Pet Care
While TLC Pet Hospital does not currently see avian patients for examinations and care, we do offer a wing trim and nail trim service. The information below is provided for informational use only.
To help you locate an avian veterinarian in your area, please click here to visit the Association of Avian Veterinarians website.
Feeding Your Bird
Diet is a huge topic so this will cover just the basic dos and don’ts.
1. Never feed a seed only diet. Seeds are fine as a small portion of the diet but when given primarily can cause health problems and shorten the life span of the bird significantly. Seeds fed in the sprouted form are much more nutritious than straight out of the container.
2. Pellets are available on the market but again, should not be considered the staple of the diet. Offering a high quality pellet as a small portion of the diet, 10% or less, helps the bird to become used to eating this type of food should any type of disaster occur or if the bird needs hospitalized and the pet hospital feeds a pelleted diet. Some breeds of birds react poorly to pellets such as Eclectus parrots. They should never be fed pellets as they often times have severe reactions to the additives leading to toe tapping and wing flipping.
3. Foods to avoid include chocolate, avocado, the pits and seeds of most fruits, caffeine, diary products, carbonated drinks, eggplant, mushrooms, and onions among others.
4. Fruits and veggies should be offered in abundance. Dark, leafy greens are good for birds but avoid iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce mainly consists of water and is a lot of bulk. Spinach is tasty to most pet birds but when overly fed, it can result in the breakdown of calcium. Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and are required to be eaten by some breeds of birds. They can be prepared in a variety of ways. There are many recipes available online that utilize the sweet potato and provide other options and ways of offering them to your pet bird.
5. Water should be filtered and free of minerals and contaminants. Tap water is full of these things and should always be avoided with pet birds. A high quality filtered and possibly bottled water should be used.
6. Nuts should be offered as well. However, avoid peanuts. Many folks feed peanuts frequently to their birds but they carry harmful molds and should be avoided. Be aware that nuts can be fatty, some more than others, and should be fed in moderation.
7. The most important aspect of the topic of diet is to find out what your veterinarian recommends for your particular bird. All birds have different nutritional requirements. Some react differently to certain items, while others can eat more of a particular food. When discussing diet with your veterinarian, be sure to ask questions on how to prepare the meals as this can have great influence on the nutritional value of the food you are feeding.
Overall, breakfast and dinnertime for pet birds takes time and preparation. This is one thing to consider prior to getting your bird. A healthy and properly fed bird cannot have the seed bowl filled and left until it’s gone. This is not the proper way to feed a bird. Fresh food needs to be given daily. If any food is left over, it needs to be discarded. Make the preparation time and feeding fun for both you and your bird. Allow your bird to help you and watch you prepare the food (being careful of kitchen tools, sharp objects, etc.). By making this a fun task to do for your bird, you will be more apt to do it correctly each and every single day.
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