My new lovebird of 20-25 has sneezed a couple of times. Some of them having discharge. Should I take him to a vet? He doesn't act differently or anything, he only sneezes seldomly. But should I get this checked out just in case?
I once had a lovebird who did not sneeze but had discharge and bubbles in his nostrils. Vet advised the infection was caused by the dust/molt from our dryer as we have put him in the laundry room. That's how we found out previous owner did not install any dryer vent. One course of antibiotics have solved the problem. No more recurring problem after we installed the dryer vent. This is only one of the reasons out of many. It is always best to take your bird to the vet no matter what as it is always easy to fix at an early stage.
I have found below Vet's advice from other bird forum for your reference.
"We all sneeze. It is a reflexive response to irritation in the nasal cavity and it's commonly accompanied by a runny nose. Like people, most normal birds will sneeze occasionally in an attempt to clear dust and debris from their nostrils. But should you ever be concerned when your bird sneezes?
If your bird occasionally sneezes a clear fluid (less than once or twice a day) and has no other symptoms, he is probably just exercising the normal mechanism to clear his nostrils. There are many causes of sneezing and nasal discharge in birds. A few of the most common include:
· Irritation from dust or dander
· Bacterial infections
· Fungal infections
· Nutritional deficiencies
· Foreign bodies in the nose
If, however, a discharge continues, or if it looks like anything other than a clear, thin fluid, or the sneezing is persistent, or other symptoms are present, then you need to consult your vet asap.
