While plenty of parrot owners swear that it’s fine to give their pet parrot a bit of cheese now and then, the truth is that isn’t the case. Parrots, like all birds, are extremely lactose-intolerant. They can’t break down dairy, which means you should avoid even small amounts. But what happens if a parrot eats some cheese? What are other foods that you should avoid feeding your parrot? We cover all that before digging into a few parrot-friendly snacks here. What Happens If a Parrot Eats Cheese? Considering that birds are extremely lactose-intolerant, it’s a bit surprising that cheese has become such a popular treat to give parrots. The result of a parrot eating too much dairy is identical to what you’d expect if a lactose-intolerant human ate dairy. Diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort are two common signs that your parrot has had too much dairy. Not only is this uncomfortable for your bird, but it’s also going to make cleaning their cage a more time-consuming task than normal. While there is a belief that you can build your bird’s tolerance up to dairy over time, this simply isn’t true. Your parrot lacks the necessary enzymes to break down dairy, and it doesn’t matter how much you try or how slowly you give them dairy, they won’t develop the necessary enzymes. Image Credit: Stanislav71, Shutterstock Can Cheese Kill Birds? While cheese can undoubtedly lead to uncomfortable situations for both you and your bird, the chances of cheese killing your bird are slim to none. That’s because the adverse side effects surrounding cheese and your bird are gastrointestinal, not fatal. Still, we recommend playing it safe and only giving your parrot small amounts of cheese or no cheese at all. Other Foods That You Need to Avoid Feeding Your Parrot Just like you should avoid feeding dairy products to your bird, there are several other common foods that you need to keep far away. We highlighted four of them here. Image Credit: Rosa Jay, Shutterstock Avocado Avocado may be a natural food, but your parrot can’t eat it. Every part of the avocado can be extremely toxic for your bird, so keep anything with avocado in it far away from your bird. Chocolate There are two ingredients in chocolate that make it especially bad for birds. Both theobromine and caffeine are toxic to birds at the amount found in chocolate, so you need to do everything possible to keep it away from your bird. Salt While salt in extremely small quantities is fine for your bird, it doesn’t take much salt to potentially kill them. In fact, the amount of salt on a single potato chip can be toxic. No matter what you’re feeding your bird, keep salt off of it. Caffeine If a food or drink has caffeine in it, you need to keep it far away from your bird. While a small amount of caffeine might not affect you, your bird is much smaller. This means even small amounts of caffeine can have severe side effects. These include seizures, spasms, and even death. Keep caffeine away at all costs. Image Credit: Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay Better Snacks for Your Parrot While you can give your parrot small amounts of cheese as the occasional treat, considering that cheese isn’t particularly good for them, why not opt for one of these healthier alternatives that will make your pet parrot just as happy? Peanut Butter and Crackers There are few treats that a parrot can resist more than peanut butter. Throw it on a cracker for a healthy yet delectable treat for your bird. Just keep in mind that it’s still a treat, and you don’t want to overdo it. Image Credit: Shutterbug75, Pixabay Popcorn If you’re settling down for a movie, why not get your feathered friend popcorn too? Just ensure that your parrot’s popcorn is salt and butter-free, as both are extremely unhealthy and potentially toxic for your bird. Apple Slices Your parrot would love something sweet, and fruit is nature’s candy. Your parrot will love apple slices, but just be sure that there aren’t any seeds. Apple seeds contain arsenic, which can quickly kill your pet bird. Image Credit: Creative Zone, Shutterstock Unsalted Peanuts Just like your pet bird will love peanut butter, there’s a good chance that they’ll like peanuts too. Keep in mind that many stores sell salted peanuts, and the salt can be toxic for your bird. But if you can get unsalted peanuts, they are treats that your bird should enjoy. Berries Common berries that your parrot will happily gobble up include cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. But just because this treat is fruit doesn’t mean you can feed your parrot as much as they want; moderation is still crucial. Image Credit: LC-click, Pixabay Prepackaged vs. Fresh Foods Besides commercial pellets, we recommend getting fresh food for your pet parrot. The commercial pellet food will meet all your parrots’ nutritional requirements, which means you’re free to spoil your bird with other, fresh options. There are two advantages to this. First, fresh foods don’t have any preservatives or other unhealthy ingredients in them. Prepackaged bird snacks need these unhealthy preservatives to get the food from the factory to your home without spoiling. But those additives aren’t good for your bird, and there’s no reason for your pet to have them if you can give them fresh food. Also, with fresh food, you know exactly what’s in it. Second, fresh foods simply taste better for your parrot. Just like you’d rather eat a fresh vegetable than one out of a can, your parrot will enjoy fresh food more than prepackaged stuff.
Final Thoughts While you shouldn’t feed your parrot dairy products, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a litany of other snacks. Mix it up for your feathered friend, and spoil them with plenty of different options, but do your research before feeding anything to them. The last thing you want to do is feed your parrot something that could get them sick or even worse, kill them.
Next on your reading list: Can Parrots Eat Honey? Here’s What You Need to Know!
