Parakeets are cute and quite lovely pets to have. They will always be there to keep you company. All that joy can be taken away by disease-causing diarrhoea.
Sick pets will leave you worried and deprived of the companionship they used to offer. Did I feed them the wrong treatment? Do they have a bacterial infection? Will I lose them? You have probably asked yourself these questions a couple of times.
Find the symptoms, possible causes of diarrhea, and best care and treatment you can offer your ailing parakeet in this blog.
What Symptoms Show that My Parakeet Has Diarrhea?
Besides diarrhea, here are some other symptoms you can look out for:
1. Vomiting
Just like human beings, little birds tend to throw up when they have diarrhoea. When vomiting, it will fling its head side to side before spitting an acidic fluid.
2. Blood in dark green stool
Usually, birds have green stools. When the stool color gets darker shades of dark green, you must check your bird’s health. The dark shade is bile coming out.
Regularly check your parakeet’s poop to ensure it is healthy. They poop 40 to 50 times a day. A change in this can also be a symptom of diarrhoea.
3. Loss of appetite
Your little friend will eat the little food you offer or none at all. In other words, if your parakeet happily gobbled every meal you gave them, they would eat less. and be a little bit picky about what they want to eat.
4. Ruffled feathers
While on the other hand, humans have pale skin when they are sick, and birds have ruffled feathers. Ruffled feathers are normal on birds but only when the bird is feeling cold. When the mentioned symptoms are visible while the feathers are ruffling, you must check your bird’s health.
5. Lethargy
Lethargy is the lack of enthusiasm or energy. When little birds have diarrhea, they lose a lot of water. This makes them tired and often not as active as they are when not experiencing diarrhea. This can lead to less activity, and they may not be as joyful too.
What Causes Diarrhea in Parakeets?
1. Bacterial infections
Bacterial infections are acquirable by poor hygiene or high emotional or environmental stress. Some of the common bacteria that cause illness in birds are
- E coli
- Pasteurella
- Salmonella
- Enterobacter
- Mycobacteria
- Klebsiella
- Citrobacter
- Serratia marcescens
The most common bacterial infections are streptococci and staphylococci.
2. Fear
In many circumstances, we develop diarrhea whenever we are in fear. Have you ever experienced this before? The same applies to your parakeet. They have loose bowels when they are in fear.
A scenario that will cause fear and nervousness is when you have just brought your parakeet home. There’s a change in the environment, making them fearful of the new situation.
When you have many guests, your kids are likely to be shy around them. The same applies to parakeets; they are nervous around many people and will excrete “fear poop.”
You should not be so worried about this. Once your little pet gets comfortable in its new home, it will overcome the fear.
3. Diet Change
Parakeets have a specific food prescribed for their health. They will react when you offer something that is not in their diet.
Here is a list of food you should not give your parakeet:
- Salty snacks
- Chocolate
- Fruits in the rose family
- Uncooked beans
4. Competitive Drinking
Competitive drinking? Yes! Birds do not have to set up a pub to have a drinking competition. Do you have two or more parakeets in your home? Sometimes, when one sees the other drinking water, he will also drink, which will continue for quite some time.
This is what a bird’s competitive drinking is.
After consuming a lot of water, it will come out as diarrhea. This is entirely normal. Worry less about this situation.
Besides competitive drinking, the high consumption of fruits and vegetables has the same effect on birds. Fruits and vegetables have high water content leading to diarrhea.
5. After Bath
When birds shower, they take in much water compared to what they usually take. The water later comes out as diarrhea.
Can I Treat My Parakeet’s Diarrhea?
You most definitely can! Here are some straightforward ways you can treat your little bird:
Treatment
- Give your bird a probiotic
- Brans absorb excess water in the bird’s body
- Antibiotics
- Seek medical advice if symptoms persist
Home Care
- The bird needs more water to replace the lost moisture in diarrhea.
- Ensure your bird takes all medications as prescribed by your veterinary.
- You can withdraw fruits and vegetables from your diet for a day.
Conclusion
Birds react to excess water in their diet. Overhydration is easily treatable at home. For bacterial infections, however, you will need to see your vet to ascertain the best treatment for your feathery friend.
