As a pet owner, you should be feeding your parrot healthy diet so they can enjoy a healthy and long life.
Before you share a meal with your pet parrot, you want to make sure that the parrot food you’re about to give them can benefit their health, considering that most birds lack a number of minerals and vitamins, which can cause a number of health problems.
Don’t know what to avoid or to give them? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you out.
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Below, we have listed all the foods that you need to feed your pet parrot and all the foods that you need to avoid so they can remain healthy.
Parrot Food To Avoid (Toxic Foods)
Here are some toxic parrot food you need keep away from your pet parrot:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Avocado
- Tapioca
- Dairy products
- Meat
- Cocoa
- Chocolate
- Peanuts
- Pits
- Fruit seeds
Not only the foods that we listed above, but you also need to avoid feeding your pet parrot foods that have high amounts of salt, sugar, dyes, preservatives, and fat. Consumption of such foods can cause health conditions that could affect their lifespan and their overall health.
Parrot pet owners also need to keep their pets away from junk foods, especially the ones that have a lot of fat, sugar, and salt. Not only that, but a lot of parrots are lactose intolerant, which means no milk products such as cheese, yogurt, and curd.
Beverages that contain alcohol and caffeine should also be kept away by parrot pet owners because they are small, and their bodies cannot tolerate such substances.
Avocados, chocolate, and rhubarb are also toxic to birds. Along with those three, processed meats that are high in nitrates, nitrites, sulfites, or monosodium glutamate (MSG) should also be kept away. When it comes to vegetables, Onions, beans, and sprouted lima should be avoided.
Healthy Foods For Pet Parrots
Here is a list of fruits that you can give to your pet parrot:
- Peaches
- Passion Fruit
- Mango
- Papaya
- Apple
- Banana
- Orange
- Lemon
- Grapefruit
- Pomelo
- Lime
- Pomegranate
- Grapes
Your vet can also advise you to limit intake of certain parrot fruit.
Here is a list of vegetables that you can give to your pet parrot:
- Hot pepper
- Chili pepper
- Chili padi
- Bell pepper
- Artichoke
- Bamboo
- Brussels sprouts
- Okra
- Green beans
- Kale
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Watercress
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Collard greens
- Swiss chard
- Pandan leaves
- Cucumber
- Courgette
- Beetroot
- Peas
- Carrot
- Radish
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- Swede
- Pumpkin
- Squash
- Sweet potato
- Yam
- Corn
Note: This is not a full list of the vegetables that you can feed your pet parrot.
Best Parrot Food
- Seeds
Seeds could be consumed by your pet parrot, however, you should have a limit to avoid over consumption, which can lead to obesity. Seeds such as safflower, millets, oats, canary, and buckwheat seeds are safe for your pet parrot.
- Nuts
Nuts are also a good.
You can give your pet parrot a number of nuts, however, you have to limit their intake for this one because of the fat content that’s present in nuts. You can feed your pet parrots nuts such as almonds, Brazilian nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, shelled peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts.
- Grains
Grains such as brown rice, barley, and oatmeal can be consumed by your pet parrot if they are cooked.
- Fruits
Organic fruits are amazing and extremely beneficial for pet parrots.
You can feed them fruits such as Peaches, Passion Fruit, Mango, Papaya, Apple, Banana, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Pomelo, Lime, Pomegranate, and Grapes.
- Vegetables
Just like humans, pet parrots love vegetables, considering that they offer a lot of nutrients.
You can feed your pet parrot vegetables like Hot pepper, Chili pepper, Chili padi, Bell pepper, Artichoke, Bamboo, Brussels sprouts, Okra, Green beans, Kale, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Watercress, Lettuce, Cabbage, Collard greens, Swiss chard, Pandan leaves, Cucumber, Courgette, Beetroot, Peas, Carrot, Radish, Turnip, Parsnip, Swede, Pumpkin, Squash, Sweet potato, Yam and Corn.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Malnutrition is one of the most common problems that are faced by parrot pet owners considering that parrots are extremely picky when it comes to what they eat. This is why it’s good to have proper vitamins and mineral supplements for them.
