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I have a rescued orange winged Amamzon parrot who is in fine

 
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  • Answered by:Dr. Pat
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Customer Question

I have a rescued orange winged Amamzon parrot who is in fine health. He sometimes wants to eat from my mouth. I am careful not to let him eat things like salted foods,caffeine,alcohol or foods that are harmful for parrots. I wanted to know if it is potentially a dangerous thing for either one of us because of bacterial contamination? Thanks!

 

Optional Information:
Type of Animal: amazon parrot
Gender: male-I think
Age: 20?
Name of Bird: Waffle

Already Tried:
concerned about liabilities of pet eating from owners mouth.

Submitted: 789 days ago.
Category: Bird Veterinary
Value: $15
Status: CLOSED

Accepted Answer

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Expert:  Dr. Pat replied 788 days and 20 hours ago.

Greetings, I am Dr. Pat. I have worked with birds for many years. I will do my best to help you.

Stop this practice immediately. Common mouth bacteria in humans can cause fatal infections in birds. He should have a bacterial culture and sensitivity sample taken from his mouth, and appropriate antibiotics started immediately. Generally I start them out on antibiotics as indicated by the tests (I use a lot of human antibiotics that are injectable).


You need to to take your bird to see an avian-experienced veterinarian ASAP for complete examination, diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Check this link for members of AAV in your area or call your regular vet and see who they recommend; ask if they really have worked with birds a lot.

The following guidelines help with basic issues such as nutrition, obesity, good immune status. Surprising how the following can make a bird healthy, and how infrequently birds are ill if they are on the following regimen. No amount of medicine is going to work if the birds' basic needs are not met.

Birds should be on a high-quality, preferably prescription, pelleted diet (I prefer Harrison's High Potency, TOP , Tropican). In addition, they should be offered dark leafy greens, cooked sweet potatoes, yams, squash, pumpkin; entire (tops and bottoms) fresh carrots and so forth. No seeds (and that means a mix, or millet, or sprays, etc. etc.) and only healthy, low-fat high fiber people food. A dietary change should be closely monitored and supervised by your avian vet.
convert to pellets
good diet

Birds should get 12-14 hours dark, quiet, uninterrupted sleep at night. Any less and they can suffer from sleep deprivation and associated illnesses. They should be covered or their cage placed in a dark room that is not used after they go to bed. They should have access to bathing by daily shower, misting, bath bowl, etc.
basic maintenance

The cage material should be cleaned everyday, and twice a day if the bird is really messy. Paper towels, newspaper, bath towels are ok. Never use corn cob, sawdust, wood chips, or walnut shell. Consider getting a large cage that is longer than tall--as birds move in a horizontal rather than vertical orientation; and have several feeding stations.
cages

Never give grit, gravel sandpaper or cement perches. A bird will eat those to excess when it is not feeling well or if there is a nutritional deficiency. They do not need it at all (an old myth from the poultry days, even poultry do not need it). It can cause an impaction and lead to serious or fatal consequences.
daily routine
hazards

Expert TypeBird Veterinarian
Category: Bird Veterinary
Pos. Feedback: 97.1 %
Accepts: 3082
Answered: 2/6/2011

Experience: 25+ years working primarily or exclusively with birds

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