The first step in curing parakeet diarrhea is understanding the cause of the condition. Common causes of diarrhea include stress, sudden dietary changes, bacterial infection, viruses or exposure to toxins. In some cases, you might be able to cure your parakeet’s diarrhea by adding a small amount of kefir, bran or hulled oats to the diet. Certain medicines can also be used to help nurse the bird back to health. If your pet does not respond to these treatments, consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Parakeets are sensitive, intelligent animals. Changes in their environment, food or routine can cause stress, which often leads to diarrhea. If you have recently moved your pet or switched its food, this might be the reason your parakeet appears ill. In most cases, stress-related diarrhea will resolve on its own once the bird has adjusted, or once you have resumed a more normal routine. If the condition does not improve within a day or two though, there could be a more serious reason for the diarrhea.
Exposure to certain types of human food can also cause diarrhea in birds. Avoid giving parrots and parakeets chocolate, mushrooms, apple seeds, dried beans, onions and avocado. These foods can cause a variety of dangerous side effects in small pets, including parakeet diarrhea. If your parakeet has developed diarrhea after consuming one of these foods, contact a veterinarian immediately.
If you are unsure as to why your parakeet has begun suffering from diarrhea, try adding a small amount of kefir, bran or hulled oats to your pet’s food. Kefir, which is a type of yogurt, will balance the bacteria in your parakeet’s digestive tract. Bran and hulled oats absorb water in the stomach, which should help your bird produce more solid droppings.
Your next option is to treat parakeet diarrhea with an over-the-counter medication. There are a wide range of products designed to cure diarrhea and restore digestive health in parakeets and other exotic pets. To keep your pet nourished, you should also give it a product containing electrolytes and vitamins. These products are readily available at many pet supply stores and veterinary offices.
If your parakeet’s condition has not improved within a day or two, visit your veterinarian. Parakeet diarrhea might be a sign of an infection that requires antibiotics or other medication to cure. If diarrhea is left untreated, pet birds can become severely dehydrated and suffer serious health problems. Diarrhea that is accompanied by tremors, sunken eyes or weight loss should also be evaluated by a veterinarian. Getting your pet parakeet prompt medical care is the best way to ensure a successful recovery.
What Does Parakeet Diarrhea Look Like?
Checking your parakeet's poop is one of the easiest ways to keep tabs on his health and ensure that he is happy and safe. Parakeets poop 40-50 times per day. Typically, it is bright green or olive green in color. Typically, the poop is mostly solid, although it may show slight bits of liquid, which is the urine from your parakeet's kidneys.
Sometimes, the texture or color of your parakeet's poop is different, which may or may not be an indication of a problem. Solid or liquid poop that is very dark green or leaning towards black in color may indicate that your parakeet is not eating the way that it should be. The color may also look different if you've changed your parakeet's diet recently.
Outside of color, pay attention to consistency. If your parakeet's poop is more liquid than solid and stays that way for more than a few hours, it could be indicative of a diarrhea problem. Diarrhea may still be bright green in color, but it could also be white or black.
What Does It Mean When My Parakeet Has Diarrhea?
There are a number of reasons that your parakeet could suffer from diarrhea. Many of them are of no cause for concern, luckily.
Fear-Based Diarrhea
Like some humans, scared parakeets may have loose bowels. This is especially typical in birds that have just been introduced to a new environment. If you've only just brought your parakeet into the home, he is likely just nervous about his new situation. This is also true if you've had your parakeet for a long time but he just happens to have a nervous personality. Your parakeet may display "fear poop" if you wake him up unexpectedly or if you have new people in the house.
Post-Bath Diarrhea
Parakeets often take baths and doing so may cause them to ingest more liquid than they are used to consuming. If this happens, their waste may be almost completely water, which will often look like diarrhea to you. This is usually short-lived and is no reason to worry.
Diarrhea After Eating Fruits or Vegetables
Because fruits and vegetables have a high water content, a parakeet that eats them may display signs of diarrhea afterward. Like post-bath diarrhea, this is of no worry as long as it does not last a long time.
Diarrhea When Molting
Some parakeets experience diarrhea during their molting periods, although it doesn't happen to all of them. If your parakeet is molting, you may notice that he has had intermittent diarrhea for several days during this time. As long as they are still eating and drinking properly, there is no reason to worry.
Diarrhea After Competitive Drinking
Okay, so your parakeet probably isn't heading to a beer chugging contest at the local bar, but that doesn't mean he won't get caught up in competitive drinking from time to time. If you have two or more parakeets, even if they are kept in separate cages, they may begin to experience an intense flock mentality. This means that sometimes they'll get stuck in a loop. One parakeet will drink, so the other one will. The first parakeet will notice the second one still drinking, so he'll continue to drink. They may continue this for several minutes, both ingesting more water than usual until the result is diarrhea. As long as the situation is short-term and your bird continues to eat, there is nothing to worry about.
What To Give Parakeet for Diarrhea
There are several things you can do to treat diarrhea in a parakeet. If your bird isn't showing any other signs of distress and is otherwise eating and drinking normally, he may just have an upset stomach. If this is the case, you can give your bird a small dose of Kaopectate and keep an eye on him to see if diarrhea goes away.
Probiotics can also help a parakeet that has diarrhea but otherwise doesn't seem to be sick. You can help your bird get the probiotics that he needs by feeding him small amounts of plain yogurt. It will help to restore balance to your bird's digestive system and help him to feel better overall.
Finally, consider giving your bird a small amount of bran. Bran can help to bulk up your bird's still and absorb excess water to prevent diarrhea from continuing. Offer him soft options to entice him to eat it but be sure it isn't too hot for him. If you don't have access to bran, brown rice will work just as well.
