Birds
Questions & Answers

Browse by Species

Cats

Can you do an autopsy of a canary?

Our condolences on losing a pet. We provide full diagnostic services including necropsy evaluations. The examination should be performed within the first 24 hours after death. Please contact us for further details.

I have a cockatiel for 10 years, very healthy and for some reason he started picking his feathers. Why is this happening?

Feather plucking, or feather destructive behavior, is a very common and frustrating condition in our pet birds. There are many causes ranging from malnutrition to liver disease, internal and external parasites, separation anxiety to inappropriate pair bonding between birds and...

We recently started noticing that our cockatiel is itching quite a lot. He has had an “8in1 Bird protector” hanging on the cage that supposedly keeps the bugs away, and it should be changed every 3 months. Is it possible that it now needs to be changed, and that he may have mites? If so, how do we get rid of them? Also, how often should we bathe the bird?

Thanks for your question. Although mite protectors are fairly common, they are really a waste of money. Mites are quite rare as a cause of itching in cockatiels. The “mite protectors” expose your pet to a low level of pesticide...

My Quaker just bit 2 of my budgies, I put neosporin on the wound. Will they be okay? How can I stop this in the future?

The birds that were bitten require examination by an experienced avian veterinarian as soon as possible. Topical antibiotic ointment is insufficient to treat bacterial infection often associated with penetrating bite wounds. Also, bite wounds are painful and your birds likely...

My budgie is sitting on the bottom of cage. Jumps back up on the perch when I come close to cage. She is eating but look sleepy. Looks puffy. What can be wrong with her?

The symptoms you mention are pretty vague; however, any change in behavior in our pet birds warrants checking out. Birds hide their illnesses well, so it is important to take note of any abnormalities, no matter how minor they seem.

We have two cats and are thinking of getting a Quaker Parrot. I read that cats can transmit diseases to birds. Our cats are completely house cats, never go outside. Do we need to worry?

Thanks for your question. There are very few diseases that will be transmitted from cats to birds other than bacteria transmitted through bite wounds. Cats are predators and should never be trusted alone with birds, even those they seem friendly...

No more questions