How to Tell when Your Pet Bird is Sick

In the wild, a bird is programmed to hide any signs of illness that would make it easy prey. This is a trait that has carried over to pet birds. Often if a bird shows drastic outwards signs of illness, it's too late.

If you bird should show any of these signs, get it to your veterinarian as quickly as possible. You can never be too safe.

Behavior

If your bird begins acting out of character, you will want to keep a closer eye on it. A bird's behavior doesn't dramatically change without a cause. As the owner, you should know the personality of your bird and be able to detect when it changes drastically.

Signs of illness can be if your bird is sleeping constantly, acting lethargic, or sleeping on the bottom of the cage, get it to the veterinarian immediately. It's unnatural for a bird to sleep on the cage floor, they normally pick the highest point in the cage to sleep.

Eating and Drinking

Birds who are ill will stop eating. It usually happens when the bird is extremely ill. Keep an eye on how much your bird eats and make sure any changes in appetite are addressed in a quick manner.

Constant drinking can be a sign of kidney problems. The faster these types of problems are dealt with, the better the out come.

Droppings

Keep an eye on your bird's droppings. When changing the papers and cleaning the cage everyday, you should get a good idea of what is normal for your bird.

If there is a change in the consistency or frequency of your bird's droppings, it needs to be seen by the vet.

Difficult Breathing

Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems which make them susceptible to breathing troubles. They should not be exposed to fumes, perfumes or a lot of dust. These can severely affect a birds lungs.

Any discharge around your bird's nasal passages are a cause for concern. A healthy bird's nares (nasal openings) should always be clear and debris free. They should never be caked with mucus or appear bright red or pink.

Skin irritations

If your bird is acting like it is itchy or is picking at it's skin, there is some sort of irritant. Behavior like this is best dealt with by a vet. Most times, this behavior is the sign of some type of infection and will not subside on it's own.

Birds sometimes develop behavioral problems with plucking their feathers or picking at their own skin. Usually these types of problems begin as a health problem and then become a habit. The bird becomes use to the endorphins that are released by the plucking behavior and cannot stop. If your bird begins to pluck of pick, it's best to see a vet quickly before it becomes a habit.

Emergencies

In the case of any emergency, get your pet bird to the vet as soon as humanly possible. Unless you have experience in dealing with an emergency, it's best left to the professionals. These tips can help you deal with an emergency until you can get in to see the vet.

Broken blood feather. If your bird has a broken blood feather you need to get the bleeding under control quickly. Birds can bleed out in a matter of minutes. Always have a container of cornstarch on hand. Cornstarch can be put on the bleeding feather and slow the blood enough for you to get to the vet.

Being an alert observant owner is the best way to know when your bird may be sick.