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PET BIRDS -- PRESCRIPTION FOR LONG-TERM COMPANIONSHIP by Edward L. Spenser, M.S., D.V.M. Some of this material has been adapted from a series of client education brochures developed by the Association of Avian Veterinarians. There are approximately 31 million pet birds in the United States. The most popular birds are parakeets (11 million), finches (5.7 million), cockatiels (4.9 million), canaries (2 million), and other parrots (1.2 million). Birds can be a wonderful source of companionship, but since they are totally dependent on the owner for their welfare, ownership carries with it a responsibility to provide the proper housing, feed, and health care for a long and happy life. HOUSING The cage you choose for your pet bird should be large and roomy, since the bird will be confined most of the time. It must be strong enough to resist bending, and made of non-toxic material, absent of sharp edges, and designed for ease of cleaning. Perches should be placed to prevent droppings from contaminating the food or water. Food bowls should be wide rather than deep to encourage eating. It helps to place the food and water bowls on opposite ends of the cage, to ensure exercise between eating and drinking. Newspapers, paper towels, or any other plain paper cage liner are preferred over wood chips, chopped corn cobs, kitty litter, sandpaper, or gravel so the appearance and amount of the droppings may be closely monitored. Daily cage cleaning allows the owner to notice any abnormal condition of the droppings, which may warn of possible illness. Smaller birds often like to have a place available for retreat, such as a paper bag, towel, or nesting box. Since birds are intelligent, active animals, locate the cage near a family area, where they can enjoy the company of humans. If allowed outside the cage, wings should be clipped by a competent professional, and be aware of ceiling fans, large windows, hot pans on the stove, mouse traps, sticky fly strips, open doors, or unfriendly four-legged animals! Beware of environmental hazards, such as cigarette smoke, pesticides, overheated non-stick coatings (e.g., teflon) and extremes in temperature. Provide safe toys as diversions from boredom. Many birds can entertain themselves by tearing paper or cardboard. A corn cob or pomegranate, or non-toxic leaves also provide "occupational therapy." FEEDING Unfortunately, marketed seed mixes do not provide complete nutrition. Other foods, such as those comprising a lean, vegetarian-type human diet, must be supplemented to balance the nutrients missing in seeds. Approximately 60 percent of the daily food consumption should be selected from whole grain products, such as various bird seeds, cooked brown rice, oats and oatmeal, dry corn, barley, wheat, and whole grain bread. Many common bird "seeds" such as sunflower, safflower, or peanuts are very high in fat, and amounts should be limited. Vegetables provide some essential vitamins and minerals. The most valuable vegetables are dark green and leafy or dark yellow, those with high vitamin A content, such as beets, broccoli, carrots, parsley, pumpkin, winter squash, and sweet potatoes. Fruits should be offered in limited amounts, since most birds do not need outside sources of vitamin C except during illness or stress. High vitamin A-containing fruits are most desirable, such as papaya, cantaloupe and apricots. In addition, mature legumes (e.g., cooked beans, such as navy, kidney, lentils, or peas) may be offered up to 25 percent of the diet to provide a valuable source of protein. Calcium can be provided by cuttlebone, oyster shell, or mineral blocks. Of course, fresh water must always be available. Grit may be provided in limited amounts, but large intakes can cause impaction. Formulated diets are available and afford a convenient way of feeding the primary ration. These diets may be purchased as pellets, nuggets, crumbles, or hand-feeding premixes. YOUR BIRD'S HEALTH Birds are experts at hiding their symptoms of disease. This is a defense mechanism developed to insure their survival in the wild. They often do not appear ill until their disease state is advanced. Birds have a high metabolic rate and consequently require frequent influxes of energy (nutrients) to survive. They usually have minimum body fat and other reserves. Therefore, if they get sick, they tend to go downhill very rapidly. Signs of serious illness which should alert the owner to contact a veterinarian include the following:
It is the opinion of expert avian veterinarians that most available over-the-counter products do more harm than good. These (with a couple of lesser known exceptions) are not approved by FDA and are manufactured to unknown standards of quality. If you experiment with over-the-counter medicines for too long, by the time you realize the bird is really in trouble and seek a veterinarian's advice, it is often too late. This is one reason why traditionally, many veterinarians have been reluctant to treat pet birds. Advances in avian medicine as well as in education of bird owners is changing this, however. For example, birds do not get "simple colds." Respiratory symptoms in birds are not colds at all, but frequently bacterial or chlamydial infections that can be quite serious if untreated. Allergic disease has also been implicated in some respiratory conditions. The use of the term "cold" on the label of a bird medicine implies a self-limiting disease that is not life-threatening. Regardless of the cause, these animals require veterinary attention and, when appropriate, antibiotic therapy. Some conditions can be life-threatening. Psittacosis ("parrot fever") can occur as a respiratory syndrome. This disease is transmissible to humans and symptomatic therapy dismissing the disease as a "cold" can have adverse consequences for the bird, its owner, and members of the household. Over-the-counter antibiotics for birds are available at most pet stores. Most are intended for use in the drinking water and can include the tetracyclines and erythromycin. There are many reasons why treating your pet bird with these products may be detrimental. Following are just a few:
You will find many products labeled to treat "diarrhea" in pet birds. Most of them are based on a kaolin-pectin combination, similar to those sold for use in humans. There are several problems with this. First, diarrhea in pet birds is rarely the self-limiting, uncomplicated condition that it is frequently in humans. True diarrhea (other than transitory changes in bird's stools due to certain fresh foods) or changes in the droppings, is actually considered rare in pet birds and is a symptom of a systemic illness. Second, it is common for a pet owner to observe excess liquid in the droppings and call this "diarrhea." Most of the time the problem is actually a condition called "polyuria", which is an over-production of urine and urates from the kidneys. This is easily confused by an inexperienced bird owner. Polyuria is much more common and also is usually a symptom of an underlying disease. In EITHER diarrhea or polyuria, a symptomatic remedy for "diarrhea" is usually ineffective. This is because: 1. True diarrhea is usually indicative of an underlying disease that requires more than symptomatic treatment, and 2. If the bird really has polyuria, which is kidney-related and also has many possible underlying causes, then obviously treating the gastrointestinal tract symptomatically alone will not be sufficient. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment by a veterinarian are usually required. CONCLUSION Your bird is important to you, so line up a qualified avian veterinarian before you need one. Pet store personnel, although they have good intentions, are not trained in veterinary medicine and should not be dispensing medical advice except to refer you to a professional. Avian medicine has come a long way in the past 15 years. There are now "board-certified" avian specialists in the U.S., with numbers growing yearly. Equally important, organizations like the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) and other regional associations have very been active in educating veterinarians in all aspects of avian medicine and surgery. For further information about the care of birds, you may contact the Association of Avian Veterinarians, P.O. Box 618372, Orlando, FL 32861-8372. With proper care and management, your pet bird will live a long and healthy life, providing years of companionship to you.
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