Housing Conditions
Teflon Toxicosis
Wing Trimming
Beak and Claw (Nail) Clipping
Leg Band or Quarantine Ring Removal
Drafts
Bathing
Covering the Cage at Night
Hygiene
Diet Supplementation
Disease: How to recognize it and what to do
Signs of Illness
Droppings can reflect illness
Annual Examinations
Emergency Care
Housing Conditions
Pet birds may be caged or allowed to remain on perches while the owner is home to supervise their activity. Birds should be confined to cages while their owners are away to avoid accidental injury and other misfortune. Unsupervised pet birds allowed "the run of the house" often get into trouble. Not only can they be terribly destructive to the home and its furnishings, but also all homes contain objects that can be harmful (directly or indirectly) to pet birds. These include mirrors, windows, walls, houseplants, electrical cords, and items containing harmful chemicals. Birds resting on open perches are usually content to remain there and usually take flight only when frightened by a sudden movement or loud noise. Unfortunately, these "impromptu" flights are taken without a flight plan and birds usually wind up crashing into walls, doors, windows or mirrors because of their confusion and poor depth conception.
The major source of poisoning of pet birds is lead found in curtain (drapery) weights, curtain pulls, leaded and stained glass, fishing sinkers and ammunition carelessly discarded in ashtrays or dropped on the floor, costume jewelry, and in the lead wrapping around the tops of wine bottles, to name the most common sources. Most caged birds seem to have an affinity for this soft metal and love to chew on it. Poisoning results from eating even a small amount of lead. Lead poisoning can be successfully treated if diagnosed early enough.
Caged birds allowed unrestricted freedom in the home may eat houseplants or chew on electrical cords, resulting in illness and injury. Some unsupervised pet birds chew on macramé, carpet and other similar fabrics and often swallow these materials, resulting in crop and intestinal impaction. Free flying birds are also more vulnerable to injury from ceiling fans, hot stoves, and attack by pet dogs, cats and ferrets sharing the same household. It is wise not to underestimate the aggressiveness of our four legged friends, and to restrict contact between them and pet birds as much as possible.
Birds allowed unrestricted freedom and flight within the home may escape through open doors and windows. Most bird owners have the mistaken notion that their bird would never fly away and leave them. Unfortunately, birds that have escaped the owner's home easily become disoriented when outdoors. This confusion makes return or capture of the escaped bird very unlikely. Birds can be microchipped to identify them if they are found.
Teflon Toxicosis
The location of the cage and/or perch in the home is important. Some birds thrive in areas of heavy traffic, where they receive lots of attention and are part of all of the "goings on". Others seem to prefer more privacy and solitude. A pet bird should never be kept in the kitchen. In addition to the obvious gas fumes and occasional smoke from cooking food, there is another, much more dangerous, threat to birds in the kitchen. Teflon™ and related brand name non stick coatings emit fumes when heated to 380 degrees F that are deadly to all birds. This "accident" happens most often when someone inadvertently leaves a pan, coated with a non stick surface, on a lighted gas or electric range burner but it can happen simply by heating water and boiling hard-boiled eggs. The pan becomes hot and the non stick coating overheats, emitting toxic fumes that humans don’t notice. Birds that inhale these fumes die quickly and attempts to treat them are unrewarding. Birds become unsteady on their feet, go to the bottom of their cage and die shortly thereafter.
There are several other considerations when allowing birds unrestricted freedom and flight within the home. Birds flying about may end up in the toilet bowl, mop bucket with cleaning fluids or in an uncovered pot or pan cooking on the stove. Free flying birds tend to assume a more dominant posture in their relationship with people, and can become intolerably aggressive.
Wing Trimming
To be safe, caged birds should have their wing feathers trimmed. However, when raising them from hatch, it is considered wise to allow them fledge normally to learn to fly before their feathers are cut. The decision to deny a caged bird free, unrestricted flight (as in the wild) is subconsciously made by each bird owner at the time the bird is made a captive pet in the home. Wing trimming can make this confinement safer for the bird. Flight feathers of both wings should be equally trimmed. If the bird takes flight for any reason, its descent to the floor is balanced and relatively controlled. Trimming the feathers on only 1-wing results in a precarious and unbalanced descent to the floor, often injuring the bird. Another disadvantage is that many birds with only 1 wing trimmed can fly as soon as 1 2 feathers have grown out on the trimmed side.
