The Basics of Providing Fluids for Pet Birds

Learn How to Prevent Dehydration in Feathered Pets

Oct 19, 2009

From finches to parrots, exotic pet birds need fresh clean water at all times. Here's what to do when traveling or illness makes taking adequate fluids a problem.

Shipping pets, especially birds, is a process fraught with uncertainties. Water dishes can spill or may not be allowed. Even traveling in a car with a feathered friend takes planning and forethought. As little as a few hours without adequate fluids can cause dehydration and harm a bird's health. Dehydration can have serious, even deadly consequences. Here are some tips for prevention and treatment of dehydration in pet birds.

Shipping and Traveling with Pet Bird Cages

Wholesalers who ship pet store birds from aviaries do not provide fresh water in transit. Instead, they leave bits of lettuce, apples, carrots, and grapes in cages to provide moisture. Fresh seeding grasses are also full of moisture, though they may be messy. Matthew Vriend's Guide to Pet Birds warns against feeding avocado to bird pets, as the fruit contains poisonous substances near the peeling. Small pet birds become dehydrated quicker than a pet bird parrot. When traveling inside a car, (house pet birds should never be placed in an open truck bed), a pet bird cage should be seatbelted in case of sudden stops. A shower of fresh water with a spray bottle will help birds stay hydrated; they will preen and swallow some of the water on their feathers. Take care to protect birds from chill or drafts.

Pet bird supplies need to be appropriate for each species. Budgies (parakeets) will not eat or drink if dishes are partially covered, as instincts prevent putting their heads under anything. Most birds will not know how to drink out of the kind of water bottle commonly used for rodents. If pet owners wish to use these bottles, another water dish should be in the cage until the bird has been observed drinking from the bottle. Most birds appreciate having a shallow bathing dish as well as a drinking cup.

The Eyes Show Signs of Dehydration

According to Stroud's Digest on the Diseases of Birds, a bird will show signs and symptoms of dehydration in the skin around their eyes. It will be crinkly, and skin on their legs may not snap back when pinched. The bird will have low energy and may be sitting on the floor of its cage looking fluffed up to conserve warmth. Accidental causes of dehydration may be extended traveling without water or a pet owner's forgetfulness. Illness may also cause dehydration. A veterinary consult should be a priority, but some first aid measures are also appropriate.

Treating Dehydration at Home

Replace water with pediatric electrolyte solution, if possible. Keep the bird warm with an overhead low-wattage colored electric light bulb or covered heating pad under the cage, or at least by covering the cage with a towel or blanket. If the bird drinks voluntarily, dehydration signs will probably resolve quickly.

Do not try to force thin liquids down a bird's throat. Water can easily enter the bird's lungs and cause respiratory distress that may be fatal. Instead, thicken liquids to the consistency of applesauce and use an eye dropper or syringe to slowly direct these through the side of the beak pointed diagonally toward the opposite side of the back of the throat. Gerber's boxed infant high-protein cereal mix is a good thickener. It should be warm, but not hot, and never heated in a microwave.

Birds have a crop at the base of their throat that expands when they are full. It is obvious on newly feathered babies but may be harder to palpate on adult birds. Stop giving liquids when the crop is bulging; for small pet birds this might be after ten drops; a pet bird parrot may need several dropperfuls to cure dehydration.

Knowing what to do when a pet bird needs to travel and how to treat dehydration in birds is a vital part of pet bird information for owners. Prevent dehydration by placing fresh vegetables and fruits in a shipping cage and utilizing spray bottles in a car. Treat problems by using dehydration electrolyte replacement fluids and proper force feeding techniques. A quick response may save a feathered friend's life.

Stroud's Digest on the Diseases of Birds, Robert Stroud, TFH Publications, 1989

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