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Household Dangers for Pet Birds

Pet Care

While TLC Pet Hospital does not currently see avian patients for examinations and care, we do offer a wing trim and nail trim service.  The information below is provided for informational use only.

To help you locate an avian veterinarian in your area, please click here to visit the Association of Avian Veterinarians website.

Household Dangers

There are many, many, many items in the household that can injure or even kill a pet bird.  This list will include many of them but is not the be all end all list.  If you are ever unsure if an item is safe to be around your bird, then don’t allow it.  It’s best to err on the safe side than to have something horrible happen to your feathered friend.

  1. Ceiling Fans can seriously injure or kill a bird.  Be sure these are always turned off when your pet bird is in the room.

  2. Windows appear to be open spaces to a bird.  A flying bird can easily fly right into one and injure itself.  Open windows are an obvious threat for a couple of reasons.  One being if there’s not screen, the bird can fly out.  Another reason is that drafts of cold air can cause illness in a bird.

  3. Other household pets can pose dangers for many reasons.  The most obvious being cats and dogs can easily kill a bird. Another reason is that certain animals carry different diseases that may not make them sick, but when a bird is exposed to them, they can fall ill.  The saliva of dogs and cats is toxic to birds as well so never let a bird ride on a cat or dog, play with the same toys, be licked by, or handled by you soon after you have played with the dog or cat.

  4. Doorways can pose a threat to a free roaming or loose bird.  Many birds have been injured or even killed by an unknowing person walking through a door only to step on the bird.  Doors have been opened on birds as well.  Never leave the bird unsupervised and always know where he or she is.

  5. Cleaning solutions and chemicals and air fresheners are a threat in that if the bird would to ingest them, it could be fatal.  Also, the fumes produced by these chemicals are toxic to a bird’s sensitive respiratory system and could result in a very sick bird.

  6. Non-stick cookware emits fumes that are extremely harmful to your pet bird.  These items should never be used in the same household that is occupied by a bird.  It doesn’t matter if the bird is in a different room or you cover them up.  The fumes are very harmful and will eventually make the bird sick or could cause death.

  7. Cigarette smoke is not only harmful to humans but it is deadly to pets and birds. A bird should never be around any person who is smoking.

  8. Certain household plants are harmful to birds if ingested.  It’s best to leave these out of the equation and do not allow your bird access to plants that may be dangerous.

  9. Scented candles pose a threat to your pet bird as well.  These emit toxins into the air that are dangerously irritating to a bird’s sensitive respiratory system and could result in an ill bird.

 

   

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