Rainbow Lorikeet

Hi, I have a rainbow lorikeet. he is a baby 10 weeks old. How old before I worm him please. How old before I let him have a full bath.?? I am only using a spray bottle at the moment. Thanks in advance for any help. Sonnie

Welcome to you, bumping you back up, bath, whenever! Worming? Unless strictly under orders of a certified avian vet (CAV), never!

Hello and welcome! We'd love to see pictures of your lorikeet.

Unlike other animals like dogs and cats, birds don't get vaccinated or receive preventative worming medication. You should be getting your new one to a certified avian vet yearly though for a wellness check/physical, if you want you can have gram stains done to check for diseases and ensure your bird is in tip-top shape!

As for bathing, what do you mean by 'full bath' ? You can give him a 'full bath' with a spray bottle, by providing him a shallow dish of water so he can bathe himself, or you can take him in the shower (many buy parrot shower perches for this) and let water cascade over him. Any of these ways will work, but never use shampoo or conditioner on him, a purely water bath daily or weekly will be sufficient to keep his feathers looking healthy and clean.

I have only heard of a parrot having worms once- my dads cockatoo got them from eating a wild cricket once. He was treated by a vet, not some DIY home job. It is extremely rare for domesticated pet parrots to contract parasitic infections and unless the baby is showing signs of illness (in which case, a vet should examine, never assume what's wrong), there is no reason you should suspect it has worms. You should also NEVER administer ANY medications or supplements to a parrot unless directly told to do so (along with dosage, how often and for how long) by an experience vet, preferably avian specialized.

A spray bottle is perfectly suited to the job of bathing a parrot, though you can offer him a shallow pan of water to see if he'd like to splash around in it too. Just a friendly FYI, but never use any kinds of soap or shampoo on your bird. They need nothing but fresh, clean water for bath time

Welcome to the forums, thanks for joining!

I would second the recommendation for an exam with a certified (or equivalent) avian vet before de-worming. Seems you are from Australia, not sure if this is a customary practice?