Signs of a Sick Cockatiel
Since cockatiels cannot tell us what is wrong with their health, owners need to understand the warning signs of a sick bird. It could be rather difficult to spot symptoms because often times they do not show until the problem as reached a serious level. Learning to see the
signs as soon as they appear will give you the opportunity to care for your cockatiel as quickly as possible.
In order to see the first signs of illness, you should be paying attention to your birds behavior every day. Your cockatiel's behavior should never change
drastically, so if you notice a change in sleeping, eating or whistling patterns there may be something wrong with your bird. Even if you think that the changes are nothing to worry about, consider the fact that most cockatiels hide their symptoms. Their instincts are to
keep illness and disease from the predators that would eat them in the wild. The same goes with their owner.
Being able to weigh your bird everyday is another way to catch any warning signs of poor health. At the onset of an illness, your cockatiel will slowly
lose weight each day. Weight loss means they are not eating as much food as they usually would. If your cockatiel is too sick to eat properly, then there is something seriously wrong with your bird. Always rush your cockatiel to a local avian vet if you suspect
this.
Some of the more noticeable signs of illness are sneezing, drainage from their eyes and nose, fluffed up feathers, inability to walk or perch, wheezing or labored breathing, irregular bird droppings and general lethargy. If you see these symptoms in your
bird, then immediately call your avian vet.
Never brush off these any signs of illness with a cockatiel. Once symptoms show then the illness or disease is well advanced and needs to be treated immediately. Cockatiels may die days after showing these symptoms, so
never think it is just a cold or passing bug.
Keeping a close eye on your cockatiel will enable you to see the first warning signs of an illness or disease. Remember to keep their diet balanced with pellets and other sources of vitamins and minerals, so their
immune systems are able to fight off germs. A cockatiel's cage should be cleaned regularly and all surfaces around the bird cage disinfected, so mold and germs do not fester. Doing these will keep your cockatiel as healthy as possible, but if you ever suspect a sick bird contact your local avian vet.
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