Sick Bird Care
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When your bird is sick enough for us to observe
abnormalities, it has been sick for at least one
month (as a general rule of thumb). The most
important considerations for your sick bird are:
1. HEAT: A sick bird doesn’t regulate its body
temperature well. Adding supplemental heat is a
necessity. The best option is a ceramic heat
element (found in the reptile area at pet stores)
focused at one side of the cage so they can move
away from it if they feel too warm. You can use a
red heat light, or for small cages a heating pad
under the cage can also provide heat. Get a tape
thermometer and place in the cage where the
heat source is directed. A temperature of 85
degrees F is the goal.
2. NUTRITION: Birds that are sick do not digest adequately, and birds on all seed diets
have some degree of maldigestion and need to be on a balanced, highly digestible diet. Any
situation that causes stress or ill health such as molting, breeding, egg laying, etc.,
decreases immune system response and predisposes the bird to illness. Nutrition is the
basis of a healthy immune system. Severely ill or anorexic birds (birds that aren’t eating)
will need to be force fed.
Paying close attention to your bird’s droppings and food intake will also give important
information about their overall health. For example, a normal parakeet will pass 40-60
droppings in 24 hours. If the number is reduced to 20-30 per day, a serious problem may
exist. A normal parakeet will eat 25% of its body weight each day. Even a healthy bird will
die in 48 hours without food. A sick bird will die much more quickly! Notify your
veterinarian immediately if your bird stops eating. An ill-appearing bird with ruffled feathers
is sick, cold and hungry.
3. REST: Rest is important for recovery. Healthy birds need at least 8 hours of sleep per
night. Sick birds require more, until he or she is back to normal. Refrain from playing with
them too much and put them in a quiet environment so they can rest. Severely ill birds
should have the perches removed and stay on a blanket at the bottom of the cage.
Perching uses a lot of energy that can be conserved to aid healing.
Birds only sleep well in the dark. A room that has light until midnight and is re-illuminated
at 6 AM allows only six hours of sleep. A cage cover should be used to allow the bird to
sleep 8-12 hours daily. Stress from insufficient sleep time will cause physical and emotional
problems to develop. Sick birds need 12-16 hours of sleep daily.
have some degree of maldigestion and need to be on a balanced, highly digestible diet. Any
situation that causes stress or ill health such as molting, breeding, egg laying, etc.,
decreases immune system response and predisposes the bird to illness. Nutrition is the
basis of a healthy immune system. Severely ill or anorexic birds (birds that aren’t eating)
will need to be force fed.
Paying close attention to your bird’s droppings and food intake will also give important
information about their overall health. For example, a normal parakeet will pass 40-60
droppings in 24 hours. If the number is reduced to 20-30 per day, a serious problem may
exist. A normal parakeet will eat 25% of its body weight each day. Even a healthy bird will
die in 48 hours without food. A sick bird will die much more quickly! Notify your
veterinarian immediately if your bird stops eating. An ill-appearing bird with ruffled feathers
is sick, cold and hungry.
3. REST: Rest is important for recovery. Healthy birds need at least 8 hours of sleep per
night. Sick birds require more, until he or she is back to normal. Refrain from playing with
them too much and put them in a quiet environment so they can rest. Severely ill birds
should have the perches removed and stay on a blanket at the bottom of the cage.
Perching uses a lot of energy that can be conserved to aid healing.
Birds only sleep well in the dark. A room that has light until midnight and is re-illuminated
at 6 AM allows only six hours of sleep. A cage cover should be used to allow the bird to
sleep 8-12 hours daily. Stress from insufficient sleep time will cause physical and emotional
problems to develop. Sick birds need 12-16 hours of sleep daily.