Brain Freeze?

azdesertrhino

Member
Oct 29, 2010
312
4
Tucson, AZ
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw
Mac, our B&G, likes to take a drink from a cup of ice water if he spots me or my wife drinking ice water. Of course, he also has to grab an ice cube in the process.

Sometimes after a couple of drink he fluffs all his feathers up and shakes his head.

Can a bird get "brain freeze" like a human when they eats something cold too fast?

could this cause any negative issues?
 

Mudkips

Member
May 6, 2012
317
Media
3
1
Melbourne, Australia
Parrots
Birdy the Green Cheek Conure
Parrots do this with hot food as well!

If it's not cold/hot enough to hurt you, I wouldn't worry about your parrot.
...especially if Mac goes back for more!
 
Last edited:

suebee

New member
Jan 13, 2011
2,394
3
nut loves ice cubes and bobbing for ice cubes in her water dish!!

she also does the fluffy head thing, especially when she is given a nibble of cheese
 

brianlinkles

New member
Aug 17, 2011
740
1
Oakwood, Ohio
Parrots
i am the mom of three parrots:
Dorothy- African grey (cag)
Bowie- blue and gold macaw
Nellie- hyacinth macaw
Reggie- hyacinth macaw
Marnie- white bellied caique
I just want to caution you. Not sure if you are letting him drink after you are drinking from the cup. Humans have lots of bacteria in their mouths that are very bad for our birds. You should never let your bird eat from something you have eaten from.
 
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azdesertrhino

azdesertrhino

Member
Oct 29, 2010
312
4
Tucson, AZ
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw
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I just want to caution you. Not sure if you are letting him drink after you are drinking from the cup. Humans have lots of bacteria in their mouths that are very bad for our birds. You should never let your bird eat from something you have eaten from.


No, Mac has his own set of dishes!!:D If anything, he gets the first drink but normally we go and get his special cup and put ice and water in it for him.

A very good point though, hadn't thought much about that possibility!!
 

DebsFlock

Banned
Banned
Jul 19, 2012
633
2
Los Angeles County, near Palmdale
Parrots
Scooter -- male Green Cheek Conure "Normal" but that's a matter of opinion! Hatched in March 2010

Scotty -- Male Cape Parrot hatched somewhere between 2007-2009 we think

Caballo Blanco -- male C
Yep, I see a lot of bird people who are well aware of the bacteria a cat may carry, but who are unaware that human mouths are among the worst in the animal kingdom!

I don't see why any warm-blooded critter would not experience "brain freeze" -- although the mechanism reads somewhat complicated, it basically says if you cool down part of the body too rapidly, the circulatory system tries to react to even things out... but it'd have to be pure speculation as we don't even seem to fully understand it in humans!
 

friedsoup

New member
May 5, 2012
503
1
North Carolina
Parrots
Senegal Male Bogart
Bogart loves ice chips or the whole cube, and the first sip of carbonated soda he does the head shake thing. his all time favorite is pink lemonade.
 
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azdesertrhino

azdesertrhino

Member
Oct 29, 2010
312
4
Tucson, AZ
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw
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Bogart loves ice chips or the whole cube, and the first sip of carbonated soda he does the head shake thing. his all time favorite is pink lemonade.

Had to go off topic in my own thread!!

We had a Basset Hound years ago named Bogart. Always loved that name.

And for those that would remember the significance, At the same time we had a cat named Bacall.
 

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