Just to let you know.. sugar free Pepsi or Coca Cola are not sugar free at all, they have the same or just slightly less than the normal one.. so don’t let him drink that, it has caffeine and all that.
I suppose that a natural fruit juice is no problem though.
The don't have REAL sugar..they have a chemical (sometimes a form of non-digestible wood-alcohol other times, other formulas) that mimics sugar in our taste receptors and is eliminated as a waste. That having been said, although sugar is bad for birds, I would venture to say that artificial sugar is even more dangerous. There is also a bunch of other stuff in it that could cause heart/nerve issues---see below:
"
Pepsi Zero
Sugar (sold under the names Diet
Pepsi Max until early 2009 and then
Pepsi Max until August 2016), is a zero-calorie,
sugar-
free, carbohydrate-
free,
ginseng-infused cola sweetened with
aspartame, marketed by PepsiCo. ... It has nearly
twice the caffeine of Pepsi's other cola beverages."
To the OP:
I have been sold to
always avoid any artificial sweetener (stevia (EDIT- not un-natural but may be unsafe),
erythritol, monk fruit sweeteners, splenda, aspartame, xylitol, sucralose, saccharine etc)
Caffeine or any other stimulant (found in sodas, coffees and most teas, chocolate)..Ginsing is also a stimulant.
Sugar- All sugar should be avoided unless the quantity is super small---if you have to give juice, get the "NO SUGAR ADDED" kind from the health-food store and MAKE SURE it has no artificial sweeteners added to compensate and no real sugar added. The "good stuff" usually comes in small-ish glass bottles and it is usually organic. I would dilute the health-food juice even further and give VERY sparingly, because even natural sugars in fruit can lead to diabetes etc if given too often. Juice has no fiber in it, so the sugar hits the blood right away and causes a bigger spike than eating fruit.
High amounts of citrus or vitamin C = lemonade, orange juice, oranges, lemons, limes or things with a lot of added citric acid...This can cause "iron elimination disease" in many bird varieties.
Fortified drinks (with added vitamins)---Do not give birds drinks with added vitamins (many juices or kids drinks contain these...so do things like Ensure, Ovaltine etc.
Certain vegetables and fruits--- They are some fruit/veg that birds shouldn't have (to eat or drink). Check the back of any fruit blend to ensure that there is no fruit/veg source in there that is not allowed. Also, again, look out for juices high in citrus or containing lots of citric acid or preservatives.
Finally, I have READ (but not confirmed) that
carbonation is bad for birds, as they cannot eliminate the gases. It can cause pain and bloating (from what I have heard)--working to verify now. I am trying hard to find a legit website confirming or denying the safety of regular, unflavored carbonated water...Lots of opinions that is is bad (which is what I have HEARD, but proof would be nice lol!)
Dairy drinks= birds are lactose intolerant
Alcohol
Salt (soup stock is salty, so I added to the list.