Featured Image Credit by Kai Beercrafter, Shutterstock
While plenty of parrot owners swear that it’s fine to give their pet parrot a bit of cheese now and then, the truth is that isn’t the case. Parrots, like all birds, are extremely lactose-intolerant. They can’t break down dairy, which means you should avoid even small amounts.
But what happens if a parrot eats some cheese? What are other foods that you should avoid feeding your parrot? We cover all that before digging into a few parrot-friendly snacks here.
What Happens If a Parrot Eats Cheese?
Considering that birds are extremely lactose-intolerant, it’s a bit surprising that cheese has become such a popular treat to give parrots. The result of a parrot eating too much dairy is identical to what you’d expect if a lactose-intolerant human ate dairy.
Diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort are two common signs that your parrot has had too much dairy. Not only is this uncomfortable for your bird, but it’s also going to make cleaning their cage a more time-consuming task than normal.
While there is a belief that you can build your bird’s tolerance up to dairy over time, this simply isn’t true. Your parrot lacks the necessary enzymes to break down dairy, and it doesn’t matter how much you try or how slowly you give them dairy, they won’t develop the necessary enzymes.
Can Cheese Kill Birds?
While cheese can undoubtedly lead to uncomfortable situations for both you and your bird, the chances of cheese killing your bird are slim to none. That’s because the adverse side effects surrounding cheese and your bird are gastrointestinal, not fatal.
Still, we recommend playing it safe and only giving your parrot small amounts of cheese or no cheese at all.
Other Foods That You Need to Avoid Feeding Your Parrot
Just like you should avoid feeding dairy products to your bird, there are several other common foods that you need to keep far away. We highlighted four of them here.
Avocado
Avocado may be a natural food, but your parrot can’t eat it. Every part of the avocado can be extremely toxic for your bird, so keep anything with avocado in it far away from your bird.
Chocolate
There are two ingredients in chocolate that make it especially bad for birds. Both theobromine and caffeine are toxic to birds at the amount found in chocolate, so you need to do everything possible to keep it away from your bird.
Salt
While salt in extremely small quantities is fine for your bird, it doesn’t take much salt to potentially kill them. In fact, the amount of salt on a single potato chip can be toxic. No matter what you’re feeding your bird, keep salt off of it.
Caffeine
If a food or drink has caffeine in it, you need to keep it far away from your bird. While a small amount of caffeine might not affect you, your bird is much smaller. This means even small amounts of caffeine can have severe side effects. These include seizures, spasms, and even death. Keep caffeine away at all costs.
Better Snacks for Your Parrot
While you can give your parrot small amounts of cheese as the occasional treat, considering that cheese isn’t particularly good for them, why not opt for one of these healthier alternatives that will make your pet parrot just as happy?
Peanut Butter and Crackers
There are few treats that a parrot can resist more than peanut butter. Throw it on a cracker for a healthy yet delectable treat for your bird. Just keep in mind that it’s still a treat, and you don’t want to overdo it.
Popcorn
If you’re settling down for a movie, why not get your feathered friend popcorn too? Just ensure that your parrot’s popcorn is salt and butter-free, as both are extremely unhealthy and potentially toxic for your bird.
Apple Slices
Your parrot would love something sweet, and fruit is nature’s candy. Your parrot will love apple slices, but just be sure that there aren’t any seeds. Apple seeds contain arsenic, which can quickly kill your pet bird.
Unsalted Peanuts
Just like your pet bird will love peanut butter, there’s a good chance that they’ll like peanuts too. Keep in mind that many stores sell salted peanuts, and the salt can be toxic for your bird. But if you can get unsalted peanuts, they are treats that your bird should enjoy.
Berries
Common berries that your parrot will happily gobble up include cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. But just because this treat is fruit doesn’t mean you can feed your parrot as much as they want; moderation is still crucial.
Prepackaged vs. Fresh Foods
Besides commercial pellets, we recommend getting fresh food for your pet parrot. The commercial pellet food will meet all your parrots’ nutritional requirements, which means you’re free to spoil your bird with other, fresh options.
There are two advantages to this. First, fresh foods don’t have any preservatives or other unhealthy ingredients in them. Prepackaged bird snacks need these unhealthy preservatives to get the food from the factory to your home without spoiling.
But those additives aren’t good for your bird, and there’s no reason for your pet to have them if you can give them fresh food. Also, with fresh food, you know exactly what’s in it.
Second, fresh foods simply taste better for your parrot. Just like you’d rather eat a fresh vegetable than one out of a can, your parrot will enjoy fresh food more than prepackaged stuff.
Final Thoughts
While you shouldn’t feed your parrot dairy products, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a litany of other snacks. Mix it up for your feathered friend, and spoil them with plenty of different options, but do your research before feeding anything to them.
The last thing you want to do is feed your parrot something that could get them sick or even worse, kill them.
- Next on your reading list: Can Parrots Eat Honey? Here’s What You Need to Know!
Featured Image Credit by Kai Beercrafter, Shutterstock
