Signs of Illness in Your Pet Bird

As pet parents, you never want to see your pet feeling under the weather. Your pet not being able to communicate with you makes it more difficult. Fortunately, certain signs can alert you to the fact that your pet bird has an illness.

Signs of a Bird Illness

Because predators search for signs of weakness in the wild, your bird will try to hide the fact that he is sick. For this reason, you need to pay close attention to a variety of factors that can show the health of your bird. If your bird seems sick, he has reached a point where he is very sick. To prevent your bird from reaching this point, check for these signs about twice a day.

Check the Appearance

Many signs of illness show themselves in a bird’s appearance. She might start sitting at a lower point in her cage, hunching and putting her head under her wing. Her wings might have a different placement than normal. She might have trouble balancing and seem weak. She could also have consistently ruffled feathers and differences in the appearance of the eyes, such as a different color. You might also notice that the look, consistency, or smell of her droppings has changed.

Watch Behaviors

It is also common for your bird to act differently when she is sick. She might stop preening or pulling her feathers, walk in circles, shifting her feet, be less active and alert, and stop talking or singing. Your bird might not respond to you or other stimuli, might not show her normal personality, and might sleep more. She might even have seizures or collapse.

When to Visit the Vet

These are only some of the long list of symptoms of illness in birds. If you discover any of these signs or other unusual symptoms in your bird, bring him for a checkup with a veterinarian. We take care of birds at North Central Animal Hospital in Phoenix, AZ.

Have you ever seen these symptoms in your pet bird?