One Experience with the affects of Chocolate on Parrots



Mandy Several years ago, before I knew better, I had a very frightening experience with Chocolate.

Every afternoon myself and my mother would sit down for a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate. At that time I had one Cockatiel, Dessie and two Blue-headed Pionus Mandy and Peta.

Mandy (the cock) would always ask for and get a tiny piece of chocolate. That went on for about a year then suddenly Mandy started having fits. He would panic fly all over the room then collapse with his feet gone sort of paralysed and his heart going so fast he could hardly get his breath. He was extremely distressed and so was I. I rushed him down to the vet but by the time I got there he had almost recovered. This happened three of four times and all I could do was cuddle him close till he got over each one.

Then one day I was reading an article in Parrot Magazine about chocolate and caffeine and it mentioned that a parrot may develop seizures if fed chocolate.

I stopped giving him it and he has never had a fit since.

Please never feed chocolate to your parrot I nearly learned the hard way. I now have a very healthy little bird who loves the odd yoghourt flavoured peanut or custard cream as a treat among other things but never chocolate.

Thanks to SPR's Caroline.