Common Parrot Diseases Symptoms – Expert Tips and Advice

The parrot is one of the most affectionate birds that people keep as pets, but here given the common parrot diseases symptoms go unrecognized because we are unaware of them. Parrots are among the world’s most intelligent and beautiful birds.

Parrots, like all living things, are susceptible to a variety of ailments. They are also affected by a variety of diseases, each of which has its own set of symptoms that manifest in the behavior of the parrot if the disease is present.

Understanding Parrot Health – Signs & Solutions For Your Sick Parrot!

The majority of parrot diseases are caused by dietary and environmental factors. It is critical to identify the sickness that affects you and to figure out how to prevent it. This post will go over some of the most prevalent parrot diseases and their symptoms, which will help you get to know your parrot better and determine if they are suffering from the condition or not. It will summarize the most prevalent parrot diseases and their symptoms, allowing you to better care for your birds.

What are the signs of illness in parrots?

When a person is unwell, he will not appear as usual, and his appearance will be dull and unappealing, and the same is true for the bird. Inadequate hygiene, poor upkeep, trauma, heredity, and other factors can all contribute to the parrot becoming ill.

If a bird appears to be in good health on the outside, it does not necessarily mean that they are healthy on the inside. If there are any changes in their behavior, it is a cause for concern, and one should immediately contact their veterinarian to get control of the situation.

Changes in behavior from the normal, bad overall appearance, fluffed feathers, weakness in lowering wings, change in weights, sleeping more, unwillingness to move, trauma, and bleeding are some of the basic indicators of sickness by which you can determine if the parrot is I’ll or not. If your parrot exhibits any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it is time to express concern and seek medical attention for their well-being.

5 Common Parrot Diseases Symptoms

❌Psittacosis-

Psittacosis is caused by Chlamydia psittaci bacteria, which enters the parrot’s body and destroys cells by multiplying numbers. It targets all the cells in the infected parrots and causes inflammatory illness in the lungs. Both wild and domesticated parrots carry this bacterium. 

The infected parrots show symptoms like fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and respiratory illness.  In severe cases, the bacteria attack the blood, feather, cells, and droppings of the bird. This condition can develop into extensive pneumonia.

Symptoms:-

• Poor appetite
• Eye or nose discharge
• Diarrhea
• Green or yellow droppings
• Ruffled appearance

How to prevent it?

• Avoid keeping infected birds as pets.
• Go through the medical condition of the bird before buying a pet bird.
• Take the infected bird to a professional vet for treatment. 
• If the infected bird is a pet, clean the cage frequently so that droppings do not get dried and contaminate the air.

❌Polyomavirus-

Polyomavirus affects the body parts of birds, such as kidneys, brains, liver, spleen, skin, and feathers. The deadly symptoms of polyomavirus include enlarged liver, abnormal feather development, fluid in the abdomen,  skin discoloration, and tumors.

There are no treatments to cure polyomavirus infection, but we can decrease progression when the birds show any visible symptoms.

Symptoms:-

• Swelling in the abdomen
• Weight loss
• Dehydration
• Depression
• Difficulty in breathing

How to prevent it?

• Monitor the movement of newly born birds.
• Test the bird if it shows any unusual symptoms.
• Keep the bird separate from other birds if it is tested positive or has polyomavirus. 
• Vaccinate the birds to prevent the attack of the virus

❌Pacheco’s disease-

This is a highly contagious disease caused by the Herpes virus that affects psittacine species of birds, popularly known as parrots. Pacheco’s disease affects Amazon parrots, Parrots, African Grey Parrots, Macaws, Conures, and Cockatoos. This sickness has a significant mortality rate, and the birds frequently die unexpectedly. Contaminated water or food, conjunctival contact, and even inhalation are the most common ways that parrots are exposed to this disease. However, the symptoms do not appear right away. According to accounts, the symptoms take weeks to completely appear, and the virus’s propagation is aided by the environment and living conditions.

Symptoms:-

• Moist droppings
• Watery, yellowish to greenish discoloration of urates and feces.  
• Mucoid discharge from nostrils
• Regulation of clear sanguineous fluids
• Losing interest in eating and in day-day activities
• Being lethargy
• Extreme depression hours before its death

How to prevent it?

• Since there is no treatment for this disease, vaccinate your bird at an infant stage. 
• Provide supplements to stimulate the immune system.
• As the transmitting agent is droppings, clean the cage frequently to avoid contamination. 
• If you have been in contact with an infected bird, cleaning yourself is necessary. 

❌Giardia-

Giardia, often known as the gastrointestinal parasite, is a common disease in birds. As the name implies, this condition causes numerous issues in the stomach and intestines of birds, as well as affecting the regular working of the organs. Giardia is a type of single-celled bacterium that lives in the intestines. Cockatiels, Budgerigars, Macaws, Cockatoos, and other parrots are particularly susceptible to these parasites. Consumption of contaminated food is the most common way for this virus to spread.

Symptoms:-

• Malnutrition
• Weight shedding
• Itching
• Over-plucking of the skin
• Inadequate nutrition uptakes
• Diarrhea

How to prevent it?

