Signs Your Parrot Is Sick
Parrots are very good at hiding illness, in the wild if they showed signs of illness they are left behind by their flock. This makes it super important to know the signs of a sick parrot that way when you see something you can act quickly! What are those signs?
- Laboured breathing – tail bobbing while breathing – If you see your bird’s tail going up and down similar to their breath this is laboured breathing. The only time you should see a bird’s tail moving is when they are getting ready to poop. This is generally one of the first signs of distress you will see in a parrot.
- Audibly breathing – if your bird is making sounds while breathing or you can hear them working hard to breathe, or if you hear crackling sounds this is something very serious and should not be waited out.
- Feather picking – feather picking can mean a lot of things but if you have ruled out non medical reasons they could be plucking, Then it is a good idea to take them to an avian veterinarian as this can mean a lot of different health issues the main concern being parasites, mites, or worst case Psittacine beak and feather disease.
- Nasal discharge – sneezing is normal since birds can get dust in their nostrils and will sneeze to get the dust out. However, their sneezes should never be wet or visibly have discharge coming out of their nostrils that is a more advanced point of illness.
- Eye discharge – nothing should ever be coming from your bird’s eyes. If you see yellow, greenish or clear discharge this could be a bacterial infection. This is something that could be a simple fix but it could also be major and life-threatening so it is best to immediately go to an avian veterinarian.
- Lose poops/ Different coloured poops that do not reflect any diet changes – Poop is often the first sign of illness you will get from your bird so regularly inspect your birds poop if it ever looks off call your vet let them know and describe it to them and they will be able to diagnose this for you (likely not over the phone). If you have ever taken a parrot to the vet you know one of the first things they will do is exam any droppings the parrot has while at the vet appointment.
- Holding body lower to perches – This is a sign of a very sick bird.
- Sleeping more
- Spending time at the bottom of the cage – this can sometimes indicate their balance is off or they are worried they might fall.
- Not eating as much – similar to you if you aren’t feeling well you don’t want to eat, birds are the same.
- Weight loss – this is a sign they are not eating and should be taken seriously, especially with small parrots as they really do not have much excess weight they can afford to lose.
- Fluffed-up feathers – this is part of what is sometimes referred to as the sick bird look. This is usually paired with closed eyes and a very quiet bird. This is one of the most critical states your bird can be in. For a bird to look unwell it is not a slight cold or Upper Respiratory Infection – please take your bird to the vet immediately as your bird’s life is at risk.
- Poop stuck to vent – poop should never be sticking to your bird’s body.
- Excessive “yawning” – this could mean they are working on breathing, or something is blocking their airway
- Not as vocal – this is likely because they are conserving their energy to fight whatever they have.
- Changes in vocal tones – very common with Upper Respiratory Infections
- Wheezing – very common with Upper Respiratory Infections
- Clicking noise in the body – this is common with parasites; this is something that should not be taken lightly.
If you notice anything from this list or anything abnormal to your bird you must quickly get to an avian veterinarian. If you ever are questioning the health of your bird call your vet immediately.