Oh No...

[JustineBird]

Justine some how got to a cup of coffee according to my family.. I don't think it was much but she was calm and cuddly as normal. I know coffee is bad for birds but there was a post from a while back saying that some owners birds do sometimes have a small sip of coffee or tea.. if there is an appointment free today I will see if I can take her to the vet just to be safe.

 

[Scott]

I would imagine Justine will be fine! Depending on the coffee strength probably little was consumed. Not sure how caffeine affects parrots - whether it is the same as with humans or possible acts differently?

But if you have any doubts or concerns....

 

[Kiwibird]

A sip of coffee is fine. My dads cockatoo will sneak one every so often, never a big deal though certainly discouraged and he's told he's a naughty bird when he does. It is not acutely toxic to parrots, especially not in a small dose. Just when they drink a lot of it frequently over long periods of time it can cause health issues and influence negative behaviors. Just make sure cups are supervised from now on and if someone needs to walk away, they can cover the cup or put it somewhere out of reach of a curious beakie

 

[SailBoat]

A sip of coffee is fine. My dads cockatoo will sneak one every so often, never a big deal though certainly discouraged and he's told he's a naughty bird when he does. It is not acutely toxic to parrots, especially not in a small dose. Just when they drink a lot of it frequently over long periods of time it can cause health issues and influence negative behaviors. Just make sure cups are supervised from now on and if someone needs to walk away, they can cover the cup or put it somewhere out of reach of a curious beakie

April really covered the concerns regarding coffee. The greater the amount the more the concerns regarding Toxic. What April really point out is the likelihood of "influence negative behaviors." The combination of the strength, which targets the amount of caffeine (as point out by Scott) and the amount of sugar can lead to a 'Wired /Crazed' Too! And, they really do not need any help in that area, do they?

As stated, it is something you do not want to become a practice and with the long held fault of Humans to give in, it is better to fully avoid their access to coffee!

 

[Kiwibird]

What April really point out is the likelihood of "influence negative behaviors." The combination of the strength, which targets the amount of caffeine (as point out by Scott) and the amount of sugar can lead to a 'Wired /Crazed' Too! And, they really do not need any help in that area, do they?

Instead of a cockatoo, you will have a crackatoo! They're wired up birds to begin with. I'd need 6 or 7 shots of espresso to have the energy of my dad's too on a day he's feeling sluggish.

 

[jenphilly]

Justine some how got to a cup of coffee according to my family.. I don't think it was much but she was calm and cuddly as normal. I know coffee is bad for birds but there was a post from a while back saying that some owners birds do sometimes have a small sip of coffee or tea.. if there is an appointment free today I will see if I can take her to the vet just to be safe.

You can call your vet, but I'm sure they will tell you the same, even if Justine stuck her head in the cup of coffee, it's not like she is having caffeine everyday. Caffeine is not good for birds, but having a beak full of tea or coffee, won't hurt her. if she got into a bag of coffee and was eating and grinding up beans or ground coffee, that might be a different worry, but sticking her beak into a cup of coffee, I'd be more worried about her spilling it on herself and you have a stained too!

 

[Siobhan]

We let Rocky have a sip or two occasionally. He always wants whatever we have and it's more social than anything. He just wants to share. I don't think a sip or two will hurt yours, either.

 

[JustineBird]

Ok.. I am just worried. When I was holding here she pooped and it was mostly liquid. So I assume either the water she drank along with the coffee might have just went straight through here system.. But later on she popped normally. I was checking here heart rate I did not feel it beating very fast at all so maybe it is ok..

 

[JustineBird]

Justine some how got to a cup of coffee according to my family.. I don't think it was much but she was calm and cuddly as normal. I know coffee is bad for birds but there was a post from a while back saying that some owners birds do sometimes have a small sip of coffee or tea.. if there is an appointment free today I will see if I can take her to the vet just to be safe.

You can call your vet, but I'm sure they will tell you the same, even if Justine stuck her head in the cup of coffee, it's not like she is having caffeine everyday. Caffeine is not good for birds, but having a beak full of tea or coffee, won't hurt her. if she got into a bag of coffee and was eating and grinding up beans or ground coffee, that might be a different worry, but sticking her beak into a cup of coffee, I'd be more worried about her spilling it on herself and you have a stained too!

Ok. The reason I asked and when I found out was when I was holding here and snuggling I could smell coffee on her beak / breath.. lol.

I might take her to the vet anyway because she is due for a checkup. Every time I take her to the store on the weekends I weigh her.. She seems to be at a constant 455G give or take a .1 or 2.. so I know she is keeping the weight witch is good.

another question: salty foods. sometimes we have plain rice with dinner and she likes to have some but sometimes we have different types of rice that have lots of salt. I give her a few pieces and stop then she keeps coming back for more.. I know salt is bad in large amounts but should I be cutting it off for her or just let her eat?

