Is avocado toxic to birds?
Yes. Avocado contains persin, which can damage a pet bird's heart muscle and cause fluid to build up around the heart and lungs. Budgerigars, canaries and cockatiels are especially sensitive: a few grams of fruit has killed a budgerigar within 48 hours. Birds hide illness and can deteriorate quickly, so call an avian vet now and have your bird seen today, or straight away if it shows any signs.
General information, not veterinary advice. If your pet may have eaten this, contact a vet now; do not wait for signs.
What to do right now
- Remove all avocado from the cage, including skin, stone and leaves
- Call an avian or exotic-animal vet now and arrange to be seen today
- Estimate how much was eaten and which part, and note the time
- Keep your bird warm, quiet and in its cage for the journey
- Do not try to make your bird bring it up or give anything by mouth
Go to an emergency clinic now if
- Breathing with effort, tail bobbing or open-mouth breathing
- Fluffed up, sleepy or sitting on the cage floor
- Unable to perch or falling off the perch
- Swelling under the skin of the neck or chest
- A small bird such as a budgerigar or canary ate any amount
- Leaves were eaten, the most toxic part of the plant
Who to call
Your own vet first. If they are closed, the nearest emergency or out-of-hours clinic.
In the United States
Both answer 24 hours a day and may charge a consultation fee.
Signs to watch for
| Sign | Usually starts |
|---|---|
| Agitation, feather pulling | Hours |
| Lethargy, fluffed feathers, not eating | Hours to a day |
| Difficulty breathing | Within 24-48 hours |
| Swelling under the skin of neck and chest | Within 24-48 hours |
| Unable to perch, collapse | Within 24-48 hours |
| Sudden death | Can occur within 48 hours |
Why is avocado toxic to birds?
Persin is a natural compound found in the avocado tree, and it is the toxic principle in avocado. In birds it damages heart muscle, which can lead to fluid around the heart, congestion of the lungs and liver, and heart failure. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that this heart damage can be extensive in birds. The ASPCA warns that persin in both the skin and the flesh of the fruit can be deadly to birds.
The leaves are the most toxic part, but the Pet Poison Helpline lists persin in all parts of the fruit as well as the leaves and bark. Guatemalan varieties of avocado have been linked to poisoning most often, but you cannot tell the variety from a supermarket fruit, so treat every avocado as dangerous.
How much avocado is dangerous for a bird?
Very little for a small bird. Published figures differ but all are small:
| Bird | Amount reported | Effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budgerigar | 1 g of fruit | Agitation, feather pulling | Merck Veterinary Manual |
| Budgerigar (average 35 g) | 3.5 g | Lethal dose | Pet Poison Helpline |
| Budgerigar | 8.7 g of mashed fruit | Death within 48 hours | Merck Veterinary Manual |
| Cockatiel | 20-30 g | Lethal dose | Pet Poison Helpline |
Budgerigars, canaries, cockatiels and ostriches are all listed as susceptible, and caged birds appear more sensitive than chickens and turkeys. Because the evidence comes from small numbers of birds, there is no amount known to be safe.
How quickly does a bird get ill after eating avocado?
Signs can appear within hours, and heart damage can develop within 24 to 48 hours. Birds instinctively hide weakness, so by the time a bird sits fluffed up on the cage floor or breathes with its tail bobbing, it may already be seriously ill. The Pet Poison Helpline notes that avocado can cause sudden death. This is why the advice is to call a vet as soon as you know the bird ate avocado, not when signs appear.
What will the vet do?
There is no antidote and no test that confirms avocado poisoning, so the vet works from your history and the bird's signs. Treatment is supportive: oxygen, fluids, warmth, sedation if the bird is distressed, and, where possible, removal of avocado still in the crop. Heart medicines may help a bird with signs of heart failure. Small birds can tolerate only a little handling, so an avian vet is the best choice if one is available.
How do I keep my bird safe from avocado?
Never offer avocado or guacamole, and keep birds out of the kitchen while you prepare food. Do not let a bird roam free near fruit bowls or an avocado plant. Tell everyone in the household, including children and sitters; Pativo's family sharing lets them see your bird's records and notes. If your bird's weight starts to fall in the days after a scare, Pativo's weight tracking for birds and the daily log help you spot it early.
Questions owners ask
Is a tiny piece of avocado dangerous to a parrot?
It can be, depending on the size of the bird and the part eaten. Larger parrots may tolerate more than a budgerigar, but no safe amount has been established, so call an avian vet with the details.
Is guacamole dangerous for birds?
Yes. Guacamole is mostly avocado, so treat a taste of it the same way as avocado and call an avian vet.
Are chickens affected by avocado?
Chickens and turkeys appear more resistant than caged birds, but the Merck Veterinary Manual still lists ostriches and other birds as susceptible, so avoid feeding avocado to any bird.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Avocado (Persea spp) Toxicosis in Animals
- Pet Poison Helpline: Top 5 Toxins for Companion Birds
- ASPCA: Common Toxins for Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians
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