Many people choose to have a parrot as a pet due to the popular belief that they are animals that need little care and maintenance, something totally false, what's more, parrots, especially if they live alone they need continuous contact, to leave their cage if they live in one, appropriate food, toys for parrots and that their guardian is aware of their he alth status.
This last point is where the biggest problem lies, and that is that even if you are the best tutor in the world for your parrot, they tend to hide their weaknessessince in nature they are prey animals, so they will avoid showing their discomfort. Despite this, there are some visible symptoms that we can easily observe. In this article on our site we will expose the symptoms that a parrot is sick and the reasons why they could occur.
Parrot body language
Parrots normally attempt to communicate with their human companion through body language, displaying a wide variety of postures and behaviors to communicate their mood or needsThis is because it is the same as they would do to their fellow parrots in the wild.
One of the typical behaviors within body language is wing flapping When a parrot grabs onto the bars of its cage and begins to flapping his wings wildly is trying to communicate to us that he needs attention and exercise, partly because he's bored.
Parrots that have crests will use these to show their mood. If he is very upright it is because he is excited and alert. When it is slightly leaning back, it shows that it is relaxed, but if it is completely folded and also emits a kind of whistling sound, it means that something is very frightening.
During preening parrots often take on a ball-like appearance, commonly called balling. This is common, but if this behavior continues over time we should be concerned.
Other parrots tend to move their heads sideways, calling for attention. This behavior is very common in gray parrots, it is not known why, but if they do it too often they could have something obstructing their ears or nose.
The pupils is also a very important part of the body for communication. If a parrot opens and closes its pupils a lot it could be indicative of an aggressive mood. If he looks at us and suddenly his pupils close a lot, it means that, whatever we are doing, he is very curious.
All these behaviors, and many others, are part of the repertoire of normal behaviors of a parrot, if changes such as those explained below occur, it could be an indication that our parrot is sick.
Mutism
As we already know, parrots are very talkative, boisterous and noisy animals. If a parrot has stopped talking it may simply be because something has startled it and it needs to pay attention to its surroundings. But if you permanently stop talking for more than a day, something is wrong. It can be both physical and psychological, an illness, discomfort, changes in the home, etc.
Sneezing
A parrot may occasionally sneeze to clear its nostrils of small particles floating in the air, but if the sneezing is continuous, stop being normal. An excess of dust accumulation in the air, tobacco smoke, the air fresheners we use at home, can bother and harm the he alth of our parrot.
However, it may also be that the parrot has a cold, due to a viral or bacterial infection. In addition, you may have air sac mites, tumors, or nutritional deficiencies.
Regurgitation movements
The aforementioned head movements can also be accompanied by an attempt at regurgitation and can be one of the symptoms that a parrot is sick. It could be that something is blocking his airways or his crop In many cases it is due to the presence of parasites or infections. Remember to deworm your parrot regularly.
Insistent scratching
Skin problems, such as dermatitis, are common, although they can also be due to the presence of external parasites. Stress and boredom can cause our parrot to develop abnormal behaviors such as stereotypes or even deleterious behaviors, such as self-mutilation, which can start with a simple repetitive scratching.
Inactivity (stumbles)
Continuing with the symptoms that a parrot is sick, we already know that parrots are very active, curious and playful animals, so if a parrot does not want to eat and he's sad or down, he's in a daze, he doesn't want to move and even falls off the pole where he usually stays, it's very possible that we are dealing with a serious case that requires urgent veterinary care He may have been developing a disease of whatever nature and hid it until he got to that point.
Change in stool
Feces are a good indicator of the he alth of our parrot. We must be vigilant if changes in color, consistency and frequency occur. If it increases its frequency and the consistency is more liquid, the parrot suffers diarrhea. These can be caused by an intestinal infection, parasites, chlamydia, lead or zinc poisoning, or liver problems.
If the color changes and the faeces turn black, it may be because the parrot suffers anorexia or has digested blood. If they turn clear, the parrot may have a pancreas problem and if they turn red there may be blood in the lower part of the digestive tract. The color of the stool also changes depending on the type of fresh vegetable or fruit that we give it. For example, if we give him blackberries, the stool will be black and we should not worry.
Beak and/or nail overgrowth
A parrot's beak and nails grow continuously, if we don't provide them with perches or toys to help them wear them out, they may have a overgrowth This is one of the symptoms that a parrot is sick and can be associated with hormonal problems, tumors, nutrient malabsorption and other pathologies. All this can cause an exaggerated growth of these parts of the body.
Tremors
The tremors are part of the set of natural behaviors of a parrot, although they do not always have to occur. For example, if a gray parrot trembles it may be in its reproductive season or that it has become nervous for some reason, such as that you are going to give it a toy or food that I adoreBut it could also be that he is very scared about something that is happening.
Plumage changes
The state of the plumage is indicative of the he alth, not only of a parrot, but of all birds. Some of the negative changes that we can observe in the plumage and that are part of the symptoms that a parrot is sick are:
- Plucking: Parrots only shed their feathers once a year, so if your parrot sheds its feathers continuously it is because something is wrong.
- Low brightness: if the plumage is dull it may be that we are not giving it the right food or that it is suffering from parasites.
- Bald spots: Bald spots can appear naturally or because the parrot is pulling out its feathers, which is known as "pecking". ", indicating that the parrot's stress levels are excessively high.
- Feathers in poor condition: if the feathers start to grow, but are brittle, break, have a different color or are deformed, our parrot could be suffering from a nutrient deficiency, stress or even have a genetic problem.
What to give a sick parrot
In any of the situations mentioned throughout the article, the first thing we should do is go to a specialized veterinarian in exotic animals. This detail is important, because parrots do not present the same pathologies as dogs or cats, nor do they require the same handling.
We must not medicate the parrot without knowing what is happening to him, even if we have previously gone to the vet and he has prescribed some medication, no we will give it to him until he does not recognize it again in consultation. The symptoms could be the same as before but the illness could be different.
Of the parrots, the ones most known about are the red-tailed African gray. If you think your Gray Parrot is sick, See a professional as soon as possible The diseases of Grays have been the most studied in science and their application is common to the rest of parrots, or many of them.
