Throwing up is a pretty bad feeling for just about anybody. The sudden queasy feeling followed by an upchuck of what you’ve recently eaten, or had to drink, isn’t a pretty sight. But one thing’s for sure, the body doesn’t do this without reason, whether it’s a human body or a bird body. If you’re a bird owner, and your little pet starts throwing up, you’d be justified in being worried, but why does this happen? This article explores the question of ‘why is my bird throwing up’

A bird throwing up is always a bad sign and as a pet owner, you should be concerned. The reason your bird is throwing up can include: metabolic disorders, toxins, parasites, bacterial infections, viral infections, yeast infections, blockages, neurological disorders, dietary changes or antibiotics

Why is my bird throwing up?

Throwing up is an uncontrolled and rapid release of digested food through the bird’s mouth. The bird can also throw up fluids in addition to, or in place of, food. Regardless of what the bird throws up, this is abnormal behaviour and is something to be worried about. Reasons why your bird is throwing up include: 

Metabolic disorders: Illnesses such as diabetes, liver disease or renal disease can cause birds to throw up 

Toxins: Birds are very small animals with very fast metabolisms, if a bird ingests a toxin, (certain plants or heavy metals) the body can reject it and cause the bird to throw up 

Parasites: These tiny organisms can wreak havoc on a birds body and cause the bird to throw up. The common type of parasite to do this is the trichomonas parasite 

Bacterial infections: If your bird catches a bacterial infection that finds its way into the animal’s intestinal tract, the bacteria can cause the bird to throw up

Viral infection: Just as bacterial infections can cause vomiting in birds, viral infections can do the same. There are a number of avian viruses that can cause vomiting and the transmittal of these infections can be through shared dishes, your clothes or your hands 

Yeast infection: This infection not only wreaks havoc in humans but in birds too. Candida is known to grow in a bird’s intestinal tract. If the bird goes through stress, the infection can cause the bird to start throwing up. 

Blockages: Birds generally have an easy time getting food to pass through their digestive system, but this system isn’t perfect. If a foreign object blocks the bird’s intestinal tract this can cause the bird to start throwing up in an effort to clear the blockage 

Neurological disorders: Issues with the brain such as inflammation or infection can cause the bird to throw up. Even something as simple as motion sickness can cause the bird to throw up 

Dietary change: A new food served or a different preparation method used can sometimes cause birds to throw up  especially if the food is spoiled or the bird’s digestive system cannot tolerate the food 

Antibiotics: In this case, the phrase ‘it gets worse before it gets better’ fits. These medications can sometimes cause birds to throw up temporary

What is the difference between regurgitation and vomiting?

Regurgitation: Regurgitation is when a bird purposefully brings up food stored in its crop. This is a calm process that does not bring up a lot of food, it is also a very intentional process and is not forced. Regurgitation can be seen in birds bringing up food to feed their young or birds feeding their mate. If birds are close, or are “friends”, they will also regurgitate for each other. After regurgitation, your bird will be calm and even happy  

Vomiting: This may seem similar to regurgitation but is a serious cause of concern and is not the same. This process is not calm, it is a forced action and is violent. Food or fluid will spray out of the bird’s mouth when it vomits. Your bird will be inconsolable and its face will be wet and soiled as it does this and after. 

How do you treat a sick bird?

If your bird is throwing up, the best thing to do is to immediately take it to the vet. A bird throwing up can be the result of something slight like the bird not being able to tolerate a certain type of food, to something more serious like an infection or toxins. If not addressed and treated at a vet your bird could die. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, birds can throw up for a number of reasons including metabolic disorders, toxins, parasites, bacterial infections, viral infections, yeast infections, blockages, neurological disorders, dietary changes or antibiotics. The best thing to do when your bird begins to throw up is to take it to a vet to be treated. Not doing this can result in the death of your bird. The difference between vomiting and regurgitation is that regurgitation is gentle and intentional and vomiting is involuntary and violent 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why is my bird suddenly aggressive?, How do birds chew their food?, How do birds defend themselves?, Why does my bird eat its poop?, Why does my bird preen me?