# Cockatiel Breathing Rate



## northernfog (Dec 14, 2010)

I am always observing my bird and looking for hints she might be giving me. Lately I've been concentrating on how she breathes and I came up with a question that I couldn't find an answer online. 

So, how fast is a healthy cockatiel supposed to breathe? How many times a minute would maybe be a nice way to calculate this. Do you guys know?


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## northernfog (Dec 14, 2010)

Mine breathes about 36-42ish times a minute. 
Do you guys know if this is too fast, too slow, or just perfect?


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

My answer to this, as someone who gets equally anxious about her birds, is that you don't want to have a definite answer. The reason is that if we give you some number from the internet or a textbook, you will measure your bird against it and worry if it's different, and that is absolutely not productive. 

Go by how your bird is acting, not her number of breaths per minute. If she seems relaxed, is not in distress, is not tail-bobbing, etc., then you should really try not to worry. These things vary by individual bird and by individual situation. If you haven't noticed a change recently, then chances are she is fine.

Believe me, I know how it is worrying about them. Sometimes it seems like I have a new reason to think my rescue girl's life is in danger every day. But the reality of it is, I never worried about my 18 year old when I was younger, and he's--well, 18 years old and still healthy. It's good to pay attention and be proactive, but there's also such a thing as going too far and making yourself crazy.


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## northernfog (Dec 14, 2010)

Ahaha, thank you! This is what my family always tells me! 
But since she's never really seen a vet, I just get really worried. 
I talked to a vet about her two days ago, and showed her a few videos and also sent over a dropping sample as the vet requested and she said that everything seems fine. I also explained to her the situation she had about one year ago: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=16976 and she said it would be quite risky to take her to see a vet for a physical exam. She said that if I noticed any change on her, I would have to choose between risking a stressful trip to the vet or waiting to see how she would handle it herself. So that's why I worry so much! :blush:


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