Healthy Pet
Bird Tips - 5 Ways to Insure a
Healthy Pet Bird
By Debbie Davis
Having a healthy bird as a part of your family can be a wonderful addition, and a rewarding experience on many levels. Here are 5 ways to help insure a healthy bird which will ultimately extend their lives and your enjoyment.
Feed a Healthy Diet
A bird's diet, like ours, should be varied and well-rounded. The goal is to try to duplicate what your particular breed would eat in the wild. Vegetables, sprouting seeds, nuts, and some fruits are good choices. Foods to be avoided include chocolate, tea, and coffee which all have the potential to cause an uncontrolled increase in heart rate, and death. Alcohol is to be avoided because their livers are not equipped to eliminate it in a timely and efficient way. To be safe, avoid avocados as they are poisonous to many breeds. Organic strawberries are fine, or regular strawberries that have been washed in a special rinse that removes pesticides and bacteria. Check with your veterinarian to fine tune amounts and frequency of various foods.
Make Sure the Cage Is Safe
Make sure that the cage you house your bird in is free of zinc, lead, and brass. Beware of bird cages made in other countries that sometimes still use lead-based paint or enamel. Ingestions of these metals can cause heart-breaking complications such as seizures, blindness, and even death.
Supply Appropriate Toys
Birds get bored too! Having several toys in the cage and rotating the toy supply frequently will help keep your bird happy and stimulated. A bird that is happy and stimulated is less likely to fall into depression, and/or mutilate themselves because of boredom. Avoid toys with ropes, or open linked chains because of the possibility of your bird choking, hanging, or getting nails caught and panicking with disastrous results.
Allow for Social Interaction
Some birds, like people, need more social interaction to be happy, and so placement of the bird in your home will greatly affect their happiness and overall sense of well-being. Parrots, for instance, are very social so putting them in a high traffic area in your home will allow them to feel very much more a part of the family.
Filter the Air
Using a high efficiency particle arresting or HEPA air filter (which by definition removes particulates as small as .3 microns) will go a long way to protect your bird and your family from the complications caused by airborne diseases associated with birds. In addition, a HEPA air purifier will filter particulates such as bird dander, feathers, and dust, and will minimize the number of respiratory infections that your bird is likely to get. And by the way, clean air is good for humans too!
An excellent resource for a HEPA air purifier to remove bird-related airborne contaminants from the air is offered by PurerAir.com-- the Bird Air Purifier at http://purerair.com/bird_dander_air_purifier.html
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Sick Pet Bird
Care
By Jill Patt
The article is directed specifically to pet bird owners and is intended for their use as a basic how to guide on caring properly for a sick or injured bird. Please always follow the advice of your veterinarian & do not use this article as a means of avoiding a hands on veterinary examination. The key idea of this article is to reduce any and all stress to your recovering bird.
1. WARMTH: Ill birds will sit with their feathers fluffed in an attempt to conserve heat. The effort to conserve heat places an additional burden on the already debilitated bird. Your veterinarian will determine if your bird requires hospitalization, but if home care is acceptable, I recommend creating a tent to keep your bird warm. A birds natural temperature is much higher then ours at anywhere from 103F-106F. Therefore, what often feels warm to us can be chilly to them and this is particularly true in sick birds. A simple way of providing heat is to cover 1/2 of the cage with a blanket and place a heat lamp on the other side as a heat source. Generally speaking we keep our sick birds at environmental temperatures ranging form 85-95F. This will vary greatly with the individual bird so it is important to monitor your pet to ensure that you are providing the correct temperature and of course seek your veterinarian's advice. A bird that is too hot will have very sleek feathers held tightly to the body, will hold its wings (shoulders) slightly away from its body and may pant. If you see any of these signs your bird is much too warm and the environmental temperature should be reduced accordingly. For night warmth I recommend using a red light. Ill birds, just like ill people, require rest and if kept under bright lights all night they will become sleep deprived. Also, during the day it is important to provide light so that they may be encouraged to eat and can be monitored. Therefore, the entire cage should never be covered during the day. I don't recommend heating pads because it is very difficult to regulate the temperature. If a bird is not perching and sitting directly on the pad they can easily become overheated or burned. And in my experience baby birds that are raised on heating pad quickly become dehydrated and again are subject to burns.
2. STRESS: Debilitated birds must be kept in a stress free situation. Often what appears normal to us can cause stress in our feathered friends. I suggest taking a close look at your bird's environment with a critical eye to determine what may be stress factors. Some common ones include, the bird in the center of house traffic with no chance to rest, cigarette smoke or aerosols in the birds environment, lack of darkness/sleep time at night, other pets, small children, too much visual stimuli (cage directly in front of a window), competition from cage mates, too much handling, poor nutrition and temperature extremes (such as birds kept in kitchens). I recommend that sick birds be left in their cage and allowed to calmly recuperate. Think of this as bed rest for your pet! Too much handling can stress the bird and will require the bird to use additional calories. If the bird is housed with other birds, it is usually best to remove the bird to a single cage. Some birds can become too stressed when separated from the colony so you should seek your veterinarian's advice on how to cage your sick pet. However, generally removing the bird from the group will reduce the stress of competition for nutrition and allow for medicating easily and better monitoring. Of course, if infectious disease is suspected, then the pet must be moved into an isolation cage and at least a separate room - preferably a separate house with no other birds.