Some bird owners prefer not to trim the wings of their smaller caged birds (parakeets, cockatiels) because their flying brings the owner great enjoyment. These small caged birds have a smaller turning radius in flight than the larger ones. Consequently, the smaller birds can usually fly about most homes and apartments safely. One other advantage of not trimming the wings of these small birds is that it allows them to escape when in danger and | threatened by any pet cats, ferrets or dogs in the home. However, generally it is advisable to keep your pet bird's wings trimmed at all times, except for the specific circumstances detailed above.
Trimming the wings is like trimming your fingernails. If performed properly, the bird will experience no bleeding or discomfort. Trimming the wings makes taming the bird easier and usually shortens the time for taming. Further, this procedure changes the bird's appearance very little. Have an experienced veterinarian or veterinary technician perform this task and teach you how to properly do it.
Beak and Claw (Nail) Clipping
Caged birds live in a very "geometric" world, in contrast to their wild counterparts. Most surfaces they perch on (perches, cage bars, etc.) are smooth and regular. Consequently, the claws and beaks of pet birds tend to a overgrow, and the surfaces of their beaks also tend to become rough and irregular. In a wild bird's natural environment, this never arises because they are very active and wear down their claws on tree bark, rocks and other abrasive surfaces. Most caged birds need their claws trimmed periodically in spite of gimmicks often employed to keep them shortened. Sandpaper perch covers, for example, do not prevent nail overgrowth but they do cause irritation and excessive wear of the soles of the feet. These perch covers should not be used. However, there are some cement-based perches that have uneven surfaces, are cleanable and are recommended for birds.
An emery board, nail clippers or dremel tool can be used to shorten the claws of smaller caged birds. A rapidly rotating grinding stone on a dremel tool is used to trim the claws and to shorten, shape and smooth the beaks of larger birds. The results are very professional and satisfying. You should not attempt to trim the beak of your bird. If you do attempt to trim the claws, you must have something on hand with which to stop any bleeding. These clotting aids are called styptics. Recommended styptics include Kwik Stop™ (Animal Research Co.), silver nitrate sticks and ferric subsulfate (Monsel's solution). If bleeding occurs while trimming the claws, do not panic. First, carefully restrain the bird. Next, squeeze the toe just above the claw (tourniquet effect). Then apply the styptic to the bleeding claw. Alternate the last 2 steps until the bleeding has stopped. Always seek veterinary help when your bird is bleeding or has bled. Bleeding always represents an emergency situation. Cornstarch or flour is a common household item that can be applied to bleeding claws or other wounds to help with blood clotting and to stop bleeding. The steps outlined above are first aid procedures only and are not a substitute for veterinary assistance.
Leg Band or Quarantine Ring Removal
Leg bands and quarantine rings are often applied to the legs of caged birds for regulatory purposes or to help breeders to identify individual birds. Once the bird is sold the band or ring is usually unnecessary and should be removed. Most limb injuries (broken or sprained legs etc.) in caged birds involve a banded leg. Some of these injuries result in amputated toes and put the entire leg at risk. Talk to the veterinarian about weighing the risks of injury against the need to keep the band. A few owners traversing international waters or boundaries with their birds may need to keep them on the bird. A bird owner should not attempt band removal. Only an experienced veterinarian or veterinary technician equipped with a band remover should perform this procedure. Removed bands can be taped into the bird’s record or returned to the owner if they want to keep them.
Drafts
Contrary to popular opinion, drafts are not harmful to healthy pet birds. A draft is really nothing more than a slight movement of air, usually accompanied by a mild temperature drop. A bird's feathers provide insulation against temperature extremes far in excess of what a draft represents. Drafts are, therefore, usually inconsequential to pet birds.
The notable exception to this is the cool and sometimes cold air produced by air conditioners. Most caged birds cannot tolerate the rapid temperature extremes produced by air conditioners. Most caged birds cannot tolerate the rapid temperature extremes produced by thermostatically controlled air conditioners. For this reason, cages and perches should not be positioned directly beside or beneath air conditioning, heating and ventilation outflows. Further, sick birds should always be removed from drafty circumstances to prevent heat loss.
Bathing
Many exotic pet birds originally lived in tropical climates where rainfall is a daily, or otherwise frequent occurrence. Rainwater provides drinking water and an opportunity for bathing. Birds typically take advantage of this moisture by "showering" during a rainstorm or bathing in puddles formed by the falling rainwater. This keeps their feathers healthy, and restores and maintains a brilliant sheen to the plumage.
