Cockatiel · Snacks & drinks
Can cockatiels eat alcohol?
No. Alcohol is toxic to cockatiels. It depresses the brain and breathing and can cause wobbling, collapse, coma and death, and a small bird can be badly affected by a small amount.
- Sugar
- 0 g / 100 g
If your cockatiel already ate some
Call an avian vet immediately. Keep your cockatiel warm and quiet in a small cage with low or no perches so it cannot fall, and do not give food or drink by force.
Why
Risks. Ethanol is rapidly absorbed and acts on the nervous system. Signs in pets include incoordination, depression, breathing difficulty, tremors, coma and death. Intoxicated birds are also at risk of injury from falls. Uncooked yeast dough and fermenting fruit can produce alcohol.
Questions owners ask 2
Is a drop of alcohol in food, such as a sauce or cake, a problem?
Food made with alcohol is not suitable for cockatiels. Cooking does not always remove all the alcohol, and such foods usually contain sugar, fat or salt too.
How can I prevent accidents?
Keep glasses covered or out of reach when your cockatiel is out, and remove fruit before it starts to ferment.
Alcohol: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 92 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 43 kcal |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Protein | 0.5 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Calcium | 4 mg |
| Phosphorus | 14 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.29 : 1 |
| Sodium | 4 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Alcohol | 3.9 g |
“Alcoholic beverage, beer, regular, all”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 168746). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss alcohol for cockatiels (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: high. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Feeding Pet Cockatiels — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds — Merck Veterinary Manual
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Food Hazards — Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version)
