Car sickness in Cockatoo

by Amy
(Cheswick)

Our Sulfur-Crested gets car-sick when we take him to get his wings done. Is there anything we can give the poor guy? A nibble of ginger, perhaps?

Comments for Car sickness in Cockatoo

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Jun 23, 2013
 Motion Sickness
by: Avery

My Yellow-sided Green Cheek Conure also has motion sickness. But what i think is strange is that she not only has is when traveling in a car...but she gets sick when she flys also! My bird is about 8ish years old and has had this issue all her life. It makes me sad that i have to clip her wings to prevent her from flying because she loves to fly to people. When sick she stumbles around and lifts her wings up as if shes hurt them or pulled a muscle...i have to massage them down again for her. Lately i havent been clipping her wings because she has gotten better about not flying. But there is always the occasional lap or two around the room when shes excited and all the symptoms of motion sickness come back and she will gag and sometimes throw up. HOW CAN I HELP HER!?

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Jun 24, 2012
 Car sickness -extremely common in birds
by: Anonymous

As old as this thread is, it is important to point out that Linda is incorrect here. Car sickness is extremely common in birds. The mechanism is not the same as in humans. Instead, the flashing of colors out the car window is to blame. On most cases, covering the bird's cage will help. Our vet is the bird specialist for all of the zoos in the northeast part of the state, and he sees it 5 days a week when people are bringing their little guys in for other issues.

Not to worry. A simple google search will serve to reassure you if this has not. The Internet is filled with motion-sick birdies.
Feb 03, 2011
 ginger is safe
by: Anonymous

As said, YOU have already answered this so I am guessing you lost the post?? Anyway follow the link in the other post mentioned.

ANY amount of ginger is 100% safe, fresh ginger & excellent for parrots. Please use the link to your previous question to get the information on the ginger. It is in no way harmful or toxic in any amount. And that has been proven.

Other a slice of fresh ginger each day for a couple of days before travelling. Or add fresh ginger to their water for a few days before travelling. I have a parrot that also has travel sickness. He is given a fresh slice of ginger daily for 2 days before traveling, it works wonders wonders & it also helps that he enjoys eating. My vet also recommended this to me & I am glad he did. My birds now has no trouble traveling & finds it a pleasant experience.
Feb 02, 2011
 Car sickness in Cockatoo
by: Linda

Someone else wrote in about this a while back, and car sickness in birds is not normal, so the Avian Vet will need to check the bird for infections or other physical issues.

How birds are transported is also important. You have to have adequate sized travel cages for them, and sometimes it is a good idea to cover with a light colored lightweight sheet, so they stay quiet which may help your bird. I say light colored sheet because bright colors frighten birds, so stay with the neutral colors like beige or a very light pink or blue. If your bird is one of the large Toos, then please don't cram him into too small a cage. The big birds need a fairly large travel cage, one where they don't feel like the top is closing down on them. Toos are bad for what I call "freaking out" when put into a cage that has too low a ceiling, and if your bird is cleared as healthy by the Avian Vet, then maybe it is how he's being transported.

Do not ever give ANY over the counter meds including those found in pet stores and any kind of herbs because herbs are medicine and can kill your bird. Even a little cinnamon could cause digestive upsets, so have your bird checked out for infections and let the vet see your travel cage and talk with them about this problem.

Thanks for writing,
Linda
Feb 02, 2011
 same question?
by: Anonymous

You have already asked this question & it's already been answered here:
http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/motion-sickness-in-my-cockatoo.html
Feb 02, 2011
 Car sick bird
by: Tracie

Dr B recently answered this for another person:

You could try not feeding him for 1-2 hours before taking him on the car trip. You could try covering him, or not covering him if you already cover him. You should not give the ginger without knowing a dose amount that is safe. I do not use it so I cannot give you that information.

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