Common Brotogeris Diseases or Health Problems

Brotogeris Information

Index of Bird Diseases ... Symptoms & Potential Causes ... Bird Health Care

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Members of the brotogeris species are susceptible to the following risk factors / diseases:

• Injuries / Accidents: These bold and inquisitive parakeets frequently fall victims to the following types of accidents:
  • They challenge larger parrots and even other, larger pets, such as dogs, which can result in them getting attacked and bitten.
  • They also sustain injuries from their climbing, jumping and wandering tendencies.
  • They like to burrow in tight places, which puts them at risk of being smothered by their owners as they like to snuggle up close to them and owners unwittingly roll over or sit on them.
  • Other reported accidents included them being stepped on (especially if wing clipped), flying into active ceiling fans, hot burners, open pans of hot grease or boiling water, or drowning in open toilets.



• Avian Gout
  • Most common symptoms: depression, loss of appetite, low growth, dehydration, ruffled feathers, most vents. Some breeders recommend less protein to avoid gout.
  • Click here for more info.



• Avian Tuberculosis
  • Was common among imported birds.
  • Most common symptoms: Sudden death or progressive weight loss in spite of a good appetite, depression, diarrhea, increased thirst, respiratory difficulty, decreased egg production often occurs in birds that were laying eggs.
  • Click here for more info.



• Bacterial Hepatitis
  • Most common symptoms: Watery droppings containing little or no feces and often light green urates; weight loss. Some birds will regurgitate food. Birds should be assessed for hydration (crinkly skin around the eyes or skin pinch that remains tented).



• Chlamydiosis
  • Common acute symptoms: Respiratory problems; such as sinus infection, labored breathing, shortness of breath, noisy breathing or "runny nose." General well-being: Eye discharge or swelling. Lethargy, ruffled / fluffed-up feathers, loss of appetite, weightloss, weakness. Dehydration, polyuria (excess urine); diarrhea or yellowish, grayish, or lime green urates
  • Chronic symptoms: Severe pneumonia and nonrespiratory health problems; tremors and / or convulsive movements Unusual head positions. Opisthotonos (neurologic disease in which the top of the head is bent over and approaches the back
  • Click here for more info.



• Chronic Egg Laying



• Malnutrition:
  • Obesity, loss of weight, fatty tumors, sickness, weakness.
  • Susceptible to Vitamin A deficiency - Vitamin A occurs in dark, leafy greens and orange-colored produce, such as apricots, cantaloupes, carrots, red peppers, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. To resolve Vitamin A deficiency, try adding foods like sweet potatoes (either cooked or steamed until soft), mashed up with other fruits will be both loved by your pet bird, as much as it is good for her or him. Many birds also enjoy fresh carrot juice - or try offering shredded carrots. Natural sources are preferable over synthetically produced nutrients, which may not be absorbable and could easily be overdosed).
  • Brotogeris need extra fruit in their diets, and some recommend less protein to avoid gout.
  • Click here to learn about bird nutrition.



• Toxicity Problems
  • Most Common Symptoms:
    • Exposure to Nicotine Tobacco products: Excitation, tachypnea, salivation and emesis; with severe cases, muscular weakness, twitching, depression, tachycardia,dyspnea, collapse, coma or cardiac arrest. Death occurs secondary to respiratory paralysis.
    • Exposure to Liquid potpourri, fabric softeners, germicides and sanitizers:
      • Dermal exposure: erythema, edema, intense pain and ulceration.
      • Ocular (eye) exposure: mild irritation to severe corneal injury.
      • Oral exposure: tissue necrosis and inflammation of the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus
    • Exposure to overheated (above 280°C) cooking utensils with nonstick surfaces: Rales, dyspnea, ataxia, depression, restless behavior and acute death.
    • Avocado Ingestion: (Persea Americana) Leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of somespecies (toxic principle unknown)
      • Small birds: respiratory distress, generalized congestion, hydropericardium,anasarca and death. Onset occurs after 12 hours of ingestion, with death occurring within 1-2 days of the time of exposure.
      • Large birds: nonspecific signs - reduced activity, fluffing of feathers and labored respiration
    • Toxic plants: Dysphagia, regurgitation, inappetence. If ingested, crystals can cause oralirritation, intense burning and irritation of oral cavity.
    • Click here for more info.



• Feather Mutilation (Plucking/Picking)
  • Most common symptoms: Missing feathers, overpreened feathers, bald patches. Click here for more info.



• Giardia
  • Most common symptoms: Skin may become very dry and itchy, and this caused them to pick out their feathers. The common giardia picking pattern usually involves the chest, underside of the wings, insides of the thighs, shoulders and sometimes the lower back region. Asymptomatic carriers may exist, and serve as sources of infection for other birds.
  • Click here for more info.



• Megabacteriosis
  • Most common symptoms: Your bird may show droppings that change color to green or become watery, because the ingested bacteria may irritate the bowel and damage the kidneys and liver. When bacteria are inhaled on dust it may produce sneezing, eye rubbing, excessive swallowing, yawning or coughing.
  • Click here for more info.



• Beak & Feather Disease - PBFD
  • Most common symptoms: Characteristic abnormal feather and beak growth might have feathers that look like stubbles and are obviously deformed is likely to have short ‘clubbed’ feathers may develop curly feathers may have feather shafts that often break, or you might see narrowing or pinching of the shafts (this condition worsens with each molt and your bird will usually become progressively balder due to inactivity of its feather follicles). may have a beak that is deformed, especially the upper beak, and often overgrown; the beak usually splits or breaks.
  • Click here for more info.



• Sarcoptiform Mange (skin mite) - Myialges nudus
  • Most common symptoms: Myialges causes severe itching. Infected birds become very debilitated, lose feathers, suffer weight loss and develop red, scaly, thickened skin. If untreated, death occurs within several months. Click here for more info.

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