Dangers to Parrots,

which will kill or injure your bird at home

There are many dangerous substances which you will have in your home and for new and experienced owners alike we have to be on the alert to make sure we do not accidentally poison our birds or allow them to come to harm. Young children cannot really understand these dangers, which is why you should not allow your children to play with, or feed parrots unsupervised. They may want to share their food and toys with your parrot but the consequences may result in you losing your bird.

If you discover or suspect that your bird may have been poisoned then you need to speak to, or visit your avian vet immediately.

The following items can seriously harm your bird:

Small items small enough to swallow e.g. beads, buttons, pins, ear rings, studs and zips.

Any aerolsol sprays, fly killer, polish, air freshener, household cleaners, paint fumes, petrol and heating fumes from gas fires and heaters if incorrectly maintained can kill. Miners knew canaries were many times more sensitive to foul air and suffocating gases, which is why they were taken down the minshafts too warn of impending trouble. Other household liquids and powders e.g bleach, dishwasher powder, medication, aromatherapy oils and cosmetics, and children's crayons can also be hazardous. Remember that the larger Parrots can open cupboard doors where household poisons may be stored and can remove lids on household chemicals and unclipped birds can also reach high places.

Tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, tobacco, certain spices including excess salt mushrooms, acorns, horse chestnuts, every part of laburnum tree (including seeds) and avocado can be fatal. Food intended for human consumption such as margarine, butter, crisps and fried foods are not healthy and if fed regularly will make your bird ill. Also pine nuts in shells and peanuts which are not fit for human consumption can cause Aspergillosis which is fatal.

Many woods are lethal when used as perches or made into toys, which then get ingested. Safe woods include Apple, Pear, Willow and Hazelnut. The same applies to all houseplants, fresh or dried flowers, and flower bulbs and it is safest to remove them from your home.

A serious danger is disease carried by other birds. Before using tree branches as perches, the branch should be scrubbed with a suitable avian disinfectant or baking in the oven, to remove parasites and kill diseaseds carried by wild birds. Other Parrots can transmit Psittacosis and Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease(PBFD). It is wise to wash your hands and change your clothers if you have been in contact with birds other than your own. PBFD is a serious disease, which has no know cure and increasing numbers of new cases are being reported.

Placing your parrot in front of a window in full sun or against a radiator can quickly cause overheating. Parrots will die if left in cars or camper-vans without adequate ventilation.

Power leads to household appliances may electrocute your Parrot if chewed.

Beak, head or foot entrapments in toys, particularly rope ones with frayed coils, incorrect sized cage bar spaces and poor toy clips like key-ring style fixings can be dangerous. Never tie toys on with string or use thin wire because birds may become trapped or strangled. Especial care should be taken with baby Parrots, particularly Greenwing Macaws which have no sense at all when young! Toys with rings and hoop's should be selected carefully to prevent heads and feet becoming trapped.

Metal poisioning particularly from Zinc plating on chains, clips and cage bars. Stainless Steel should be used for toy clips and can esily be identified because it will not stick to a magnet unlike zinc coated Steel. Many large pet outlets till sell toys with cage clips made from zinc coated metal because it is cheaper to manufacture. Lead is also highly poisonous and aside from the obvious dangers from fishing weights and jewelry it can be found in old paint which may be under several more recent layers and most parrots love to chew woodwork.

Poor hygiene allows moulds and bacteria to flourish on food and other remains, which will eventually find its way to your bird's crop and lungs and can easily cause serious illness. Water and Food should be changed at least daily and if it is soiled it should be changed at once.

Cats, dogs and other birds can be dangereous. Rats and mice in particular will spread infection through soiling.

Hot radiators and open flame fires, gas real wood etc must be guarded.

Kitchens are hazardous places with boiling oil, water, detergents and hot rings on hobs to maim your bird amongst many other items. If your bird should ever fly into a kitchen or you allow him to sit on a perch there, then sooner or later he will be startled and an accident is going to happen.

Remove all non-stick cookware from your house because if you allow it to overheat your bird will die in minutes. The fumes given off when Teflon burns will kill any Parrot and once they have breathed in the fumes, very few survive even when removed to fresh air immediately. Many other household items contain Teflon and these may include irons, ironing boards, and toaster. Many people think that Teflon is only dangerous if the pan burns. There is also danger in many other products besides cookware, and they do not have to operate at a high temperature to cause damage to your birds. Here are just a few items that contain polytetraflouethylene, not all of these items use this coating nor are these the only places it is used. Check the labels before you buy household items. (Some of the items that use Plytetraflouethylene): Portable Heaters, Burners on stove tops, Broiler pans, Griddles, Heatlamps, Sole plates on iron, Drip pans for burners, Woks, Waffle makers, Electic skillets, many cooking untensils, deep fryers, crock pots, bread makers, stockpots, roasters, non-stick gingerbread molds, pizza pans, totilla presses, coffee makers, non-stick rolling pins, lollipop molds, corkscrews, Never Stick-Stainless-Steel, Hot air popcorn poppers.....

If your Parrot has a leg ring and particularly the split type, it is best to treat them as a hazard. They need to be checked frequently for sharp edges and other damage. Large parrots like Macaws can crush the rings and stop blood circulation to the foot and all birds can get them entangled in toys. Theives would remove them if your bird was stolen and a much safer alternative is micro chipping. A specialist Avian Vet must do this.