Category: Health Tips

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First Aid Preparedness

September is national preparedness month; not only should your family or place of business have an emergency kit, but so should your pets. In many situations, time is the most important factor. If a bird is non-responsive, uncooperative, or if you are in doubt, contact your local avian vet immediately. This information should not be used in place of an avian vet.   A bird first aid kit can be simple, or have many extra components.

Towel: for restraint or padding a box / carrier.

Carrier: to take to vet or to provide a small calm area.

Styptic powder or corn starch: to stop minor bleeding.

Scissors: cutting tape, gauze, or if your bird is tangled in material.

Needlenose pliers: removing blood feathers, splinters, tangled wire.

Cotton swabs: clearing out small cuts or applying topical ointments.

Gauze: to wrap cuts, sores, and burns until inspected by an avian vet.

Hydrogen peroxide: to flush out minor cuts and shallow wounds.  

In your first aid kit, it is recommended to keep a list of your avian vets’ phone numbers so they are readily at hand. Human remedies and medicines are not the same, and in some cases can be harmful to birds; contact an avian vet before administering any solutions or ointments. Injuries such as animal bites, breathing trouble, burns, broken limbs, toxicity and vomiting should be considered emergencies and receive vet treatment right away.

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Pesky Pantry Moths

If you own birds you have probably encountered these annoying moths at one time or another. Sometimes referred to as seed moths, pantry moths, or flour moths, they are Indian meal moths and Mediterranean flour moths. In the summer they tend to be more abundant because the higher temperatures speed up their life cycle. You may find evidence of them in the form of little off-white larvae, their webs, or the moths.

Bird seed, peanuts, and grains are a prime food source for these insects, but because it is also feed for animals, pesticides cannot be used to control them. The good news: all stages of these moths are harmless. There are preventative measures you can take to keep them from infiltrating your home:

• Check any seed beforehand for webs or pests.
• Do not leave seed in hot areas like your car, hot sheds, garages, etc.
• Freeze your seed for at least 1-2 days. (They don’t handle lower temperatures well; this should kill off anything that may be present.)
• Store seed in airtight containers.

If you currently have moths, here are some steps to help manage them:

1. Freeze the current bag of food for 1-2 days.

2. Place moth traps to trap and dispose of the adults.
(Be careful your birds cannot fly into, or reach, any sticky traps that are in the house. Glass bottle traps are also available that utilize bait and a moat area.) Or, arm yourself with a hand vacuum and suck up any in sight.

3. After the 1-2 days, move the frozen seed into the refrigerator
and use from there.

If the food becomes too infested, sometimes it may be best to dispose of it since it is likely the main food source.

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Toxic Avocado

There is one common food in particular that should NEVER make its way into your bird’s food bowl. The avocado. All parts of the avocado should be considered harmful to your bird: the leaves, skin, pit, and the creamy inside.

Avocados contain persin, a fungicidal toxin. If ingested, symptoms may include: increased heart rate, labored breathing, weakness, and apathy. If you think your bird has eaten avocado, contact your avian vet immediately.

While many people have fed avocado, or have seen wild flocks of parrots enjoying them from yards with no ill effects, it is better to be safe than sorry. Keep avocados, as well as guacamole, out of the reach of your bird.

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Foraging

Any bird lover can tell you that parrots are smart, some say they can have the intelligence of a 2 year old. Help exercise your bird’s mind by creating foraging opportunities for them. When parrots are given a full bowl of seeds or pellets daily, they don’t have to “work” and can become bored or lazy. This can lead to free time for screaming, feather picking, food throwing, or other undesirable behaviors. In the wild, parrots can spend between 4 – 8 hours a day foraging. This includes looking and climbing for food, ripping up plants, bark, and grasses for grains and seeds, tearing into a ripe fruit or a nut, and more!

There are many ways to provide enrichment; one of the simplest is offering fresh food. Not only is it good for them, but a wide variety will allow them to experience many different tastes and textures. If your bird is already fed fresh foods, offer it different ways. Chunks of food can be slid onto a stainless steel hanging skewer, where they will have to figure out how to access it as well as eat from it.

For parrots that need something more stimulating, there are many toys that encourage puzzle solving and item manipulation.

Many foraging toys and activities can be made at home. If you have an extra hang-on bowl, place a treat inside and position it in a different area of the cage everyday so your bird must find it. Food and treats can also be wrapped in packets of paper or paper cups to allow for more food finding opportunities.

There are many more foraging toys available; we can help you pick out an appropriate one for your bird. If you have pictures of your bird enjoying a foraging toy, or any foraging ideas that your bird loves, send us an e-mail.