3D illustration: a budgie next to a dish of raisins
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Budgie · Fruit

Can budgies eat raisins?

Better not

Better not. Raisins are concentrated sugar with little benefit for a budgie, and because grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs for reasons not fully understood, it is safest to skip them.

Portion
Not recommended; offer a small piece of fresh fruit instead
Sugar
65.2 g / 100 g

If your budgie already ate some

A raisin or two is not an emergency. Offer normal food and water and watch your budgie over the next day or two. Contact your avian vet if it becomes lethargic, fluffs up, drinks or passes noticeably more urine, or has diarrhea.

How to serve it

  1. Offer a small piece of fresh fruit instead
  2. Keep raisins, trail mix and fruit cake away from the cage
  3. Check treat mixes for added raisins or sugared dried fruit

Why

Risks. Drying concentrates the sugar in grapes, which works against a budgie's tendency to put on weight. Grape and raisin toxicity is documented in dogs; it has not been documented in birds, but with no real benefit there is no reason to take the chance. Some dried fruit is also treated with preservatives.

Questions owners ask 2

Are raisins poisonous to budgies?

No poisoning has been documented in birds. However, grapes and raisins damage the kidneys of dogs, and the cause is still not certain. Given that uncertainty and the high sugar content, it is safest to leave raisins out.

What about other dried fruit?

Fresh fruit is better. Dried fruit is far more concentrated in sugar and is sometimes sweetened or preserved.

Raisins: nutrition per 100 g
Water15.5 g
Energy299 kcal
Sugars65.2 g
Fat0.3 g
Protein3.3 g
Fibre4.5 g
Calcium62 mg
Phosphorus98 mg
Calcium : phosphorus0.63 : 1
Sodium26 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)0 µg
Vitamin C2.3 mg

“Raisins, dark, seedless (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 168165). Public domain.

Sources & method 4

No source we found covers raisins for budgies specifically, so this verdict is reasoned from general feeding guidance and nutrition data. Confidence: low. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.

  1. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
  2. Feeding Birds (client education handout) — Association of Avian Veterinarians
  3. Unsafe Foods for Birds — LafeberVet
  4. Obesity in Birds — VCA Animal Hospitals

Other pets

Can hamsters eat raisins?NeverCan cockatiels eat raisins?Better not

More fruit

Small amounts Apple Small amounts Banana Small amounts Blueberry Small amounts Strawberry Small amounts Raspberry Small amounts Grape Small amounts Watermelon Small amounts Cantaloupe Small amounts Orange Small amounts Mango Small amounts Pineapple Small amounts Pear Small amounts Cherry Small amounts Peach Small amounts Kiwi Never Avocado Small amounts Coconut

All 68 foods for budgies →