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As all bird owners know our feathered friends are by nature very intelligent and
curious creatures. When they are left to their own volition, they are capable of getting onto a variety of potentially
life threatening situations, much like a 2-3 year old child. Drawing on this analogy, we as "parents",
must try to anticipate these problems before they happen and eliminate them. Some hazards are obvious such as poisons
and unfriendly animals, however, many are not so obvious and may arise even when we think we are doing everything
right.
WING CLIPPING
For example there are many bird owners who allow their birds to remain flighted. They
may believe it is cruel to limit a birds' desire to fly. However, a pet bird in captivity is already in an unnatural
situation and as long as there is a good social interaction between the owner and the bird most pets do not seem
inhibited psychologically by a wing trim. Further you must seriously consider the potential trauma that occurs
when a bird flies head on into a unseen window or through some accident off-set, your beloved pet flies through
an open window never to be seen again. Keeping your bird in its cage when unattended is also advisable - no matter
how careful you are there may be some potential hazard you overlooked that your bird will get into while you're
gone.
CAGE SELECTION
Since the cage is your bird's living quarters, it is very important to make sure it
is hazard free. Make sure there are no sharp edges, strings or frayed fabric to get tangled in, cage bars that
narrow to a acute angle where the head or a limb could be trapped. Home made cages made of galvanized wire are
toxic to birds if they chew on them.
GENERAL HAZARDS
Some other often overlooked hazards include, spring type clasps, toys with small beads
that could be swallowed toys with lead weights and glazed ceramic bowls. It is not advisable to use corn cob bedding
or wood chips on the floor because if swallowed these may produce an obstruction, they tend to harbor bacterial
and fungal colonies and thus constantly expose your pet to these harmful germs. They hide abnormal stools which
may be an early indication to you that your bird is sick. We recommend newspaper (black & white print only)
or plain brown paper to be used on the floor and that is to be changed daily.
NO HAZARD LIST IS EVER COMPLETE
There are a wide variety of household hazards and as soon as a list is compiled, you
must realize that there may be many others that are not on the list. Hopefully the list that follows will give
you an idea of the objects you should look out for. If you have any questions, please call us and we'll be happy
to help.
TOXINS
LEAD - Weights (in penguins and other bird toys, on curtain draw strings, automobile
wheel balances, fishing line weights), the clapper in some bells, batteries, solder, shotgun / air rifle pellets,
lead base paints, lead free paints with leaded drying agents, hardware cloth, galvanized wire, linoleum, plaster,
drywall, and other building supplies, contaminated bone meal, dolomite and cuttlebone, leaded gasoline fumes, some
lubricants (lead napthalate) costume jewelry, light bulb bases, wine bottle foil, seams in stain glass windows,
etc.
ZINC - Galvanized wire, keys, the metal guard on butane lighters, pennies minted
since l982. COPPER - Copper wire, pennies minted before 1982.
MYCOTOXINS - Toxins produced by molds in improperly stored seed and other foods.
ETHYLENE GLYCOL- Antifreeze
FOODS - Chocolate, theophylline, caffeine, high salt foods, alcoholic beverages.
TOXIC PLANTS - Avocado, black locust, clematis, diffenbachia, foxglove, Lilly of
the valley, lupine, crown vetch, oleander, philodendron, poinsettia, rhododendron, Virginia creeper, and
yew.
INHALANT FUMES - Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) gas from overheated non-stick surfaces
such as Teflon, Silverstone, and Farberware can have serious effects
on the sensitive respiratory system of a bird and can cause death.
This can also occur with stain repellant products such as
StainMaster and Scotchguard.
FERTILIZERS
INSECTICIDES
RODENTICIDES
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VETERINARY
ASSOCIATES STONEFIELD