Is It Possible for a Human to Give a Cockatiel a Cold?

When you come down with a cold, it's natural to make efforts to not pass it on to the beloved individuals in your life. If your pet cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) happens to be one of those individuals, however, you can stop fretting over that specific possibility.

  1. Humans Can't Give Cockatiels Their Colds

    • If you are dealing with the annoyance and discomfort of a pesky cold, your pet cockatiel cannot get it from you, no matter how much time you spend interacting with him every day. Pet birds simply are not vulnerable to the bulk of human illnesses out there, thankfully.

    Other Possibilities

    • Although you might not be able to give your existing cold to your cockatiel, you still might be able to direct common bird illnesses onto him, all the while being in totally fine condition yourself. If you spend any time close to another bird at a friend's house, for example, and that bird happens to be carrying an infection, you run the chance of it getting to your own pet, and therefore making him become ill. Try to stop this from ever happening by always following careful cleanliness routines. Stay away from birds you don't know, for one. Always wash your hands diligently before you go near your cockatiel, whether you're stroking him, giving him food or anything else.

    Signs of Possible Illness

    • If your cockatiel is dealing with a bacterial infection or virus, he might exhibit a lot of telltale behaviors. He might have a runny nose. He might seem unusually exhausted. He might suddenly show no interest in eating at all. His feathers might take on a puffed-up appearance. He might sneeze a lot. Other possible hints of illness in cockatiels are exhaustion, weight loss, plucking of the feathers, labored breathing, sagging wings, shut eyes and preening decline. If you observe anything that seems to indicate illness in your pet, whether these symptoms or anything else, seek urgent avian veterinary attention for him.

    Other Common Conditions

    • Cockatiels are, for the most part, pretty robust and tough birds. Although human colds aren't a worry for them, however, they do have their fair share of typical ailments. Some of the sicknesses that frequently affect cockatiels are the infectious condition psittacosis, mites, conjunctivitis, arthritis and aspergillosis. Keep on top of your cockatiel's health by bringing him to the veterinarian on a regular basis -- think at least once a year. The sooner a vet can detect an issue, whether infection or anything else, the sooner she can figure out how to proceed with managing it.