Keeping birds as pets is very interesting and fun. You can socialize with your pet birds by letting her come out of her cage for meal time. At the same time, you’re creating a bond with her. Sharing food with your pet bird is fun, however, is all food safe for your pet birds?
The answer is no. Some human foods can be shared with your pet bird, but some other food cannot and shouldn’t be shared with her. There are many common human foods that can be harmful or even fatal to your pet bird.
As an owner, you really need to know which food are safe and which are poisonous and dangerous for your pet bird. Let’s figure out the dangerous food to avoid feeding your pet birds.
- Chocolate
Chocolate is a very delightful treat for us, humans, however, chocolate is harmful for almost every pet, including dogs and cats. No wonder chocolate is listed as one of the food that are poisonous to your pet.
Chocolate is able to poison your bird’s digestive system. It contains theobromine and caffeine which are classified as methylxanthines. As a result, it causes your pet bird to have diarrhea and vomiting.
If it continues, the bird’s central nervous system will be affected and even leading to death. The darker the chocolate, the more poisonous it will be for your pet bird.
- Onions and Garlic
Birds can eat vegetables, you can take a look at the complete list of vegetables for your birds. However, not all vegetables are safe to be consumed by birds. Some vegetables, such as garlic and onions are dangerous for your birds.
Excessive consumption of onions and garlic can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and other problems in the digestive system. The more exposure is given, the worse problem it will cause.
It can lead to hemolytic anemia, which is the condition of the rupturing of the red blood cells. This condition will be followed by respiratory distress and even death.
Not only garlic and onion in vegetable forms, garlic and onion in powder form will also cause more problems. It is because the garlic and onion powder are very concentrated.
- Uncooked Beans
Beans are favorable treats for your pet birds, however, uncooked beans are not. If you plan to give some beans for your pet bird, make sure they are cooked. Uncooked beans, on the other hand, may be a choking hazard. Not only that, uncooked beans also contain hemagglutinin, a toxin.
Cook all the beans before giving them to your birds and avoid leaving dried beans where your pet bird can easily access them.
- Salty Snacks
Pet birds do not need a certain amount of sodium for their body systems. Hence, consuming too much salt will lead to dehydration, kidney or liver dysfunction or even death.
So, avoid giving salty snacks, such as chips, as birds’ diet already have a sufficient amount of sodium.
- Avocado
All parts of avocado plant, including the fruit, seed, skin, and pit are harmful to your pet birds. They contain person, a fungicidal toxin which can cause cardiac distress, respiratory difficulty, lethargy or weakness and heart failure in birds. Not only birds, avocado is also listed as one of the forbidden fruits for your dogs.
There are some species of birds that are more susceptible to avocados, such as canaries and parakeets. So, avoid feeding your birds with avocado or avocado-containing food, such as guacamole.
- Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a type of fungus and they have been known to cause digestive upset in birds. The caps and stems of some mushroom varieties can even induce liver failure in animals. So, make sure you don’t let your pet bird consume either cooked or raw mushrooms.
- Tomato Leaves
Tomatoes are great fruits that are fine for your pet birds. However, the other parts of the plants besides the fruit, are really harmful. The leaves, stem and vines of tomato plant are highly toxic to your pet bird.
When you plan to feed your bird a tomato, make sure it is cleaned and sliced. Moreover, ensure that the green parts are removed so that your bird can avoid the exposure to toxins.
Actually, tomatoes are not the best options for your bird, so it is better to offer other vegetables to your birds. Try to consider giving these fruits that are safe for birds.
Keeping a pet bird is fun. However, you need extra attention to pet this small creature. You also need to be aware of the common diseases your pet birds might have. You can get the idea by reading these symptoms of stressed bird and bacterial diseases in birds.