What to NEVER Feed Your Parrot
1. Overly sweet or salty food
Giving your parrots sweet or salty food on a daily basis can be extremely unhealthy for them. Their digestive system is too frail to handle large amounts of salts and they cannot excrete the amount of salt they eat, causing it to remain in the system and trigger several long or short term problems.
2. Dairy Products
Some "general pet diets" state that your pet should get daily amounts of yogurt, or other dairy products in small to average amounts, in order to keep their calcium levels up and keep their digestive system working properly. Although this would be a good idea with dogs, cats and possibly other pets, these diets most definitely don't refer to parrots, since parrots (well, birds in general) are lactose intolerant. You could treat them with a small amount of yogurt or small pieces of cheese if there's really no other way to give them their calcium requirements, but make sure it's not too often that you do so, or you could get your pet parrot sick in just a few days.
3. Shelled Peanuts
Feeding your parrot shelled peanuts is one of the most common nutritional miss-habits in bird care. A lot of popular diets contain peanuts among their ingredients, but they fail to specify that these should be raw, stripped peanuts of good quality. The reason why shelled peanuts are so dangerous is that they can easily produce Aspergillus Fungus, a disease that will cause serious problems to your parrot's respiratory system. In addition, shelled peanuts can be toxic, as they produce aflatoxin, a powerful carcinogen (a substance that can produce cancer in animals).
4. Various other stuff you should avoid feeding your parrot
Among some of the other ingredients that should never find place in a pet parrot's food bowl, we can include chocolate, anything containing caffeine and alcohol, onions, fava beans and any food that is high in nitrates. There are also a few restrictions when it comes to fruit, avocados and apple seeds being particularly inappropriate. Also, it was recently shown that grapes can produce toxins that may affect your parrot's digestive system and although it's not yet proven that they are as harmful (if they are harmful at all) for all species of parrots, they should be avoided as a safety measure.
As you can see, the list of restrictions in relation to your parrot's diet is quite long, but it's definitely easy to follow if you stick to the basic nutritional rules for birds. You should also make sure that any commercial pellet packs that you might buy for your parrot don't contain any of the above restricted foods.
Related Tags: parrots, parrot food, parrot care
Chris Bloor loves parrots and writes about parrot care at http://www.AcmeBirdCages.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- The Time I Had a Pet Blue Wasp
A lot of people have pets such as dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, turtles and some even have snakes and - Why Should You Buy Barking Collars For Dogs?
You love your dog but he always barks and misbehaves. It is very upsetting for owners to have dogs t - What to Consider Before Adopting a Dog
There may be plenty of occasions in your life when a puppy crosses your path and desperately needs a - What Do Pet Insurance Policies Cover?
The most basic pet insurance policies simply cover vet bills. More advanced policies can cover every - Dog Walkers Are They For You
If you own a dog then you will know how important it is to ensure that it is walked often to keep th - Creating the Right First Aid Kit For Your Dog
Most of us have some type of first aid kit in our homes. They are necessary for those small bumps an - Deciding to Crate Your Dog For Training
There are several different ways that you may decide to use to train your new dog and they are all v - What to Know About Diets For Dogs
Weight seems to be a struggle for just about anyone, and that is true in the world of dogs. In fact, - Dog Training Basics - Important Tips to Remember
Training your dog is important. It's important for his safety, your safety, the safety of your prope - Don't Go Raising Sheep For Wool Without Reading This!
There are many possible reasons why people choose to raise sheep. Some do it as a means of livelihoo
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever Puppy And Dog Information
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is not an apartment dog. She needs plenty of room to exercise and havin - How To Choose The Right Dog Trainer
Choosing a trainer is a very important decision and one that requires a fair amount of research and - Can Greenies Dog Treats Recover From Death?
A Makeover For Greenies(r) Treats Months after a series of lawsuits and media attention alleged the - Dog Treats - How to Choose Healthy Treats for Your Dog
Your dog is indeed your best friend and how you feed him or her is very important. Even small items - How to Choose A Good Dog Trainer
If you find that you are not being successful in training your own dog, or maybe you don't have the - Dog Breeds and Asthma Sufferers: Are Hypoallergenic Breeds Always Best?
The first important consideration is to understand exactly what hypoallergenic dog breeds are. In sh - Audubon Bird Feeders
Bird watching is an enjoyable hobby for many of us. We love the antics of the different birds as - Must Have Accessories For Your Fish Tank
When many individuals think of fish tank accessories, decorations are often the first thing that com - The Beautifull Hummingbirds
The hummingbirds diet requires nectar as a source of energy and for their protein source small insec - Clumber Spaniel Puppy And Dog Information
The Clumber Spaniel is an intelligent, calm dog great for apartments as they do not need a great dea
