Toxins in Pet Birds
Toxin = Poison - Poison = illness which often leads to
death
There is no comprehensive list of items that can be toxic to
birds. Remember that your bird with a smaller body mass, higher
metabolic rate, and faster respiratory rate often will be more
sensitive to a poisonous substance than a larger creature.
Click here to read more about what is toxic to
birds.
Birds Will Be Birds
Click on the
image above to learn more about picking a healthy
parrot.
As one who fancies birds, you know that each bird is
different. A parrot is as different from a robin as a
horse is from a cat. In general terms, your pampered house
cat is more closely related to a lion than a conure is to a
cockatoo. When we name birds we name them by species not by
breeds, and this is much different than comparing a Great Dane to a
Chihuahua. We remind our pet owners that their canine and
feline companions are NOT "little people in fur suits" and birds
are definitely not little dogs and cats in "feather
suits." We know more about the behavior, individual health
problems and nutritional needs of birds today than we did 50 years
ago. However, there is still much more to learn.
Click here to read more about your unique
pet.
Tips to Keep Your Parrot Healthy
Give lots of attention with proper leadership. Training
your parrot on a regular basis gives you the opportunity to develop
a healthy relationship as well as becoming familiar with his or her
"normal" behavior and response to stimuli.
Click here to read more about keeping your parrot
healthy.
The Heartbreak of Feather-Picking
"Why does my beautiful bird pull his feathers
out?"
Feather-picking can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild may
just be chewing a few feather tips, with moderate including removal
of feathers, and severe resulting in self-infliction of
wounds. This severe form is termed "Mutilation Syndrome" and
can result in damage of skin and muscle that may lead to nerve
damage, hemorrhage and infections. The simple answer to the
"Why?" is STRESS! But how can my bird --- that I dote on and
give everything he wants --- be stressed? Part of Webster's
definition of "stress" includes "a physical, chemical, or
emotional factor that causes bodily or emotional tension and may be
a factor in disease causation. Using this definition,
we must consider physical as well as psychological causes.
Click here to read more about
feather-picking.