Seeing your bird sneeze is frightening, especially to new bird owners that leads to panic. As a bird owner, it is good-to-know if you know the different causes of birds sneezing to know if you should worry or not. Like humans, sneezing can be caused by different factors and these factors that trigger sneezing is almost the same as what triggers sneezing to humans; that is why the way how to deal with it is just the same.
Before worrying when your bird sneeze, you may need to know the root cause for you to know how to address it properly. Giving a possible treatment without knowing the root cause may just aggravate the situation. In this article, we’ll tackle the reasons why bird sneeze and its possible workarounds.
Types of Bird’s Sneeze
1) Dry Sneeze
It is a dry sneeze if the sneeze is caused by irritation from dust or objects that got stuck into the bird’s nostrils or air passages. This sneeze does not contain any fluid and expects that it will not last long. As long as the particles or objects have been removed, the bird will also stop sneezing. Dry sneezing is also experienced if the bird has allergic reactions.
2) Wet Sneeze
As the name implies, wet sneezing is accompanied by fluid from the bird’s snares every time it sneezes. There are different causes why your bird suffers from a wet sneeze; if it is done occasionally, it means that your bird just wants to clear out its passages, but if wet sneeze is accompanied by other behaviors such as coughing, it could mean something else. Your bird most probably is suffering from a respiratory illness that needs to be addressed immediately.
Is Bird Sneezing an Environmental Problem or a Medical Concern?
There are different reasons why your bird sneeze. The reasons why the sneeze are classified into two areas, it could either be an environmental problem due to weather conditions. Objects that cause irritations or sanitation and sneezing could also be a medical concern such as respiratory illness. If the cause is due to environmental problems, it is easier to get a remedy and that you would be sure that sneezing does not affect the overall health condition of the bird but if the cause of sneezing is due to a medical condition, you would only get a diagnosis through the help of a veterinarian and treatment would be through antibacterial solutions or antibiotics.
Causes of Bird’s Sneezing
1) Dust
There are two types of dust, dust from the bird’s molting and from the environment. It greatly triggers sneezing episodes because the dust particles easily tickle their nose that enables sneezing response. If they are sneezing while they are molting, this would probably because of the feather dust; that is why you may need to knock it off by bathing the bird, spraying their feathers with water, and cleaning their cage. However, if they are staying outdoors with cage exposed, there is a possibility that is because of dust from the environment; that is why you may need to cover their cage or better yet transfer their cage into a place where they won’t be exposed to too much dust. You may also want to consider transferring them indoors with air filters for about 30 days.
2) Fragrances
Parrots do not have a strong respiratory system; that is why they are quite sensitive when it comes to fragrances such as air fresheners, scented candles, perfume, incense, and a lot more. They can tolerate natural fragrances more but those artificial fragrances can easily irritate their lungs and nasal passages.
3) Mites
When the bird is infested with mites, not only that, it will trigger skin irritations, but it causes allergic reactions that trigger sneezing. You know that sneezing is due to mites infestations if it is accompanied with feather plucking. You may need to consult with your veterinary about the effective treatment to cure sneezing.
4) Allergies
When a bird’s sneezing is accompanied by hacking and coughing, it may be because of allergies. The usual cause of the bird’s allergy is because of the food intake that irritates their digestive system or if the bird inhaled something. If it is due to food intake, you may need to try changing the brand of food that they eat, but if the allergic reaction is caused by something that they inhaled, you may need to ensure that the air has been cleared and avoid exposing them to that kind of smell again. You may also need to consult a veterinarian so that they could give you tips on how they can immuned to allergens.
5) Dry Air
There are high chances that your parrot will sneeze if they stay in a place with low humidity or too dry quality of air. If the environment is too dry, your bird will have cold-like symptoms. You may also notice that their skin is a bit dry that may lead to loss of feathers. To increase the humidity level, you may need to spray their feathers as well as the surroundings of their cage with water. If they are staying indoors, you may place a humidifier to make the place a bit humid so that sneezing will be lessened if it is due to dry air.
6) Mimicking
There are bird species that have the ability to mimic the actions of their owners. If they often hear you sneeze or cough, it may be music to their ears, that is why they can easily imitate it. If they successfully imitate the way how you sneeze, you may often hear them when you sneeze near their cage. You must be good at determining if they really have colds or that are just sneezing because they are imitating you. Some owners would think that the reason why their birds sneeze is that the virus that they have has been transmitted, but viruses are actually not contagious to avian species.
7) Respiratory Illnesses
The most common causes of sneezing are due to respiratory illnesses. Respiratory illnesses to birds are usually due to bacterial infection. Most respiratory illnesses to birds that trigger sneezing are also known as the wet sneezing because it is accompanied by a fluid that comes out from their snares. This could mean nasal irritations due to the bacteria present in their system. Infrequent discharge of fluid is not a concern, but if it is accompanied by sneezing, it could mean that it has something to do with their respiratory functioning, so it is advisable to consult into the veterinarian to treat it immediately.
8) A way to clear their nasal passages
When a bird sneezes occasionally, it may be because they are trying to clean their nasal passages, especially if they feel that something is stuck to it, or it may be just an involuntary action. There is nothing to worry about if they are just doing it occasionally.
Final Thoughts
Bird sneezing may be a natural bodily function, but as an owner, you must still be keen observant so that you would know how to act and react. It is important to know the root cause of why your bird sneeze for you to be able to get an immediate cure to it for the welfare of your bird.
