Ask Lafeber

Drinking after dog

My bird will sometimes take a bath or drink out of the dog water bowl, is this something I need to be concerned about?

Hi Jennifer,

I would not allow this at all. A dog’s normal bacteria is not the same as what a bird has, so even a healthy dog can pass along bacteria that could make your bird sick. All birds should be treated as a toddler and should not be allowed out without close supervision. And a bird does not belong on the floor – there have been tragedies as a result of this practice. One of our expert contributors recently wrote an article about this which I would recommend that you read. Please keep your parrot in your line of sight when he is out – you don’t want anything to happen to him.

Why You Should Rethink Allowing Your Parrot On The Floor

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda