Is Chocolate Toxic to Parrots?
by Heike Ewing Ott
Is chocolate really toxic to parrots and other animals or is this just one of those rumors that gets spread around on the Internet? The following article takes a balanced look at the subject of chocolate toxicity. Written by a former vet assistant and breeder.
It is correct that very small amounts of chocolate will not kill your bird.
However, chocolate IS toxic — equally so to mammals, birds, and humans. It takes approximately 1 pound of chocolate to kill 7 pounds of dog, cat, bird, human, ferret, etc. By this ratio, the average human would have to eat about 19 or 20 pounds of chocolate to be affected!!…..but a 5 pound Yorkie is in serious trouble if it eats most of a 1-pound box of chocolate candy.
Your quaker or other small bird, however, is in danger if it eats only 1/2 – 1 oz. of chocolate, depending on its weight. However, MOST of the chocolate we eat is not pure chocolate, or cocoa, so there is some leeway. The vet I used to work for sometimes gave Buddy the Mealy Amazon an m&m, which he dearly loved, but warned me that a whole m&m was too much for one of my mini-macaws, who are close to quakers in size.
Note: At least part of choc’s toxicity is due to caffeine…which most people don’t realize it contains. Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, tea, coffee, etc. should also not be given to birds for the same reason.
well i guess i shouldent give my bird tea anymore.
actually a 5 lb yorkie would only have to eat 0.2-1.5 oz of chocolate depending on the type,(milk to bakers) in order to be at risk for a severe reaction due to the xanthine compound, Theobromine which many species cannot break down and excrete like we can.
Oh, I wish I could give my little one some chocolate, I have a Quaker, how much chocolate can he have?
What about coffe? He stole some of mine, silly bird!
My red lored amazon loves hot coffee and since he’s on my shoulder everytime I eat (uncut wings and a hell of a pilot) he insists on sharing just that. I give him some of my eggs but he doesn’t insist like the coffee. He never drinks much actually (it would take all day for a parrot to down a whole cup) but what he does he enjoys with no bad signs so far, and I’ve had him for 14 years.
I forgot to mention why I came to the site. I love the mini M & Ms so naturally Max does too and despite my best efforts has absconded with one several times, to no ill effect thus far.