Petcare 911 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911 On Bitlockers Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:11:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Pet Poison http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=150 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=150#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:42:33 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=150 Pet Poison Helpline Refresher On Top Toxins During Poison Prevention Week – Tips on the most common items that can put your pet at risk.

March 14 kicks off Poison Prevention Week. The following are some of the most common toxins the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline encounter and strongly recommend keeping away from pets.

Xylitol: Many sugarless gums, including some Trident™, Orbit™, and Ice Breaker™ brands as well as candies contain xylitol, a sweetener which is toxic to dogs. Desserts and baked goods can also be made with xylitol. Even small amounts when ingested can result in a life-threatening drop in blood sugar, or with large amounts of ingestion, liver failure. Signs of low blood sugar include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, tremors, and seizures. Treatment includes decontamination, checking a blood glucose/sugar level, treating with IV fluids and glucose, liver monitoring tests, and drugs to protect the liver.

Pharmaceuticals: Common human drugs including NSAIDs (i.e. Advil®, Aleve® and Motrin®), acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol®) and antidepressants (i.e. Effexor®, Cymbalta®, Prozac®, Lexapro) can cause serious harm for your pets. NSAID’s may cause your pet to develop serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure. Acetaminophen may cause damage to a cat’s red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen. In dogs, it leads to liver failure and in large doses, red blood cell damage. Lastly, antidepressant overdoses can lead to neurological problems such as sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors and seizures.

Flowers: With the Easter holiday and spring right around the corner, flowers will begin to bloom. As beautiful as they are; some flowers can cause toxicity in animals – and some are even deadly. Certain types of lilies – including tiger, day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese lilies – are highly toxic to cats. Severe kidney failure can result from ingestion of even a few petals, leaves, or even the pollen. In addition, ingestion of certain spring bulbs (i.e. daffodils, tulips, etc) can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. More serious reactions include abnormal heat rate or changes in breathing.

Chocolate: With the Easter bunny on his way, make sure your kids know to hide the stash from your dogs. While the occasional chocolate chip within one cookie may not be an issue, certain types of chocolate can be very toxic. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem. Other sources include chewable, flavored multi-vitamins, baked goods, or chocolate-covered espresso beans. The chemical toxicity is due to methylxanthines (a relative of caffeine), and results in vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, an abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and possibly, death. In smaller dogs, even the wrappers from candy can result in a secondary obstruction in the stomach or intestines. One other important Easter danger to be aware of is the fake Easter grass typically found in Easter baskets as it can prove harmful when ingested by cats.

Fertilizers: Many fertilizers are basic gastrointestinal irritants. However, some are often combined with dangerous chemicals and compounds called organophosphates or carbamates, which can be harmful to pets. Ingestion can result in drooling, watery eyes, urination, defecation, seizures, difficulty breathing, fever and even death. Immediate treatment with an antidote is necessary to improve a pet’s chance of survival.

Pest Control Products: Rodent, snail and slug baits are often used to keep pests at bay. However, if ingested, these poisons are extremely harmful to pets. They are highly toxic and, without immediate veterinary attention, can be fatal. Rodent baits typically can result in blood clotting disorders, brain swelling or kidney failure, depending on which type is used, while snail and slug baits can result in severe tremors or seizures.

The best thing any concerned pet owner can do is get educated on common, everyday toxins, and make to pet-proof their home appropriately. When in doubt, if you think your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-213-6680 end_of_the_skype_highlighting with any questions or concerns.

