There are many upsides to having a pet bird in your home. These cute animals are known to be very social and will bond closely with their owners. Birds are also affectionate animals who like to be cuddled and petted all the time. However, birds are also known to get sick quickly, which means they will need some medical attention once it happens.
But how to treat a sick bird? The first thing that comes to mind is to bring these cute animals to the hospital for immediate veterinary care. But you can also give the proper medical attention so that it can heal immediately and recover faster. This article will teach you different ways to treat a sick bird right in your own home. It covers other things to do that will helps the bird recover
Contents
Different Ways in Treating Sick Bird At Home
You can do many things when your bird is sick, which can help the animal in its recovery. From making the surroundings conducive and comfortable to have the birds subjected to veterinary care. All of these methods can help treat the birds and eliminate the sickness.
The Bird Cage Needs to be Clean
One of the first things you need to do is clean the cage that houses the sick bird—removing all the dirt regularly, such as the waste and the seeds that have dropped on the bottom. You can disinfect the cage, especially the liner, which catches all the dirt. If an extra liner is available, then replace it every day. Otherwise, have the liner disinfected to eliminate all the germs on the surface.
If you have multiple pet birds at home, the sick one must be separated from the healthy one to avoid spreading the virus to the other birds. It will also allow you to easily monitor the bird’s food consumption and keep track of the bird’s activity during the sickness. The sick bird can also rest more when it is separated from the others.
The Sick Birds Need to be Keep Warm
If your bird is sick, then keeping it warm helps the cute animals from recovering quickly. In fact, most birds will heal faster if the temperature is set higher than their normal environment. Also, the high temperature, which should be set from 22℃ to 25℃, will help improve digestion, stimulate the appetite, and enhance the body to fight against infections. Monitoring the thermometer can be done by setting up a thermometer on the cage.
Heat lamps can be used to keep the birds warm. A 40-60 watt green bulb is an excellent choice for the source of heat. You can also put a towel on the cage to cover the bids from metal interaction that will possibly give coldness to the bird’s body. Another option is to use a blanket to make the cage secluded while keeping the warmth inside.
Give Sick Bird the Proper Nutrition it Needs
The sick bird needs all the calories to fight the sickness and recover. The bird should have the proper nutrition and all the fluids to make him better. Otherwise, without excellent food, the bird will not get better, and its condition may worsen as the days goes by. Also, keep in mind the dehydration factor because it is one of the biggest problems when a bird will be sick. Meaning, you will need to give your bird easy access to water.
To help with the bird’s nutrition, you will need to keep the food and the water within reach of the sick bird. It will eliminate the stress of exerting effort in getting the food, but it can also help give the bird the food intake that it needs during the sickness. If the sick bird is not eating or drinking as he usually would, hospitalization and veterinary care are necessary.
Remove or Keeping the Perch Low
When a bird is sick, coordination and movement are lacking, which means the bird is susceptible to falling from the perch. To avoid this situation from happening, you will need to prevent the bird from slipping from a longer distance by keeping the perch lower. Or else. You will be risking the bird for a possible injury if it falls from the perch, which is another problem for you. So, you will need to adjust the perch height from 1 to 2 inches, or else you can remove it from the cage and have peace of mind.
Give Your Bird Accessed to Sunlight
It is usual for birds to have vitamin D deficiency which can lead them to be sick. If you can provide them access to sunlight, it can help in enhancing their mood and will help in potentially treat the vitamin D deficiency and helps the bird recover quickly. Providing the bird with natural sunlight can assist in lifting up the bird’s mood and helps the bird recover from the sickness.
Meanwhile, a diffused sunlight is also an alternative that is not as intense as straight exposure to the sunlight. It can be created by putting a curtain made of cotton on a window. But make sure that exposing the bird to the sunlight does not overheat the sick bird by providing some shade that a bird can use if it feels too hot already.
Ask for Veterinary Care
Finally, if you feel that the bird’s condition has worsened, then contacting the nearest veterinarian is a must for you. A seriously ill bird needs a checkup from a veterinarian, especially if the sickness is more than one week already. Any bird can get sick quickly, which means you do not wait for a long time to ask for veterinary help.
The veterinarian will check and assist the health of your bird and will give the proper medication to help the bird recover. You will need to provide all the medicines as directed by the veterinarian. You can also share the bird the extra care it needs, just like the methods discussed earlier.
Conclusion
Learning how to treat a sick bird is essential if you have a pet bird at home. The methods we discussed earlier are all about giving supplemental care to the animals once they are sick that will assist in recovering them faster. However, do not wait long to ask for veterinary care if you feel that the bird’s condition has already worsened.