Bird Q&A: Real Answers from Vet Experts

Is coconut oil good for budgies. If yes how can I give it to them. One of my budgie is underweight and has needle like feather and he is picking on them.

No, coconut oil is not good for budgies in any form or way. feather diseases are common in budgies and can be caused by various reasons such as mites, viral infections, bacterial infections and internal organ disorders. i would recommend taking coco to an avian vet in order to get it treated ASAP.

Hi there. I was just wondering if I bird can die from stress? One of our lorikeets flew away. His brother who isleft on his own for the first time in his life is stressed. His little heart is beating so fast. Can he die overnight fron being stressed out? Can i help him in anyway?

So sorry this happened :( Yes stress can kill birds. That is often how birds die. They get stressed very easily. That being said, I don't think this type of stress will cause him to die. It is usually stress from transport, moving, illness, etc. There is nothing you can really do except try to keep him calm by covering the cage and maybe play some soft, easy music for him. Some people have had luck using Rescue Remedy. I'm not sure if you can get it in the UK but you may be able to get it from Amazon. That won't give you immediate help but if his companion stays gone it may help over the long run. http://www.petremedycharts.com/Learning%20Center/Homeopathy/Homeopathic%20Remedies/Homeopathic_Remedies/Rescue_Remedy_for_Pets.html You MUST get the Rescue Remedy for pets and not the human one. The human one has alcohol in it which is not good for animals. Hope this helps. I hope your Lorikeet comes back. If he does return you may want to consider clipping his wings so this doesn't happen again! Best wishes.

i have two parakeets and they are plucking thier feathers how do i make them stop

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Once a parakeet starts feather plucking or automutilation, you need patience and empathy. There are multiple causes of this self destructive behavior. In young parakeets I would ensure you have plenty of enrichment / toys to play and interact with. Make sure you are offering healthy food such as different fruits and vegetables as their taste stimulates the bird's senses and helps to avoid boredom as well. You can also buy toys that encourage foraging / more work to get to the treats. There is millet or oats in the hull or foraging toys. If this does not improve the behavior, I would seek a consultation with an avian veterinarian to discuss testing options to help determine if there is any systemic disease / infection that could be causing this behavior. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hi. My budgie has an overgrown beak and dark, purple-ish lines in the middle of it. I have tried to trim it, but it simply keeps growing. I just put some antibiotic on it to see what happens,but still, I am concerned. What is the cause of this, and what can/should I do?

Beak overgrowth can be caused by a number of things, and if the beak is continuing to have issues or strange coloration with it, it would be best to have it checked out by an avian vet in your area. Giving your bird access to cuttlebone or other items to wear down the beak with can also help prevent overgrowth, but ruling out any health problems first is best.

hello Dr, im having alexandrine parrot which is 7 months old. that is suffered by heavy feather loss

The first step id to establish why this is happening. Mainly is there a medical issue or is it behaviour related? Medival issues include infections, mites, vitamin a deficiency etc and these are best ruled out by a vet. If there is no medical reason it is likely self plucling due to stress, or plucking by a cage mate. In such instance you need to look at the environment and address stressors such as other birds, draught, noise, dirty conditions, lack of clean water, poor air quality etc.

Hi my parakeet laid eggs but it keeps on breaking them, am I supposed to put the male in another cage while the female is keeping track of the eggs? I put two eggs that the female recently laid in a cup with cushion. What should I do?

If you are hoping to raise babies, then providing nesting material for the parents is best so that they can make a safe nest where the eggs are less likely to fall or break. The parents may also break eggs or discard them if they aren't viable or they are young parents that don't know what to do. Because the eggs need to be incubated, they need to remain in the nest with the parents in order to hatch. You can keep letting both parents try to raise a clutch (and be sure to provide a calcium supplement for the mother), or, if you don't wish to raise babies, can just remove and discard any laid eggs.

My birds have black stains around their nostrils. At times it is dark but at other times it is lighter but you can still see a color difference (greyish) but no longer black. Is this normal, because I know they sneeze and my mom forgets to tell me when she is cooking as we like to use garlic and spice. I will remember to take them upstairs now but is their anything else that may be a possible problem that needs attention? Hope to hear from you soon :))

Thanks for reaching out about Pekoe and Rico, and including photos. The staining around the nostrils (not noticed on the photos) could be the result of inhalation of dust, smoke or other particulate matter during cooking or other times. Bird's respiratory systems are very sensitive and inhalation of cooking smoke or other products can be potentially acutely fatal. Removing birds from the vicinity when cooking is important, especially if cooking with Teflon. Good luck.

Are salt lamps ok to have around birds?

That is a great question. As far as I am aware the actual salt lamp should not be harmful to birds. However birds are very sensitive to air quality or particles in the air so I would watch the lamp closely to make sure the lamp does not break and cause abnormal fumes. hope that helps

My male budgie recently passed away yesterday. The problem is, the male budgie has a female partner named Baby. She is currently in mating period. She just laid one egg. She appears to still want to lay eggs after her partner died. I have other male budgies in another cage. I have 15 budgies currently. 2 of my female birds are mating and staying in the nestbox at this time. How can I continue having 15 budgies? Should I throw the eggs away? I just don’t want any more birds...

My condolences on the loss of your male budgie. Do not throw the egg away without replacing it. This may spur her to lay more. You can replace the egg(s) with dummy eggs. Find them in the Avian section of the local Petco. Leave the dummy eggs in the nest box for 2-3 weeks, then remove one every few days until none remain. Hens will lay eggs regardless of whether or not they mate. To stop egg laying, limit exposure to daylight (use a cage cover or move them away from windows, light sources, etc.) and lower room temperature by a few degrees. To prevent mating, you will need to separate males from females.

Bird Vet Q&A

Is coconut oil good for budgies. If yes how can I give it to them. One of my budgie is underweight and has needle like feather and he is picking on them.

Hi there. I was just wondering if I bird can die from stress? One of our lorikeets flew away. His brother who isleft on his own for the first time in his life is stressed. His little heart is beating so fast. Can he die overnight fron being stressed out? Can i help him in anyway?

i have two parakeets and they are plucking thier feathers how do i make them stop

Hi. My budgie has an overgrown beak and dark, purple-ish lines in the middle of it. I have tried to trim it, but it simply keeps growing. I just put some antibiotic on it to see what happens,but still, I am concerned. What is the cause of this, and what can/should I do?

hello Dr, im having alexandrine parrot which is 7 months old. that is suffered by heavy feather loss

Hi my parakeet laid eggs but it keeps on breaking them, am I supposed to put the male in another cage while the female is keeping track of the eggs? I put two eggs that the female recently laid in a cup with cushion. What should I do?

Are salt lamps ok to have around birds?