About Pet Poison Helpline

Pet Poison Helpline is a service available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Pet Poison Helpline’s experts can provide treatment advice for poisoning cases in all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline’s fee of $35 per incident includes all follow-up consultation. Pet Poison Helpline is available in the US and Canada by calling 800-213-6680 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-213-6680 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Additional information can be found online at http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=150 0 Is Your Pet Itching for Relief? http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=86 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=86#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:35:47 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=86 Is Your Pet Itching for Relief?
Is Your Pet Itching for Relief?
By Linda Bren
When your dog pumps its leg frantically to scratch its ear, or your cat bites its tail furiously until the fur falls out, it’s clear that your pet is itching for relief.
Occasional scratching is normal, but if a pet scratches or bites itself relentlessly, a health problem may be the cause. Itching can be triggered by a variety of conditions, ranging from liver disease to lice, from fungus to fleas, from mange to anxiety.
But the leading cause of itching and scratching in pets is allergies, says Linda Messinger, D.V.M., a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado in Englewood. “Allergies are also the most common underlying cause of ear problems in dogs,” she adds.
Unlike people with allergies, animals don’t usually get stuffy or runny noses or watery eyes. Their main symptom is itchy skin, which can turn raw and red from scratching, licking, and chewing. This condition is called allergic skin disease, or allergic dermatitis. With enough scratching and biting, open sores can form, creating a haven for bacteria or yeast that can lead to infection.
“Just about every mammal can get allergies,” says Lisa Troutman, D.V.M., a veterinarian with the Food and Drug Administration. “So can hamsters, rabbits, birds, and some other pets.” But dogs and cats are the pets most frequently seen with allergies.
To relieve the itch, dogs may scratch and bite at themselves and rub their face with their paws or against the floor and furniture. “Cats tend to pull out their hair and get patchy hair loss on their ears, legs, and around their eyes,” says Troutman. “They’ll make themselves bald.”
There is no cure for allergies. “They are a lifelong problem,” says Messinger, “and oftentimes they get worse as a pet gets older.”
But there are treatments to relieve itchiness, clear up infections that arise from constant scratching, and even “desensitize” a pet to substances that cause allergies. In addition to regulating drugs for people, the FDA regulates drugs for animals, and the agency’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has approved medications to treat itchy pets and their infections.
The key to making your pet comfortable is to find out the cause of the itchiness. If the pet is allergic, determining the source of the allergies will help with treatment, says Messinger.
Types of Allergies
Allergies that can plague pets are grouped into four types: flea, food, atopic, and contact.
The most common type of allergy in both dogs and cats is flea allergy. The offending allergen is actually the protein in flea saliva left in the skin after a fleabite.
Atopic, or inhalant, allergy is the second most common allergy in dogs and the third most common in cats. Breathing in or directly contacting airborne particles in the environment, such as mold spores, dust, tobacco smoke, and pollens, will activate atopic allergies.
If a pet is allergic to pollens, it will show symptoms even if you keep it indoors, says James Jeffers, V.M.D., a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the Animal Allergy and Dermatology Clinic in Gaithersburg, Md. Outside airborne substances waft their way into the house, and air filters don’t tend to bring relief to pets with these types of allergies, he says.
Although pets with atopic allergies sometimes have respiratory problems, such as coughing and sneezing, they more typically develop itchy skin. Certain dog breeds are more likely to develop atopic allergies, including terriers, Dalmatians, and golden and Labrador retrievers.
Food allergies are the second most common type of allergy in cats and the third most common in dogs. Food ingredients most likely to trigger allergies in cats are fish, milk, beef, and eggs. Ingredients most likely to cause a reaction in dogs are beef, soy, chicken, milk, corn, wheat, and eggs. Some pets with food allergies may have vomiting and diarrhea.
A reaction to physically touching a substance is called contact allergy, the least common type of allergy in dogs and cats. Contact allergens include grass, wool, and plastic. Jeffers occasionally sees dogs in his clinic with “plastic dish dermatitis,” an irritation to the skin on the nose caused by a reaction to an antioxidant found in a plastic food or water dish. The condition clears up when the pet is switched to a metal or ceramic dish. And although uncommon, some cats become allergic to kitty litter, says Jeffers. But allergies caused by contact with chemicals, such as those contained in cleaning fluids, waxes, carpet cleaners, and lawn fertilizers, are “about 1 in a million,” he says. Nevertheless, these products are potentially toxic, and pets should be restricted temporarily from areas treated with them.
An Itch for All Seasons
Some pets’ allergies are set off by seasonal changes. Springtime, with its tree pollens, brings on the animal form of hay fever, which is primarily itchy skin. Mosquitoes and flies, which may trigger allergies, are rampant in summer. Grasses and flowers often release pollen in summer and late-blooming plants produce pollen in early fall, creating airborne irritants. Fleas and the allergies they activate persist in spring through fall in most parts of the country, but are found year-round in some areas.
Geography also plays a role in allergic reactions. Regional changes mean different varieties of grasses, trees, insects, and other environmental elements, which can affect allergies. Jeffers says when he took his dog camping in Maine, the pup was healthy, but when he brought him back home to Maryland, he started itching.
The Allergic Reaction
Pets, like people, have allergic responses when their immune system overreacts to certain substances. When they enter the body, the offending substances, called antigens or allergens, set off an alarm. This alarm stimulates the body to produce antibodies to defend itself against what it perceives as a threat–the allergen invaders. The antibodies attach themselves to immune cells, called “mast cells,” within the skin and other body tissues. When the allergens penetrate these tissues’ surfaces, they are captured by the antibodies, which then stimulate the mast cells to release powerful chemicals into the surrounding tissues. It is these chemicals, called histamines, that cause inflammation and itching.
The body’s immune system is meant to protect against harmful substances, so why do some animals have a severe reaction to non-threatening substances? “We think it’s very similar to the situation in human beings,” says Daniel O. Morris, D.V.M., a board-certified veterinary dermatologist and chief of staff of the veterinary hospital at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Some animals, like some individuals, “may carry genes that put them at risk for developing allergic reactions,” he says.
Another explanation is the hygiene theory, says Morris, which suggests that if you allow children to be exposed to infectious organisms early in life, their immune response may better control infections and make them less likely to develop allergies. In societies that stress cleanliness and try to protect children from dirt and disease, a child’s body may overreact when confronted with a foreign substance, even a harmless one. The hygiene theory may explain why allergies in children are on the rise in the developed world, and the same explanation could apply to allergies in pets, says Morris.
Diagnosing
There are many conditions that can make a pet itch or have hair loss, including endocrine, autoimmune, infectious, and parasitic skin diseases. It takes some detective work to identify the cause. A veterinarian may be able to diagnose the problem or may refer your pet to a veterinary dermatologist, a specialist in treating skin conditions in animals.
If allergies are suspected, the first thing a veterinarian will usually ask is if the pet is on a flea-control product, says Troutman. Flea allergies are the most common type of allergies and the easiest to control, she says. And just because a pet is kept indoors doesn’t mean it can’t have fleas. An owner might bring fleas into the house on a piece of clothing, and the fleas can jump onto the pet. Just a single fleabite can cause an allergic animal to itch severely for more than five days, according to the American Animal Hospital Association.
Pet owners have many options for flea control on pets and in their environment. Veterinarians can recommend an appropriate product. (See “Taking the Bite out of Fleas and Ticks,” July-August 2001 FDA Consumer.)
Once flea allergies are ruled out and if the itch is non-seasonal, food allergies are checked next. Food allergies are not related to a season, while many atopic allergies start out as a seasonal problem, says Morris. Dogs and cats that develop atopic allergies usually show symptoms between 1 and 5 years of age, he says, but food allergies can crop up at any time. They are high on the list of suspects when a dog or cat first exhibits itchy skin at an age less than 6 months or over 5 years.
To test for food allergies, the pet is put on an “elimination diet” for at least 10 weeks, which means it is fed food that consists of a protein and carbohydrate that the pet has not eaten before, such as duck, venison, and potatoes. Veterinarians offer these special foods, and some may be found in retail stores. Or the owner may choose to feed the pet a homemade diet of foods recommended by the vet.
If the animal’s itching subsides by at least half, the allergen is considered to be one or more food ingredients, says Jeffers. To confirm this, the owner can reintroduce the old food to see if the symptoms return. To find the specific ingredients that trigger the allergy, the owner should feed the special diet again and add one ingredient at a time from the old diet for at least a week until the itching increases, indicating that the last added ingredient is an allergen. Or the owner may choose to stay with the special food to avoid causing the pet discomfort each time an allergic ingredient is fed.
While the pet is being tested for food allergies, it should not be given treats, chewable medications, table scraps, or rawhide toys that may contain an allergen.
To check for atopic and contact allergies, veterinary dermatologists use an intradermal allergy test, or skin reaction test. The pet is mildly sedated, a postcard-sized area on the side of the pet is shaved, and small amounts of potential allergens are injected into the skin on the shaved area. If the pet is allergic to a particular substance, the skin will become inflamed at the area of the injection.
Jeffers tested Nora, a wire fox terrier, for 58 different allergens. The dog had been “scratching and biting herself all over, 24 hours a day,” since it was 3 months old, says owner Katie Mathews of Bethesda, Md. “The scratching kept Nora up all night and kept the family up all night,” she says. Before she was referred to Jeffers, Mathews had taken Nora to several veterinarians, who prescribed various antihistamines, shampoos, sprays, and a food elimination diet–none of which worked. “Steroids were successful,” says Mathews, “but I didn’t want to keep her on them because of the long-term side effects.” Mathews also “wanted to get to the root of the problem” so that the allergic substances could be avoided if possible.
Through skin testing, Jeffers determined that Nora had atopic and contact allergies and was allergic to dozens of substances, including pollens, molds, dust mites, grass, cotton, and wool.
Treating Allergies in Pets
Although allergies can’t be cured, they can be controlled by avoiding the allergens, treating the symptoms, or desensitizing the pet. In Nora’s case, all three methods are used.
Fleas, food ingredients, and some substances that trigger contact allergies may be avoidable, but “with atopic allergies, avoidance is virtually impossible,” says Jeffers.
Drug products are available to relieve the symptoms of itchiness and inflammation in pets. Like any drugs designed for animals, these products must obtain FDA approval before they can be marketed by meeting rigorous scientific standards similar to those for human drugs.
The FDA approved two itch-relieving drugs in 2003: Atopica (cyclosporine) for controlling atopic dermatitis in dogs weighing at least four pounds, and Genesis Topical Spray (triamcinolone) for controlling itching related to allergic dermatitis in dogs. Atopica, a product of Novartis Animal Health US Inc. of Greensboro, N.C., is a capsule given orally. It works by inhibiting specific immune cells from reacting to allergens, and can be given as a lifelong treatment. Genesis, made by RMS Laboratories Inc. of Vidalia, Ga., is a steroid spray that is applied to a dog’s skin for up to 28 days. Both of these drugs must be prescribed by a veterinarian.
The FDA has approved other steroid products for short-term use in dogs and cats to relieve inflammation and itching. Long-term steroid use is discouraged because these drugs work by suppressing the immune system; this suppressant action over time can leave an animal vulnerable to infection, diabetes, and other conditions.
Veterinarians often prescribe antihistamines approved by the FDA for humans to relieve itchiness in pets. Under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA), veterinarians may legally treat dogs and cats with drugs that have been approved for people but not for animals. Pet owners should check with their veterinarians before giving a pet any human medications, including over-the-counter antihistamines.
