird, keeping an eye out for unusual behavior.
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Signs of Illness
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Anything that is out of the ordinary for your pet parakeet could be a sign of illness. A change in stool consistency, changes in activity levels, excessive feather plucking, lethargy, weight loss, changes in breathing and discharge from the eyes or beak are all indications that there may be a problem with the parakeet's health. Note that parakeets regurgitate and feed each other as a method of social interaction, but vomiting in any other case is cause for concern.
Parrot Fever
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Parrot fever, or psittacosis, is an infectious disease that humans can contract from infected pet parakeets. Pet bird owners become exposed to the bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci by breathing in dust from unclean birdcages. Symptoms in humans include general malaise, fever, headache, chills and a cough that may lead to pneumonia. The California Department of Health instructs, "If birds are kept as pets, clean up their droppings often so that fecal matter does not collect, dry out and become airborne. Reducing stress in birds by good husbandry also lessens the chances of Chlamydophila being shed from birds."
Emergency
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The following events constitute an emergency and require immediate medical attention: poisoning, falling into water, shock caused by gnawing electric wires, any blunt injury such as being stepped on or flying into an object. Also seek medical attention if your pet parakeet has been attacked by another animal.
A first-aid kit typical for humans can be supplemented with the following items for your pet bird: corn starch or flour to stop bleeding, carrier cage, bird's nail clippers, wire snips and any phone numbers relevant to your parakeet's health (veterinarian, emergency hospital, etc.).
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit light blue cockatiel image by Ken Marshall from Fotolia.com
