Bird Stress Illness Symptoms and Solutions

Birds are more vulnerable to stress than any other pet you can own. Many seemingly healthy birds have dropped dead due to being overly stressed. You may have some potentially deadly stress causing elements in your home and not even realize it. Here are some things to watch for.

Knowing the warning symptoms of a stressed bird can help you remove whatever is causing the stress before it can harm him. Labored breathing is one of the first symptoms you will notice if your bird is stressed. Many birds will try to make themselves as tall and skinny as they can, in an effort to make themselves less visible, if they are scared or stressed. Changes in appetite might be an indicator of stress as well.

Sometimes it can be hard to know if your bird is under stress until it’s too late. Your home could contain numerous things that are capable of causing stress for your bird. Other pets in the home, especially cats, can cause a great deal of stress for your bird. Cats have been known to cause birds to die from stress just by staring at them too long. If you’re dog barks and jumps at the bird’s cage, this could also cause potentially deadly stress.

Pests in your home, such as mice or roaches, in addition to carrying disease, can cause a great deal of stress by scurrying past your bird’s cage at night. Some mice have been known to climb into a bird’s cage to pick up dropped food. Contact an exterminator immediately if you suspect a rodent problem. Make sure that the method he uses to get rid of the mice will not harm your bird.

Many times, introducing new items into your bird’s environment can cause unnecessary stress. Before moving them into the cage, place new toys outside in plain view of the bird so he can see that they aren’t threatening. When he feels comfortable with it, he’ll try to play with it from inside the cage. Then you can give it to him without causing any stress.

One of the most stressful experiences for your bird can be moving to a new cage. Think about how stressed out you get when changing homes. Give your bird a chance to become comfortable with his new home before putting him in there. Place the old and new cages side by side and let the bird out. Let your bird go over to the new cage and check it out. If he seems hesitant, try to coax him to the new cage with a treat.

Try to persuade your bird to enter the cage after he has finished investigating the outside. Allow him to take his time getting used to the new surroundings. For the first few days, allow him to explore the cage a little at a time until he is comfortable with it. Then, when he seemsto want to spend more and more time in the new cage, you can move him in permanently.

Finally, being chased causes a lot of stress for birds. If he jumps off of your arm a couple of times, place him back in his cage before handling him again. This will give him a chance to calm down a bit.

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