“If we can control the allergies through medication for occasional flare-ups, antihistamines and steroids are useful,” says Troutman. But if these medications are needed continuously to provide relief, Troutman recommends seeking other options, such as immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is a treatment that stimulates the immune system to decrease the body’s reaction to allergens. Similar to people with allergies, animals can be given immunotherapy, or desensitization injections. These “allergy shots” contain small amounts, or extracts, of the substances that the animal is allergic to, based on the results of skin testing. The owner gives the shots to the pet at home, usually in the scruff of the neck. The extracts used for allergy testing and treatment in veterinary practices are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics.
Somewhere between 50 percent and 70 percent of dogs and 75 percent to 80 percent of cats respond to immunotherapy, depending upon the study reported, says Morris. “Occasionally, it is so effective that the animal is normal without other treatments,” he says, but the majority require medications in addition to the injections. The injections are usually given every 7 to 21 days, depending on the pet’s response, says Morris. And rarely does an animal become permanently desensitized so that the injections can be stopped.
Nora gets a weekly injection. Mathews also gives her Atopica and, when the pollen count is up, an over-the-counter antihistamine. Mathews has placed synthetic blankets around the house for Nora to lie on, since the dog is allergic to cotton and wool in the furniture and carpeting. Nora also has a vinyl bed to lie on in the yard, since she’s allergic to grass. This allergy management program helps keep the 18-month-old dog comfortable. “She still has periods of scratching,” says Mathews, but “she’s not biting herself as much and she’s sleeping at night.” Mathews reports that her other dog, Nora’s littermate Nick, is allergy-free.
Allergies in pets are neither preventable nor foreseeable, says Morris. “You can have one puppy out of a litter of 10 with allergic skin disease, or it can skip generations. We can’t possibly predict it,” he says, even if you have a pet examined by a vet at a very young age.
Pet Food: To Switch or Not to Switch?
Most experts agree that changing foods periodically will not keep a pet from becoming allergic to certain ingredients.
“If you’re genetically predisposed to develop an allergy to something you eat, it will occur,” regardless of switching foods periodically, says Daniel O. Morris, D.V.M., chief of staff of the veterinary hospital at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Morris advises against changing food ingredients at least for the first year or two of a pet’s life. “I see dogs, especially, developing food allergies at very early ages,” he says, adding that it’s not a good idea to expose young animals to many different ingredients.
“The gut lining in the intestinal tract is not fully formed,” says Morris. “The theory is that it allows food proteins larger than appropriate to be absorbed.” These food proteins react with the immune system, causing an allergic response.
If you know your pet has allergies to certain food ingredients, read the food label carefully to avoid those ingredients, Morris says. The front of a can or bag of food may state one or two main ingredients, but the label will list a number of others as well. “Changing brands does not necessarily mean you’re changing ingredients,” he adds
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Is Your Pet Itching for Relief?
Is Your Pet Itching for Relief?
By Linda Bren
When your dog pumps its leg frantically to scratch its ear, or your cat bites its tail furiously until the fur falls out, it’s clear that your pet is itching for relief.
Occasional scratching is normal, but if a pet scratches or bites itself relentlessly, a health problem may be the cause. Itching can be triggered by a variety of conditions, ranging from liver disease to lice, from fungus to fleas, from mange to anxiety.
But the leading cause of itching and scratching in pets is allergies, says Linda Messinger, D.V.M., a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado in Englewood. “Allergies are also the most common underlying cause of ear problems in dogs,” she adds.
Unlike people with allergies, animals don’t usually get stuffy or runny noses or watery eyes. Their main symptom is itchy skin, which can turn raw and red from scratching, licking, and chewing. This condition is called allergic skin disease, or allergic dermatitis. With enough scratching and biting, open sores can form, creating a haven for bacteria or yeast that can lead to infection.
“Just about every mammal can get allergies,” says Lisa Troutman, D.V.M., a veterinarian with the Food and Drug Administration. “So can hamsters, rabbits, birds, and some other pets.” But dogs and cats are the pets most frequently seen with allergies.
To relieve the itch, dogs may scratch and bite at themselves and rub their face with their paws or against the floor and furniture. “Cats tend to pull out their hair and get patchy hair loss on their ears, legs, and around their eyes,” says Troutman. “They’ll make themselves bald.”
There is no cure for allergies. “They are a lifelong problem,” says Messinger, “and oftentimes they get worse as a pet gets older.”
But there are treatments to relieve itchiness, clear up infections that arise from constant scratching, and even “desensitize” a pet to substances that cause allergies. In addition to regulating drugs for people, the FDA regulates drugs for animals, and the agency’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has approved medications to treat itchy pets and their infections.
The key to making your pet comfortable is to find out the cause of the itchiness. If the pet is allergic, determining the source of the allergies will help with treatment, says Messinger.
Types of Allergies
Allergies that can plague pets are grouped into four types: flea, food, atopic, and contact.
The most common type of allergy in both dogs and cats is flea allergy. The offending allergen is actually the protein in flea saliva left in the skin after a fleabite.
Atopic, or inhalant, allergy is the second most common allergy in dogs and the third most common in cats. Breathing in or directly contacting airborne particles in the environment, such as mold spores, dust, tobacco smoke, and pollens, will activate atopic allergies.
If a pet is allergic to pollens, it will show symptoms even if you keep it indoors, says James Jeffers, V.M.D., a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the Animal Allergy and Dermatology Clinic in Gaithersburg, Md. Outside airborne substances waft their way into the house, and air filters don’t tend to bring relief to pets with these types of allergies, he says.
Although pets with atopic allergies sometimes have respiratory problems, such as coughing and sneezing, they more typically develop itchy skin. Certain dog breeds are more likely to develop atopic allergies, including terriers, Dalmatians, and golden and Labrador retrievers.
Food allergies are the second most common type of allergy in cats and the third most common in dogs. Food ingredients most likely to trigger allergies in cats are fish, milk, beef, and eggs. Ingredients most likely to cause a reaction in dogs are beef, soy, chicken, milk, corn, wheat, and eggs. Some pets with food allergies may have vomiting and diarrhea.
A reaction to physically touching a substance is called contact allergy, the least common type of allergy in dogs and cats. Contact allergens include grass, wool, and plastic. Jeffers occasionally sees dogs in his clinic with “plastic dish dermatitis,” an irritation to the skin on the nose caused by a reaction to an antioxidant found in a plastic food or water dish. The condition clears up when the pet is switched to a metal or ceramic dish. And although uncommon, some cats become allergic to kitty litter, says Jeffers. But allergies caused by contact with chemicals, such as those contained in cleaning fluids, waxes, carpet cleaners, and lawn fertilizers, are “about 1 in a million,” he says. Nevertheless, these products are potentially toxic, and pets should be restricted temporarily from areas treated with them.
An Itch for All Seasons
Some pets’ allergies are set off by seasonal changes. Springtime, with its tree pollens, brings on the animal form of hay fever, which is primarily itchy skin. Mosquitoes and flies, which may trigger allergies, are rampant in summer. Grasses and flowers often release pollen in summer and late-blooming plants produce pollen in early fall, creating airborne irritants. Fleas and the allergies they activate persist in spring through fall in most parts of the country, but are found year-round in some areas.
Geography also plays a role in allergic reactions. Regional changes mean different varieties of grasses, trees, insects, and other environmental elements, which can affect allergies. Jeffers says when he took his dog camping in Maine, the pup was healthy, but when he brought him back home to Maryland, he started itching.
The Allergic Reaction
Pets, like people, have allergic responses when their immune system overreacts to certain substances. When they enter the body, the offending substances, called antigens or allergens, set off an alarm. This alarm stimulates the body to produce antibodies to defend itself against what it perceives as a threat–the allergen invaders. The antibodies attach themselves to immune cells, called “mast cells,” within the skin and other body tissues. When the allergens penetrate these tissues’ surfaces, they are captured by the antibodies, which then stimulate the mast cells to release powerful chemicals into the surrounding tissues. It is these chemicals, called histamines, that cause inflammation and itching.
The body’s immune system is meant to protect against harmful substances, so why do some animals have a severe reaction to non-threatening substances? “We think it’s very similar to the situation in human beings,” says Daniel O. Morris, D.V.M., a board-certified veterinary dermatologist and chief of staff of the veterinary hospital at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Some animals, like some individuals, “may carry genes that put them at risk for developing allergic reactions,” he says.
Another explanation is the hygiene theory, says Morris, which suggests that if you allow children to be exposed to infectious organisms early in life, their immune response may better control infections and make them less likely to develop allergies. In societies that stress cleanliness and try to protect children from dirt and disease, a child’s body may overreact when confronted with a foreign substance, even a harmless one. The hygiene theory may explain why allergies in children are on the rise in the developed world, and the same explanation could apply to allergies in pets, says Morris.
Diagnosing
There are many conditions that can make a pet itch or have hair loss, including endocrine, autoimmune, infectious, and parasitic skin diseases. It takes some detective work to identify the cause. A veterinarian may be able to diagnose the problem or may refer your pet to a veterinary dermatologist, a specialist in treating skin conditions in animals.
If allergies are suspected, the first thing a veterinarian will usually ask is if the pet is on a flea-control product, says Troutman. Flea allergies are the most common type of allergies and the easiest to control, she says. And just because a pet is kept indoors doesn’t mean it can’t have fleas. An owner might bring fleas into the house on a piece of clothing, and the fleas can jump onto the pet. Just a single fleabite can cause an allergic animal to itch severely for more than five days, according to the American Animal Hospital Association.
Pet owners have many options for flea control on pets and in their environment. Veterinarians can recommend an appropriate product. (See “Taking the Bite out of Fleas and Ticks,” July-August 2001 FDA Consumer.)
Once flea allergies are ruled out and if the itch is non-seasonal, food allergies are checked next. Food allergies are not related to a season, while many atopic allergies start out as a seasonal problem, says Morris. Dogs and cats that develop atopic allergies usually show symptoms between 1 and 5 years of age, he says, but food allergies can crop up at any time. They are high on the list of suspects when a dog or cat first exhibits itchy skin at an age less than 6 months or over 5 years.
To test for food allergies, the pet is put on an “elimination diet” for at least 10 weeks, which means it is fed food that consists of a protein and carbohydrate that the pet has not eaten before, such as duck, venison, and potatoes. Veterinarians offer these special foods, and some may be found in retail stores. Or the owner may choose to feed the pet a homemade diet of foods recommended by the vet.
If the animal’s itching subsides by at least half, the allergen is considered to be one or more food ingredients, says Jeffers. To confirm this, the owner can reintroduce the old food to see if the symptoms return. To find the specific ingredients that trigger the allergy, the owner should feed the special diet again and add one ingredient at a time from the old diet for at least a week until the itching increases, indicating that the last added ingredient is an allergen. Or the owner may choose to stay with the special food to avoid causing the pet discomfort each time an allergic ingredient is fed.
While the pet is being tested for food allergies, it should not be given treats, chewable medications, table scraps, or rawhide toys that may contain an allergen.
To check for atopic and contact allergies, veterinary dermatologists use an intradermal allergy test, or skin reaction test. The pet is mildly sedated, a postcard-sized area on the side of the pet is shaved, and small amounts of potential allergens are injected into the skin on the shaved area. If the pet is allergic to a particular substance, the skin will become inflamed at the area of the injection.
