If your cockatiel is sick, you should know about the illness immediately. If the bird suffers from diarrhea, the symptoms will be difficult to find. Bird droppings are usually watery because they contain both feces and urine. Therefore, sick bird droppings are difficult to distinguish. However, by checking bird droppings daily, looking for other signs of illness, and visiting your vet, you can treat diarrhea and its causes in your cockatiel quickly and effectively.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Recognizing the Symptoms of Diarrhea
Step 1. Look for diarrhea symptoms at the bottom of your birdcage
If you've been keeping birds long enough, you should be familiar with the normal appearance of bird droppings at the bottom of their cage. If the consistency changes, and becomes more watery, your bird may have diarrhea.
- Cockatiel droppings are usually a combination of clear fluid, bird urine, white veins that are a by-product of the kidneys, and brightly colored stools. The color of the feces depends on the food the bird eats.
- You need to distinguish between urine and feces in bird droppings. If the droppings do not have solid feces, it means the bird has diarrhea.
- Since you'll need to change the birdcage's paper weekly, it's a good idea to take advantage of it to pay attention to the normal appearance of your bird droppings. Knowing what healthy bird droppings look like can help you assess the bird's condition.
Step 2. Identify the behavior of the disease symptom
Cockatiels are usually very adept at hiding their illness. However, you can identify some symptoms if you know what to look for. Look for changes in your bird's behavior, for example:
- Not trimming his hair.
- Lethargy/weakness.
- Lots of silence.
- Reluctant to eat.
- Looks restless.
Step 3. Look for symptoms of related illnesses
Diarrhea is usually a symptom of certain diseases, such as salmonella. If your bird has diarrhea, it means that you also need to look for other symptoms of physical illness. This can help you assess the health of your bird. Some of the symptoms of the disease to watch for include:
- Throws up.
- regurgitation.
- Discharge from the nostrils or eyes.
- Untreated and matted hair.
- Blood in the feces, which appears black in color.
Step 4. Look for possible causes of disease in your environment
In some cases, cockatiels can catch something if they are left out of their cage. If you allow birds to roam your home unattended, pay close attention to the areas they infest and assess for items in the area that are dangerous to birds. Here are some objects that are dangerous and toxic to birds:
- Foods that are toxic to birds, such as chocolate, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol.
- Human medicine.
- Toxic metals, such as lead or zinc.
- Pest control products, such as rat poison.
- Poisonous plants, such as lilies, poinsettias, elephant ears, and so on.
Part 2 of 3: Getting Treatment from a Vet
Step 1. Have your vet check your cockatiel
If you notice any physical or behavioral symptoms in your bird, it's a good idea to take it to the vet for a check-up. Veterinarians can check the bird's overall health and diagnose specific problems through various medical tests.
- Common tests performed on cockatiels include blood analysis tests and X-ray scans.
- Common causes of diarrhea that doctors usually look for are: bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, toxins, dietary changes, and blockages in the digestive tract.
Step 2. Follow the care directions your veterinarian gives you
Depending on the cause of your cockatiel's illness, your doctor may suggest a variety of treatment options, such as diet changes, medication, or lifestyle or environmental changes.
- For serious bacterial or fungal infections, your vet can prescribe medication for your pet's cockatiel. Usually, these drugs are antibiotics or antifungal drugs.
- If your bird has a viral infection, you can only provide supportive care to prevent dehydration and help the cockatiel's immune system fight off the disease.
- Your veterinarian may also suggest temporary or long-term changes to your cockatiel's diet. This includes changing the type of bird feed grain or temporarily removing fruit and vegetables to allow the bird droppings to harden.
- For cases of severe gastrointestinal tract blockage, the vet may suggest surgery to remove the blockage in the digestive tract.
Step 3. Provide heat relief to your bird
While caring for birds at home, you will need to provide additional heat sources for the birds as sick cockatiels tend to lose heat easily. Use a bird-safe lamp to warm your pet.
Do not rely on ordinary lights because they cannot be used at night without disturbing the cockatiel's sleep. In addition, some ordinary lamps release the same toxic fumes as pans without Teflon
Step 4. Continue to monitor the condition of the cockatiel
While you are caring for your bird at home, continue to monitor its condition. Don't assume that treatment from a doctor will cure bird disease automatically. Watch for persistent diarrhea and other associated symptoms and consult a veterinarian if symptoms persist or get worse.
If your cockatiel's condition doesn't improve, don't hesitate to take him to the vet. Cockatiels need to be treated effectively in order to recover from illness
Step 5. Provide clean water and basic grain mix
Change the water frequently to keep it clean, and give the cockatiels the seeds they normally feed, but stop feeding them fresh food, such as fruit and vegetables.
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Diarrhea
Step 1. Visit the vet regularly to care for your cockatiel
Even if your cockatiel is asymptomatic, take your bird to the vet regularly. Preventive measures will help detect difficult-to-diagnose illnesses such as those that cause diarrhea, and can prolong the life of your pet.
Your vet can help your cockatiel by identifying and treating parasitic infections, which are a common cause of diarrheal illness
Step 2. Make gradual dietary changes
A drastically changed diet can cause diarrhea because it messes with the bird's digestive system. If you need to change your bird's diet, do so gradually.
Add a small amount of new food with whatever feed you were previously feeding. Increase the amount of this new food over several weeks until finally the cockatiel eats only the new food
Step 3. Keep your bird cage clean
Diarrhea can be a symptom of various diseases so you can prevent it by keeping your cockatiel from getting diarrhea. Keeping the bird cage clean is very important in maintaining the health of your pet.
- Bird cages should be cleaned every week, including cleaning food and drink containers, and changing their contents. You will also need to change the paper birdcage every day.
- You will need to schedule a thorough cleaning of your birdhouse. Cockatiels and items in the cage need to be removed. Clean every item and sanitize your entire birdcage.
Step 4. Quarantine the new bird
To prevent disease from spreading, you should separate the new birds from the old birds when bringing them home. Make sure the new birds don't catch a disease that can spread to the old birds. Thus, your birds are protected from diarrheal diseases.
