If you have parakeet pets at home, you should be careful with what you feed them. You can feed your parakeet a variety of foods, but not all are safe to be consumed by them. Some foods are toxic to parakeets; hence you should avoid feeding them to your pet.
Even the most common foods humans consume can be toxic, making your parakeet experience diarrhea, stomach aches, allergic reactions, and even cause death, so before you feed anything to your parakeet, research to find out if it can harm it.
The following are toxic foods you should avoid!
10 Foods That are Toxic to Parakeets
1. Avocado
While humans consider avocados their superfoods, it’s surprising that they can be toxic to parakeets. Avocados contain a substance known as persin, found in avocado leaves.
When consumed by parakeets, this person causes respiratory problems; hence, you should keep your parakeet pet away from avocados.
2. Onions and Garlic
Most veggies are not toxic and are safe to feed your little parakeet. However, not all veggies, like onions and garlic, are safe for your pet. Although humans are friendly to onions and garlic, parakeets may be the exemption.
Onions contain sulfur compounds that, when consumed by parakeets, cause ulcers in their mouth or throat, leading to anemia, whereas else garlic contains allicin, which weakens your parakeet and can even lead to death.
3. Salts
Salt is a loved condiment that is largely added to almost all kinds of food, and most foods don’t taste well without it. However, too much salt is not good for us, and so are the parakeets. And even a pinch of it is potentially toxic to it.
Salt causes the fluid and electrolyte balance in the body of your parakeet, leading to kidney failure, dehydration, excessive thirst, and sometimes death. Some parakeet treats contain salt, so you should also avoid feeding such to your parakeet.
4. Chocolate
Just as humans love chocolates, Parakeets cannot resist food containing chocolates. However, chocolates are toxic to parakeets even when given in small amounts. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine.
These substances cause an increase in heart rate, diarrhea, vomiting, hyperactivity, seizures, induce tremors, and, worst, can lead to the death of your parakeet. So, next time, resist giving your feathery friend chocolate.
5. Caffeine
We all love anything that contains caffeine, such as tea, coffee, or soft drinks because it stimulates our brains. Caffeine causes hyperactivity, induces arrhythmias, increases heart rate, and can cause cardiac arrest in parakeets.
However, you might be tempted to offer your feathery friend a sip of a caffeine beverage. You should avoid giving your parakeet caffeine as it is toxic and can lead to the above consequences.
6. Fat
No doubt consuming foods high in fats can lead to obesity. But the worst is the consumption of foods high in fats, which can lead to the buildup of cholesterol in the heart arteries, leading to stroke or heart disease in parakeets.
While you might feed your parakeet pet cooked food like cooked food and lean, you should feed them in small quantities and not often to avoid the build-up of cholesterol in their heart arteries.
7. Fruit pits and Apple Seeds
Most fruits are safe and healthy to be consumed by parakeets, although in small amounts. Most fruits contain seeds such as pits, pears, apples, apricots, cherries, plums, and peaches. These fruits should not be given to parakeets without removing the seeds and pits.
Seeds and pits contain a cardiac-toxic cyanide compound that is highly toxic; otherwise, these fruits are entirely safe to consume without the seeds and pits.
8. Xylitol
Xylitol is a common sweetener found in many foods and sugarless gum. Remember, parakeets have a fast metabolism; hence xylitol might be very toxic even when given in small amounts. This chemical causes liver damage, hypoglycemia, and sometimes death.
So, feeding your parakeet pet any foods that contain xylitol would be a bad idea as it might cause the above damage.
9. Raw Beans
Another toxic food to avoid feeding your little feathery bird is raw beans. Raw beans contain a poison called hemagglutinin which is very toxic when provided to parakeets. So, avoid leaving raw beans open, as parakeets might feed on them.
10. Mushroom
Mushroom is a type of fungus that is toxic to parakeets. Raw mushrooms cause digestive problems, and their caps and stem can cause liver failure in parakeets.
Final Words
With that said, it’s important to know foods that are toxic to parakeets and avoid them by all means. Above are some of the toxic foods you should avoid. Note that these toxic foods can lead to their death. However, you can feed your feathery friend thousands of healthy foods.
