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Why is my parakeet breathing with beak open and standing on perch?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | 1lb

My parakeet is breathing with her beak open and is constantly standing on a pearch

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 28th, 2017

Open mouth breathing in a bird can be a sign of respiratory infection. I would recommend taking Jada in to see an avian veterinarian as soon as possible as respiratory infections can be very serious in birds. In the meantime, I would recommend making sure Jada has plenty of fresh, clean water and her favorites foods available so she does not stop eating. You may also want to try placing her in a room with a humidifier (or in the bathroom to breathe in steam from the shower) to help open the airways. Jada will likely need antibiotics and possibly X-rays and blood work. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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