Post by Budgiebonkers on Nov 19, 2013 23:46:38 GMT
Dangers & Hazards
There are several categories of dangers and hazards to your pet budgie that you should be aware of:
Foods - There are several foods which should never be fed to your budgie because they are toxic. This includes chocolate, coffee, soda, caffeinated beverages, avocado, rhubarb, and the area of pitted fruits which touched the pit. Many fruit seeds are toxic to birds, so to be safe always remove any seeds from fruits you give to your budgies. You should also avoid giving your budgie anything but limited amounts of milk based products, as birds are lactose intolerant. Also, do not feed your budgie anything but very limited amounts of anything considered to be junk food (i.e. chips, fried foods, sweets, white bread, etc).
Toxic Items - Never let your budgie play or mouth an item or plant unless you know it is safe and non-toxic. Some metals, the heavy metals, are poisonous to birds and can poison them simply through contact with the beak or skin. The poisonous heavy metals include lead, zinc, copper, and brass. Metals you can know are safe include stainless steel, iron, and ungalvanized tin. For more information, see "Heavy Metal Poisoning in Birds" by Gillian Willis. You also need to be very careful with items which have paint or glue. You need to be sure that any paint or glue in/on an item is non-toxic. If you don't know what an item is made of, it is better to be safe than sorry by not letting your budgie play with it.
Toxic Plants - Some plants and parts of plants are poisonous to birds, so you need to research any plant that you have in the house or that you plan to use to make perches to be sure it is safe. If you can't identify it or find out if it is toxic or not, then it is again better to be safe than sorry by not having that plant in an area where your budgie will be or by not using that plant to make perches. (Click here for help looking up poisonous/non-poisonous plants.)
Household Cleaners/Chemicals - It goes to say that anything you wouldn't want a baby or child to get into, you wouldn't want your bird to get into. But additionally, birds have very sensitive respiratory systems, and you will want to avoid using most household cleaners and chemicals around your budgies. This includes anything with a strong scent or chemical odor, cleaners, sprays, liquids, aerosols, etc. When it comes time for you to use a cleaner or chemical in your home, put your budgie's cage into another room where the fumes will not get to, or place the cage outside, partly covered and out of direct sunlight. Also, you should not use air fresheners (deodorizers and scents) when you have a budgie, including sprays/aerosols, plug-ins, powders, and scented candles. You should also avoid using beauty/personal hygiene aerosols and sprays around your budgies, including hairspray and deodorant.
Another source of toxic fumes in the home is non-stick coating (PTFE), which comes under many names, such as Teflon. When non-stick coating is over-heated, it releases toxic fumes which kill birds very quickly. Even under normal heating conditions, non-stick coating can release some toxic fumes. It is recommended that you never use cookware or appliances with non-stick coating when you have birds in the home.
Physical Hazards Around the Home - Don't let your budgie roam/fly free in an area or room of the house until you've established that it is bird-safe. Be sure that there are no fans running, and that the blinds or curtains are drawn on the windows. Also try not to have your budgie out where there are mirrors, or try to cover any mirrors. Budgies can accidentally fly into any of these and injure themselves badly. Make sure that there is nothing your budgie might land on that could fall. Reduce the amount of exposed electrical and computer cords to the bare minimum, and always keep your budgie away from these. Remove any plants unless you know they are safe for birds. (Click here for help looking up poisonous/non-poisonous plants.) Examine the area or room from a bird's point of view and try to identify and remove anything that might be a hazard.
Escape Hazards - Open doors and windows are obvious escape hazards. Never have your budgie out, even if it is clipped, while there are open doors or windows. If a door or window does have a screen, before you have your budgie out, check and make sure it is in place properly, that there are no holes, and that it is not becoming loose along the frame. When your budgie is out and about, make sure everyone in the family/household is aware so that they don't accidentally leave a door or window open. Also, if it does become necessary to temporarily open a door, secure your budgie close to your body gently with your hand or bring him into a room with the door closed until the outside door can be shut.
There are several categories of dangers and hazards to your pet budgie that you should be aware of:
Foods - There are several foods which should never be fed to your budgie because they are toxic. This includes chocolate, coffee, soda, caffeinated beverages, avocado, rhubarb, and the area of pitted fruits which touched the pit. Many fruit seeds are toxic to birds, so to be safe always remove any seeds from fruits you give to your budgies. You should also avoid giving your budgie anything but limited amounts of milk based products, as birds are lactose intolerant. Also, do not feed your budgie anything but very limited amounts of anything considered to be junk food (i.e. chips, fried foods, sweets, white bread, etc).
Toxic Items - Never let your budgie play or mouth an item or plant unless you know it is safe and non-toxic. Some metals, the heavy metals, are poisonous to birds and can poison them simply through contact with the beak or skin. The poisonous heavy metals include lead, zinc, copper, and brass. Metals you can know are safe include stainless steel, iron, and ungalvanized tin. For more information, see "Heavy Metal Poisoning in Birds" by Gillian Willis. You also need to be very careful with items which have paint or glue. You need to be sure that any paint or glue in/on an item is non-toxic. If you don't know what an item is made of, it is better to be safe than sorry by not letting your budgie play with it.
Toxic Plants - Some plants and parts of plants are poisonous to birds, so you need to research any plant that you have in the house or that you plan to use to make perches to be sure it is safe. If you can't identify it or find out if it is toxic or not, then it is again better to be safe than sorry by not having that plant in an area where your budgie will be or by not using that plant to make perches. (Click here for help looking up poisonous/non-poisonous plants.)
Household Cleaners/Chemicals - It goes to say that anything you wouldn't want a baby or child to get into, you wouldn't want your bird to get into. But additionally, birds have very sensitive respiratory systems, and you will want to avoid using most household cleaners and chemicals around your budgies. This includes anything with a strong scent or chemical odor, cleaners, sprays, liquids, aerosols, etc. When it comes time for you to use a cleaner or chemical in your home, put your budgie's cage into another room where the fumes will not get to, or place the cage outside, partly covered and out of direct sunlight. Also, you should not use air fresheners (deodorizers and scents) when you have a budgie, including sprays/aerosols, plug-ins, powders, and scented candles. You should also avoid using beauty/personal hygiene aerosols and sprays around your budgies, including hairspray and deodorant.
Another source of toxic fumes in the home is non-stick coating (PTFE), which comes under many names, such as Teflon. When non-stick coating is over-heated, it releases toxic fumes which kill birds very quickly. Even under normal heating conditions, non-stick coating can release some toxic fumes. It is recommended that you never use cookware or appliances with non-stick coating when you have birds in the home.
Physical Hazards Around the Home - Don't let your budgie roam/fly free in an area or room of the house until you've established that it is bird-safe. Be sure that there are no fans running, and that the blinds or curtains are drawn on the windows. Also try not to have your budgie out where there are mirrors, or try to cover any mirrors. Budgies can accidentally fly into any of these and injure themselves badly. Make sure that there is nothing your budgie might land on that could fall. Reduce the amount of exposed electrical and computer cords to the bare minimum, and always keep your budgie away from these. Remove any plants unless you know they are safe for birds. (Click here for help looking up poisonous/non-poisonous plants.) Examine the area or room from a bird's point of view and try to identify and remove anything that might be a hazard.
Escape Hazards - Open doors and windows are obvious escape hazards. Never have your budgie out, even if it is clipped, while there are open doors or windows. If a door or window does have a screen, before you have your budgie out, check and make sure it is in place properly, that there are no holes, and that it is not becoming loose along the frame. When your budgie is out and about, make sure everyone in the family/household is aware so that they don't accidentally leave a door or window open. Also, if it does become necessary to temporarily open a door, secure your budgie close to your body gently with your hand or bring him into a room with the door closed until the outside door can be shut.
