TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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Recently I was asked an interesting question by a parrot owner. For many years she was making her own bird toys, and recently began using scrap leather and leather shoe laces. The bird loved them! They wouldn’t destroy them as fast as the wood blocks she used before.

But she heard that leather was dangerous for birds. Was that true? If so, why were all of the bird toy manufacturers using them?

Well…yes and no. Most leather is made by a tanning process that uses some very toxic chemicals. There are dozens of different methods, each one used to produce different colors and texture effects. The two most common methods are Chrome tanning and vegetable tanning.

Chrome tanning is most commonly used in the manufacture of leather for shoe uppers, garments, leather bags and upholstery. It involves placing the leather in rotating drums filled with trivalent chrome, and “washed” for about eight hours. After a thorough washing, it goes into another bath of an alkaline chemical. The type depends on the purpose of the leather, but most common are bicarbonate or sodium carbonate.

During the manufacturing process there are usually bits and pieces of leather left over, and these make their way into many bird or animal toys.

These are definitely not something you want your bird to be eating and playing with!

With vegetable tanning, the leather does not use any toxic chemicals. This leather is commonly used in belt leathers, luggage, shoe soles and saddlery. Instead of strong toxic tanning chemicals, it involves the use of tannic acid. This chemical is extracted from the barks of trees. The disadvantage of this form of tanning is it takes several times longer to treat the leather.

Most vegetable tanned leather manufactured in the United States is safe to use with birds. However many companies outside of the US will use formaldehyde to further preserve the leather for export. This is obviously dangerous for animals (and humans). So it is recommended that you verify the source of where you get your leather.

Vegetable tanned leather can easily be located with a quick search on the Internet. I was able to locate several sources in the US and Europe. Many are included in do-it-yourself bird toy kits at a very reasonable price. It makes great toys, and is much safer then using rope, as it does not shred and produce threads that can become tangled around tiny toes.

>>Want more great ideas bird toys? My ebook “The Easy Parrot System” shares some ideas buying and making your own bird toys. Find out why rope toys can injure your bird! I also give you my secret source for super-cheap toys that are certified safe by the government! The Easy Parrot System - Toys

Question for the readers:

Do you get an annual physical check-up? Why?

Because you need to be sure you’re healthy and don’t have any diseases or major problems developing. You may feel fine, and you don’t feel the cancer in your colon, or the tumor forming in your chest. That slight cough may be signs of something serious, but you will never know unless someone trained in detecting medical problems can examine you.

You don’t care that it’s going to cost money! If it’s a family member, that doesn’t matter either! You do what is best for them. So once a year you visit the doctor and get a physical checkup.

Why not your bird?

Birds have a very annoying habit of hiding when they are not feeling well. When you finally begin to notice something is wrong, it may already be too late. It will certainly cost you a lot more money in emergency bills, and if you have to hospitalize your pet, that can cost you hundreds of dollars!

LET’S VISIT THE VET…

The very first thing you should do when you purchase a bird is to have it examined. This should always be done within the first three days of having it. You should already have looked around to find a qualified avian vet. Remember, all vets do not work with birds. Many won’t even look at them. Where I live, there are only a few avian vets, and this is a rather large city.

Be prepared to answer questions. The vet will want a full background of your bird. That includes age and sex (if you know it), origin, what you are feeding it, what the cage is like, and how long you have had it. What is the overall condition of the bird? How has it been in action? Be sure that you have observed your bird for a few days so you can answer this.

When you observe the bird, try to stand away from the cage. Sick birds tend to hide obvious problems, and if you are standing close they will disguise their ailments. Are they standing on the perch or on the floor? Are they eating regularly? Have you noticed a change in their temperament? For example, if your bird normally sings and makes lots of noises in the morning, and is suddenly quiet, that could be a sign of something. Tell these observations to your vet.

There are a lot of diseases that your bird can catch. Many can be brought in by the owners on their clothes or hands.

THE PHYSICAL EXAM

Observation of the bird is not enough to identify many health issues. Many times it will require a hands-on exam, allowing the vet to look for internal problems. I don’t know why doctors insist in poking you and asking “Does this hurt”…but it sees to have rubbed off on veterinarians also.

Next do some close visual examinations. Observe your vet! Ask questions! This is where you begin your own education on taking care of your bird. When the vet is looking at the ears, skin, feathers, and vent, what are they looking for? Have them show you how to do these examinations yourself.

DROPPINGS

One of the best ways to identify a potential health problem is by examining the bird’s droppings. Your vet can tell by the color, composition and volume of the droppings if there is a problem. He may microscopically examine a sample. By looking at the sample under a microscope, he can determine if your bird has any internal parasites. Check to see how your vet does this.

We generally recommend taking a white sheet of paper and placing it on the bottom of the cage prior to your visit, and take the sample with you.

WEIGHT

Many times you can feel your bird and find out if it’s overweight or malnourished. If that’s the case, you need to monitor the weight on a regular basis. Your vet will take the weight as part of the exam. Ask him what the normal weight should be. If there is a problem, purchase a good quality gram scale and monitor the birds progress as you work with the diet.

TESTS

Depending on what the vet has discovered, he may recommend certain tests be done.

Psittacosis tests are used for screening “parrot fever”. This should be done on a regular basis, not only for the safety of your bird, but your own. Chlamydia Psittaci can be transmitted from birds to humans, and can be fatal.

Your vet will likely want to take a CBC Blood Test. This is a wide ranging test that will identify many different problems. I encourage this test mainly to ensure the bird’s diet is correct. A CBC will identify if your bird is missing certain vitamins or minerals by checking the biochemical functions, and also identify possible organ dysfunctions.

MICROBIOLGY AND RADIOGRAPHS

These tests are usually offered only by very experienced vets. Microbiology is the art of examining cultures from the throat, vent, crop, or other tissue/fluid samples. These tests will be performed if the vet observes any specific problems, and needs to narrow it down.

Radiographs are very useful for identifying internal problems that are impossible to see from a physical exam. If your vet is trained, he can read the X-Ray to identify not only bone fractures, but internal organs and the presence of foreign bodies.

You will probably want to have your bird vaccinated while you are there. But as a rule, it’s not always necessary. If you suspect there is a chance your bird may have been exposed to a disease, you will want it done. But due to the cost of these shots, it may push your vet visit a bit high. Discuss this with your vet and get his opinion.

GROOMING

If this is your first bird, it is highly recommended that you ask your vet to take the time and show you how to groom your bird. Watch how he does it, and get suggestions. This will include trimming the birds nails, clipping wings, and filing the beak. This is not a difficult procedure for you to do at home, and it should be done on a monthly basis. There is no reason a bird owner should have to visit the vet monthly to do this. Most vets will gladly show you how it’s done.

Remember, pet birds are totally dependent on you for their care. That includes their health and medical treatment!

I have a secret.

I’m gonna tell you because you’re my bestest friend…but you can’t tell anyone. It’s our secret, and if it gets out I’ll never be able to find this deal again!

As a fellow parrot owner, you know that you can’t live with your bird unless you supply him/her with mass quantities of bird toys. And, like most parrots, they will rapidly chew and destroy them as fast as you buy them.

And they are expensive! That toy is nothing but a bunch of colored wood blocks, wire, lacing, and sometimes some acrylic toys threaded in. They can easily cost over $20!

Your bird toy must be able to keep their attention! Parrots are like kids, and they are intelligent! It’s not enough to chew on them, because they want to play!

OK…here’s the secret. Buy baby toys at yard sales! (SSSSHHHH!!!!!!!)

Safe? You gotta be kidding me! Just a quick look at the daily news will convince you that if you manufacture a toy for babies, it had better be safe! No lead paint! No sharp nails or anything that can be swallowed! No toxic chemicals! What more would you want in a bird toy?

They are strong and last a long time. Many are made of plastic or acrylic. They were designed for babies to chew on them. They were designed to be shaked, rattled, pushed, pulled, tossed, and dropped on the floor. Toss them into the dishwasher and your ready for the next day! They have all sorts of moving parts that will ring bells or play music. What parrot would not go crazy over such a toy?

The problem is that baby toys can be expensive! Go to Toys-R-Us and see how fast you can drain your checkbook.

But (shhhh…here’s the secret again!) If you go to yard sales you can get these toys in great condition….for next to nothing! These toys sell for as little as a quarter! We never have trouble finding a box full of new toys for our birds when we shop this way.

We got this toy for Chastity for $1 at a Yard sale

So keep an eye on the classified pages, and go hit some yard sales!

Many new bird owners are confused about how to properly care for their birds. One example is hygiene….how do you bath your bird and keep it clean?

For starters, birds do not smell. In some cases, especially in the wild, some birds omit a natural odor from their oil glands that protects it from predators in the wild. This is not the case for pet birds.

If you do smell odors from a bird, in most cases it is coming from the cage. This is the result of bird dropping decomposing, stale water, or old food. Proper cage cleaning will always eliminate this smell.

But birds do need their bath!

SHOULD YOU FORCE YOUR BIRD TO TAKE A BATH?

Never force a bird to bath. Dropping the bird into a sink of water, or improperly spraying it with a mister only terrorizes them. You need to experiment a little and find out what the bird likes. It will vary widely from bird to bird. Some birds can barely tolerate a light misting with a bottle of warm water. Others love to sit on a shower perch and have water spray all over them until they are a dripping mess! That is how my wife’s Military Macaw wants his bath!

Experiment a bit to learn what your bird likes. Start by getting a spray bottle and lightly mist the bird. If he’s interested, he will stand on his perch, spread his wings out and beg for more. If not, he runs away from the bottle and looks for a place to hide. Obviously this is not his “preferred method”.

Offer a bowl of water. The bird will sit on the edge and splash water on himself (and everything else in the area).

Another method is to place the bird in a sink and run a thin stream of water into it. The bird will run in and out of the water to bath. Or try buying a “shower perch” and install it on the wall of the shower. Run the shower (but not on the bird directly) and let him move in and out of the spray.

BIRD SHAMPOO? NO WAY!!!

There are a number of products on the market designed as a shampoo or bathing aid for your bird. NEVER use these products. If the bird is properly cared for there is never a need for them. To make matters worse, they can make a bird sick.

The only time I can ever recommend such a product is if the bird got extremely dirty.

That goes double for “mite and lice” sprays. Very rarely do birds get these pests, and if the cage and environment are kept clean it will never occur. Never use this sort of product without the close supervision of an avian veterinarian.

This advice also goes for those bird perfumes or anything that you would spray on a bird. Your bird already has the natural instincts to care for itself, preen it’s feathers, and keep clean. So save your money, or use it to buy a nice birdy toy.