Safety Tips for Bird Owners

Haris on August 26, 2011 with 1 Comment

A glance at some tips for bird owners to practice bird safety! Although birds are mainly confined to a bird cage but should you, at any point of time, want to let your bird out, should ensure that there are no products or stuff lying around that can cause harm to a bird. It is imperative to advocate safety tips to ensure bird health.

Ingestion of small amounts of certain plants like yew, azalea, oleander or rhododendron can prove fatal to birds. Vomiting, diarrhea, unconsciousness, seizures are indicators of plant poisoning. Such birds need immediate medical attention and sometimes hospitalization.
Keep away all household cleaning agents as they cause stomach upset and severe tongue, mouth and crop burns.
Most pesticide baits like rat and mouse or cockroach bait have a sweet smell and contain ingredients like sugar of grain that attract birds. Stack pesticides and insecticides in closed cabinets or places inaccessible to your pets.
Ensure that a bird should never enter areas where insecticidal foggers or house sprays have been applied as birds are sensitive to inhalants and typically require longer time away from treated areas.
To avoid bird sickness, a healthy bird should never be given any medications unless suggested by avian vets. These are inclusive of painkillers, cold medicines, anti cancer-medications, vitamins and diet pills as they can be potentially dangerous to a bird’s system. Birds are fragile creatures with delicate systems and medications that are safe for humans may not be safe for birds.
Some food and beverage items like onion, garlic, tomato leaves and stem, salt, yeast dough, potato leaves and stems, avocados, cigarettes, tobacco products, moldy and spoiled foods, alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea and chocolate are very dangerous for birds and should be avoided at any cost.
Keep away hazardous household items like coins, mothballs, play dough, fabric softener sheets, potpourri oils, detergents and batteries as they are dangerous, if accidentally ingested by birds.
Birds are very sensitive to inhalant fumes so keep away products like perfumes, deodorants, hairsprays, air fresheners, automobile exhausts, tobacco, overheated cookware, insecticidal fumigants and any other forms of smoke, glue and paints.
Keep a bird’s wings clipped at all times. This will prevent most accidents from taking place. Close all doors and windows of your house and use drapes, blinds or shades to cover windows and any other mirrors in your home as birds do not understand glass and will fly right through them.
Keep a bird away from certain areas of the house like laundry, bathroom, kitchen or any room that has electrical or mechanical devices or appliances in it.
Electrical cords are very dangerous and chewing one can cause severe burns and electrocution. Use spiral cable wraps, cord concealers or PVC pipes to reduce the risk of injury.
Never leave a bird out, unattended with other pets around, in the house.
Last but not the least, always look where you walk. Many birds have died from accidentally being stepped on.