Caged birds should also be allowed to bathe periodically. Some prefer to bathe in a small container, others tolerate being sprayed or misted with water. Regular tap water and a spray bottle or plant mister should be used. Commercial solutions available for this purpose offer no particular advantage and may, in fact, be harmful. Many per bird owners enjoy taking their bird into the shower with them on a regular basis.
Bathing activities can be undertaken once daily or as often as convenient. It is important to allow the bird to air dry in a warm room or in the warm sunshine. Hair dryers set on low can be used to blow dry your bird, but the appliance must be held a safe distance (more than 10 inches away) from the bird to prevent burns.
Covering the Cage at Night
Covering the bird's cage at night is open to question. Because of the tremendous insulating capacity of feathers, covering a birds cage at night may not be necessary to protect the occupant from the cool drafts during the night when the thermostat is usually turned down. The one exception to this would be on cold nights in colder climates.
A benefit of covering your bird's cage at night is that it provides a regular period of privacy not usually allowed during the day. Further, it tends to keep the bird quiet in the early morning when it would otherwise become active and vocal. lf you now cover your bird's cage at night, continue to do so. If you have not done so in the past and find that your pet bird panics or acts agitated with a cover over its cage, do not continue covering the cage.
Hygiene
Good hygiene is an important part of husbandry for caged birds because most are confined to a relatively small living space. Consequently, droppings often accumulate on cage parts and perches, and tend to contaminate food and water cups, resulting in bacterial proliferation and mold growth.
Perches should be kept scrupulously clean at all times. Soap and water, cleansers and sand paper may be used to clean them, if necessary. Cage bottom coverings should be changed daily. Cages should be given a thorough scrubbing and cleaning when dirty or at least twice a month. Sanitizing products work best if the cage and perches are first given a thorough soap and water scrubbing to remove all of the major contamination. Diluted chlorine bleach can be used if thoroughly rinsed off afterwards.
Food and water containers should be thoroughly cleaned once or twice daily before they are refilled. Bottlebrushes work best for cleaning water tubes and bottles. Water tubes and water bottles with a ball valve at the drinking end (water bottles for rodent) are increasing in popularity. They greatly reduce the possibility of contamination of the drinking water with droppings, uneaten food and saliva, all of which contribute to massive bacterial proliferation within the water and its container. The corners of food and water containers are the most common areas for bacterial buildup. Therefore, concentrate on those trouble spots while cleaning these containers.
Several sets of food and water cups should be maintained and used interchangeably. One set not in use can be soaking in a disinfectant solution. When possible, use a dishwasher for the final cleaning of these food and water containers because their extremely hot temperatures aid disinfection.
Rigid standards of hygiene must be maintained at all times. Disease causing bacteria grow freely in most water containers. Small numbers of these bacteria from food, saliva or droppings can quickly multiply into millions of organisms in a water container, yet the water appears normal to you. Allow the water tap to run for about 3 minutes before filling the water container. Bottled water dispensers should be allowed to run for about 5 seconds before filling the drinking container. These bacteria do not affect most people but can have devastating consequences for caged birds if allowed to multiply.
Birds can develop life-threatening infections from contact with human saliva. It may be fun to kiss them, however it is risky.
Diet Supplementation
Birds, like people, "are what they eat." Therefore, to be healthy, they must consume all of the necessary nutrients (protein carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water) in the proper proportions. Unfortunately, the exact nutritional requirements for all of the various caged birds have not been determined.
Commercial bird diets advertised as "complete" or "balanced" are, therefore, not necessarily scientifically formulated for life-time as a sole diet. These diets are the result of breeding successes or have been derived from poultry diets, however, as the years go by we have more information and they have improved significantly. If your bird eats only pelleted food and fresh table foods, additional supplementation many not be necessary.
Caged birds eating a significant amount of seed in their diets should be given vitamin supplements because we know seeds are nutritionally deficient. Powdered vitamins can be sprinkled over fruits, vegetables and other table food items to which the powder will adhere. Do not sprinkle powdered vitamins over seeds. Powders do not adhere to dry seeds and end up on the bottom of the food cup. Further, birds do not eat the seed hull, to which the powder may adhere.
