Parakeet Vertigo - stargazing, twirling disease

Vertigo in humans is when they lose their sense of balance. The same thing can happen to a bird - and since a bird just has two little feet clutching onto a perch, it can cause the bird to fall down or act dizzy. The bird can also do twisting motions with his head, as he tries to find a balance.

In general, vertigo is considered to be a vitamin problem. Usually giving multivitamins for a week will sort it out, if it's just a recent problem. If you let this issue go for too long, then it will of course take longer to cure.

Of course in humans vertigo can be caused by many different things, so it's true for birds too. If a bird got hit on the head sharply, they could have vertigo issues.

Another situation that causes vertigo is overfeeding. The thought is that either worms begin to infest the bird, or that the blood flow is disrupted by the heaviness of the bird.

If you don't believe a blow to the head was involved, then make sure that your bird has a very balanced set of food, with vitamins added.

NOTE: I AM NOT A VET! If you have ANY concern about your parakeet's health and safety, no 'far off person' on the web will be able to accurately diagnose the issue. You need to bring your keet to a real, live vet to see the symptoms first hand and take appropriate action.

Parakeet Medical and Safety Information