Macaw Health Problems: Symptoms and When to Worry
The most common Macaw health problems are proventricular dilatation disease, atherosclerosis and heart disease, and aspergillosis. Macaws typically live 50–80 years. This page is organized by symptom, so you can jump straight to neurological, heart, breathing, and digestive problems, see what each one looks like in a Macaw, and know whether it is a vet visit this week, a vet visit today, or an emergency right now.
Quick answer: when to worry about your Macaw
Go to an emergency vet now if you see any of these:
- Neurological: A seizure lasting more than five minutes, several seizures in a row, or sudden paralysis is an emergency.
- Heart: Tail bobbing with every breath, open-beak breathing, or collapse is an emergency in a bird.
- Breathing: Tail bobbing, open-beak breathing, clicking, or a change in voice is an emergency in a bird. Move it to a warm, quiet carrier and go.
- Stomach and digestive: A bird that stops eating, sits fluffed on the cage floor, or passes blood or undigested seed needs an avian vet the same day. Birds hide illness until they are very sick.
- Any pet: collapse, seizures lasting more than five minutes, uncontrolled bleeding, or an inability to stand.
Book a vet visit this week if you see any of these:
- Neurological: A first seizure, a head tilt, wobbliness, or a behavior change that came on over days.
- Heart: A murmur your vet has heard, coughing at night, tiring on walks, or a resting breathing rate over 30 breaths per minute while asleep.
- Breathing: Noisy breathing at rest, a cough lasting more than a few days, or tiring quickly on walks all warrant a visit.
- Stomach and digestive: Vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours, refusing food for more than a day, or unexplained weight loss.
Keep watching if: the change is mild, your Macaw is still eating, drinking, and moving normally, and it resolves within a day or two. Write down what you saw and when; a dated list is the most useful thing you can bring to a vet.
Seizures and neurological problems in Macaws
Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD)
A viral nerve disease of the digestive tract, and sometimes the brain, that stops food being digested. Incurable; managed with anti-inflammatories for months or years.
What it looks like in a Macaw:
- Undigested food in droppings
- Weight loss despite eating
- Regurgitation
- Seizures or weakness
When it usually appears: Any age
Outlook: this is one of the conditions that can shorten a Macaw's life. Managed early it is often years, not months, but it belongs on the list of things that eventually lead to end-of-life decisions.
When to see a vet: A first seizure, a head tilt, wobbliness, or a behavior change that came on over days.
When it is an emergency: A seizure lasting more than five minutes, several seizures in a row, or sudden paralysis is an emergency.
Heart problems in Macaws
Atherosclerosis and heart disease
Arterial plaques from high-fat diets and inactivity. Causes sudden death or progressive weakness in middle-aged and older macaws.
What it looks like in a Macaw:
- Sudden collapse
- Exercise intolerance
- Laboured breathing
- Reluctance to fly or climb
When it usually appears: 20 years onward
Outlook: this is one of the conditions that can shorten a Macaw's life. Managed early it is often years, not months, but it belongs on the list of things that eventually lead to end-of-life decisions.
When to see a vet: A murmur your vet has heard, coughing at night, tiring on walks, or a resting breathing rate over 30 breaths per minute while asleep.
When it is an emergency: Tail bobbing with every breath, open-beak breathing, or collapse is an emergency in a bird.
Breathing problems in Macaws
Aspergillosis
A fungal infection of the lungs and air sacs, associated with stress, poor ventilation, and mouldy food. Slow and difficult to treat.
What it looks like in a Macaw:
- Voice change
- Tail bobbing
- Open-beaked breathing
- Weight loss
When it usually appears: Any age
Outlook: this is one of the conditions that can shorten a Macaw's life. Managed early it is often years, not months, but it belongs on the list of things that eventually lead to end-of-life decisions.
When to see a vet: Noisy breathing at rest, a cough lasting more than a few days, or tiring quickly on walks all warrant a visit.
When it is an emergency: Tail bobbing, open-beak breathing, clicking, or a change in voice is an emergency in a bird. Move it to a warm, quiet carrier and go.
Stomach and digestive problems in Macaws
Fatty liver disease
Fat accumulation in the liver from long-term seed and nut diets.
What it looks like in a Macaw:
- Overgrown beak
- Swollen abdomen
- Abnormal droppings
- Lethargy
When it usually appears: 10 years onward
Outlook: this is one of the conditions that can shorten a Macaw's life. Managed early it is often years, not months, but it belongs on the list of things that eventually lead to end-of-life decisions.
When to see a vet: Vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours, refusing food for more than a day, or unexplained weight loss.
When it is an emergency: A bird that stops eating, sits fluffed on the cage floor, or passes blood or undigested seed needs an avian vet the same day. Birds hide illness until they are very sick.
