Okay...i Read Another Article....

[Mrs.Birdy]

....that mentioned using dog kibble (dry dog food) for our parrots. It said it's good protein and vitamin and minerals.

I'm not sure....does anyone know if it is safe for birds?

I am forever reading articles on bird care...hey, its a good way to learn about my fids' care.



:confused:

[jackie]

i'm not sure if it's good for them or not, by i have always feed dry dog and cat food to my birds as treats....i've also given jake compresed rawhide bones (the really little ones that are only about an inch long and centimeter wide).

[Love Bird B]

Hi Mrs. Birdy,

Do you have a good vet you could ask? I found with health matters such as diet, I would ask an expert. I wonder if dog food is better for certain parrots and not others? I'll ask a vet that I trust who specializes in birds, and get back to you.

Let us know what you find out.

[dlaura]

Hi Roseanne,
I don't know the answer, but have noticed that in the birdseed mix I purchase from our pet store there have been pieces in there that look a heck of a lot like dry cat food to me!

[birdgirl]

I wouldn't feed it to my bird it just doesn't look good to me

[Amanda]

I guess it all depends on the "brand" of dog food you use. But, I personally wouldn't feed my dogs' food to Rio (and my dogs get a premium brand dog food). I think a birds digestive system is a lot more sensitive than dogs or cats ... so I would want to be careful of what I feed them.

Here's a link to an article about "What's really in pet food" ..
http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79

Very interesting read.

[Mrs.Birdy]

Hi:

Thanks to all for the replies.

After reading what goes into pet food and looking at ingredients on dog food packages in the store, I don't think I will be giving it to my Marcel.

Parrot food is a lot less "yucky" than dog or cat food.

:D

[JSimko]

After all the stories I have heard about what is in dog food, only my dog gets dog food and I am not really happy about that.

[Mrs.Birdy]

J.

My sentiments exactly. Let's leave kibble for dogs.

[crazeemama]

Dog and cat food is not recommended for birds due to birds marked intolerance for gram negative bacteria. Mammals are much more tolerant of this type bacteria and it not a problem. (same with monkey chow,etc) It has been recommended to heat in tthe oven at 325 degrees for at least 20 minutes before using for birds. Also there is the higher fat content too, most birds don't need that. thought you might like to know.

[Mrs.Birdy]

Thanks Crazee.

Please note...This is something I read in an article (giving kibble to birds) and I was a little unsettled about it.

After listening to all the advice here and looking further into it, I have also decided that it would be detrimental to my birds' or anyone else's birds' health.

Of course, it remains a matter of opinion, but I am sure I have made an educated decision by not offering dog food to my birds.

Thanks everyone, too, for your input.



:)

[crazeemama]

Mrs. Birdy - i came to the same conclusion after my reseaarch. ijust didn't feel the 'pros' outweighed the 'cons'.