Could pet birds catch bird flu?

Question

If so how to know when it is sick

Answer 1

Yes, HOW EVER.....

The first thing I suggest is to find an avian vet, have your bird start a wellness program. Check up and weight, ect.
This way if your bird acts 'suspicious' then your vet will be able to detect the problem pretty quick.
If a bird is ill,( they hide it for survival reasons) It will sleep all the time, puff up, sit on the bottom of the cage, stop eating and vocalizing.
Unless you are around wild birds and they happen to have (on a very unlikely instance) the 'flu', you don't have to worry about your bird at home. There has been way too much hype on this "bird flu" epidemic! I feed ducks and geese EVERY day with corn and fresh bread, and I have 21 birds (cockatiels to cockatoos) and my birds are very healthy.
Don't listen to the fear mongers that only want to sell you a flu shot and make you worry!

Answer 2

Exactly WHERE do you think your bird would catch the flu from if it is an indoor pet? No, your pet bird cannot get the flu if it is not exposed to wild birds.

Answer 3

I have heard that some pet birds could catch the virus if exposed to another bird that has it. To tell if it is sick is tough since birds hide their illnesses very well. A loss of appetite, lack of drinking its water, bird is plucking feathers and loss of weight are some signs.

Answer 4

Yes. The highly pathogenic bird flu doesn't show up much in the U.S. but there are a few outbreaks of low path bird flu (avian influenza), every year in poultry flocks.
Birds can have alot of variation in signs. It will usually present with a respiratory diesase such as coughing and sneezing. Also there may be discharge from the eyes and nostrils. The birds will be lethargic.

Answer 5

It is unlikely if your birds are indoor pets. Any negative change in behavior should be a sign that something is wrong, Loss of balance, sleeping more, not eating and drinking are the first signs of anything being wrong and need to be checked out by a vet immediately.

Answer 6

convinced in Germany there became a case of a cat(examined and proved), no city legends. The cate ate a lifeless chicken that had the flu. easily in Germany there's a ban for cats to bypass outdoors (that is interior the north-east states the position the first cases of chicken flu were detected). i believe canines can get also contaminated interior an same way.

Answer 7

If they're exposed to infected birds, yes they could.

Answer 8

Yes if their exposed to other birds that have it.

Answer 9

Yes...........
When they look white and pasty with a little red nose and a box of kleenex in claw.

Answer 10

yes - they start ripping out their feathers until they bleed and stop eating behave very strange.