Foods Pet Birds Should Not Eat – 5 Foods That Are Harmful To Pet Birds And Why

If you have a pet bird, or if you’ve ever researched what constitutes a healthy diet for pet birds, you’ve surely come across foods that are listed as almost always fatal to birds. But have you ever wondered why these foods are so bad for birds? Here are five foods birds should avoid and the reasons behind their toxicity.

Misery– Shelled peanuts often carry Aspergillus, a very common fungus (or mold) that causes food spoilage. Once your bird has ingested this fungus, it will often experience respiratory problems that may not be apparent at first. The good news is that Aspergillus is not passed from bird to bird, but if the environment your birds live in is contaminated, chances are the other birds will get sick too. Aspergillus does not respond favorably to treatment, if at all, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Most bird owners, and rightly so, choose to play it safe and refrain from feeding their birds peanuts.

Lawyers– How a green fruit so beautiful and so delicious for humans can cause so much harm to birds? The Persin component in avocados is responsible for the irreparable destruction of heart muscle cells, essentially causing the heart to fail. Toxicity has been shown to be caused by ingestion of the fruit, skin, stem, seeds, and leaves, with the leaves being the most potent. There are no known tests at this time that definitively diagnose avocado poisoning, and there are also no known treatments once the avocado has entered the bird’s system. Affected birds usually die within 24 to 48 hours.

Chocolat– The chocolate that many of us can’t live without is something your bird can’t live without. Chocolate contains a compound called Theobromine, which when ingested by birds can create havoc very quickly because their metabolism is so fast and efficient. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include hyperactivity, arrhythmia, diarrhea, vomiting, and death.

Caffeine– Great care should be taken with foods and liquids that contain caffeine. Think carefully about what you leave on the table, cabinet, or counter when your bird is out of the cage. A momentary distraction, such as answering the doorbell, phone, or email, can be enough for your bird to drink its soda, coffee, or tea, and ingest enough caffeine to be fatal. Caffeine speeds up the heart rate and causes seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, and eventually death.

Sugar– A diet with large amounts of sugar encourages the growth of yeast, which increases the possibility of yeast infections in your bird. This is an atmosphere conducive to the growth of fungus (or Candida). This could cause your bird to suffer from loss of appetite, depression, lethargy. All of these weaken your bird’s immune system making them very susceptible to disease and infection. It’s best to let your bird get its sweetness from the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables.