Bird Health

To put your mind at ease, humans cannot transfer colds or flu viruses to their birds. There are a couple of viruses that we may pass on to our birds but these are a rarity. There is more concern about what we can give our birds through our saliva. We are not advising you to […]

Dehydration of food is a process that removes water. The pieces become smaller and more concentrated, but nutrition remains practically the same. Dehydrating food inhibits the growth of bacteria as well. Before there were dehydrators there was the sun. Early on people discovered that the sun removed water from their food which could then be […]

Some parrots can be finicky eaters. They don’t always choose things that are good for them. But it’s important to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition. Researchers have discovered that the major cause of mortality among pet birds is malnutrition. Feeding your bird a seed only diet is dangerous to his/her health. Seeds alone […]

Although there are many odors, among them aerosol sprays, teflon-coated pans and so on that can affect birds adversely, proper use of essential oils can be beneficial. Essential oils are made from plants and their parts – flowers, stems, leaves, bark, wood, fruit. In the wild, birds are exposed to them all the time. Many […]

The short answer is yes although most birds look on pasta as a toy. One fear about feeding dry pasta to a bird is that a piece will be broken off. The piece can be sharp and when swallowed cause internal injuries. Unless your bird normally chews and swallows inappropriate things such as toy parts,in […]

Proventricular Dilation Disease (PDD) affects primarily parrots, but also some other birds. It is also known as the Wasting Syndrome. The Proventriculus is a glandular part of the avian stomach that may store and or begin digestion of food before it moves to the gizzard. The gizzard is a muscular pouch behind the stomach that […]

There are many bird illnesses that appear to have the same or similar symptoms. Some are even transmittable to humans. If your bird’s behavior changes or is worrisome, it’s time to consult your vet. Alopecia (loss of feathers) – Causes can be poor diet, external parasites, hormone imbalance or self-inflicted due to boredom or nervousnous. […]

WalMart, PetSmart and other pet shops carry many toys for birds and other pets that are made in China. Unfortunately, many of them have proven toxic to birds. Recently, a woman purchased a Chinese import bird toy for her pet. After chewing on it, the bird became ill and died. The woman then sent the […]

Aspergillosis, or as it is more commonly referred to “asper”, is a respiratory disease. It is caused by the fungus, aspergillus. Asper is found everywhere in the environment, particularly in garbage, rotting leaves, compost and other decayed material. Diagnosis of infection is made through samples taken from the bird’s choanal slit and feces. The choanal […]

Just as we enjoy the outdoors, so do our birds. After all, outdoors is their natural habitat. But pet birds need extra care if we want them to have some fresh air and sun. If you’ve trained your bird to use a harness, make sure that it fits well. If you take your bird outside […]