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HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY BIRD IS SICK?

You usually know all the symptoms when your dog or one of your children is not feeling well. But what about when your bird isn’t? Your bird’s cough may only be a subtle clicking sound, and diarrhea may be just some loose droppings on the cage paper-but these may be serious problems to your bird. In order to be aware of any illness in your bird early, become familiar with the following signs:

• Your bird’s behavior changes; it becomes sleepy (eyes closing), less active, and withdrawn.
• There is a change in appetite. Loss of appetite (anorexia) or increased appetite (polyphagia) may indicate illness.
• Your bird drinks more water than normal.
• Droppings become loose or change color.
• The number of droppings decreases. Count the number of droppings daily when changing the cage. Fewer droppings may indicate that your bird is not eating well, the first and most subtle sign of many illnesses.
• Your bird "fluffs up" (a sign of a chilled and hungry bird).
• A long molt and scratching or picking of feathers occur.
• A change in or loss of voice or song is apparent.
• Sneezing clicking respiration (cough), brown-stained feathers above the nostrils (runny nose), or breathing difficulty occurs.
• Tail bobbing, sitting "down on the perch" (crouching over its feet), and sitting on the floor of the cage can be serious signs of illness.