A water soluble vitamin should be added to the drinking water and replenished with each water change. Do not distribute liquid vitamins over seeds because they can cause the seeds to become rancid. If liquid vitamins are used, the water container Vitamin supplements intended for birds must contain vitamin D3 because this is the only form of vitamin D that can be used by birds. Water soluble mineral preparations (Neo-calglucon™) can be added to the drinking water if it is determined that your bird is calcium deficient and at risk for fractures. As with the vitamin preparations, the mineral supplements represent and "insurance policy" in case your bird's diet is lacking in 1 or more of these trace minerals used in forming eggshells. Additional sources of minerals may be offered to caged birds when needed. Cuttle bone and oyster shell may be offered to smaller caged birds. Oyster shell and mineral blocks may be provided for larger caged birds. Pelleted diets have adequate calcium in them for non-breeding birds. Birds laying eggs can become deficient and need additional calcium— seek veterinary input to remedy or prevent calcium deficiency.
Because birds do not have teeth, they do not chew their food. The gizzard functions to break up seeds and other food items so that they can be digested. Wild birds consume sand or tiny pebbles ("grit") which pass into their gizzards and remain within this muscular organ to assist in the mechanical breakdown of seeds and other firm foodstuffs.
Grit apparently is not absolutely necessary for proper digestion among hookbilled birds (parakeets, cockatiels, parrots). Hookbilled birds that have been denied grit for extended periods do not pass whole, undigested seeds in their droppings. In fact, use of grit for these caged birds is controversial among aviculturists. Avian veterinary experts, however, are unanimous in their opinion that grit for hookbilled birds is unnecessary and may, in fact, create serious problems (grit impaction and intestinal blockage) when consumed in large amounts. This is most likely to occur during periods of illness. For this reason, grit need not be given to hookbilled caged birds, but it should be provided for passerine type caged birds (finches, canaries). Owners of finches and canaries, however, should be vigilant and remove the grit from the cage at once if illness is suspected.
Disease: How to Recognize It and What to Do
Most disease in caged birds is directly or indirectly related to malnutrition and stress. Malnutrition most often stems from what the bird eats, rather than bow much it eats. Most caged birds are offered enough food, but they do not receive enough of the proper foods and in the proper proportions. Stress results from any condition that compromises a bird's state of well being. Examples include poor husbandry, inadequate diet, rapid temperature changes, and trauma.
All owners of caged birds must understand that birds tend to "hide" signs of illness. Birds can compensate for serious internal disease in such a way that they appear healthy externally. It is theorized that evolution has "taught" birds to hide signs of illness to avoid being harassed and possibly killed by other birds in the same flock. Because of this disease masking tendency, by the time a bird owner recognizes illness in a pet bird, the bird may have been sick for 1 2 weeks. Therefore, one cannot afford to take a "wait and see" approach and hope the bird improves. Be observant and act promptly. Learn to look for subtle signs of illness, and take special note of changes in the routine and habits of your pet bird. Seek veterinary assistance promptly if you suspect illness.
Following is a list of signs of illness easily recognizable by the concerned bird owner. Alone or in combination, they signify potential illness in your bird.
Signs of Illness
• Discharge from the eyes
• Change in clarity or color of the eyes
• Closing of the eyes
• Swelling around the eyes
• Discharge from the nostrils
• Obstructed nostrils
• Soiling feathers on head or around nostrils
• Sneezing
• Inability to manipulate food with the mouth
• Reduced appetite or not eating at all
• Fluffed up feathers
• Inactivity
• Droopy wings
• Decreased preening and feather maintenance
• Break in the birds routine
• Changed or no vocalization (may be serious)
• Weight loss
• Equilibrium problems (very serious!)
• Inability to perch (bird on cage bottom)
• Limping or not bearing weight on 1 leg
• Swollen feet or joints
• Change in quality or quantity of droppings
• Open mouthed breathing when at rest (very serious!)
• Tail pumping (rhythmic back and forth motion of the tail when at rest)
• Lumps or masses anywhere on the body
• Bleeding (always an emergency situation, regardless of the origin)
If you suspect illness in your bird, do not delay in making an appointment with your veterinarian. Either transport your bird to the doctor's office within its cage or use some other suitable container (smaller cage, pet carrier, box). Never visit the veterinarian with your bird perched on your shoulder. This method does not provide enough protection for your pet. Whatever container you choose should be covered to help minimize the stress to your sick bird during its visit. If you take your bird to the veterinarian in its own cage, do not clean it first. The material you discard could represent valuable information to the veterinarian.
After a veterinarian has initially treated a sick bird, home care is very important. Sick birds must be encouraged to eat and must be kept warm. Illness can cause significant weight loss in a matter of days, especially if the bird stops eating. It this happens, the patient must be hospitalized. However, even a sick bird with a "healthy appetite" can lose substantial weight because of the energy drain caused by the illness.