Jeffers tested Nora, a wire fox terrier, for 58 different allergens. The dog had been “scratching and biting herself all over, 24 hours a day,” since it was 3 months old, says owner Katie Mathews of Bethesda, Md. “The scratching kept Nora up all night and kept the family up all night,” she says. Before she was referred to Jeffers, Mathews had taken Nora to several veterinarians, who prescribed various antihistamines, shampoos, sprays, and a food elimination diet–none of which worked. “Steroids were successful,” says Mathews, “but I didn’t want to keep her on them because of the long-term side effects.” Mathews also “wanted to get to the root of the problem” so that the allergic substances could be avoided if possible.
Through skin testing, Jeffers determined that Nora had atopic and contact allergies and was allergic to dozens of substances, including pollens, molds, dust mites, grass, cotton, and wool.
Treating Allergies in Pets
Although allergies can’t be cured, they can be controlled by avoiding the allergens, treating the symptoms, or desensitizing the pet. In Nora’s case, all three methods are used.
Fleas, food ingredients, and some substances that trigger contact allergies may be avoidable, but “with atopic allergies, avoidance is virtually impossible,” says Jeffers.
Drug products are available to relieve the symptoms of itchiness and inflammation in pets. Like any drugs designed for animals, these products must obtain FDA approval before they can be marketed by meeting rigorous scientific standards similar to those for human drugs.
The FDA approved two itch-relieving drugs in 2003: Atopica (cyclosporine) for controlling atopic dermatitis in dogs weighing at least four pounds, and Genesis Topical Spray (triamcinolone) for controlling itching related to allergic dermatitis in dogs. Atopica, a product of Novartis Animal Health US Inc. of Greensboro, N.C., is a capsule given orally. It works by inhibiting specific immune cells from reacting to allergens, and can be given as a lifelong treatment. Genesis, made by RMS Laboratories Inc. of Vidalia, Ga., is a steroid spray that is applied to a dog’s skin for up to 28 days. Both of these drugs must be prescribed by a veterinarian.
The FDA has approved other steroid products for short-term use in dogs and cats to relieve inflammation and itching. Long-term steroid use is discouraged because these drugs work by suppressing the immune system; this suppressant action over time can leave an animal vulnerable to infection, diabetes, and other conditions.
Veterinarians often prescribe antihistamines approved by the FDA for humans to relieve itchiness in pets. Under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA), veterinarians may legally treat dogs and cats with drugs that have been approved for people but not for animals. Pet owners should check with their veterinarians before giving a pet any human medications, including over-the-counter antihistamines.
“If we can control the allergies through medication for occasional flare-ups, antihistamines and steroids are useful,” says Troutman. But if these medications are needed continuously to provide relief, Troutman recommends seeking other options, such as immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is a treatment that stimulates the immune system to decrease the body’s reaction to allergens. Similar to people with allergies, animals can be given immunotherapy, or desensitization injections. These “allergy shots” contain small amounts, or extracts, of the substances that the animal is allergic to, based on the results of skin testing. The owner gives the shots to the pet at home, usually in the scruff of the neck. The extracts used for allergy testing and treatment in veterinary practices are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics.
Somewhere between 50 percent and 70 percent of dogs and 75 percent to 80 percent of cats respond to immunotherapy, depending upon the study reported, says Morris. “Occasionally, it is so effective that the animal is normal without other treatments,” he says, but the majority require medications in addition to the injections. The injections are usually given every 7 to 21 days, depending on the pet’s response, says Morris. And rarely does an animal become permanently desensitized so that the injections can be stopped.
Nora gets a weekly injection. Mathews also gives her Atopica and, when the pollen count is up, an over-the-counter antihistamine. Mathews has placed synthetic blankets around the house for Nora to lie on, since the dog is allergic to cotton and wool in the furniture and carpeting. Nora also has a vinyl bed to lie on in the yard, since she’s allergic to grass. This allergy management program helps keep the 18-month-old dog comfortable. “She still has periods of scratching,” says Mathews, but “she’s not biting herself as much and she’s sleeping at night.” Mathews reports that her other dog, Nora’s littermate Nick, is allergy-free.
Allergies in pets are neither preventable nor foreseeable, says Morris. “You can have one puppy out of a litter of 10 with allergic skin disease, or it can skip generations. We can’t possibly predict it,” he says, even if you have a pet examined by a vet at a very young age.
Pet Food: To Switch or Not to Switch?
Most experts agree that changing foods periodically will not keep a pet from becoming allergic to certain ingredients.
“If you’re genetically predisposed to develop an allergy to something you eat, it will occur,” regardless of switching foods periodically, says Daniel O. Morris, D.V.M., chief of staff of the veterinary hospital at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Morris advises against changing food ingredients at least for the first year or two of a pet’s life. “I see dogs, especially, developing food allergies at very early ages,” he says, adding that it’s not a good idea to expose young animals to many different ingredients.
“The gut lining in the intestinal tract is not fully formed,” says Morris. “The theory is that it allows food proteins larger than appropriate to be absorbed.” These food proteins react with the immune system, causing an allergic response.
If you know your pet has allergies to certain food ingredients, read the food label carefully to avoid those ingredients, Morris says. The front of a can or bag of food may state one or two main ingredients, but the label will list a number of others as well. “Changing brands does not necessarily mean you’re changing ingredients,” he adds
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=86 0 Bird Questions and Answers http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=84 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=84#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:33:15 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=84 Bird Questions and Answers
Q: What diet should I feed my (macaw, cockatoo, amazon, cockatiel, etc.)?
A: The diet you should use for your bird is usually more dependent on its age and physical condition than it is on its species. For example, most baby birds need to be fed a diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. With few exceptions, Psittacines will grow well when fed our Formula 3 Handfeeding diet. For 1-3 months post weaning, feed one of our Breeder diets to help them get the extra protein, vitamins, and minerals needed during this growth phase. If your bird is overweight, you might want to consider feeding our Low-Fat diet. This condition is more common in Amazon Parrots than it is in most other groups of birds. In general, adult Psittacine birds should be fed Roudybush Maintenance diet. This diet has shown to do an excellent job of maintaining normal adult Psittacines.
Q: How much and how often should I feed my bird?
A: The short answer here is that they should have feed available all the time. They will regulate how much they should eat without the need for you to intervene. The exception to this is the time when you are trying to reduce the weight of your bird. In this case some restriction may be needed. You may want to feed your bird only once a day, and then feed only about three quarters to two thirds of the feed it would normally eat in a day.
Q: I am trying to change my bird’s diet to Roudybush. How can I tell if he’s eating the pellets or just grinding them in his beak? I don’t have a scale to weigh him.
A: The best way to tell whether a bird is eating a new food, and you can’t weigh him, is to examine his droppings. If the droppings have not decreased in volume and have not turned light green, it is likely that the bird is eating the new food. If the droppings turn light green and then over time turn a darker green, your bird is starving and needs access to its familiar food before you try converting him again.
Q: I’ve noticed that my birds droppings have changed color, consistency, and frequency since I changed him from seed. Is this normal?
A: It is normal for a change in diet to result in a change in the color, consistency, and frequency of droppings. You must differentiate between droppings that indicate that your bird is eating our pellets or not eating at all. When birds are converted to Roudybush pellets, they begin to have droppings that are light tan in color with an increase in volume. If the droppings turn light green and then over time turn a dark green, your bird is starving and needs to have access to its familiar food before you try the conversion process again.
Q: Will the Rice Diet stop my bird from feather plucking?
A: Whether or not a bird will respond to the Rice Diet can only be determined by a feeding trial. If your bird is only feather plucking because it is allergic to a food item, it may respond to the Rice Diet. If it has other allergies, behavioral issues, or other undiagnosed causes, then it may not stop.
Q: What types of birds is the Rice Diet intended for?
A: It is intended for granivorous (grain eating) birds, primarily Psittacines and a variety of Passerines.
Q: What is a squab, and how does nutrition differ for them?
A: A squab is an unfledged pigeon or dove. Pigeons and other Columbiformes are a little different from other species of birds. When parents are feeding chicks they produce a substance called “crop milk”. This is a material that is shed directly from the crop walls and is high in fat and protein. The chick’s need for this material decreases over time and eventually disappears. At this time, their nutritional requirements are similar to those of parrots. Our Squab Diet is formulated to replace the “crop milk”, and gradually be replaced by Formula 3.
Q: Should I feed pellets with Lory Diet?
A: Lories do very well on the maintenance diet. In fact, feeding this diet with the Lory Nectar will result in drier, easier to clean-up droppings making lories all that much more pleasant to live with. You can also offer the Lory Nectar as a dry powder to further help make the droppings drier.
Q: What size pellets do Lories, pigeons, & doves eat?
A: There is some degree of size difference among different species of birds, so these recommendations are generalizations. If you have an unusually small species then pick a smaller size pellet. Also keep in mind that the smaller the size pellet the bird eats, the less waste and the less mess it will make. As a generalization, most species of doves and pigeons do well with the Crumble size pellets. Lories do well on Small pellets, and Lorikeets do well on Mini size pellets.
Web Site Disclaimer:
This site is designed for informational and educational purposes only. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand.com does not warrant that the information is in every respect accurate. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comandand sub domains are not responsible for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies on its site or the results obtained from use of the information provided herein. Web site users are always encouraged to check and confirm the information with other sources and through direct professional contact.
Copyright © 1996-2009 www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand others as noted.
Bird Questions and Answers
Q: What diet should I feed my (macaw, cockatoo, amazon, cockatiel, etc.)?
A: The diet you should use for your bird is usually more dependent on its age and physical condition than it is on its species. For example, most baby birds need to be fed a diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. With few exceptions, Psittacines will grow well when fed our Formula 3 Handfeeding diet. For 1-3 months post weaning, feed one of our Breeder diets to help them get the extra protein, vitamins, and minerals needed during this growth phase. If your bird is overweight, you might want to consider feeding our Low-Fat diet. This condition is more common in Amazon Parrots than it is in most other groups of birds. In general, adult Psittacine birds should be fed Roudybush Maintenance diet. This diet has shown to do an excellent job of maintaining normal adult Psittacines.
Q: How much and how often should I feed my bird?
A: The short answer here is that they should have feed available all the time. They will regulate how much they should eat without the need for you to intervene. The exception to this is the time when you are trying to reduce the weight of your bird. In this case some restriction may be needed. You may want to feed your bird only once a day, and then feed only about three quarters to two thirds of the feed it would normally eat in a day.
Q: I am trying to change my bird’s diet to Roudybush. How can I tell if he’s eating the pellets or just grinding them in his beak? I don’t have a scale to weigh him.
A: The best way to tell whether a bird is eating a new food, and you can’t weigh him, is to examine his droppings. If the droppings have not decreased in volume and have not turned light green, it is likely that the bird is eating the new food. If the droppings turn light green and then over time turn a darker green, your bird is starving and needs access to its familiar food before you try converting him again.
Q: I’ve noticed that my birds droppings have changed color, consistency, and frequency since I changed him from seed. Is this normal?
A: It is normal for a change in diet to result in a change in the color, consistency, and frequency of droppings. You must differentiate between droppings that indicate that your bird is eating our pellets or not eating at all. When birds are converted to Roudybush pellets, they begin to have droppings that are light tan in color with an increase in volume. If the droppings turn light green and then over time turn a dark green, your bird is starving and needs to have access to its familiar food before you try the conversion process again.
Q: Will the Rice Diet stop my bird from feather plucking?
A: Whether or not a bird will respond to the Rice Diet can only be determined by a feeding trial. If your bird is only feather plucking because it is allergic to a food item, it may respond to the Rice Diet. If it has other allergies, behavioral issues, or other undiagnosed causes, then it may not stop.
Q: What types of birds is the Rice Diet intended for?
A: It is intended for granivorous (grain eating) birds, primarily Psittacines and a variety of Passerines.
Q: What is a squab, and how does nutrition differ for them?
A: A squab is an unfledged pigeon or dove. Pigeons and other Columbiformes are a little different from other species of birds. When parents are feeding chicks they produce a substance called “crop milk”. This is a material that is shed directly from the crop walls and is high in fat and protein. The chick’s need for this material decreases over time and eventually disappears. At this time, their nutritional requirements are similar to those of parrots. Our Squab Diet is formulated to replace the “crop milk”, and gradually be replaced by Formula 3.
Q: Should I feed pellets with Lory Diet?
A: Lories do very well on the maintenance diet. In fact, feeding this diet with the Lory Nectar will result in drier, easier to clean-up droppings making lories all that much more pleasant to live with. You can also offer the Lory Nectar as a dry powder to further help make the droppings drier.
Q: What size pellets do Lories, pigeons, & doves eat?
A: There is some degree of size difference among different species of birds, so these recommendations are generalizations. If you have an unusually small species then pick a smaller size pellet. Also keep in mind that the smaller the size pellet the bird eats, the less waste and the less mess it will make. As a generalization, most species of doves and pigeons do well with the Crumble size pellets. Lories do well on Small pellets, and Lorikeets do well on Mini size pellets.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=84 0 Seeds V. Pellets http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=81 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=81#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:28:26 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=81 From Roudybush web site,
I feed all of my birds Roudybush and I Love it and so do they your bird will need nothing but clean water and Roudybush pellets to live a long healthy life
INTRODUCING BIRDS TO PELLETS OR CRUMBLES
One of the most common questions we receive is simply: “How do I get my pet bird to switch from it’s current food, to a more healthy diet of Roudybush?” There are several answers to this question:
INTRODUCING BIRDS TO PELLETS OR CRUMBLES: Most birds are creatures of habit and will choose foods that look most familiar to them. Converting your bird to Roudybush is mainly a matter of convincing your bird that it is food. There are several methods that can be used; choose the one that is most appropriate for your bird. The most important factor in switching your bird to Roudybush is your determination that it will eat a nutritious, balanced diet. Your bird may initially act as if it does not like the Roudybush, but imagine a child that you are trying to convert from a diet of snack foods, candy and ice cream to a lower fat, healthy diet; it is a similar situation. Once your bird makes the transition you will find that it enthusiastically eats Roudybush.
1) Instinctual. The instinctual method can be used with a healthy bird that you can only monitor irregularly. It takes advantage of your parrot’s instinct to eat at the highest location possible. It allows your bird access to its normal food while providing you the opportunity to know exactly what food it is eating. Place the bird’s familiar dish in a low part of its cage. Put your bird’s old food in this dish. Fill a similar dish with Roudybush pellets and place it in a higher part of the cage and be sure to place all water sources near this dish. Since the bird prefers eating from the higher dish, it will try the new food and start eating it. Eventually, Roudybush pellets will be the main food eaten by your bird. When the amount of food disappearing from the bottom dish is reduced to less than 10% of the food disappearing from the higher dish, try removing the lower dish from the cage. After removal of the lower dish, monitor your bird to be sure it is eating as described in 2 below.
2) Controlled. This method may be used with a very finicky, difficult to switch bird that is starting out at a good weight. It is generally the quickest, easiest method for switching most birds. Do not use this method on a thin bird, sick bird, or a bird you cannot monitor. Remove the old food and replace it with Roudybush. Clean the cage at the time of the switch and line it with paper. Do not use corncob or other litter because you won’t be able to monitor the droppings well. Watch your bird’s droppings or weigh your bird daily. When a bird isn’t eating, the droppings will be very small and the green part will be very dark green, almost black. Or you may see a lot of urine (liquid) but almost no green part, which means your bird is filling up on water and not eating much. Give nothing but Roudybush for two full days for small species or three days for larger species. If at the end of this period your bird’s droppings indicate it isn’t eating, put your bird back on its old diet for 7 days, and then repeat the switching process. Most birds will convert the first time, and those that won’t switch the first time usually switch the second time. If you can weigh your bird, keep your bird on Roudybush unless it loses more than 3% of its body weight. At that point, put your bird back on its old diet for one week then repeat the switch process, weighing your bird at the start of the switch. Disappearance of food from the dish is not a realiable way of determining if your bird is eating. Most birds will spill the new food out of the dish, looking for familiar foods.
3) Gradual Introduction. This method is best for a bird that is likely to try new foods or a bird that cannot be monitored carefully. Mix the Roudybush into your bird’s normal diet, 3/4 of the original diet with 1/4 of the Roudybush pellets or crumbles. Gradually increase the proportion of Roudybush over a 3-4 week period.When you have reached the point where 3/4 of the diet is Roudybush, clean your bird’s cage and line it with paper. Watch the droppings to make sure your bird is eating. Small, very dark droppings indicate that your bird is not eating. If that is the case, add back more of your bird’s old diet until the droppings return to normal. Continue increasing the proportion of Roudybush more slowly, watching the droppings.
4) Handfeed as a treat. Some birds will eat almost anything they think you are eating. Act as if you are eating the Roudybush then offer some to your bird. This can be sufficient to teach your bird that Roudybush is food. Then the old food can be replaced with Roudybush. Again, watch the droppings when you make the complete switch.
5) Soak the Roudybush in juice. Some birds like moist foods and like certain fruits or fruit juices. Putting a bowl of pellets soaked in orange juice, apple juice, or fruit nectars may entice such a bird to eat the pellets. If this method is used make sure you only leave the soaked pellets in the cage for an hour or so to prevent spoilage. Once the bird is eating the soaked pellets, gradually decrease the amount of juice.
Web Site Disclaimer:
This site is designed for informational and educational purposes only. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand.com does not warrant that the information is in every respect accurate. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comandand sub domains are not responsible for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies on its site or the results obtained from use of the information provided herein. Web site users are always encouraged to check and confirm the information with other sources and through direct professional contact.
Copyright © 1996-2009 www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand others as noted.
I feed all of my birds Roudybush and I Love it and so do they your bird will need nothing but clean water and Roudybush pellets to live a long healthy life
INTRODUCING BIRDS TO PELLETS OR CRUMBLES
One of the most common questions we receive is simply: “How do I get my pet bird to switch from it’s current food, to a more healthy diet of Roudybush?” There are several answers to this question:
INTRODUCING BIRDS TO PELLETS OR CRUMBLES: Most birds are creatures of habit and will choose foods that look most familiar to them. Converting your bird to Roudybush is mainly a matter of convincing your bird that it is food. There are several methods that can be used; choose the one that is most appropriate for your bird. The most important factor in switching your bird to Roudybush is your determination that it will eat a nutritious, balanced diet. Your bird may initially act as if it does not like the Roudybush, but imagine a child that you are trying to convert from a diet of snack foods, candy and ice cream to a lower fat, healthy diet; it is a similar situation. Once your bird makes the transition you will find that it enthusiastically eats Roudybush.
1) Instinctual. The instinctual method can be used with a healthy bird that you can only monitor irregularly. It takes advantage of your parrot’s instinct to eat at the highest location possible. It allows your bird access to its normal food while providing you the opportunity to know exactly what food it is eating. Place the bird’s familiar dish in a low part of its cage. Put your bird’s old food in this dish. Fill a similar dish with Roudybush pellets and place it in a higher part of the cage and be sure to place all water sources near this dish. Since the bird prefers eating from the higher dish, it will try the new food and start eating it. Eventually, Roudybush pellets will be the main food eaten by your bird. When the amount of food disappearing from the bottom dish is reduced to less than 10% of the food disappearing from the higher dish, try removing the lower dish from the cage. After removal of the lower dish, monitor your bird to be sure it is eating as described in 2 below.
2) Controlled. This method may be used with a very finicky, difficult to switch bird that is starting out at a good weight. It is generally the quickest, easiest method for switching most birds. Do not use this method on a thin bird, sick bird, or a bird you cannot monitor. Remove the old food and replace it with Roudybush. Clean the cage at the time of the switch and line it with paper. Do not use corncob or other litter because you won’t be able to monitor the droppings well. Watch your bird’s droppings or weigh your bird daily. When a bird isn’t eating, the droppings will be very small and the green part will be very dark green, almost black. Or you may see a lot of urine (liquid) but almost no green part, which means your bird is filling up on water and not eating much. Give nothing but Roudybush for two full days for small species or three days for larger species. If at the end of this period your bird’s droppings indicate it isn’t eating, put your bird back on its old diet for 7 days, and then repeat the switching process. Most birds will convert the first time, and those that won’t switch the first time usually switch the second time. If you can weigh your bird, keep your bird on Roudybush unless it loses more than 3% of its body weight. At that point, put your bird back on its old diet for one week then repeat the switch process, weighing your bird at the start of the switch. Disappearance of food from the dish is not a realiable way of determining if your bird is eating. Most birds will spill the new food out of the dish, looking for familiar foods.
3) Gradual Introduction. This method is best for a bird that is likely to try new foods or a bird that cannot be monitored carefully. Mix the Roudybush into your bird’s normal diet, 3/4 of the original diet with 1/4 of the Roudybush pellets or crumbles. Gradually increase the proportion of Roudybush over a 3-4 week period.When you have reached the point where 3/4 of the diet is Roudybush, clean your bird’s cage and line it with paper. Watch the droppings to make sure your bird is eating. Small, very dark droppings indicate that your bird is not eating. If that is the case, add back more of your bird’s old diet until the droppings return to normal. Continue increasing the proportion of Roudybush more slowly, watching the droppings.
4) Handfeed as a treat. Some birds will eat almost anything they think you are eating. Act as if you are eating the Roudybush then offer some to your bird. This can be sufficient to teach your bird that Roudybush is food. Then the old food can be replaced with Roudybush. Again, watch the droppings when you make the complete switch.
5) Soak the Roudybush in juice. Some birds like moist foods and like certain fruits or fruit juices. Putting a bowl of pellets soaked in orange juice, apple juice, or fruit nectars may entice such a bird to eat the pellets. If this method is used make sure you only leave the soaked pellets in the cage for an hour or so to prevent spoilage. Once the bird is eating the soaked pellets, gradually decrease the amount of juice.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=81 0 Fresh Fruits http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=79 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=79#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:25:09 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=79 Fresh Fruits

