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Your bird's poop is valuable in
providing insight into your bird's health status. A change in the droppings can be your first gauge that something is wrong with your
parrot companion.
Observation and determination of what is a normal range of variation in your
bird's droppings will help you assess when the situation becomes "abnormal".
You should note such factors as the frequency, volume, color, texture, shape,
and smell of your bird's droppings. The use of white paper,
newspaper or wax paper as cage liners for your parrot’s cage will visually
display droppings the best. Making a habit of checking your parrot’s droppings
daily will serve as a great early detection system for illness.
"Normal"
droppings are seen as a long tube in the shape of a coil with clear urine
surrounded by white or off white urates. Poop consists of three different
components:
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Feces are the dark, firm portion which are usually tubular in shape.
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Urates, the result of digested and metabolized proteins, are typically
off-white to yellowish in color.
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Urine, the liquid waste from the kidneys, is the clear liquid portion.
It is
important to note that some variation in poop characteristics are natural depending
on diet. For example:
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Large amounts of fruit will result in an increase in urine content
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Colored pellets will often result in colored poop.
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Uncolored pellets will result in brown poop.
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A
diet high in greens or seed will create green poop.
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Blueberries can result in dark poop.
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Urine output will vary with water intake.
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Urine and urates can pass independently from feces and an all liquid
dropping shouldn't be mistaken for diarrhea.
However, some changes in droppings are due to illness: For example,
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The volume of
solid poop is an indicator of the volume of food consumed. If the
volume of feces drops this may be an indication your bird is not eating.
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If the volume of
urine is consistently low this could be the result of dehydration.
An increase in urine output often occurs when a bird is stressed.
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The shape of feces
is normally tubular (the shape of the intestinal tract). If the feces are
unformed this indicates a case of diarrhea.
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The color of the
poop is largely influenced by the bird's diet but:
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dark, tarry
feces indicate that your bird has stopped eating
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red or dark
brown poop could be the result of blood which indicates either internal
bleeding, the presence of parasites, poisoning, or tumors
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red or brown
urates are indicative of metal poisoning
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green or
yellow urates or urine can be an indicator of liver disease or
infection.
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Parrot poop
typically is not very smelly. If a strong odor is suddenly detected
then this could be a sign of illness.
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Unusual texture
changes or the presence of undigested seeds can indicate digestive tract
problems. Bubbly or foamy looking poop often indicates a clostridium
infection.
If the
observed changes are consistent for more than 1-2 days and they are not readily explained by dietary variations, then you should
consult your avian vet as soon as possible. Be prepared to take
fresh samples of your bird's droppings in a plastic bag to your vet's office for
further examination.
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