How to Medicate Your Parakeet in 3 Easy Steps

It’s never easy to medicate your birds – it’s not like you can trick them with a piece of jam, as you might do with your dogs!

Once, my little parakeet, named Pikachu, got sick. Then, when I took it to the vet, the professional told me that I had to give it some medication to continue the treatment.

Medicating parakeets is kind of hard, but it is not impossible.

The knowledge I acquired with the help of a professional will be used now to teach you how to medicate your parakeet in three easy steps.

How Do I Get My Bird to Take Medicine?

The best way to get your bird to take medicine is to disguise the medicine into liquid or solid food. 

The Center for Animal Rehabilitation and Education, or CARE, understands the importance of treating your pet bird and gives some recommendations based on professional and expert research. 

It is worth noting that you should only medicate your pet bird if a veterinarian recommends it.

Since parakeets and such small animals, even tiny doses of medications can cause great damage to their health. 

That’s why although you can learn other things about your parakeet (Do Parakeets Sleep with Their Eyes Open?), you can only medicate them if your veterinarian recommends you to do so.

How to Treat a Sick Parakeet at Home

Treating a sick parakeet at home is a challenge for new pet bird owners. Birds require delicate care and attention so they can come back to a healthy state and live a happy life.

As a general rule, there are three recommendations that you must follow to successfully treat your sick parakeet at home.

1. Ensure that they are warm and cozy: keep your parakeet’s cage warm, cozy, and clean at all times. You must make sure that they are in a comfortable environment for as long as they are sick.
2. Provide your parakeet with enough water: sick parakeets will need a lot of liquid to stay hydrated and combat possible infections (depending on the disease they have).
3. Follow your vet’s recommendations: veterinarians will decide the best type of food or medication to give your parakeet while it is sick. You must follow their recommendations step by step to avoid any possible further problem in their health.

How to Medicate a Parakeet in 3 Easy Steps

The time has come: it is time to medicate your parakeet by yourself.

Luckily, professionals recommend that you follow just three steps to medicate your parakeet easily at home. 

Step 1: Prepare the Medication (And Your Parakeet)

The first step is to prepare the medication as indicated by your veterinarian. In case you have liquid medication, ensure that it is at room temperature and in a good state.

Then, prepare your parakeet. Offer it a treat, make sure that it is awake, and see if you can pet it a little bit, so it understands that your presence is calming and not threatening. 

Step 2: Mix the Medication with Water, Food, or Liquid

It’s clear that your parakeet won’t be a fan of the flavor of the medication you are about to apply.

So, veterinarians recommend mixing the medication with either water, food, or a suitable liquid for your parakeet.

Depending on the medium you select to mix the medication, there are some factors that you must consider:

• If you mix the medication with food, leave it inside your bird cage until it eats it. The problem is that some medications can heavily alter the flavor of food, which is something that your parakeet will not like.
• If you mix the medication with water, wait for the bird to drink the water by itself. This might take a while, and the results are not guaranteed. 
• If you are about to apply liquid medication, then move on to the following step.

Step 3: Hold Your Parakeet Still and Give it the Medication

To apply liquid medication to your parakeet, introduce the medication in an oral syringe or eye dropper, and ensure that the amount of medicine is the right one.

Then, use a towel to grab your parakeet gently. Wrap it around the towel, and allow the bird to calm down before giving it the medication.

Slowly approach the syringe to its beak, open it, and apply it. Keep the beak slightly closed with your hand while the bird drinks the medication.

Release the bird in its cage, give it a treat, and wait for the medication to heal your bird.

What to Do After Medicating a Parakeet?

After medicating a parakeet, it is imperative to monitor your parakeet’s response to medication. You must observe for any side effects and keep track of its improvement over time.

Likewise, report to your veterinarian regarding the evolution of your parakeet’s health. 

Remember that you should never apply injected medication to your parakeet unless you are a professional – otherwise, the effects might be catastrophic. 

Pet Recap: How to Give Parakeet Medicine

Giving medicine to parakeets is a challenge to nonprofessionals, but if you follow these tips, then your bird will be safe and sound, all thanks to the way you applied the medication.

Remember that you should only medicate your bird according to the recommendations of your veterinarian.

Also, and we cannot stress this enough, we do not recommend you apply injected medication to a bird if you don’t know what you are doing – let professionals handle injected medications instead of you.

For more parakeet-related articles, check out what our experts have for you here, at Your Pet, Your Love.

FAQ

Can Vets Treat Sick Parakeets?

Yes, veterinarians can treat sick parakeets. They have the necessary training and experience to diagnose and treat a variety of health issues in birds, including parakeets. If your parakeet is showing signs of illness, it is important to consult with a veterinarian as soon as possible to ensure prompt and effective treatment. Don’t hesitate to take your pet parakeet to a veterinarian if you must. 

Can You Give Injected Medication to Parakeets?

You could – injections can be an effective way of delivering medication to birds, especially if they are not able to take medication orally. However, it’s important to note that injections can be stressful for birds and should only be done by a trained and experienced veterinarian. You should not inject your parakeet if you don’t have the required knowledge and experience to do so.