Parakeets are omnivores which means they can eat a variety of foods. The answer to the question is yes, parakeets can eat celery, and it is safe for them to do so. There are many health benefits to eating celery. Celery is high in vitamin C and is also good for increasing oxygen levels in the blood.
Benefits Of Feeding Celery To Parakeets
Celery is a good source of the following vitamins and minerals for your parakeet.
Vitamin C
What are the benefits of vitamin C for parakeets?
- Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that is important for immune function, healthy skin, and wound healing.
- It can also help your parakeet make healthy collagen, which it needs to keep its feathers in good condition.
- Eating a small quantity of fresh fruit such as oranges and low sugar vegetables such as celery is the best way to ensure that your parakeet gets enough vitamin c.
Are there any drawbacks to introducing too much Vitamin C into their diet?
Veteran Key states that parakeets do not need too much vitamin C as it is produced from glucose in their liver!
If you do wish to ensure your parakeet gets a balanced diet including vitamin C, though, some red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and red grapes are also good sources of vitamin c for birds.
Vitamin A
There are many benefits to giving celery to parakeets and also for humans. Celery is a great source of vitamin A.
What are the benefits of vitamin A for parakeets?
- Vitamin A aids in the absorption of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain and nerve function.
- It also helps with immunity and reproduction and has been shown to improve breeding success, egg fertility, and hatchability.
- Vitamin A can also help maintain the coloration of the beak, cere, claws, and feather quills.
Are there any drawbacks to introducing too much Vitamin A into their diet?
Excess Vitamin A can be toxic to the heart, liver, or kidneys. Never give Parakeets more than 5mg/kg daily (5mg for every kilogram of their weight), always ask your bird vet's opinion before supplementing anything – as some birds may need less or not at all like macaws!
Generally, there is no reason to single out vitamin A or any other vitamin unless your bird has a deficiency (vitamin D deficiency is usually the most common).
So we recommend ensuring that your parakeet eats a balanced diet based on fresh fruits, vegetables, pellets, and seeds instead.
Vitamin K
There is also a mineral present called vitamin K.
What are the benefits of vitamin K for parakeets?
Vitamin K is fat-soluble and offers many benefits to parakeets, including healthy development of the nervous system, proper functioning of all bodily systems, and making it possible for the bird to produce antibiotic substances. In addition, it's essential for the production of two types of protein that are not synthesized in birds: prothrombin (materials blood clots) and factors VII, IX, X (involved in blood clotting). Without vitamin K, these proteins cannot be produced adequately.
Protein synthesis is never complete in a bird with vitamin K deficiency because there are so many proteins involved. With too little vitamin K present to convert specific fats into what becomes these proteins at the end-point step in amino acid synthesis, the bird is unable to produce enough of these proteins.
If your parakeet has a vitamin K deficiency, it will have problems with blood clotting and may be more prone to bleeding – even internally where you cannot see any external signs. This can also happen as an effect of other serious illnesses such as cancer or infection, which can lead to sudden death.
Are there any drawbacks to introducing too much Vitamin K into their diet?
Yes. Too much vitamin K can cause kidney problems for your parakeet because the vitamin is normally filtered out through the kidneys in small amounts before it reaches toxic levels. Thankfully, the amounts found in celery are not enough to cause kidney damage in your parakeet.
Folate
What are the benefits of vitamin K for parakeets?
- Folate is an essential vitamin that helps with the production and repair of DNA, as well as amino acid synthesis. Feeding your parakeet folate will help it stay healthy and have less susceptibility to disease.
- Parakeets have a naturally high level of this nutrient but are depleted of them by constantly eating seeds.
If your parakeet is on a seed-only diet or does not eat enough fruit and vegetables, it might help to supplement with a bird multivitamin such as:
Oasis Vita-Drops Small Bird Multi-Vitamins
Once your bird starts to consume more fresh fruit and vegetables, you can reduce the amount or stop giving them the supplement altogether.
I have found that with using multivitamin drops in my parakeet's water, his feathers are shinier, he sleeps well, he is always energized, and generally seems happier overall.
Are there any drawbacks to introducing too much folate into their diet?
Yes. Too much folate can cause a vitamin B12 deficiency, which in turn leads to impaired cell growth and blood cells that are distributed irregularly throughout the blood vessels of the body- inhibiting oxygen delivery to various organs, causing nerve damage and other symptoms typically associated with extreme anemia.
Potassium
What are the benefits of potassium for parakeets?
- Potassium is important in the nervous system, hormonal system, and the function of many other body systems.
- It helps your parakeet's heart pump blood to their lungs. Healthy lungs allow for healthier digestion and cellular renewal, which aids them in staying healthy longer.
- The benefits of potassium for parakeets include its role in keeping a parakeet's heart pumping happily and evenly, and that can be missed when their diet doesn't have enough!
- Potassium also contributes towards kidney functions, so your bird has functioning kidneys- if they don't, they can't get rid of toxins properly
Are there any drawbacks to introducing too much potassium into their diet?
Too much potassium can increase a parakeet's likelihood of developing heart disease, kidney damage, and errors in clotting. This is because too much potassium disrupts the health of epithelial tissue in the kidneys.
However, the naturally occurring amount of potassium in celery should not be enough to cause any of these complications.
How To Give Celery To Your Bird
It's best to chop the celery up, so it is easier for parakeets to eat. If you want, you can also place a small amount of peanut butter on top of the chopped celery and watch as your bird eats away happily.
They'll love this healthy treat almost as much as fitness fanatics do!
You do not need to chop it finely for your parakeet to consume as it will peck at it, breaking off tiny amounts.
Chopping small will just help you to serve it and monitor how much your parakeet eats.
Once chopped up, you can mix it with seeds or pellets and other fruit or vegetables. Our baby parakeet, Sparky, loves diced celery and raspberry coated in chia seeds and hemp seeds. YUM!
Conclusion
In conclusion, celery is great for most birds. Parrots enjoy eating it and can eat up to a quarter of their vegetable requirement with just one stalk! It's also low in the number of calories and high in vitamin A.
Celery should not make up a large proportion of a parakeet's diet as it can cause the bird to have problems with its digestion. Celery should be served in small amounts or as an occasional treat for your parakeet.
We recommend that you only give your parakeet small pieces by sticking a slice of a stalk in its cage or simply slice it up and mix it in with its pellets or seed mix for the day.
