It’s impossible to get a true diagnosis for a sick bird, unless you go to a vet. And it has to be an avian or exotic animal veterinarian, or you might still be in the dark.However, there are a few supplements for bird health that you can use when they’re ill. These products give them…
Someone brought me a bird last summer (shown in the video below) that was suffering from a twisted neck. In the poultry world this is called wry neck; the bird seems to have its head upside-down. As you watch it try to move around, you notice the movements are jerky. He may not be able…
I generally recommend products like Guardian Angel or Thrive when birds are ill. I feel like those give them strength to fight through the illness – often that plus heat will get them through a rough patch. If you don’t have access to one of these, the next in line is pedialyte. That’s something parents are familiar with – it’s…
I often get asked questions about sick birds, and I always suggest getting a professional diagnosis and prescription from the veterinarian. But then the person in question wants to do “more.” It is very hard to wait the 48 hours or so that it takes to start seeing improvement. I get that. There are a…
Often people take their bird to the vet and get a prescribed treatment, but the poor bird is suffering: Tail bobbing, struggling to breathe, maybe even making sounds when he breathes. Or he sits quietly on the perch fluffed up and hunched over, not moving. “What can I do to help my sick bird”? They’re…
You’ve probably noticed by now that most bird supplements suggest adding them to water. You may think that’s a great way to do it, since surely they drink water every day, right? I used to think that way too. But later on I saw problems with this method. For one thing, by observing your birds…
This question comes up a lot, and it’s very valid. Supplements, like all good things can be overdone so it’s important to be aware of how much your bird is already getting versus how much (more) you want to give him. Let’s take calcium as an example. All pet birds need calcium all year around…
Many people awaken one day to find a dead finch at the bottom of the cage, and they wonder what in the world happened to their bird. I believe that birds should be physically examined every so often, in order to make sure that they are healthy. A good time to do this is while…
It’s amazing how many birds there are in the US. Over 3.6 million households have them–averaging 2 birds each! When you have pet birds, you have to pay special attention to air quality. Even the least scent can be toxic. Sometimes you know right away what caused the issue (like fire) and sometimes despite all…
I often write about Gouldian finches, but the information is applicable to any pet bird including other finches, canaries, and parrots. My New Bird Has Mites! As I wrote in Could my Gouldian finch Have Mites?, many new Gouldians will come to you loaded with a mite infestation. Mites are not uncommon, at least here in Florida,…