 

[wrench13]

I'd like to see a before ( crest relaxed ) and after ( crest erected) pic of her, just because it appeals to my sense of the visual. If you can photo shop a set of those stick on googely eyes it will complete the picture. Sorry Justine, I was making a joke at your expense, but I am pretty sure you will be OK. Just don't beak on Daddy too much!

Merry X-mas!

 

[Kiwibird]

Coffee (along with all caffeinated beverages) is a diuretic so in the light-speed fast GI tract of a parrot, it could yield a watery poo as it moves through faster than normal and encourages the body to pass more water. Parrots should have no tolerance built to the diuretic effects of caffeine so it will be more pronounced than in a human who drinks coffee every day and who's body is used to it. Shouldn't be more than a couple poos though, unless she has had a lot of other moisture rich food today or a bath. I might not give her either of those today if you haven't already just to be able to monitor things.

All creatures need a certain amount of salt in the diet. It's the excessive salt thats an issue. I use my fingers as guides for portion sizes of foods Kiwi really shouldn't have Human foods not specifically prepared for him like beans, rice, pasta, bread, grains, cereals etc..., he gets about the size of my thumb portion wise. Things like peanut butter, sweets, cheese etc.. he only gets about the size of the tip of my pinky. A little human food is ok for parrots eating a healthy diet rich in fresh foods, but if the bird is a picky eater, not eating much fruit or veg, still on a seed diet etc... should get no human food at all. Exceptions would be things prepared especially for the bird without added salt or added sugar, such as plain rice, plain pasta, plain beans, plain grains etc... all are very nutritious and can be fed openly so long as you don't add salt or sugar or anything else of questionability to them.

 

[JustineBird]

Coffee (along with all caffeinated beverages) is a diuretic so in the light-speed fast GI tract of a parrot, it could yield a watery poo as it moves through faster than normal and encourages the body to pass more water. Parrots should have no tolerance built to the diuretic effects of caffeine so it will be more pronounced than in a human who drinks coffee every day and who's body is used to it. Shouldn't be more than a couple poos though, unless she has had a lot of other moisture rich food today or a bath. I might not give her either of those today if you haven't already just to be able to monitor things.

All creatures need a certain amount of salt in the diet. It's the excessive salt thats an issue. I use my fingers as guides for portion sizes of foods Kiwi really shouldn't have Human foods not specifically prepared for him like beans, rice, pasta, bread, grains, cereals etc..., he gets about the size of my thumb portion wise. Things like peanut butter, sweets, cheese etc.. he only gets about the size of the tip of my pinky. A little human food is ok for parrots eating a healthy diet rich in fresh foods, but if the bird is a picky eater, not eating much fruit or veg, still on a seed diet etc... should get no human food at all. Exceptions would be things prepared especially for the bird without added salt or added sugar, such as plain rice, plain pasta, plain beans, plain grains etc... all are very nutritious and can be fed openly so long as you don't add salt or sugar or anything else of questionability to them.

I do give Justine one of those peanut butter snacks a day, sometimes skip a day but she is on a seed diet with some snacks, pistachios, sometimes rice and other foods that we eat.

as far as I know Birds are Lactose intolerant so I try to avoid milks or cheese because like you mentioned coffee would just cause a watery poop and might cause problems.

 

[Scott]

This is one of the primary features I LOVE about this forum. Members can post all sorts of questions, and a resident expert will soon chime in with a sage answer.

We know some substances are terribly toxic to parrots, while others are benign in small quantities. We didn't receive an owners manual with our fids, but PF is a great work in progress!

 

[Kiwibird]

Dairy and parrots is hotly debated. Most seem to be able to tolerate small quantities of it and go bat crazy over it for whatever reason. Though, if Justine has never eaten cheese or other dairy products, best to never even let her know it exists in the first place Wish we could erase cheese from Kiwi's mental food pyramid (if it were his choice, cheese would make up about 80% or so of his diet lol).

 

[Loko]

I dont think caffeine is necessarily any more toxic to birds than humans, its just the amount of caffeine in a human cup ti the bird would be like a human drinking a cup for an elephant.. Caffeine is bad for your heart and the sugar is no good either, which is why its advised against. Imagine drinking a cup of coffee brewed for an elephant - youd be tweaked out. A sip may not hurt, but if you drink it every day you will definitely encounter some issues. That much caffeine would be stressful on your heart, and the same goes for birds who are much more sensitive to it. A lick or two wont be anything to worry about, but if its every day or the bird consumes a large amount, then it would be an issue.
And the diarrhea/watery poop because of the diuretic nature of it like mentioned by kiwibird.