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

When you’re grocery shopping, it’s easy to find labels and pick foods that help you reduce cholesterol and saturated fat, avoid antibiotics, or steer clear of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. But when it comes to pesticides, consumers have been left in the dark. Now there’s help.

The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce lists the 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables that are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides and those 12 fruits and vegetables that consistently have low levels of pesticides. If you are concerned about pesticides in your diet, the handy wallet card can help you choose produce that lowers exposure to pesticides for you and your family.

For the most contaminated items, we suggest substituting organically grown produce whenever possible. When this is not an option, we still recommend eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables but use this guide to buy those that typically have fewer pesticides.

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

There is growing concern in the scientific community regarding the subtle ways in which small doses of pesticides affect people, especially during critical periods of fetal development and childhood when they can have long lasting adverse effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers would be wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.Will Washing and Peeling Help?

Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it does not eliminate them. Peeling reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Highest in Pesticides

These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides — buy these organic.

• Apples

• Bell Peppers

• Celery

• Cherries

• Grapes (imported)

• Nectarines

• Peaches

• Pears

• Potatoes

• Red Raspberries

• Spinach

• Strawberries

Lowest in Pesticides

These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest levels of pesticides.

• Asparagus

• Avocados

• Bananas

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Corn (sweet)

• Kiwi

• Mangos

• Onions

• Papaya

• Pineapples

• Peas (sweet)

