What Your Pet Bird Wishes You Knew
By Julia Glass - From the Internet
Americans own 31 million pet birds, and the number is on the rise. Yet veterinarians report that many would live longer, healthier lives if owners knew more. "Unfortunately, pet stores do a poor job of educating people," says Irwin Ruderman, DVM, director of New York City's Animal Clinic of Staten Island and an active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). Despite recent veterinary advances, too many birds die prematurely, because owners don't know the basics of care. Diet: "Many pet birds actually die of complications resulting from malnutrition," says Dr. Ruderman. A diet of seed and water - what most caged birds get - is like bread and water to a person. Wild birds thrive on an enormous variety of foods -- seeds, blossoms, fruits, insects - and your bird needs the same variety. Unlike dogs and cats, birds should have table food. "Only half the diet should be starches," Dr. Ruderman says, "and that includes seed, but you can give birds pasta, potatoes, beans, peas, and corn. Twenty-five percent or more should be fruits -  raisins, apples, pears, melon, you name it, and vegetables - cooked or raw. Go for the darkest and brightest: kale, beets, red peppers, squash. For hookbill birds - Parakeets, Cockatiels, Parrots, and Lovebirds - the rest should be protein: meat, poultry, fish, eggs (all cooked), cheese and yogurt."
A Few Cautions: Birds are susceptible to salt poisoning, so be sure all people snacks (pretzels, chips, peanuts) are unsalted or low-sodium. Never feed a bird from your mouth, since some of the benign germs we carry can wreak havoc on a bird's system. Resist the temptation to overdo junk food or sweets, especially since birds that don't get a lot of exercise can put on unhealthy excess weight. And don't buy the boxes of grit you see sold in pet shops. In the wild, small stones ingested with food act like teeth in a bird's digestive tract; this is important, since they must gather food, swallow it quickly, and fly off to avoid predators. But, pet birds have the leisure to munch, and studies show that grit offers no benefits. What's worse, some birds gorge on it and go on to develop blockages that can be fatal.
Social Life: Mental stimulation is crucial to a bird's psychological health. Birds do best when kept in the liveliest room of the house, close to the action. "In the wild, they do everything together and they're always busy, foraging for food, building nests, raising their young, grooming each other, showing off for the opposite sex," says Dr. Ruderman. Consider buying several birds so they have one another for company. But, if you buy a single bird, plan to make it a member of the family. Parakeets, Canaries and Finches do particularly well in groups; large birds, which may become very loud with other birds around, do best as one-on-one companions to people. And do learn to handle your birds; should they require medical treatment, they'll suffer less trauma if they're comfortable being held.
Habitat: "No matter how small the bird, choose the largest cage you can, the most important dimension of which should be length," says Dr. Ruderman, "People are charmed by tall pagoda cages, but birds need space to fly across." While cages with vertical bars are fine for Canaries and Finches, hookbills enjoy climbing, and should live in cages with horizontal bars. Provide perches of varying thickness', since birds need to exercise their flexible feet, but forget the sandpaper perch covers that stores sell - "A  monstrosity," says Dr. Ruderman. "How would you like to walk barefoot on gravel your whole life? And the covers rarely do what they claim to keep a bird's toenails files." Your vet can show you how to clip and file your bird's nails and beak (which may become overgrown) or, for a small fee, can do it for you. Be sure also, to provide wooden ladders and chew toys; birds need and love to gnaw. Birds like an occasional bath too. Offer a bowl of clean water, or take your bird into the shower with you. Most birds love water, many will sing and whistle as they bathe.
Health Care: When you get a new bird, take it to a vet within a few days. "Preventive care is very important, because birds are defensive animals. A sick bird hides symptoms for as long as possible; in the wild, any sign of illness attracts predators, so the flock will drive a sick member away," Dr. Ruderman says. "So schedule yearly checkups, to test for problems while they're treatable." Choose a vet who's a member of the AAV - the main source of continuing education in the field. You might even ask if he or she keeps birds at home; firsthand experience is a definite plus. I may sound as if birds are finicky, high-maintenance creatures, but in fact, most are hardy and adaptable, once you understand their needs. And the rewards of their intelligent, affectionate, and entertaining companionship are well worth the attention to detail.
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