3. NUTRITION: If your doctor made dietary recommendations, now is not the time to implement change. Changes in the type of diet will cause enormous stress to your bird and should be started when the bird has recovered. Always discuss how and when to made dietary changes with your pet's doctor. Generally, I recommend offering all the bird's favorite foods during illness because many ill birds become anorexic and can be lost due to starvation. If your bird is normally a seedeater but not currently eating, try placing millets sprays in the cage which most birds enjoy. The important thing to remember is that it has taken months to years for the bird to become malnourished and this cannot be corrected in a day or a week. Slow changes are essential for the ill bird. If you are unable to get your pet to eat he/she should be hospitalized for gavage feeding and further care. Birds have a high metabolic rate and can quickly starve. Thus, a pet bird that stops eating should always be assumed to be critically ill, certainly the potential for fatality is present. Lastly, if your bird is a hand reared baby and is not eating due to illness, you can often revert them back to hand feeding (syringe feeding) during the convalescent period. A good hand rearing formula should be used. The formula should be mixed with hot water as directed on the bag and offered to the bird. Do not force the bird to eat. Pet owners should never force feed their birds. A bird can easily aspirate (inhale food) and develop pneumonia and force-feeding causes enormous stress to your bird. Reverting to hand feeding is only of use for those birds that willingly accept feeding from the syringe. Also, if hand feeding, the formula must be warmed correctly (follow the advice on the formula bag and that of your veterinarian) to avoid food burns from too hot formula and crop stasis from formula fed at too cool a temperature.
4. MEDICATING: Routes: 1. Injectable, 2. In water or Food, 3. Topical, 4. Oral I prefer not to medicate in the pet's water or the food. Medication given in this way often causes a change in the taste and can potentially cause the bird to reduce their food and water intake. Also, when medication is placed in the food or water it is very difficult to determine how much of the medication the pet has actually ingested. Thus, in my opinion the best routes are injectable and oral. Topical medication often is not of use to the pet and will cause oily feathers.
Prior to taking your bird home, you should be shown how to appropriately medicate your bird by the doctor or technician. Briefly, the patient should be held in an upright position and the syringe containing the medication should be gently introduced from the left side of the mouth and angled to the right side. Most birds will attempt to bite the syringe allowing it to be easily introduced into the oral cavity. Slowly depress the plunger on the syringe to dispense the medication into the lower portion of the beak. If the pet struggles while medicating, stop for a few moments and then try again. You should advise your veterinarian if you are unable to medicate your pet. Medication can be mixed with a flavoring agent (FlavorX), which will help to reduce some resistance. Occasionally, depending on the reason for treatment, your doctor may be able to give a long acting injection in place of oral medication but this has limited uses and thus is not available for every pet.
5. FOLLOW-UP EXAMINATIONS: As soon as illness was detected in your pet he/she was taken to the veterinarian for a through physical examination and diagnostic work-up including laboratory testing. Unfortunately, many people will see that their pet is improving and don't realize that a follow-up exam is necessary. I always suggest rechecking the patient at variable intervals depending on the state of debilitation. The recheck exam allows your doctor to assess the patient's response to treatment and the owner's compliance with instructions. Many times in the course of treating an exotic pet the treatment must be altered somewhat to ensure the best response. These rechecks are also used as a way of reinforcing the changes needed for the bird to remain healthy. Additionally, lab values can be rechecked to ensure that the patient is truly recovering and not just feeling well enough again to resume hiding any weakness. I can't stress the importance of this follow up enough, it is extremely important to the health of your bird.
Most importantly, follow the advice of your veterinarian and ask questions to ensure that you completely understand what is needed of you to get your pet back to health.
Jill M. Patt, DVM
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Pet Birds
Require Daily Interaction to Keep Your Bird Happy and Healthy
By Barbara
Delgiudice
Owning a pet bird or birds, whether they be a parrot, dove or canary, require daily interaction from you, the bird owner. Birds are highly intelligent creatures who are very social beings. They give unconditional love and need to receive the same unconditional love back to them.
Alex the gifted parrot proves to us that the idea of a " bird brain" is completely wrong. In fact the study that Dr. Irene Pepperberg did with Alex an African Grey parrot for 30 years of research, shattered scientists understanding of the Avian brain. Alex eventually learned enough speech elements to identify 50 different objects, 7 colors and 5 shapes. He learned to count quantities up to 6 including 0 and was able to articulate certain desires and could even express frustration with repetitive scientific trials. Alex's emotional development was similar to that of a 2 year old human child, , and his intelligence was that of a 5 year old child.