]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=79 0 Vinegar–An All-Purpose Wonder! http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=77 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=77#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:22:19 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=77 Vinegar–An All-Purpose Wonder!
1. Kill grass on walks and driveways. Pour full strength on unwanted grass.
2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on tops of weeds. Reapply on any newgrowth until plants have starved.
3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water areas, add a cup of vinegar to agallon of tap water for watering acid loving plants likerhododendrums,gardenias, or azaleas. The vinegar will release iron in thesoil for the plants to use.
4. Neutralize garden lime. Rinse your hands liberally with vinegar after working with garden lime to avoid rough and flaking skin. Clean pots before repotting, rinse with vinegar to remove excess lime.
5. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around door and window frames, under appliances, and along other known ant trails.
6. Keep car windows frost free. Coat the windows the night before with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water.
7. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength with a soft cloth.
8. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with vinegar.
9. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on an area to discourage cats from walking,sleeping,or scratching on it.
10. Keep dogs from scratching ears. Clean the inside of the ears with a soft cloth dipped in diluted vinegar.
12. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Add cider vinegar to their drinking water.
13. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar overnight.
14. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in a quart of cold water and a tablespoon of vinegar.
15. Replace a lemon. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon of vinegar for 1 teaspoon oflemon juice.
16. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to each quart of water before boiling eggs, keeps them from cracking.
17. Prepare fluffier rice. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water when itboils.
18. Debug fresh vegetables. Wash leafy greens in water with vinegar and salt. Bugs float off.
19. Scale fish more easily. Rub with vinegar 5 minutes before scaling.
20. Dampen your appetite. Sprinkle a little vinegar on prepared food to take the edge off your appetite.
21. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Douse with vinegar. Will soothe irritation and relieve itching.
22. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white or cider vinegar on skin. Reapply as needed.
23. Conditions hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to your rinse to dissolvesticky residue left by shampoo.
24. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to your bathwater.
25. Fight dandruff. After shampooing, rinse with a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
26. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water.Gargle, then swallow. For another great gargle: 1 c. hot water, 2 tbsp.honey, 1 tbsp. vinegar, gargle then drink.
27. Clear up warts. Apply a lotion of half cider vinegar and half glycerin.
28. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
29. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with abit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and giveyou an overall healthy feeling.
30. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
31. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing.
32. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar.
33. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.
34. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.
35. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipeaway the grime.
36. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.
37. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
38. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
39. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through a minute.
40. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.
41. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
42. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth.
43. Clean china and fine glassware. Add acup of vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry.
44. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons ofvinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away.
45. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup ofwater in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
46. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar.
47. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.
48. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron’s water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright postion. Then uplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
49. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a smallpan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.
50. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
51. Keep colors from running. Immerse clothes in full strength vinegar before washing.
52. Freshen up the washing machine. Periodically, pour a cup of vinegar in the machine and let in run through a regular cycle (no clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue.
53. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
54. Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.
55. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual.
56. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hotwater. Hang clothes above the steam.
57. Remove decals. Brush with a couple coats of vinegar. Allow to soak in.Wash off.
58. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.
59. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.
60. Make buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes to thicken.
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Vinegar–An All-Purpose Wonder!
1. Kill grass on walks and driveways. Pour full strength on unwanted grass.
2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on tops of weeds. Reapply on any newgrowth until plants have starved.
3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water areas, add a cup of vinegar to agallon of tap water for watering acid loving plants likerhododendrums,gardenias, or azaleas. The vinegar will release iron in thesoil for the plants to use.
4. Neutralize garden lime. Rinse your hands liberally with vinegar after working with garden lime to avoid rough and flaking skin. Clean pots before repotting, rinse with vinegar to remove excess lime.
5. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around door and window frames, under appliances, and along other known ant trails.
6. Keep car windows frost free. Coat the windows the night before with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water.
7. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength with a soft cloth.
8. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with vinegar.
9. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on an area to discourage cats from walking,sleeping,or scratching on it.
10. Keep dogs from scratching ears. Clean the inside of the ears with a soft cloth dipped in diluted vinegar.
12. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Add cider vinegar to their drinking water.
13. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar overnight.
14. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in a quart of cold water and a tablespoon of vinegar.
15. Replace a lemon. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon of vinegar for 1 teaspoon oflemon juice.
16. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to each quart of water before boiling eggs, keeps them from cracking.
17. Prepare fluffier rice. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water when itboils.
18. Debug fresh vegetables. Wash leafy greens in water with vinegar and salt. Bugs float off.
19. Scale fish more easily. Rub with vinegar 5 minutes before scaling.
20. Dampen your appetite. Sprinkle a little vinegar on prepared food to take the edge off your appetite.
21. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Douse with vinegar. Will soothe irritation and relieve itching.
22. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white or cider vinegar on skin. Reapply as needed.
23. Conditions hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to your rinse to dissolvesticky residue left by shampoo.
24. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to your bathwater.
25. Fight dandruff. After shampooing, rinse with a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
26. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water.Gargle, then swallow. For another great gargle: 1 c. hot water, 2 tbsp.honey, 1 tbsp. vinegar, gargle then drink.
27. Clear up warts. Apply a lotion of half cider vinegar and half glycerin.
28. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
29. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with abit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and giveyou an overall healthy feeling.
30. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
31. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing.
32. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar.
33. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.
34. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.
35. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipeaway the grime.
36. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.
37. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
38. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
39. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through a minute.
40. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.
41. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
42. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth.
43. Clean china and fine glassware. Add acup of vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry.
44. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons ofvinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away.
45. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup ofwater in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
46. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar.
47. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.
48. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron’s water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright postion. Then uplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
49. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a smallpan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.
50. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
51. Keep colors from running. Immerse clothes in full strength vinegar before washing.
52. Freshen up the washing machine. Periodically, pour a cup of vinegar in the machine and let in run through a regular cycle (no clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue.
53. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
54. Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.
55. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual.
56. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hotwater. Hang clothes above the steam.
57. Remove decals. Brush with a couple coats of vinegar. Allow to soak in.Wash off.
58. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.
59. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.
60. Make buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes to thicken.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=77 0 Warnings To Keep Your Bird Safe http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=75 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=75#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:19:56 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=75 Warnings To Keep Your Bird Safe
[We are dedicated to helping companion birds have a safer, healthier, and happier life. We take all warnings seriously. We realize that many of them may not be totally accurate. It is our policy that it is better to be safe than sorry. For that reason we will list all warnings we receive. It is up to you to determine if the product is actually safe. It would probably make good sense not to use the product until you make that determination. That is what we are going to do.
[Little Critter died today. . . . It is hard to write this through the tears. And the tragedy is there was nothing we could have done to save this little sweet bird because, you see, he wasn't our bird. He died from something that is causing more little innocent, precious, loving birds to die every day than all the other warnings on this page put together. He died of neglect.
Please, if you have a bird suffering from this or know of one who is please do something. Open yourself or that bird's family to the wonder of birds.
Neglect shows up in many ways. A bird confined to his or her cage for a lifetime is neglect. There comes a moment when he or she will not even leave the cage when the door is opened. The little creature has become so broken that the only security left is that small confined space. A bird needs exercise, the opportunity to explore, and contact with other loving beings.
Then there is neglect in diet. A bird whose diet consists of seeds and water will not be a healthy bird, have no chance to develop to his or her full potential, and his or her life will be drastically reduced. A sick bird who isn't taken to a bird vet because the people in the house (we usually refer to them as his family, but not in this case) don't recognize he is sick or don't want to spend the money, is slowly and painfully dying of neglect.
And lastly the one neglect that if resolved would solve all the rest . . . love. A bird just like a child must be able to give and receive love. With love they blossom into caring, loving, aware, intelligent, awesome little beings. Without it they die. Maybe not right away, but a little bit every day.
There is one good thing that came out of Little Critter's death (that's not his real name, the people in the house just treated him like a colorful plant and never even gave him one), at least he is out of his misery. --]
Metal in Candle Wicks are toxic says Aimee Any kind of a candle with a metal wick, including all candles in glass, give off either lead or zinc fumes which are dangerous to children and birds. Common cause has some info on it on their site. My grey had an elevated zinc level and has a picking problem; didn’t know why. After the news did a feature on the dangers of these candles to children, now I do! Check candles and see if it has a little wire in it. If it does then it makes a huge amount of zinc or lead airborne which is inhaled, or then settles as dust to be ingested.
Thanks for all your tips. Lost a dear cockatiel to an avocado, and a wonderful amazon most probably to a gas leak.
Barbara wrote in about Toys and Parakeets 1. Ladder (plastic) too close together, parakeets can’t get their body through. 2. Ladder (wood) glued together, it can get loose. 3. Mirror has wire, discard it. 4. Plastic perch with small beads, can choke or swallow them, throw it away, don’t buy it. 5. Mirror with cup, don’t put it together, parakeet can put his leg around and see another bird, and injure himself. 6. There are toys out there, but you need to look and see if they will not harm your special guys, or do what I did, I go to party stores, look for bracelets, and special hearts that can be hung, for swings, go to the toy store, buy little cars, my two parakeets love their special toys, I made for them. We buy toys for our children, and see that their ages match with toys, why can’t we check out the toys for parakeets and other birds. Thank You for letting me, get this out to all of you.
Avocado & Chocolate
“I’ve just lost my beloved Umbrella Cockatoo, Caesar, to what is suspected to be avocado poisoning.” [We are devastated by the loss of Caesar and we hope that we all learn from this tragic situation. Do not allow your birds to even get close to an avocado. They may take a bite without you knowing it. Also don't allow them to eat chocolate. They are both toxic to birds. This warning is dedicated to Caesar.]
Toys with rings I want to share with you what happened yesterday. We were horrified and shocked to find one of our cockatiels had hung himself on a toy. It is one that has the key ring on the top that you use to connect it to the cage. We never dreamed that a cockatiel could get their head through that little ring, but we learned the hard way they can. My little Wyatt is dead because I took for granted that his toy was safe. I want all my friends to realize that we should never take for granted that manufacturers have all the facts about what they produce. Doni and I are taking every toy with a ring and replacing it with something else. We realize this is a freak accident, BUT, if it can happen to one…..
By the way, I bought the toy from Pet Warehouse’s catalog. I’ve bought lots of them, all labeled for cockatiels. Hope you share this information and maybe we can prevent another tragedy. Dani
Moth Balls We have been told by a couple of Bird Vets not to use Moth Balls in your house if you have birds.
House Plant Product Warning Earl warns: I have such faith in my parrots’ ability to recognize things they can and can’t eat that I want to warn people concerning house plants, that the problem may not be the plant itself, but pesticides and other chemicals that are applied to them. I was in the wholesale orchid business for almost 20 years and did use various chemicals in the controled environment of the greenhouse — fertilizers, mineral retardents like copper sprays, sterilizing agents, fungicides and bactericides — all of which have a certain period before the toxins degrade and change into less harmful substances. Some — which I did NOT use — persist over long periods of time and are very toxic to wildlife and carry label warnings concerning birds and fish. Sometimes plants are purchased after having been treated and other times a homeowner will treat the plant themselves without reading the product label. While some products are applied to and remain on the plant surface, others are systemic and remain in the plant tissue for specific periods of time.
Cage Bedding Only use paper on the bottom of the birdcages. Almost everything sold over the counter as bedding, can be harmful one way or another for the birds. Birds have died from ingesting the corncob bedding and other materials used as flooring for the cage. Cedar is never to be used for anything.
Teflon and all Non Stick Utensils and Appliances: If a non stick surface overheats it sends out toxic fumes that are fatal to birds. This means if you accidentally leave a non stick pan on the stove and it overheats your bird is dead. It doesn’t matter if the bird is in another room. If you can smell cooking in that room, then he will get the fumes. According to vets, they suffocate over a one or two hour period of time and it is heart wrenching to watch. There is no way to reverse the process once it begins. It just isn’t worth it.
Also be aware that other products can contain Teflon, like some DRYERS, (even HAIR DRYERS), SPACE HEATERS, IN-DOOR BARBECUES, GRILLS, WAFFLE IRONS, IRONS, SELF-CLEANING OVENS (someone wrote in to Ann Landers, according to a reader Elizabeth, that she had lost all her canaries due to her self-cleaning oven) etc. Some space heaters even use a Teflon coating that burns off during the first few uses. We always run a new space heater in the garage (there is no door to the house) for a day or so before using in the house. We also have reports that the same advice goes for new furnaces. Run the furnace for a day or two without the birds in the house to burn off the Teflon coating.
