Is sweat bad for parrots?

wrench13 · Jul 4, 2017

Salty insists on licking the sweat from my brow, etc. Ugh, I know, but his lordship insists. Is human sweat bad for parrots? Good? Or water is water?

He nuzzles the side of my face or my brow, and then starts licking. Salty ! Just beak me over a tissue huh?

Scott · Jul 4, 2017

Good question, Al. Found all you ever wanted to know about sweat and more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspiration

Sweat glands on the head/face are from eccrine glands and are mostly water with trace minerals, lactic adid, urea, sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Extremely small quantities of copper, chromium, and lead.

I'm guessing the tiny quantities swallowed periodically aren't terribly harmful.

plumsmum2005 · Jul 5, 2017

Plum tries to do the same. As soon as I realise he is licking me he gets moved as I think it is in his best interests. My thoughts were he liked the salt/sodium but with so many other things there who knows?

Teddscau · Jul 10, 2017

Sweat, in and of itself, isn't harmful. However, I'd be concerned about what's ON your skin. Do you have makeup on? Did you go swimming? How about residual shaving cream? If Noah were to be licking sweat off my face, I probably wouldn't worry because I keep my skin chemical-free because my birds are delicate little snowflakes. However, how do prescription meds affect your sweat? I take birth control because my skin is extremely oily which causes severe acne, and the birth control (marketed for acne) dries out my skin. Might my sweat contain unsafe hormones as a result?

That's actually a good point. My mom hates it when my dad eats garlic, and it's not just because his breath is gross. His skin exudes garlic when he sweats.

Is sweat bad for parrots?

wrench13

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