This evidence about Alex tells us that birds definitely need interaction. My experiences with my cockatiels and one parakeet (little parrots) also prove that pet birds need daily interaction and affection. Affection is highly important as well and the interaction. They ask me with their body language to pet them every day. They also like me to stay near them as if in a flock. They may ask to get on my shoulder or lap. I take my birds for a ride in the car about once a week to my Mom's. She loves to see them, and they love going for a ride in the car as well as visiting my Mom, sister and their dog. I don't let them out of the cage when I am there because of too many dangers. I take them in one bird cage which I bundle up in blankets for protection. The thickness I use depends on how warm or cold outside it is. Birds like to feel safe in their cage so the blankets covers all sides except half of the front part to look out of. I completely cover the front in bad weather or too much sun until we get into a more comfortable environment.
Great care must also be taken when feeding your bird. Each species requires different nutritional needs. If you put any bird on an all seed diet, he will get very sick or die from malnutrition. My cockatiels for example are given organic parrot pellets, Dr. Lafeber's Nutriberries for Cockatiels and some oatmeal, flax seed meal and a little millet seed. There is a nice variety of nutritional bird food in their dish which they can forage through. Foraging helps stop the boredom of your pet bird's meals. Even fresh fruits and vegetables are highly recommended and necessary for your bird's diet. I give my birds a little piece of berry from my frozen berry medley every day and some soybeans that were previously frozen and heated. But when I can get fresh vegetables and fruit, I give them apple, cooked broccoli, chopped carrot, sweet potato, white potato and corn. First thing in the morning, I give them a couple of Trader Joes O's which are almost like Cherrios. I will also give them little pieces of Spelt bread which has whole grain goodness.
My 2 cockatiels require attention from morning till evening, and I do enjoy spending the time with them. They love to be petted and have their little heads scratched. They love being talked to and like to spend play time on the floor with bird toys, ladders and special wood for birds to chew on. Their cages require daily cleaning as well as the bird dishes. Birds are messy. Water will be splashed around with seed husks, loose feathers and droppings that require daily clean up. When I go out, I put them in their cages, one in each cage if the younger bird is pushing the older bird around too much. Some times they like to decide which cage they want to stay in. I also turn on the radio with soft music or cartoons on TV. They enjoy very young childrens cartoons.
Birds may create allot of work, but the rewards of unconditional love and companionship from your feathered friends are priceless.
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Tips For Clipping Your Bird's Wings
By CS Swarens
Do you have a pet bird? If so, you might be considering the possibility of clipping your pet's wings. Within the world of pet bird owners, the subject of wing clipping is a bit controversial. While many specialists recommend clipping the wings of captive birds, some believe it is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, before you learn how to clip your bird's wings, it is a good idea to explore the pros and cons of wing clipping.
Benefits of Wing Clipping
One of the obvious benefits to wing clipping is the fact that clipping your bird's wings makes it difficult for it to fly away. As such, clipping is a good way to keep your pet bird safe from accidentally flying away and being lost forever. Clipping your bird's wings also helps to keep your pet bird safe, as flying around indoors can be dangerous. It is important to note, however, that a bird with clipped wings is still capable of flying. Basically, clipping slows the bird down and causes it to fly in a clumsier manner. Therefore, clipping should not be considered a foolproof method of preventing flight.
Some bird owners support wing clipping because they feel it helps them bond with their pet. After all, when your bird's wings are clipped, it becomes more dependent upon its owner to take care of it. There is no true evidence, however, to support this theory.
Drawbacks of Wing Clipping
Although clipping your bird's wings can prevent it from flying away, some bird lovers are afraid that clipping a bird's wings causes psychological as well as physical damage to the bird. In addition, after clipping a bird's wings, the bird is no longer able to get a good workout. Therefore, those that are against wing clipping feel that the lack of exercise is more detrimental to the bird than the potential dangers associated with being able to fly freely. Of course, clipping the wings of a bird can also detract from the pet's physical beauty because of the feathers it is missing.
Clipping Your Bird's Wings
When clipping your pet bird's wings, it is best to wrap the bird in a towel and to have one person hold the bird while another person clips the wings. The scissors used to clip the wings should be nice and sharp in order to create a smooth cut.
The only feathers that need to be cut are the outer six or seven on the bird's wings, as these are referred to as the "flight feathers." It is, however, ok to clip back more than just these few feathers.
You should check your bird's feathers about once per month to see if they need to be trimmed again, as they do grow back rather quickly. Once the bird is able to fly more than a few feet, it is a good sign that the feathers should be clipped again.
Before you clip your bird's wings for the first time, it is a good idea to have your vet perform the clipping while you watch. This way, you will have a clear idea about how far you should clip the feathers and which feathers need to be clipped and your pet bird can be safe and healthy.
CS Swarens is the president of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065
For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet's pet resource including pet classifieds at http://www.findapetonline.com
Research bird breeds at http://www.findapetonline.com/bird_breeds_a_z.html
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