Why Your Parrot Won’t Eat
📝 Summary
A parrot stops eating when frightened, sick, overly full, or lonely — never force food, and match the fix to the cause. If its spirits and droppings are normal, it will usually eat once hungry, but illness or impaction needs real attention.
1 Causes
Illness: don’t force feeding; watch for ruffled feathers, low spirits, dull plumage, diarrhea, lethargy, or cloudy eyes, and treat accordingly. Fright: parrots are timid and spook easily, especially in a new home — place the cage in a dim but visible spot and don’t approach except to feed, keep things quiet, and don’t mix with other birds until settled. Overeating or impaction: with normal droppings it is just full and will digest; if indigestion or enteritis brings lethargy and refusal, use a bird digestive medicine (e.g., a probiotic stomachic) with careful dosing, reducing or stopping if it reacts, and offer warm water. No appetite: if otherwise well, give a stomachic (0.25 g in 15 ml water or mixed into 15 g food) to restore appetite and gut flora; if still not eating, add glucose to the water for energy. Sudden feed change: switch gradually and offer the old favorite. Depression: long loneliness from a busy owner causes withdrawal; consider a companion.
2 A Reassuring Note
If the parrot’s spirits and droppings are normal, there is usually nothing serious — it will likely eat once it gets hungry.
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