• Keep the bird and cage clean.
• Prevent exposure to contaminated water and food.
• Avoid overcrowding in the cage.
• Isolate and quarantine infected birds

❌Aspergillosis 

Aspergillosis is a fungal disease in parrots caused by the organism called Aspergillus. These fungi are present anywhere in the environment and grow well in moist and warm surroundings. It targets the respiratory system in birds and weakens the immune system. A dusty room, moldy food, wet bedding, inadequate ventilation, and hygiene conditions can increase the chances of having this disease in birds. Aspergillosis can not be diagnosed until the disease gets advanced in birds. In most cases, internal changes occur before the outward sign of the disease.    

Symptoms:-

• Difficulty in breathing.
• Tail bobbing.
• Cough.
• Lose weight.
• Low immunity.

How to prevent it?

• Keep the cage free from feces and discarded food. 
• Control the dust and try to use an air purifier near the cage.
• Prevent birds exposed to respiratory irritations caused by cigarette smoke and provide adequate airflow. 
• Do not use organic substrates such as corncob bedding.
• Minimize the crowding in the cage and prevent exposure to extreme cold and heat. 
• Provide a wholesome and balanced diet to increase the immune system.

❌Proventricular dilatation disease

It is a fetal disease that affects the parrot’s neuro system and gastrointestinal tract. This disease is caused by the bornavirus and targets the bird’s nervous system. It blocks the absorption of nutrients and interrupts the digestion process in them. So the birds tend to have weak immunity due to improper food and digestion. There are no vaccines to protect the birds from the virus.

Symptoms:-

• Always urge to eat.
• Smelly stool.
• Weight loss.
• Blindness.
• Weakness and difficulty perching.
• Vomiting the undigested food.

How to prevent it?

• Provide good nutrients.
• Take the infected birds to the vet and provide the required supplements.
• Maintain a warm and try cage.
• Allow clean drinking water.
• Isolate the infected bird to prevent the spread of the virus

❌Beak and feather disease

Beak and feather disease is the most common and highly infectious viral disease in parrots. It is also known as Psittacine circoviral disease (PCD) and psittacine circovirus (PCV). The virus damages the beak, feathers, and nails of the infected birds. It can transmit from the contaminated water and feeding areas of infected birds.

Symptoms:-

• Skin irritations include scarring, scaly, thick, and moist skin.
• Brittle and malformed nails.
• Immune system failure.
• Dull and brittle beak.
• Loss of pigment in feathers.
• Bleeding feathers.

How to prevent it?

• Cleanliness and sanitation are a must.
• Provide a stress-free environment.
• Isolate the infected birds from other birds to avoid spreading the virus.
• Provide supplements that include vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.
• Keep your bird in a warm environment.

How can you save your parrot from illnesses?

Good husbandry includes providing the parrot with a clean and safe living environment, proper nutrients, and health care. As a parrot owner, you should understand their psychological and physical requirements. The birds in captivity should be kept happy and safe in their surroundings to prevent diseases and illnesses. 

🔴Provide medications as directed

When you pet a bird, a regular avian vet visit is compulsory. A vet plays an important role in the health of parrots because they tend to mask the illness until it is far advanced. Whenever you recognize an unusual behavior, attitude, or physical condition in your pet, take them to a professional vet immediately. They can guide you according to the requirements of your pet bird. 

🔴Make sure your pet properly eats and drinks

Birds should give extra care of their diet when they are sick. Parrots that are physically ill do not take proper food, so the chances of malnutrition are high. They need extra calories to fight illness and recover from the condition. Lack of intake can be a result of numerous diseases like kidney insufficiency, liver diseases, vitamin deficiency, and many more. So it is necessary to feed them their favorite treat.

🔴Clean and disinfect the cage

Maintaining a clean environment helps prevent the spread of disease among birds. The personal hygiene of a parrot includes bathing,  which has to be done regularly. You should clean the droppings from the cage before it dries out and contaminates the food and water inside the cage. If the parrot is affected by a certain disease, use disinfectant in the cage to prevent the spreading.

🔴Socialize your bird to avoid stress

Parrots are social and active birds. With proper socialization, you can raise a healthy and happy parrot. They will get stressed when they are forced to do something or mishandled. So avoid such situations to provide a comfortable and stress-free life.

As a parrot owner, it is your responsibility to treat your bird as per their requirement and provide mental stimulation to keep their health physically and mentally.

🔴Separate sick bird

Sick birds should be isolated from other birds so that you can monitor and care for them separately. This can be useful to prevent transmission from an infected bird to other birds.  

Let us summarise the topic: Was it helpful?

Because of their wings and colour, parrots are unquestionably one of the most appealing birds. However, beauty only lasts as long as you are healthy, and the same is true for birds. When a parrot has a sickness, there are various indicators that can help you determine whether they are healthy or not, such as a change in behavior from normal, fluffed feathers, weight changes, and a reluctance to move.

Among the five common parrot diseases symptoms that afflict them the most, including psittacosis, which has symptoms including a loss of appetite, Breathing problems, Depression, and Droppings that are watery and green, and Excessive discharge from the eyes and nose.

Swollen abdomen, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea, weight loss, and dehydration are the symptoms of polyomavirus. Pacheco’s syndrome has tremors, lethargy, sinusitis, and anorexia as symptoms.

The fourth is Giardia, which causes diarrhea, dry itchy skin, weight loss, and other symptoms. The last one is a bacterial infection. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your birds, you should get medical advice from a veterinarian so that the situation may be resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions