Milk is a beverage that offers humans and other mammals many nutritional benefits.
The question is, can birds such as parrots enjoy the same benefits? Can our feathered friends even drink milk safely?
The good news is that milk isn’t toxic to parrots, so these birds can technically have this beverage. What’s the bad news? Parrots are lactose intolerant, so drinking milk can cause them a range of digestive problems.
Join us as we discuss why it’s not a good idea to let your parrot drink milk!
Lactose Intolerance – The Main Reason Milk Isn’t Good for Parrots
Cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or any other type of milk produced by an animal isn’t good for parrots. The reason for this is simple: parrots are lactose intolerant.
This means parrots lack the digestive enzyme lactase, which is required for the breakdown of a sugar known as lactose that’s found in abundance in milk. As a result, these birds can’t absorb lactose.
The inability to digest milk properly can, in turn, lead to digestive concerns including gas, bloating, stomachaches, and diarrhea, which can cause the parrot mild to severe discomfort.
Why parrots are lactose intolerant likely has something to do with the fact that they aren’t mammals. Milk is a crucial part of the newborn mammal’s diet, which explains why mammal mothers produce milk for their offspring. This drink comes with many nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water, minerals, and vitamins that can benefit a baby mammal’s health in various ways, including but not limited to strengthening its immune system and bones.
The avian mother, on the other hand, doesn’t need to produce milk. This is because its unhatched offspring receives all the health-boosting, life-sustaining nutrients it needs from the egg’s contents. Once the chick emerges from its egg, its mother keeps it nourished by vomiting food for its consumption.
In short, milk isn’t a natural part of the avian diet, so parrots didn’t evolve to have ways to digest it properly. As such, while milk isn’t poisonous to these birds, it can do more harm than good. Thus, you should avoid giving your feathered companion milk and other forms of dairy such as cheese, cream, and yogurt.
Can Parrots Drink Other Types of Milk?
As anyone who’s ever gone shopping for milk will know, milk comes in various forms aside from plain old cow’s milk. Can parrots drink these other types of milk?
Let’s find out!
Chocolate milk
Never give your feathered friend chocolate milk. This is because chocolate is highly toxic to parrots.
Chocolate contains the alkaloid compound theobromine. Even a small amount of theobromine, when ingested, can damage the parrot’s liver and nervous system, which can lead to problems such as:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Black droppings
- Hyperactivity
- Heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
- Respiratory distress or breathing difficulty
- Seizures
Ultimately, theobromine can lead to liver failure and a slow, painful death.
Chocolate also contains another toxic component known as caffeine, which can cause the following issues:
- Hyperactivity
- Heart arrhythmias
- Increased heart rate
Caffeine can culminate in cardiac arrest and death.
For these reasons, never give your parrot milk chocolate or any other food item that contains chocolate.
For a more detailed discussion on why chocolate is bad for parrots, check out our article, “Can Parrots Eat Chocolate?”
Flavored milk
Flavored milk is bad for parrots, so don’t give your pet bird any.
Generally speaking, this beverage is extremely high in refined sugar. Unlike the healthy natural sugar found in fruits, refined sugar typically lacks the nutrients that can benefit animals. Thus, while it won’t cause your pet to drop dead from toxicity, it can cause digestive concerns especially if ingested in large amounts.
Refined sugar is also far more fattening than natural sugar, so if you feed your pet sugary foods regularly, it can gain unhealthy weight and become obese. Obesity is associated with serious chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which, in turn, can lower a parrot’s quality of life and even cut its lifespan short. Being sedentary, pet birds such as parrots are prone to obesity, so avoid giving your pet any foods rich in refined sugar.
Milk thistle
This plant-based milk is good for parrots, so yes, you can give your pet some on occasion.
Milk thistle boasts medicinal properties. For example, it can lower cholesterol and blood sugar to prevent heart disease and diabetes. It can also help keep the liver healthy by relieving symptoms of jaundice, hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
This drink is, in fact, given to birds with liver issues. However, you should ask a veterinarian for advice before giving your parrot milk thistle, as only they can determine the dosage that’s most appropriate for it.
Oatmeal milk
Oatmeal milk is made by mixing ground oatmeal with water. Thus, it isn’t animal-based milk, so your parrot can consume it safely in small amounts. This type of milk is chockfull of minerals and vitamins that can benefit your bird’s health in various ways.
However, make sure to give your pet organic oatmeal only, as the inorganic varieties may contain ingredients – such as preservatives and artificial flavoring – that can harm birds.
Soy milk
Some parrots can drink soy milk.
Soy milk isn’t produced by animals but is instead a plant-based drink. It’s often used by vegans or lactose-intolerant people as an alternative to animal-based milk. This makes it safe and even healthy for some parrots to imbibe.
To ensure your pet’s health, consult a veterinarian before offering soy milk to your pet. Also, make sure you give your parrot organic soy milk only. This is because inorganic soy milk usually contains additives, such as sugar, preservatives, and flavor enhancers that can cause birds allergic reactions and other problems.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is another type of plant-based milk, so yes, parrots can drink it.
With that said, give your pet this beverage in moderation only. This is because coconut milk is high in the fat and sugar that can cause unnecessary weight gain and ultimately obesity. And as we’ve already discussed, obesity can result in serious health issues.
In addition, avoid offering your parrot canned coconut milk. This is because the can’s interior lining can interact with high-fat foods to release a chemical known as bisphenol A. (or BPA), which can be toxic to birds. Any coconut milk you give your pet should therefore come in a cardboard box, bottle, or any form of eco-friendly packaging. You can even make coconut milk yourself.
Almond milk
While almond milk is plant-based milk, it’s not the best option for a parrot. This is because these birds lack the enzymes necessary to digest this type of milk. If imbibed, it can cause digestive problems such as stomachaches, bloating, and diarrhea.
A little almond milk won’t hurt, however. Just make sure any you give your pet is organic. Alternatively, you can make your own almond milk by grinding a few almonds and mixing them with water.
Your Parrot Drank Some Milk. Should You Worry?
If your parrot drank some milk, don’t panic, but get ready to do some investigating.
Find out what type of milk your parrot drank, and how much of this milk it drank.
Is it regular animal-based milk such as cow’s or goat’s milk? If so, a small amount is unlikely to cause your pet significant discomfort or harm. Nevertheless, observe your pet for digestive issues such as diarrhea and gas. Contact a veterinarian for assistance should your pet display such symptoms.
If your parrot ingested a large amount of such animal-based milk, then there’s a good chance it’ll experience problems. Call a veterinarian as soon as possible and listen to any advice they give you.
Plant-based milk such as soy milk, milk thistle, and oatmeal milk shouldn’t harm your pet. Coconut and almond milk may lead to problems, however, especially if ingested in large amounts, so contact a vet if your parrot drank a considerable portion of such milk. Remember that inorganic milk can also cause problems especially if imbibed in enormous amounts.
How about chocolate or flavored milk? Because even a tiny amount of chocolate can be deadly for a parrot, seek veterinary assistance immediately if this is the type of milk your bird drank. Flavored milk is unhealthy but less deadly, so reach out to a veterinarian for advice on how to help your pet especially if it experiences digestive concerns.
Safe Drinks for Parrots
The safest, healthiest drink you can give a parrot is water. Water keeps your pet hydrated, thereby preventing potentially life-threatening concerns such as dehydration, overheating, and kidney stones. It can aid in digestion to lower the risk of constipation and other digestive issues. And because water doesn’t contain sugar, it won’t lead to extra weight gain and associated problems.
You can also give your parrot plain fruit juices, though you should do so only on occasion. Fruits may contain healthy, natural sugar, but even this type of sugar, if ingested often or in sizeable amounts, can lead to weight gain.
Additionally, keep in mind that the process of creating these juices removes some of the nutrients from the fruits. Juices also lack the fiber birds need for a healthy gut. For these reasons, your parrot is better off eating fruits than drinking fruit juices.
Don’t give your parrot fruit juices that contain sugar or any other unnecessary ingredients (such as refined sugar and flavoring) that can harm birds.
Below are the fruits that parrots can safely eat and whose juices they can also safely consume:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Coconuts
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Mangoes
- Melons
- Pineapples
- Strawberries
Before offering your parrot the juice of any of the above fruits, consult a veterinarian for advice, as they can determine what fruit juices it can drink and how much of such drinks it can consume.
Conclusion
It’s not a good idea for parrots to drink animal-based milk. True, such milk won’t poison our feathered friends. However, as birds are lactose intolerant, milk can cause them myriad digestive concerns, such as diarrhea, stomachaches, and bloating.
You should avoid giving your parrot processed milk that contains chocolate, refined sugar, or any other additives, as such ingredients can cause various issues, from allergic reactions to deadly toxicity.
If you’d like your pet to drink milk, give it plant-based drinks such as soy milk, oatmeal milk, or milk thistle, instead, as these are healthy for birds. Coconut milk is fine in moderation, while almond milk isn’t the best option for your pet.
Of course, the safest, healthiest drink for parrots is water. You can also give your feathered companion plain fruit juices, though keep in mind that birds are better off consuming actual fruits.