Your dog gets a regular bath -- include your parakeet in the routine. Not by actually bathing the two together, but by making sure your little feathered friend gets a turn at grooming. He doesn't even need shampoo. Just provide some clean water and he'll be content.
Love to Groom
If you've watched your parakeet preening and arranging his feathers, you know how much parakeets love to groom. According to the Healthy Pet website, birds enjoy taking a bath as part of their grooming regimen. Provide a dish of water at least once a week so that your little friend can indulge in some bath time. However, you may find that your parakeet wants to bathe more frequently. Avian Web recommends daily showers with a spray bottle to keep your bird's feathers in good condition.
Shower or Bath?
Once you've worked bathing into your parakeet's schedule, the question becomes "shower or bath?" Parakeets will enjoy either one, as long as they have access to bath water on a regular basis. If your bird gets in the habit of bathing at a certain time of day, place a shallow dish of water in his cage at the appointed time and let him go at it. Just remember to remove the dish after about an hour to discourage him from drinking his bath water. Alternatively you can mist your parakeet with water from a simple spray bottle.
The Molt
When your parakeet molts, he'll lose old feathers and new ones will grow in. Parrot-And-Conure-World.com reports that the new feathers are covered with a protective sheath that will crumble and turn to flakes as your bird removes it from his fresh feathers. During this time his skin can be extra sensitive and itchy. Provide daily baths or showers during molting to keep him comfortable.
Other Grooming Duties
Keeping your parakeet's wings and toenails clipped are other grooming responsibilities you should see to. Keeping his wings clipped will ensure he won't fly into a window or out the door. If you don't keep your little one's toenails trimmed, they can grow long enough to get caught in the wire of his cage which can cause him harm, possibly death. Trimming blood feathers or cutting his nails too short are safety issues, though. Let the vet take care of these duties unless you've been trained to do it properly without hurting your parakeet.
