Budgie · Protein & dairy
Can budgies eat yogurt?
Better not. Yogurt has less lactose than milk, but birds still digest dairy poorly, and flavoured yogurts add sugar or sweeteners. A lick of plain yogurt is not harmful.
- Portion
- Not recommended. At most a fingertip dab of plain, unsweetened yogurt
- How often
- Rarely, if at all
- Sugar
- 4.7 g / 100 g
If your budgie already ate some
A dab of plain yogurt needs no action. If your budgie ate a spoonful or more, watch for loose droppings over the next day. If the yogurt was sugar-free or artificially sweetened, check the label for xylitol and call an avian vet if it is listed.
How to serve it
- Never offer flavoured, sweetened or 'light' yogurt, which may contain sugar or xylitol
- If you offer any, use plain unsweetened yogurt only
- Give a dab on a spoon rather than a dish
- Remove leftovers promptly; yogurt spoils quickly in a warm room
Why
Risks. Birds have little lactase, so dairy can cause diarrhoea as the amount increases. Flavoured yogurts add sugar, and some low-sugar products use xylitol, a sweetener that is dangerous to animals.
Benefits. Plain yogurt contains protein and calcium, and some owners offer it for its live cultures, though a benefit for birds has not been shown.
Questions owners ask 2
Is yogurt a good probiotic for budgies?
There is little evidence that yogurt cultures help birds. If your budgie needs a probiotic, ask an avian vet about a product made for birds.
Can budgies eat Greek yogurt?
Plain Greek yogurt is lower in lactose than milk but still dairy and fairly fatty. A dab will not hurt, but it is not a useful regular food.
Yogurt: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 87.9 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 61 kcal |
| Sugars | 4.7 g |
| Fat | 3.3 g |
| Protein | 3.5 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Calcium | 121 mg |
| Phosphorus | 95 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 1.27 : 1 |
| Sodium | 46 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 27 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0.5 mg |
“Yogurt, plain, whole milk”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 171284). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss yogurt for budgies (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: medium. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Foods Toxic to Pet Birds — Lafeber Company (Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, with Laura Doering)
- Feeding Budgies — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds — Merck Veterinary Manual
- Food Hazards — Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version)
