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Help! My parrot swallowed a metal snap. Is metal toxic to birds?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Amazon | Male | unneutered | 24 years and 3 months old | -1 lbs

My amazon parrot just swallowed a metal snap. All emergency vets are unable to respond, no avian vet on call. I read metal snaps can cause metal poisoning, can they?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 29th, 2024

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry that Mango is having this issue.

Yes, many different metals can cause toxicity in birds if ingested but the main ones of concern are lead and zinc. You will need to take Mango to an avian vet when they are open. The metal snap will need to be removed even if it is made of a non harmless metal like stainless steel.

I suggest you go to a speciality center as they are more likely to have an endoscope which will be better than doing an open surgery for removal. Sometimes, depending on where the metal piece is located in the GI tract and the size of the snap, they can try removal via bulking agents fed orally instead of doing any invasive procedures.

( https://www.buffalobirdnerd.com )

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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