Budgie · Vegetables
Can budgies eat garlic?
No. Garlic damages red blood cells and is considered more potent than onion; a pet conure died after being fed garlic. Keep garlic and garlic powder away from budgies.
- Sugar
- 1 g / 100 g
If your budgie already ate some
Call your avian vet promptly, especially if a clove, garlic powder or garlicky food was eaten; a budgie's small size means a small amount matters. Watch for weakness, lethargy, fluffed feathers, breathing effort and reddish or dark droppings.
Why
Risks. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that destroy red blood cells; in mammals it is considered three to five times more toxic than onion. A published case described a conure that died of sudden red-cell destruction after being fed garlic.
Questions owners ask 2
Isn't garlic a natural health supplement for birds?
No. Despite claims online, avian vet sources list garlic as a food to avoid. Its harmful effect on red blood cells is documented, and it has no proven benefit for pet birds.
Is garlic powder in food a problem?
Yes. Concentrated forms such as garlic powder are more potent than fresh garlic.
Garlic: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 58.6 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 149 kcal |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| Protein | 6.4 g |
| Fibre | 2.1 g |
| Calcium | 181 mg |
| Phosphorus | 153 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 1.18 : 1 |
| Sodium | 17 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 31.2 mg |
“Garlic, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 169230). Public domain.
Sources & method 5
The sources below discuss garlic for budgies (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: high. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Hemoglobinuric nephrosis and hepatosplenic erythrophagocytosis in a dusky-headed conure (Aratinga weddelli) after ingestion of garlic (Allium sativum) — Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, 2004
- Unsafe Foods for Birds — LafeberVet
- Fruits and Vegetables in Birds' Diets — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Garlic and Onion (Allium spp) Toxicosis in Animals — Merck Veterinary Manual (Cristine Hayes, DVM, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center)
- Foods That Are Toxic to Birds (Lauren Jones, VMD) — PetMD
Other pets
More vegetables
Yes
Carrot
Yes
Broccoli
Yes
Cucumber
Small amounts
Tomato
Yes
Bell pepper
Small amounts
Chili pepper
Small amounts
Celery
Small amounts
Cabbage
Small amounts
Cauliflower
Yes
Zucchini
Yes
Sweet potato
Small amounts
Potato
Yes
Pumpkin
Yes
Peas
Small amounts
Corn
Yes
Green beans
Never
Onion
Better not
Mushroom
Never
Rhubarb