General health care

You can tell if your bird is feeling poorly by watching out for these signs:

• Ruffled or dirty feathers – ruffled feathers can conceal weight loss and are a sign all is not well with your bird.  Birds are naturally very clean so dirty feathers can be a symptom of an underlying illness.
• Unusual droppings – any change in your bird's usual droppings can indicate a potential health problem.
• Discharge on their beak – your bird's nostrils are called nares and are located on their beak.  If the nares are inflamed, red or runny this is a symptom of illness.
• Cloudy eyes – your bird's eyes should be bright and clear.  Cloudy eyes could be the sign of a cold or respiratory problem.
• Open beak breathing / panting – respiratory problems can cause your bird to breathe with their beak open.  This could be very serious and you should contact your vet immediately.
• Changes in their calls / singing – if your bird is unusually quiet this could be an indication that they are unwell.
• Loss of appetite – if your bird stops eating, suffers from loss of appetite or loses weight this could be a symptom of impaction (blocked crop).
• Tail bobbing – frequent and unusual tail bobbing can be a sign of a respiratory infection as your bird may be struggling to breathe.  
• Loss of feathers – Moulting is a natural process with birds and normally happens in the summer. Moulting tonics are available to help them grow back their new feathers. If moulting occurs at other times then this could be a sign of a cold or respiratory infection.
• Feather plucking – bird can sometimes pluck out their own feathers and this is can caused by boredom, stress, lack of exercise, lack of stimulation and attention or a poor diet.
• Overgrown beak or claws – An overgrown beak can be prevented by providing a high quality dry bird food, toys and cuttlebone for your bird to peck at.  Contact your vet to have your bird's beak trimmed.  If your bird's claws become too long they can catch on the cage wire and injure your bird.  Contact your vet to have your bird's claws trimmed.
• Mites - Red mites are the most common bird parasite.  They feed on your bird’s blood, causing irritation and weight loss. Mites are difficult to see so to check if your bird has them place a white cloth in the cage in the evening and check it the next morning.  If your bird has mites you will red spots on the cloth.  Mites can easily be dealt with by spraying your bird with mite treatment, which is available in store.
• Call Vet Clinic at Petstop
• Visit our products section for our range of bird health and well-being products