TOP 10 BIRD HAZARDS

1. WATER Deprivation of water will prove fatal. The most common reason for this happening is due to a water bottle malfunctioning. You should check the bottle daily to make sure it’s functioning properly.

2. UNCLIPPED WINGS Not a decision to be taken lightly, but if a bird is to be allowed outside of its cage inside your home, it is advised that its wings should be clipped enough so it is able to glide gracefully to the ground.Flighted birds run the risk of flying into ceiling fans, mop buckets, windows, mirrors, escaping if guests arrives, attacked by another pet, falling on stovetops, in ovens, in boiling water, fireplaces, even drowning in toilets.Upon impact, your bird can develop concussions, bleeding inside the brain, fractures, lacerations, ruptured air sacs and other serious, potentially deadly injuries, however. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

1. Water 6. Toxic Food or Plants 2. Unclipped Wings 7. Heat Exposure 3. Toxic Fumes 8. Sleeping with Birds 4. Trauma 9. Owner-Caused Diseases 5. Other Animals 10. Hand-Feeding Mistakes

3. TOXIC FUMES NON-STICK COOKWARE AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS with non-stick

surfaces made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE/Teflon) can be toxic to birds. The gas released when cooking is

extremely dangerous to birds and can result in death. Items such as: Irons, ironing boards/covers, George Forman grills, waffle irons, glue guns, and heat-lamps with a PTFE coating should not be used around birds.

PASSIVE INHALATION of cigarette, cigar & pipe smoke can cause chronic eye problems, skin irritation and respiratory disease. Birds that live in homes with smokers may develop coughing, sneezing, sinusitis and conjunctivitis. Second-hand smoke will cause a bird to develop secondary bacterial infections, as well, which can prove fatal.Second-hand smoke from marijuana can also cause severe depression and regurgitation. Burning foods, over-heated cooking oils, incense, candles*, and smoke from a fire can cause fatal inhalations.*Look online for Bird-Safe Candles

DISINFECTANTS AND HOUSEHOLD CLEANING AGENTS release fumes that can be toxic or fatal to birds. Chlorine Bleach, Phenols, Febreeze, and Ammonia can all have dangerous vapors that can cause irritation, toxicosis, and even death.

COMMON HOUSEHOLD AEROSOL PRODUCTS such as Perfume, Deodorant, and Hairspray, or Pump-sprays with Propellant can cause respiratory problems in birds. They may cause severe inflammation and difficulty breathing, and after large or direct exposure, death can occur.

OTHER CONCERNS: Remember, birds are 90% lungs.• Natural gas leaks can cause sudden death.• Any type of heater, used improperly or with inadequate ventilation can be deadly to birds. • Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, can also be fatal to birds and humans. Anyone with pet birds should have a working carbon monoxide monitoring device in the home, preferably near the room where the birds are kept.

4. TRAUMA A bird with properly clipped wings may develop the "cute" habit of climbing down off of its cage to seek out favorite family members. A bird walking on the floor may be easily injured by people who don't see it. They could be stepped on, crushed by a sliding glass door, vacuumed, stuck in recliners, fold-out beds, could chew electrical cords, finds a mousetrap, goes into washers and dryers with the clothes.

5. OTHER ANIMALS Birds should never be left unsupervised outside of the cage. Even if your dog or cat, and other bird may have acted completely trustworthy around a pet bird, it should never be trusted. Any animal bite should be considered life-threatening. The bacteria found in the mouth of mammals may cause fatal septicemia (infection in the bloodstream). Cat bites are considered most dangerous, as the Pasteurella bacteria, is extremely hazardous to birds. Even a simple puncture by a tooth can result in a fatal infection. Scratches from claws are also extremely dangerous.

6. TOXIC FOOD OR PLANTS DO NOT FEED TO BIRDS THE FOLLOWING: Avocado Chocolate Apple Seeds Salt Tomatoes Mushrooms Dried Beans OnionsCaffeine Celery AlcoholVarious Plant Species*

*There’s tons of information online as to what is ok and not ok to give your bird. If you’re unsure, look it up.

7. HEAT EXPOSURE Although originating from the tropics, exotic birds cannot tolerate excessive heat. When placing a cage outside, the morning starts off cool, but by noon the temperatures drastically shift. Shade, water, and supervision is a must.No living being should ever be left in a car unattended. Temperatures inside a car will rapidly reach lethal levels.If the bird's body temperature rises high enough, it will seizure and die. This can also occur if a bird's cage is located by a window, with no shade or bath to escape the sun’s heat. It is not a good idea to leave a bird’s cage directly in front of the window without shade or supervision.

8. SLEEPING WITH BIRDS As cute as it is, you should not go to sleep with your bird cuddled against you, in the blankey, or anywhere near where you sleep.If you are sleepy and it’s nighttime, chances are, your bird is also sleepy and they need to be put in their cage. (FYI Parrots need between 10 and12 hours of undisturbed sleep every night.) Birds that are allowed to sleep in bed with their owners are at risk for suffocation or life-threatening trauma (lodging between the bed and the frame, under a pillow, or rolled on top of). Even though an owner has slept with the pet bird for a while. It has happened all too often to allow such a risk.

9. OWNER-CAUSED DISEASES Although it is fun to take birds to bird events and even bird stores, it can be very dangerous. Infections can be spread to them, even through the air, and even if the owner is diligent about not allowing any direct contact. A bird can carry a disease, and be able to pass it to others without appearing ill. For survival in the wild, birds possess the ability to hide illness very well.Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), chlamydiosis (psittacosis), Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) and Pacheco's Disease may all be spread by birds that MAY appear healthy in physical appearance. Many bird owners make a common mistake when adding a new pet to the family. Regardless of the origin of the bird, and any testing run on the new bird, it should be quarantined for at least one month, preferably two, before it is introduced into the home. If the bird is harboring an infectious agent, the stress of moving the bird to a new home may precipitate it breaking with signs of clinical illness.

10. HAND FEEDING MISTAKES Many baby birds have died as a result of hand-feeding mishaps. Unweaned baby birds should not be sold or given to inexperienced hand-feeders for this reason. It is not necessary for a baby bird to be hand-fed by the family purchasing it in order for it to become "bonded" to them. Most commonly, babies are kept at the incorrect temperature, if it’s too cold it will slow down their gastrointestinal tract, which can be fatal if not corrected in time. If the baby is forced to eat, it may struggle and end up inhaling the formula, resulting in aspiration pneumonia causing the baby to suffer for days.Hand-feeding is best left up to those with experience.

OTHER CONCERNS: Squeezed too hard by a young child • Lands on edge of drinking glass, reaches down for liquid, falls in head first, and drowns. • Comes in contact with sharp object on kitchen counter • Bird bites finger, clamps on, person shakes hand to get bird to release, bird hits floor or wall and dies • Introduce sick bird into home without quarantine • Walks on another bird’s cage, results in toe-biting, and bleeding to death. • Toy induced injury. • Placing bird in outdoor cage in the morning, water evaporates, bird bakes in afternoon sun • Eats/chews on something it clearly shouldn’t.READ MORE: nofeatherleftbehind.org

DON’T RISK IT.

What Every ParrontNeeds To Know