Stress can cause many types of disease, since there is a link between emotional and physical illness. Oftentimes, illness follows an extremely stressful event when opportunistic infections may arise from a weakened or failing immune system. We and our birds are all carriers of yeast, bacteria and viruses, but they remain in small amounts and harmless under healthy conditions. However, at stressful times when the immune system is weakened, these opportunistic microorganisms may proliferate, and our birds then become more vulnerable to the development of an infection. These microorganisms are the result of disease, not the cause of it.
Stress increases the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
There is an increased excretion of protein, potassium and phosphorus and a decreased storage of calcium. Vitamin C and other important nutrients are also excreted at a faster rate. During stressful times, nutrients are depleted from the body rapidly, and the immune system becomes depressed. In essence, when our birds are under stress, the whole body is affected. Stress may also manifest itself inward to one of the organ systems, such as the nervous system, circulatory or digestive system.