How To Tell If Your Parakeet Is Sick?

Getting your favourite Parakeet home brings with it unavoidable responsibilities. These birds, just like any other pets, can get sick. This requires you to ensure proper care of them. 

You must be looking out for the signs and symptoms which might indicate their illness. Things might get a bit serious if you don’t take any action right away. 

Table of Contents

This is why it’s mandatory to educate yourself on all the signs and symptoms that might indicate a significant health issue in your little friend.

1. The Act Of Damaging Feathers 

There can be many underlying reasons behind the feather damaging behaviour of your Parakeet. 

This may be due to : 

Feeling Stressed

If you think only humans get stressed out, think again! 

These birds may be under stress due to a lot of factors, some of which include : 

1. Too much noise in her immediate environment.
   
2. Lack of proper attention and training.
   
3. Not getting their favourite toys. 
   
4. Not getting their favourite commercial treats.
   
5. Improper size of perches ( too large or too small) 
   

Stress can be a significant reason behind this feather plucking behaviour.

Unhealthy Diet 

Feeling Bored

The other reason behind this behaviour can be a lack of attention and amusement. Parakeets love to be entertained, and chew toys are something they love to play with. 

If she feels left alone, having no fun to do, you might notice this type of behaviour. 

Health Issue

Your Parakeet may also have some severe health issues which might make her pluck her feathers. Be careful and contact a nearby vet right away. 

Mites In Feathers

If your Parakeet’s feathers look thinner and have patches around them, 

this indicates the presence of mites in her body. Here are some possible symptoms : 

• Red bruises around her skin
  
• Restless behaviour 
  
• Dry skin 
  
• Small, moving objects (appearing red or black) 
  

Visit your nearby vet for a checkup. It’s necessary to eliminate any possible health issue before diagnosing other reasons for her feather damaging behaviour.  

However, if you can’t figure out the actual cause, allow the vet to look into this matter. 

2. Changes In Your Parakeet’s Behavior
 

Some behavioural changes in your pet bird indicate she’s sick and needs medical assistance. 

Here are the symptoms to look for : 

A) Changes In Her Eating Habits 

If you find your Parakeet ignoring her food or water for quite some time, consider this to be a warning sign of serious health trouble. 

This requires you to be alert and take her to a trusted veterinarian as soon as possible.

B) Feeling Inactive Or Lethargic 

Lack of activity and lethargy can also be a sign of illness. 

If your pet bird is seen taking heavy breaths, finding it hard to get on the perches, or she keeps puffing up her feathers, this may hint towards lethargy. 

Some other possible symptoms include:

• A weird posture or staying inactive 
  
• Singing less often or not at all 
  
• Feather plucking 
  
• Unwilling to clean herself 
  
• Finding it hard to stand on her perch 
  
• Taking support with her beak to hang instead of perching. 
  
• Trembling for no good reason
  
• Too much sleep and way too often 
  
• Getting a bit aggressive 
  
• Feeling weak 
  

Also, note that if your Parakeet suddenly has a mood swing from a happy, cheerful state to feeling aggressive or angry, she must be feeling sick. 

3. Extreme Temperatures 

Extremely high temperatures in the room are the reason why your Parakeet may also feel hot. Birds do not sweat to release heat, so they find other ways to get rid of excess heat from their bodies. 

Here are a few signs that indicate your pet friend is feeling hot and needs some comfort : 

• Dilated and red nostrils. 
  
• Taking frequent, rapid breaths ( Also called ” panting “). It is a significant symptom of overheating andnrequires immediate veterinary attention. • Warmer beak and feet. 
  
• Spreading out her wings. 
  

It would help if you remembered that fever or respiratory problems could also raise her temperature. Hence it’s always recommended to take her to a vet if she feels too warm.  

Extremely low or cold temperatures can also make your Parakeet feel too hard. 

Here are the possible signs and symptoms indicating she’s feeling cold : 

• Staying away from draft or sitting in the corner of the cage. 
  
• Hunching over her feet to get warmth. 
  
• She is seen fluffing her feathers way too often.
  
  

4. Some Other Symptoms Of A Sick Parakeet

Keep an eye on your pet’s faeces. 

If you find your bird’s droppings smelly, that shouldn’t be considered normal. If you notice any change in smell or colour of her droppings, this indicates something is wrong. 

A foul smell from the cage will give a clear sign that your Parakeet is sick. If you find the droppings to be yellow or green, that indicates liver disease. 

Black or red colour indicates internal bleeding. Wet feathers or liquid faeces is a clear sign of diarrhoea. 

• notice any discharge from the bird’s eyes or nostrils. This is also a sign of illness. 
  
• If you find any part of your Parakeet’s body swollen, understand that your bird needs urgent veterinary assistance.
  
• Vomiting also indicates that your bird is unwell. • Look at her eyes. 
  
• When their eyes appear to be sunken, droopy or different in colour, this means she is seriously sick. Keep in mind that Parakeets have alert eyes when they are in good health. 
  
  

Taking Care Of Your Sick Parakeet

Here are a few steps you can take to ensure proper healthcare of your sick Parakeet : 

Visit an avian vet first

It’s essential to diagnose and cure the Parakeet’s ailment. It would be best if you visited an experienced avian vet. 

Use the Association of Avian Veterinarians’ database to find one. Try to follow all the home-care guidelines and instructions provided by your vet. This is important to ensure the timely recovery of your pet bird. 

Keep her warm

Keep her in a place that is warm but not too hot. It’s better to avoid places with drafts. Noisy and bright environments should be avoided at all costs. 

Also, avoid crowds in that room. This means fewer pets and fewer people. 

Avoid Distraction

Distraction of any kind must be avoided from the cage (such as bells or toys) 

Get them proper sleep

Make sure that your Parakeet gets adequate sleep of at least 8 to 10 hours. Lesser the disturbance, the better the sleep. 

Maintain humidity

It can be a good idea to add more humidity to the room. This needs to be discussed with your vet for further assistance. Moreover, a humid place ensures better breathing, but talk to your vet first. 

Offer best feed

Offer foods with higher moisture content like fruits or leafy greens but talk to your vet first. If you are advised to give her fruits, you can put a few pieces of apple or grapes into her water. This ensures proper nutrition as well as hydration.

Tell your vet to recommend a good feeding plan for her best recovery. Note that Parakeets recover pretty well with foods rich in simple carbohydrates, and these are pretty easy to digest.  But always look for proper advice from your vet and follow the routine. 

Look For an injury during playtime

Parakeets are playful pet birds. They often injure their limbs while playing. Sometimes they may break their toenails which may cause bleeding, or they may often hurt their chests while flying out of their cages.  

In any injury, you must talk to an avian vet for immediate attention and treatment. You should restrain your Parakeet gently and apply a commercial vet powder on the affected area to stop further bleeding. 

Bleeding may also occur from your bird’s nostrils or mouth. In such cases, talk to a vet. Remember that reasonable care is essential to a Parakeet’s speedy recovery.