Warning signs to watch for in a Macaw
These are the early signals owners most often miss, or dismiss as age:
- Undigested food in the droppings
- Weight loss you can feel along the keel despite a normal appetite
- A change in the voice or laboured breathing
- Reluctance to climb, play, or fly
- Regurgitation not aimed at you or a toy
Macaw lifespan: what is normal
Fifty to eighty years is typical for a large macaw, and some exceed ninety. In practice, many die in their thirties or forties from PDD, atherosclerosis, or aspergillosis. A macaw past fifty is elderly and has been well kept.
Genetic factors
Blue-and-gold and scarlet macaws are common and generally hardy. Hyacinths have specific dietary needs (high fat from palm nuts) and are prone to problems on standard diets. All macaws are susceptible to PDD and to atherosclerosis when fed too many nuts and seeds.
What Macaws usually die from
Knowing what typically ends a Macaw's life is not morbid. It tells you which of the symptoms above deserve the fastest response.
- PDD: Progressive wasting and neurological decline.
- Heart disease: Sudden cardiac death in older macaws.
- Respiratory infection: Aspergillosis and related disease.
- Old age: Kidney, heart, and joint decline past fifty.
When it may be time: from managing symptoms to saying goodbye
Some of the conditions above (proventricular dilatation disease, atherosclerosis and heart disease, and aspergillosis) are managed for years. Each one, though, has a point where treatment prolongs the decline rather than the life. If you are reading this page because your Macaw is older and the bad days are starting to outnumber the good, that is worth saying plainly: you may not be looking for a diagnosis anymore. You may be looking for permission.
Signs the balance has shifted in a Macaw:
- No more play: not hanging, not wrestling toys, not showing off
- The sunset scream and daily vocalisations gone quiet
- Sitting fluffed and low, or on the cage floor
- Tail bobbing with each breath, or breathing with the beak open
The when to say goodbye to your Macaw guide walks through the quality-of-life scale vets use, what euthanasia actually involves, and how to prepare. If you are weighing costs and options, the pet end-of-life services guides by city cover in-home euthanasia and cremation prices, and the coping with losing a Macaw guide is there for afterward.
Preventive care for Macaws
- A pellet and fresh food diet with nuts as controlled treats; hyacinths need a specialised high-fat diet
- A cage and play area large enough for real exercise, and flight if possible
- Annual avian vet check with bloodwork from age ten
- Clean air and dry, fresh food to prevent aspergillosis
- Quarantine and testing of any new bird for PDD
Sources
This page is compiled from veterinary references and breed-specific health studies. It is general information, not a diagnosis; your vet knows your Macaw.
- https://www.merckvetmanual.com
- Association of Avian Veterinarians
- Parrot welfare research references
If this has stopped being about symptoms
Many people land here when their Macaw is old or ill and they are trying to work out whether what they are seeing is the end. If that is you, the health details above matter less than the question underneath them.
Macaw Health FAQs
- What are the most common health problems in Macaws?
- The conditions most often seen in Macaws are proventricular dilatation disease, atherosclerosis and heart disease, aspergillosis, and fatty liver disease. A viral nerve disease of the digestive tract, and sometimes the brain, that stops food being digested. Incurable; managed with anti-inflammatories for months or years.
- What do Macaws usually die from?
- The leading causes of death in Macaws are PDD, heart disease, and respiratory infection. Progressive wasting and neurological decline. Macaws typically live 50–80 years.
- Do Macaws have neurological problems?
- Yes. The neurological conditions seen in Macaws are proventricular dilatation disease. A first seizure, a head tilt, wobbliness, or a behavior change that came on over days. A seizure lasting more than five minutes, several seizures in a row, or sudden paralysis is an emergency.
- Do Macaws have heart problems?
- Yes. The heart conditions seen in Macaws are atherosclerosis and heart disease. A murmur your vet has heard, coughing at night, tiring on walks, or a resting breathing rate over 30 breaths per minute while asleep. Tail bobbing with every breath, open-beak breathing, or collapse is an emergency in a bird.
- At what age do Macaws start having health problems?
- It depends on the condition. Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) usually appears any age; Atherosclerosis and heart disease usually appears 20 years onward. Age-related problems like arthritis, kidney decline, and cancer cluster in the last third of a Macaw's 50–80 years lifespan.
- What are the signs a Macaw is dying?
- The signs that a Macaw is nearing the end are refusing food and water, being unable to stand or get to the bathroom without help, pain that medication no longer reaches, withdrawing from the family, and more bad days than good over two weeks. Our when-to-say-goodbye guide for the Macaw walks through the quality-of-life scale vets use and what euthanasia involves.
- What's the best diet for a Macaw?
- Macaws do best on high-quality pet food appropriate for their life stage (puppy/kitten, adult, senior). Breed-specific health concerns may warrant specialized diets. Consult your vet rather than following general advice online.
- How often should I take my Macaw to the vet?
- Annual wellness exams for adult Macaws, twice yearly for seniors (typically 7+ for cats). More frequent visits if your Macaw has known health conditions. Preventive care catches issues before they become emergencies.
Keep their memory close
If you're facing a difficult time, these may bring comfort.