Owners enjoy sharing their favorite snacks with pets. Not surprisingly, parrots love sugary foods and will eat biscuits. Unfortunately, feeding parrots high-fat foods will lead to weight gain and obesity.
Parrots shouldn’t eat biscuits due to their high saturated fat and refined sugar content. Monkey biscuits are the least harmful option, but they still contain sugar and preservatives.
Never give parrots biscuits containing or coated in chocolate, such as chocolate chip cookies or chocolate digestives, because they’re toxic to birds.
Can Parrots Eat Biscuits?
The biscuits you can safely feed parrots depend on the ingredients. As mentioned, most biscuit varieties contain high levels of saturated fat, sugars, artificial colors, and flavorings.
Biscuits provide carbs for energy and traces of protein due to the use of eggs. Also, some cookies contain milk, but the digestive system of parrots isn’t good at processing lactose.
Are Biscuits Bad For Parrots?
Parrots can eat biscuits in moderation. If you share a plain biscuit with a parrot every 1-2 weeks, it won’t cause much harm. However, too many biscuits can lead to weight gain and other health issues.
Biscuits are unhealthy for parrots for the following reasons:
Sugar
A common question owners ask is, “can parrots eat sugar?” Unfortunately, refined sugar is unhealthy for parrots because all nutrients are stripped from sugar during production, so it has no nutritional value.
Digesting biscuits takes nutrients from the parrot’s body to metabolize them, leading to malnourishment and hunger. Also, sugar creates nutritional deficiencies, which can lead to:
- Weakened immune health
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Stomach cramps
- Visual impairment
- Muscle weakness
When parrots consume too much sugar, their pancreas has to work harder to produce enough insulin to process it. Also, the digestive system must work quickly to prevent sugar from entering the bloodstream too fast, and if it does, insulin spikes occur.
The over-consumption of sugar is linked to the following:
- Stress
- Weight gain
- Nervousness
- Bacterial infections
- Diabetes
Limit the refined sugar you give parrots and stick to the natural sugars found in fruit.
Fat
According to MSD Veterinary Manual, obesity is directly linked to a high-fat diet. When combined with a lack of exercise, parrots become overweight when too much fat is consumed.
Obesity places a strain on the body and joints. As parrots spend most of their time standing, their legs and feet are more likely to be affected by arthritis and joint pain.
Salt (Sodium)
All living creatures require some sodium, but too much is harmful. Salt unbalances the body’s electrolyte and fluid balance, leading to thirst, dehydration, and kidney failure.
Biscuit Nutritional Information
Before feeding your parrot biscuits, consider the basic nutritional content:
| Type of Biscuit | Size | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Sugar |
| Ginger Biscuit | 10g | 46 | 1.5g | 7.5g | 2.6g |
| Digestive Biscuit | 14.7g | 71 | 3.1g | 9.3g | 2.2g |
| Rich Tea Biscuit | 8.3g | 38 | 1.3g | 5.9g | 1.5g |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | 11g | 52 | 2.4g | 7g | 3.7g |
Can Parrots Eat Ginger Biscuits?
Parrots benefit from ginger due to the following:
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Magnesium
Ginger quells nausea, so parrots in the wild nibble on ginger to soothe an upset stomach.
Unfortunately, ginger biscuits don’t have the same nutritional benefits as raw ginger. Instead, feed your parrot some natural ginger. Dissolve ginger in boiling water, leaving it to cool to room temperature.
Cat Parrots Eat Dog Biscuits?
Dog biscuits may seem better because they contain less added sugar. However, dog biscuits are considered junk food for parrots.
The meat dog biscuits are made from is low quality with added carbs and fillers. There’s not much nutritional benefit from feeding a parrot dog biscuits.
Parrots aren’t used to chicken, beef, turkey, and lamb, as they don’t have these foods in the wild. Most wild parrots will only eat meat if they encounter an abandoned or partially eaten corpse.
Can Parrots Eat Digestive Biscuits?
Even though digestive biscuits are plain, they’re high in fat and calories. Digestive biscuits are okay for putting on bird feeders in the winter when they need extra fat for energy, but not for pet parrots.
Parrots can become addicted to biscuits, so limit digestive biscuits to an occasional treat. Avoid giving your parrot a piece of biscuit every time you have one.
One way to treat your parrot with a safe amount of digestive biscuit is to crush a small amount over a piece of banana to add extra crunch and flavor.
Can Parrots Eat Rich Tea Biscuits?
Because rich tea biscuits don’t contain fancy ingredients, like chocolate, it’s easy to assume they’re okay. Despite their appearance, rich tea biscuits are high in saturated fat and sugar, with 1.7g of sugar per biscuit.
Rich tea biscuits are also made with vegetable oil, an ingredient that parrots shouldn’t consume, as they naturally get the oil they need through nuts and seeds.
Rich tea biscuits are slightly healthier than digestives or cookies.
Can Parrots Eat Monkey Biscuits?
Monkey biscuits are intended for primates. They’re plain, dry biscuits made with ground corn, wheat, and preservatives. Monkey biscuits are a good source of:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
You can even find monkey biscuits for parrots. They can be fed as a treat or to wean chicks to help them get used to solid food. Most owners soak them in water to make them softer and easier to eat.
However, monkey biscuits contain some sugar and should only make up a small part of your parrot’s diet. Also, not all parrots enjoy the taste of monkey biscuits.
Can Parrots Eat Cookies?
Cookies contain artificial colorings and flavorings, such as vanilla essence. They cause a spike in insulin and blood sugar levels as they’re absorbed into the bloodstream.
Your parrot will experience an episode of excess energy followed by severe lethargy as its blood sugar levels plummet. Parrots won’t feel full after eating a sugar-laden cookie, despite the high-calorie content.
Can Parrots Eat Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Chocolate is dangerous for parrots, even in small doses, as it contains caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine has the following adverse effects on the body:
- Increased heart rate
- Heart arrhythmias
- Hyperactivity
- Cardiac arrest
It also leads to behavioral problems, such as aggression, destruction, and stress. Energetic parrots become more hyper as the stimulant kicks in, preventing them from sleeping properly.
Theobromine is found in the cacao bean; all chocolate contains it, but it’s highest in dark chocolate.
The New Zealand Veterinary Journal describes how an adult male Kea, in good condition, was found dead after ingesting dark chocolate. Researchers found 20 g of chocolate in his crop, which contained 250 mg/kg theobromine, 20 mg/kg caffeine, and 3 mg/kg theophylline.
Parrots should never eat chocolate, so chocolate chip cookies should be avoided.
A piece of plain biscuit won’t harm your parrot’s health. Problems arise when the parrot becomes addicted and rejects its everyday foods in favor of sugary snacks.
Never feed your parrot chocolate biscuits, such as chocolate digestives or chocolate chip cookies, as these are toxic due to their caffeine and theobromine content.