As a general rule of thumb, and caged bird that appears ill to its owner is seriously ill. The tendency for pet bird owners in this situation is to first seek advice from pet stores and there purchase antibiotics and other medication for their sick pet bird. With very few exceptions, these non-prescribed products are worthless. They allow the sick bird to become even sicker, and greatly compromise the results of diagnostic tests that the veterinarian may require to properly diagnose and treat the patient. Contact your veterinarian at the slightest sign of illness in your bird.
Supplemental heat (space heater, heated room, heating pad under the cage bottom or wrapped around the cage, heat lamp) is vital for a sick bird. It is especially necessary if the bird's feathers are fluffed up. Provide just enough heat so that the feather posture appears normal. Overheating the patient must be avoided at all costs. Heat¬ stressed birds pant, hold their wings away from the body, depress their feathers close to the body, and appear anxious and agitated. Heat stroke and death can result if the bird continues to be overheated. The environmental temperature should be kept at 80°—95° F. for sick birds. The patients's cage should be covered (top, back and sides) during its convalescence.
If a bird refuses to crack seeds or eat other foods that require a great deal of work, offer hulled or sprouted seeds or other "easy" foods, such as warm cereal, cooked rice, cooked pasta, vegetables, applesauce and other fruit sauces, and peanut butter. Remember, birds that refuse to eat generally are hospitalized because few people can successfully force feed a sick bird at home.
Droppings Can Reflect Illness
A bird's droppings reflect its state of health. Therefore, it is a good idea to pay close attention to them. A bird's digestive, urinary and reproductive tracts empty into a common receptacle called the cloaca and the products from them are expelled through the vent, which is the opening at the birds "south end".
A normal dropping may contain excretory products form the intestinal tract, urinary tract or both. The fecal (stool) portion of the dropping should be green or brown. The color is influenced by the bird's diet. Normal droppings are formed into a coil, reflecting the size and diameter of the intestine. Along with the fecal portion is a variable amount of uric acid or urate ("whitewash") and urine ("water"). The urates are usually in a blob or mixed in with the feces and should be white or beige. The urine portion soaks the papers on the cage bottom for a variable distance beyond the perimeter of the dropping. It is important to regularly observe the amount of urine being excreted in the droppings. For this reason, such material as crushed corncobs or walnut should not be used on the cage bottom. It is impossible to evaluate each dropping when these materials cover the cage bottom. They also tend to promote rapid growth of disease causing fungi on the cage bottom, especially when wet with urine or water. Newspapers or paper towels are preferable.
Smaller caged birds (finches, canaries, parakeets) tend to have an individual blob of fecal material with an accompanying amount of urate. The amount of urine excreted is usually quite small. A bird has diarrhea when the fecal portion of the dropping lacks form ("pea soup"). Diarrhea is not very common in birds. A dropping with a normal fecal portion but a large amount of urine around it represents a watery dropping (polyuria), not diarrhea! A11 diarrheic droppings appear loose, but not all loose or watery droppings constitute diarrhea. This is a very important distinction. Polyuric droppings may indicate disease (diabetes or kidney disease), but more often they result from increased water consumption or consumption of large amounts of fleshy fruits and vegetables.
The color, consistency and amount of each component of the droppings of normal caged birds frequently change, depending on the type of food consumed, amount of water consumed, amount of stress experienced, mood changes, and other factors. Abnormal droppings typically remain abnormal in appearance during the entire course of a bird's illness.
Annual Examinations
Birds fed excellent diets and provided with good husbandry can live very long lives without illness. However, it is advisable to bring in your bird in once a year for an examination and fecal check. Additionally, we will periodically suggest a blood sample be taken to get an “internal snap shot” of how the various organs are functioning. Spotting problems early is crucial in birds because when their health fails, it does so quickly and with little warning. We can also update you on the new information that we learn as medicine and captive care evolves. Annual examinations are inexpensive insurance for the health of your bird.
Emergency Care
Not all emergency clinics are staffed by personnel who are trained to diagnose and care for ill birds (or other exotics). Emergency care is always more expensive than regular hospitalization at a veterinary clinic/hospital. This is because you have a licensed veterinarian awake and providing on-going care and supervision through the night which carries with it premimum costs. You can call around and ask each ER facility what they are trained to do; however many simply turn away exotics. Click here for after hours emergency care.
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