Abstract
You've awoken this morning feeling queezy and feverish. Do you hurry to the telephone to make an appointment to see your doctor? Probably not; some ailments are just as simply handled at home. This same principle is true for domestic and exotic birds.
Certain foods, water left too long unchanged, lettuce and other green foods left to wilt on the bottom of a cage floor can all contribute to the ill health of our avian friends.
Anyone who owns a pet bird can tell of a time when their bird contracted a simple illness or was involved in a minor accident that the owner knew they could handle if only they knew the proper procedure.
As a breeder of normal and rare parakeets, I have often used avian first aid at home. The following tips will help pet owners to determine what care their bird may need as well as when a veterinarian's care is the solution.
During hot summer months or in warmer climates, loose droppings can be a common avian problem. Since droppings are a combination of bowel matter and urine, it is hard to determine if the problem is diarrhea.
Laxative foods such as green foods and fruit will loosen bowels. In this case, simply withhold all green foods and fruits temporarily. If your bird has been consuming a small amount of vegetable or fruit food daily, slightly loosened bowels will be normal and healthy.
It is better to count the number of droppings when your bird is healthy. In this way, if your bird becomes suspect of an internal ill, a simple count from fresh bottom paper will reveal an intestinal upset.
Charcoal specifically prepared for birds will better aid your bird's digestion if a small amount of it is added to the bird's gravel supply. However, when you suspect your bird may be ill, many avian veterinarians recommend removal of gravel, since many birds will overeat gravel during illness and develop impactions.
When birds have already contracted diarrhea, it is advisable to replace their water with tea made from the second brew.
This is accomplished by making tea and letting it steep for several minutes. Pour this tea off and then add more boiling water to the used tea bag in the cup. Allow the bird to consume this after cooled, in place of its previous drinking water. Tea may increase the bird's output of urine so don't confuse urine with watery stool.
Diarrhea can be caused by microbes in fouled drinking water. These microbes or germs multiply quite quickly during hot weather, and simultaneously, the bird's intestinal tract is less likely to fight off the infection.
Fresh water daily is better than using chemicals to sterilize water, but if the bird has contracted what you believe to be diarrhea due to contaminated foods, aureomycin may be recommended by your bird dealer or veterinarian, along with warmth and rest.