Preventing Early Deaths in Birds
Tuesday, June 24th, 2014Dear Parrot Lover,
There are many beautiful animals throughout the world, but none are as stunning, and as intelligent as the parrot. Parrots come in a variety of sizes, colors, and species. Some have the intelligence of a two year old toddler, while others are on the same intellectual level as three to four year old child.
In fact, they are so intelligent that they are extremely adept at hiding their true physical wellbeing. In the wild, parrots are always a member of a larger flock. In addition, in such a large group of birds, if one bird is sick or injured, the others will pick up on that and may abandon the bird. In some instances, larger prey will also notice that the bird is sick or injured and will immediately target it as food.
This natural instinct to hide their real health has carried over into domesticated parrots and birds too.
As a responsible parrot owner, it is your duty to provide your parrot with proper health care throughout its life. Start by learning to notice your parrot’s natural behavior patterns. What are his or her unique quirks?
Once you know what his or her unique characteristics are, it will be much easier for you to notice when your parrot is not feeling well, simply because he or she will not be acting like their usual self. Learn to recognize certain traits and body language that are indicative of a sick or injured parrot. These usually include a tail feather that droops or that hangs down lower than the rest of your parrot’s body when they are sitting on their perch. Or sitting with their feathers all puffed up. Other indications are a lack of appetite, a change in the color, smell, and consistency of their droppings; and in some parrots, being less vocal and talkative that normal.
For these reasons, it is vitally important that your parrot is seen by an Avian Certified Veterinarian every six months to a year. An Avian Certified Veterinarian is the only veterinarian that is educated to conduct what is known as a Well Bird Exam.
Similar to a dog or cat checkup, a Well Bird Exam will test your parrot’s fecal matter and blood for signs of any parasites or infections. They will be weighed on a special scale designed especially for parrots. The Avian Certified Veterinarian may suggest that your parrot receive a vaccination against the Polyomavirus – a type of cold that only parrots can contract.
In any event, it is always a good idea to create a rapport with your veterinarian so that both you and your parrot will become familiar with the vet.
Taking Care of Your Parrot
Learn How to Care for Your Pet Bird
Did you know that every parrot or bird we see in someone’s home or in a store is, at best, only a few generations removed from the wild? That means knowing what the wild tendencies in any bird are and how to properly care for it in your home is vital for his health.
Parrots can live up to 60 years or more if their needs are fully met, but many birds unfortunately die much younger than that due to incomplete or poor diets or illness. These are preventable things!
Learn How to Care for Your Pet Bird
Fulfilling Your Parrot’s Needs
Every parrot has certain needs that you want to meet to keep him happy and healthy:
Parrots are very intelligent, and wild parrots use their intelligence to roam, explore, and learn. It’s estimated that the common parrot may have an intelligence similar to a 3-5 year old child! This means you need to allot a few hours each day to having your bird with you outside of the cage and provide mentally stimulating toys and activities for him the remainder of the day.
His diet needs to be diverse and complete with fresh fruit, veggies, bird food pellets, and different nuts and seeds. Simple bird seed is not enough to keep him healthy. Poor nutrition can cause a non-thrifty bird.
The cage environment can be a breeding ground for disease and parasites. Birds are messy, and it requires daily cleaning to properly maintain. A poorly placed cage that isn’t clean is a disaster waiting to happen for a bird.
These are the three basic needs that every pet parrot must have: mental and physical stimulation each day, a complete diet, and a clean living environment.
Read more on How to Take Care of Your Parrot
Raising Polly!
It can be so challenging to have all the information you readily need at your fingertips. You want to know the ins and outs of parrot ownership as well as all the tricks of the trade to keep him healthy and happy. How to narrow down all the information you run across on the internet and boil it down to the information you need?
Raising Polly: How to Raise a Healthy, Happy, Well Adjusted Bird is one of those books that you can hang onto, ready through, and reference from time to time. The Raising Polly system was developed by a bird owner and breeder with over two decades of experience. It’s guaranteed to work!
In addition to the Raising Polly e-book, you’ll receive audio files and a bonus book on training your bird, Training Your Parrot…all risk free to you!
Click here to read more on How to Take Care of Your Parrot
Regards,
Nathalie Roberts