Category: Health Tips

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Why Birds Make “Soup”

Have you every changed your birds’ water dish only to find it cloudy with with pellets, food, and bits of toy floating around an hour later? Or maybe you’ve watched your parrot drop food in its water? You are not alone. Many owners refer to this as “Birdy Soup” and quite a few species do this- particularly conures, caiques, eclectus, and cockatoos.

Some birds take food over piece by piece, others by the mouthful. Some birds eat the food right away, other let it soak and expand. One idea behind this behavior is that the water softens the foods, making large pieces easier to swallow and less abrasive as they don’t have saliva like humans do to help coat food and move it down their esophagus.

Many birds are observed doing this even with soft fruits and vegetables, leading some to suggest it is for cleaning purposes.

It could be a learned behavior and some birds just enjoy the new taste or texture!

Because food and pellets spoil when wet, it is important to change the water frequently if you have a parrot that makes “soup”. The natural sugars can encourage bacterial growth causing it to foul drinking water over the course of a day.

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Sanded Perches

Sanded perches are designed to keep your bird’s nails filed down as they walk and climb around on them. Although nails will continue to grow and need clipping, sanded perches may help extend the time between visits. Some are designed with an ergonomic shape to also exercise the foot muscles.

It helps to use an appropriate sized perch so the nails are always in contact with the perch instead of having the toes extended or over-lapping around the bottom.

Remember to have a variety of perch types in the cage (rope, natural wood, etc.) so the sanded texture is not too abrasive on the bottom of the feet. A good location is usually by a food or treat bowl that is used frequently.

Other types of sanded perches include corners, T-shapes, and swings!

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Beaks

A parrot’s beak is an important tool used in climbing, foraging, eating, and more. They are hard and made out of keratin just like our fingernails. And, also like our fingernails, a bird’s beak will continue to grow continuously during its lifetime. This is important because they chip, flake, and wear down over time due to chewing and normal use.

Under the keratin layer are a network of veins and nerves, making it a sensitive area. A healthy bird should not need it trimmed unless it is offset or crooked, causing it to wear unevenly. The regular chewing and cleaning of the beak maintains it at the proper length. Cosmetic filing of the beak is unnecessary and can be stressful for a bird, potentially making it sore for eating and climbing. Instead, try rubbing a dab of coconut oil on the beak for a shiny glow; this will also help keep it moisturized.

Significantly long beaks which curl downward towards the chest may need regular trimming to allow a bird to climb, preen, and eat normally. In some cases this may caused by underlying health factors which may be important to investigate.

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Warning: Halloween Candy

Candy is everywhere this time of year, and once again we would like to remind bird owners to be cautious and keep it where birds can’t reach it. Chocolate is not only a high calorie and high fat item, but it also contains Theobromine. Theobromine is a compound from the cacao plant from which chocolate is produced. In birds (and other pets like cats and dogs), this compound metabolizes slowly, so a build up can lead to theobromine poisoning.

If you suspect your bird has eaten chocolate, call an avian vet immediately. Signs of distress may include: vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, heart arrhythmias, dark colored droppings, or death.

It is best to not feed any overly sugared items or other candies to your birds- it is unnecessary and could cause health problems. Instead, feed them treats specifically for birds, nuts, or fresh fruits and vegetables as a treat.

The best way to prevent your bird from eating candies and chocolate is to keep it safely out of reach. Even if left on a table, parrots are notorious for their curiosity and can easily tear into a candy bag or wrapper.