Do birds cough?

[Rrrma]

This morning my CAG developed a cough. It sounded like an older man with a chest cold. It worried me a little, especially as she kept doing it, but is it her coughing or is she just mimicking?

 

[Spiritbird]

My first thought is do you have anyone in your home that your bird could copy the sound of the cough? Most likely, this is the case. If you have other symptoms along with a cough such as a discharge from the nares I would visit the doc. My Rosie sneezes so much like me it is scary.

 

[Rrrma]

I've only had her 3~weeks, and the cough sounds like what her breeder would have sounded like(he was an older man, deep voice) She mimics a lot from him like "hello" and "what are you doing?" and "hello gentlemen" in a very manly voice lol!

I'm thinking it was just mimicking, but of course I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[madparrotwoman]

Wow old is your CAG? Babies don't mimic but yours does sound like a mimic from your description.

 

[HRH Di]

Some mimicking can be very unnerving. My in-laws' cockatoo's first family had to give him up due to severe respitory issues. When he's bored or just chillin', Popcorn will wheeze just like his previous "mom" did.

 

[Rrrma]

She is about 13/14. She was a breeder who would never let a male on her. She was way more interested in interacting with people, and you'd never have known she was in a barn with 192 other birds. As soon as I brought her home, it was as if she had always been there. She is a very good talker, loves to interact and ask questions. If you do something different, she will say "what are you doing?" and I always tell her. She seems to understand.

She is a hoot.

 

[Spiritbird]

After she settles in I would take her to an avain vet for a wellness checkup. This would be especially important in this case because you said she was in a barn with multiple other birds.
Please let us see her!!

 

[Rrrma]

Yeah, I need to take them all in for a checkup at some point. I'm in the process of trying to find one that is even reasonably close.

I'll admit that although they were in a barn, they were really well maintained. He had them sectioned by species, one species to a stall. They were insulted and well ventilated and he said he quarantined all new birds before they got put in the room. It was surprisingly clean, actually cleaner than the local petstore(which is always disgusting and I don't know why they can't keep up with the animals). And he seemed to care about the birds, he just didn't believe in socializing with them, or playtime. They were strictly for breeding and if they didn't produce, he sold them to a pethome.
Very nice guy and caring, but very very oldfashoined.

 

[madparrotwoman]

She is about 13/14. She was a breeder who would never let a male on her. She was way more interested in interacting with people, and you'd never have known she was in a barn with 192 other birds. As soon as I brought her home, it was as if she had always been there. She is a very good talker, loves to interact and ask questions. If you do something different, she will say "what are you doing?" and I always tell her. She seems to understand.

She is a hoot.

My guess then is that the cough is a mimic, at that age they are prolific mimics but I'd have to agree with the others in that a wellness check wouldn't go amiss.

 

[antoinette]

Exellent advise from SB and mpw, a visit to the vet is a must, for you peace of mind as well. Sure sounds like he is mimicking, one of their favourite passtimes.
High five to you for answering her questions, they listen and learn all the time AND they do understand.
Send some pic's

 

[Rrrma]

Happy Day! After much looking and calling and emailing I found a vet within a reasonable distance... so reasonable that he is just up the street from work!

Well it turns out he is an orthopedic vet and that is his big specialty now, but he started off in exotic animals and he has had a lot of experience with Eclectus parrots(working hand in hand with a breeder for a while, his words), so I think he should be good for the flock

Never thought I'd find one, especially not one so close.

 

[Birdamor]

For future reference, birds do not cough. They can't. Not the way we cough. When they cough, it sounds like crackling inside their chest but you need to put your ear to their bodies to hear it.

 

[Rrrma]

Thank you