If you own a pet parrot, you need to buy vitamins or mineral supplements that are rich in:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Amino Acids
Note: Deficiencies in the vitamins and minerals that we listed above can affect the overall health of your pet parrot.
Parrot Favorite Food
Parrots love to eat nuts, which is why they are used as treats when they undergo training to become good and obedient animals. However, you must keep in mind that there are some risks with that. Excessive consumption of nuts can cause Aspergillosis, a lung disease, that can affect parrots in a huge way, which is why it’s important to give them the right types of nuts and in moderation.
It’s also good to increase the intake of sunflowers and some certain nuts during the winter season. This can allow you to keep them healthy and strong throughout cold temperatures.
If you are trying to keep your parrot’s protein intake proper, you want to go with legumes and nuts, considering that parrots love them, and they are extremely healthy. However, you must keep in mind that they are high in fat, which is why you need to limit their intake.
Most Common Vitamin Deficiencies In Parrots
Parrots are very fragile, which is why pet owners should get their birds checked out right away if they show nutritional deficiency symptoms such as:
- Poor integument quality
- Flaky beaks
- Scaly skin
- Poor plumage
- Delayed moult
- Convulsions weakness
- Muscular weakness
- Lethargy
- Inability to fly
- Lipomata
- Upper respiratory tract disease plus conjunctivitis
- Reduced resistance to disease
- Inability to breed
Here are some of the most common types of vitamin and mineral deficiencies pet parrots can experience:
Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies that parrot pet owners can experience.
Here are some of the symptoms that suggests your pet parrot has vitamin A deficiency:
- Blindness
- White-colored plaque inside their mouth
- Swollen eyes
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Nasal discharge
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
In case your parrot is experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms above, you want to get them checked out by a vet in your city.
Iodine Deficiency
Iodine deficiency is pretty common when it comes to birds.
Here are some of the symptoms that would suggest that your pet parrot has Iodine deficiency:
- Loud breathing
- Clicking sound
- Harsh breathing
- Wheezing
- Regurgitation
In case your parrot is experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms above, you want to get them checked out by a vet in your city.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Not only humans, but birds like parrots can get a vitamin D deficiency, especially if they are pets or if they spend most of their time inside cages inside the house.
Parrot owners have to keep in mind that Vitamin D is important for birds because it allows and helps the body to absorb and use other nutrients in their diet. Not only that, but vitamin D is important for the absorption of calcium, which plays a huge role in bone formation and egg production.
Amino Acids
A lot of birds face amino acids deficiency, which can be noticed when the feathers, bones, and muscles of the pet that you have become really agile. Not only that, but lack of protein and amino acids can lead to poor growth and in severe cases, can cause the death of the bird.
If you notice your pet bird having a hard time flying, you want to bring them to your vet because that’s a sign that they have an amino acids deficiency.
How To Treat Deficiency In Parrots
If you have noticed that your parrot is acting a bit weird lately and are not as active as they used to be, you want to take them to a vet clinic before trying to feed them different foods. Once the vet gives you the confirmation that they need to increase their intake for a certain vitamin or mineral, you want to give them appropriate foods.
Note: Once the test results arrive, your vet might give you some supplements and a diet chart that you would need to follow so you can nourish your pet parrot back to their proper health.
Can Parrots Drink Juice?
Of course!! Juice is a great drink to add in your pet parrot’s diet if you want them to stay healthy and well-fed.
Parrots are allowed to drink juice, particularly juices that have high doses of Vitamin A, which plays a huge role when it comes to keeping the parrots healthy and energized. Not only that, but mixed natural juices are also high with vitamins that can be received in the jungle only, which means that your parrot can boost their health with such juices while staying inside the house.
Another positive effect of going with drinks like fresh juice is that they can help parrots with their energy levels, particularly the ones that are locked inside most of the time. However, you have to make sure that the juice you are giving them has low fat and is not too sweet.
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