More Teflon coated products are coming on the market constantly so be diligent about this danger. If you buy something that heats up, ask yourself “Does this product contain Teflon” then check it out. There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to the life of your birds.
Don’t forget about other people doing work in your house. Here’s a very sad story from Michelle: In April we had a small piece of carpet cut out and replaced in the living room. I notified the repair man that I have birds in my house and cannot have any fumes, teflon used in my home. I have a amazon and a moluccan cockatoo. They assured me that there were no fumes or toxic material being used. 4 hours later my moluccan Roxy started to throw up, we rushed her to an emergency 24 hr. vet who didn’t know a thing about birds. She gave her a injection of antibiotic and she soon after went into respiratory distress and died at 1:15 am. We did not do a necropsy on her. I found out the next day they had used carpet glue and a Teflon iron to repair the carpet. Even though I took Roxy upstairs to another room while the work was being done she died anyway. A part of us died too that night. I’ll never know for sure exactly what she died from but I believe this was the cause. Many people have asked my then why is my amazon OK? I don’t really know. Let everyone know you cannot trust workers in your house, they don’t know what they are using in your house and they know less about parrots!!! Consider turning off all vents (air circulation devices like a furnace) and putting towels at the bottom of the door to your bird’s room if there is any remote possibility of toxic fumes. Of course removing the bird for 48 hours is best and there should be absolutely no bad smell when the bird returns.]
New Clorox unsafe for pets according to an email from a Vet. [Since this came out new information as come to light. Have you noticed that Clorox has changed? It's now Ultra Clorox and should be avoided at all costs. It took me weeks to get Clorox to respond to my query and then I found this Clorox Bleach, long a favorite with pet owners/animal workers-businesses for its simple chlorite (5.25% sodium hypochlorite with "inert ingredients") changed its formulation. New CLOROX ULTRA is sodium hypochlorite AND sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is one of the ingredients of LYE. It was added to make bleach work faster. While lye is used in making basic soaps, it is also very difficult to rinse off surfaces. DO NOT USE ULTRA CLOROX around pets (or children)! Do not use Ultra Clorox to disinfect floors, kennel runs, carriers/crates, litter boxes or feeding/water dishes! Because felines groom their paws, it is dangerous to cats. This is a warning to ALWAYS check labels on any "new & improved" product labels. Safeway brand Ultra Bleach DOES NOT contain any lye & is simply a stronger version of sodium hypochloride (simple bleach), with additional chemicals.
Check for Ethanol alcohol in your spray products. Jane warns: Ethanol (alcohol) in any form is fatal to birds and most household products and toiletries contain this. I just use a damp cloth now to dust, all spray deodorants are banned, and the moths and flies now get swatted. I think all these companies should be made aware of the lethal potential of using alcohol in products which causes neurological as well as biliary disorders in pet birds. I got the info from the internet where research has been done.
Herpes in Quakers Duffy wants Quaker owners to know: I am currently dealing with a Quaker (Joker) who has Herpes, which lies dormat in Quakers until under great stress or injury. Joker broke his leg Thanksgiving which kicked in the herpes, which in turn started the mutulating. I hope this helps a few people knowing that herpes can be a cause of self mutulation. If nothing else you can have your vets check for this possibility in your feathered loved ones.
Onions may not be good for birds Michelle reports that onions are poisonous to dogs, and the talk amongst breeders and bird clubs is that onions are also poisonous to birds. When ingested they interact with digestive juices and release a toxic chemical. My bird club is now warning people not to feed their birds onions for this reason. They say a little piece now and then (whew! in my case) isn't harmful, but a steady diet may result in poisoning, and it's difficult for the vet to detect from tests what the problem would be.
Leg Band Dangerous Jackie wrote in to say: My greenwing macaw, Bruno, bent his leg band so bad it was stopping the circulation. If I hadn't acted quickly it could have ended tragically. [We have received many stories about birds dying as a result of hanging from their leg band. Consider removing the leg band. We were surprised how easy it was to do by our Vet and it sure saved us a lot of worry over the years because as with kids you never know what stunts they are going to pull.
Febreze now says they have removed the zinc chloride from their product and it is now safe around birds. They do say not to spray with the bird in the room. We have also had reports that the fragrance may also be harmful. What concerns us most about all products when they say they are safe around birds, but to remove the bird from the room while it is being used, is that the manufacturer assumes that the bird remains in the cage. Since we know they don't and are into everything--our clothes, furniture, drapes, etc.--we worry about what may happen if the bird ingests the product after the fact. This is a general comment and not specific to Febreze.
Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh carpet deodorizer We got this message: "My cockatiel died after I used it. Company admitted it's not recommended for use around birds. They said they didn't need to put a warning on the product. I'm just broken hearted, and her mate is just lost without her. Loretta"
Warning about OFF Insect repellent! I wanted to let people know of an experience I recently had. Last week a friend came over to hold a Bourke (Bourke's Grass Parakeet from Australia) she is planning to buy. She washed her hands like always. In less then 5 minutes he was having a seizure. I called a friend and after looking and answering questions it was realized that it was from the OFF Insect repellent she had sprayed on her shirt. Either he had inhaled the vapors or nibbled on her shirt and ingested some. He had them for 24 hours; 5 days have passed since the last one. I feel I am lucky the outcome could have been far worse. I just wanted to get this information out there. Angie
The 3M plastic window treatments--used for drafty windows--give off fumes that are toxic to birds when, as directions tell you to do, a blow dryer is used to make them "smooth" and adhere better. A member lost birds that way. Deanna
New Furnace: Another member lost his Blue and Gold Macaw after having a new furnace installed. The furnace apparently had some parts that gave off toxic fumes during their initial start-up phase. Apparently it's best to keep birds away during the first couple days a new furnace runs.
"Material Safety Data Sheet" Being a past Safety Director, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. Any product you buy, you can receive a "Material Safety Data Sheet" (MSDA) from the MFG. by calling them and requesting it. MSDA Sheets will list all chemicals in the product, "It Is Required By Law". You may want to pass this on to all Bird Patroller Members so they can obtain the information about the products they are using in their home's. Lonnie Bird Patrol member.
MSG I also wanted to let you know that feeding your birds anything with MSG in it can be deadly. I had the most wonderful Mullucan Cockatoo named Sammy that I lost overnight because some guests fed him Chinese food with MSG in it. I was unaware that they did this. The Vet told me later, after his death that that was what caused it. Thank you, Ruth [Please note you can find MSG in a lot more food than just Chinese food, look at the ingredients of the food you buy. All of the following ingredients contain MSG. Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate, Monosodium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Textured Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast Extract, Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast food or nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast. Click on the following for further details: http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm]
Organic bird bedding. We’ve been seeing birds die of grit impactions for years now, as we slowly (but hopefully surely) get the information out to the bird owning public. So, please, don’t risk your bird’s life. Not just babies eat cage bottom materials, adults can, and do as well. And birds of all ages can die from that behavior. So, no walnut shell bedding, corn cob bedding, kitty litter. Plain old newspaper, paper towels, brown paper bags or on a roll, etc., work just fine. You can see and evaluate daily droppings catching any changes before the problem is overwhelming. Color, size, consistency and number of droppings are all VERY important. Sure it’s easier to “keep clean” if you only change bedding once a week or so, but who knows what’s going on with the droppings if you cannot see them?
House Plants: Today our little Chi Chi died. He was a black masked lovebird. Three months old, a new addition to our family for Christmas. He was his daddy’s little boy that’s for sure. Anyway, today he died in his Dad’s hands. The cause of death was a house plant. A very large Jade plant we have had for years. Apparently they are fatal. Last night while I was in the kitchen, I noticed Chi Chi in the plant. I don’t know how he got there. He got through the night but died slowly today. He slept fitfully in his dad’s hands until mid afternoon and then quietly passed on. Anyway, plants are scary, keep the babies away from all of them unless you know for sure it’s safe. It happens so fast. We all miss him. Darrell, Tammy and Baby [Please check all house plants to see if they are toxic to birds. There are a great many that are.
Apple seeds: Someone wrote in to say: "Did you know that apple seeds are toxic to birds? They contain cyanide." [The apple part is just fine. Most birds love apples. Just be sure you keep them away from the seeds.
More warnings as we receive them, so check this page often.
Holiday Warnings! We all know how rushed the Holidays are! We're running around buying presents, cooking goodies, wrapping presents, and generally going bonkers! It's easy at this time of year to get distracted and forgetful, especially toward our winged friends. With that in mind, we're posting a few Holiday Pointers for you on the . Take a few minutes to read each section to help avoid a possible holiday emergency or tragedy.
Purchasing a Bird as a Christmas Present
We've all heard stories of the problems animal shelters had after 101 Dalmatians was in the theater. Well-meaning folks bought tons of puppies for children at Christmas, only to turn them over to animal shelters a few months later when they found out how rambunctious and ill-fitted these puppies were for life with their families. Birds are becoming extremely popular in the United States as pets, and we're seeing some of the same problems as a result. Before you decide to buy your child a pet bird for Christmas or any other time of the year, please do research as to which species best fits your family. Talk to a bird club member in your area, visit a breeder, read books on different species. It is absolutely essential that you understand about diet, sanitation, toys, interaction. Even many of the smaller birds such as cockatiels and Quakers can live up to 15 to 20 years. Are you and your child ready for such a commitment? Are you willing and able to provide sometimes expensive proper veterinary care during the life of your feathered friend? Are you prepared to give the same amount of attention and love for years to your pet bird that you started him with during Christmas when he was brand new? Please help us avoid the tragedy of unwanted pet birds by doing research BEFORE you buy.
The Hustle and Bustle of Christmas
Birds love routine, and sometimes at Christmas we're so busy we often forget our feathered friends need our attention. Be prepared at Christmas for some "bad behavior" such as screaming or biting. Keep in mind our friends don't understand why we're tired from shopping or baking. Keep some special "Christmas Treats" on hand (Nutraberries or other special bird-friendly muffins or goodies you can bake yourself) and make sure to lavish some attention on your friend. If you are going away for the holidays, prepare NOW to get a responsible pet sitter who understands birds, or make arrangements for a trusted friend to come in and take care of your baby in your absence. Make introductions beforehand so your bird sees the person at least once, and you can show the caretaker what foods and treats, and in what proportion, to feed your bird. Visits of at least once a day are absolutely necessary for clean food and water.
Holiday Decorations
Birds get their comfort from repetition, so when new things all of a sudden appear in their environment they can get stressed or fly in terror and hurt or kill themselves. So bird owners should keep the decorations out of sight of the bird, and especially consider that any unfamiliar item (especially if it moves or flutters) above your birds may be interpreted as a predator. I remember bringing a balloon home one day, only to open the door to hear screams of panic and attempts to escape or hide by my birds.
Also of course Bird Owners should make sure the birds can't get to the decorations because they will get curious and may sample some intriguing items. Cords especially look delicious enough to chew, and it only takes half a second for a bird to bite through an electrical cord and get a very serious shock which may result in death.
Don't use automatic moving items, like remote control cars, dolls that walks etc. in front of the bird. They do not understand and fly in terror and kill or hurt themselves.
Many traditional Holiday plants are also poisonous, so really it's better to be safe than sorry. No holly, mistletoe, Jerusalem cherry, poinsettias, flowering bulbs such as paper whites, etc. Remember this rule of thumb for holiday plants: "When in doubt, DON'T!" It only takes a half second for an inquisitive bird to gulp a delicious looking Jerusalem cherry, and if you're lucky you make it to the vet's office in time. You can use artificial flowers, but don't allow your birds to chew them, as the wires that stiffen flower stalks and petals often contain zinc or lead compounds, both of which are deadly for birds.
Scents from candles, pine room sprays, room deodorizers can be deadly. No potpourri, please. Instead, use herbal potpourris you prepare yourself. Bowls of lavender flowers, dried basil leaves, lemon verbena, cinnamon sticks with dried orange peels, all make great scent potpourris that won't poison your bird. Don't use an essential oil diffuser either.
The Christmas Morning Frenzy
Don't open packages with the bird on the floor, in the excitement they can be stepped on. Also, a smaller bird may get hidden in the papers and inadvertently picked up in a bundle and put in the trash bag. Sound impossible? Believe me, it's not. To be safe, keep your bird in his cage until ALL packages have been opened and ALL ribbons and papers have been cleaned up and thrown out. Don't leave open bags of colorful papers and ribbons lying around, they are way too tempting to play in. Immediately throw out any cellophane or plastic wrapping, as it can suffocate birds.
Also, NEVER give your bird ribbon to chew and shred. She could get the ribbon tangled around her neck and inadvertently hang herself in the cage; she could ingest the ribbon which may cut her crop and intestines, or choke her, or cause impaction of the crop. If you wish, keep a color paper plate (not styrofoam) handy. When it's time to open presents, make a big deal of giving your friend the plate to chew and shred while you're "shredding" your Christmas Presents! What fun, eh??!!
The Holiday Kitchen
The kitchen can be a dangerous place for birds. Self-cleaning ovens and Teflon pans can be deadly if overheated, and first time used room heaters with Teflon can be deadly. Folks who bring dishes that need to be cooked at your house should be told to bring ONLY non-Teflon or non-stick dishes. NO EXCEPTIONS. If they bring their food in a Teflon pan anyway, saying "oh, I'll watch it! It will be fine!" Immediately bring out your own pans and pots and insist. How many times have we gotten distracted and left the fire burning under a pan or pot on the stove? Oh yeah, we've all done it. Well, it only takes one time, and once a bird inhales Teflon or nonstick fumes there's no way to save him or her. It's a terrible and painful way to die, so take no chances, please! And it doesn't matter if the bird is in the living room, or on another floor. The fumes travel throughout the house.
Also, keep the bird out of the kitchen when cooking. There's the Teflon danger, yes, but also a bird could easily fall into or fly into a pot of boiling water, or land on a hot burner.
It's Time to Eat!
Okay, whew! We got through the worst parts! We usually have plenty of company for the holidays, so lay down a few bird-friendly rules for your visitors. NO ONE is allowed to feed your bird "treats" except you or under your strict supervision. Children should be told to keep their fingers out of the cages for their own safety. While it's fun to feed a bird treats, imagine a child feeding chocolate to your bird, or many salty nuts, or maybe a piece of apple that has apple seeds on it. Please, it's up to you to lay down the bird laws and keep your friend safe!
You may wish to move your bird's cage into the dining room when you sit down for a formal dinner. Keep his cage close to you, and have some "holiday food" for him to eat. After all, he's a member of the family too! Baked yams with no butter or salt makes an excellent treat for your friend while you eat. Carrot sticks, pieces of turkey, potato with no butter, salt or gravy, steamed broccoli, etc., all make great "Christmas Dinner" treats for your bird. Make sure all warm foods are just that: warm, not hot. Just above room temperature is perfect.
No matter how much your bird begs other people for food, never allow guests to give food treats to your bird unless they are bird people too and know what's good and what's bad for birds.
Miscellaneous Tips
Use caution when new people come to your house for the holidays. Make sure your bird can't accidentally get outside as guests come through the door, and make sure folks don't stand talking with the door open. Cold drafts can be deadly for birds, along with getting out the door. Please also ask your guests not to smoke around your birds. If it seems they will die without a cigarette, ask them to step outside. Remember, nicotine and all tobacco byproducts are poisonous to birds, whether ingested or inhaled!
If you have guests who are afraid of birds, keep your birds in their cages. You don't want somebody in a panic swatting at your bird, or kicking her, or stepping on her. It's best to leave your bird in her cage when lots of guests are in the house partying. Folks as a rule don't look down when they're moving around, and your bird can easily be stepped on and killed.
During a party, it's best to keep signs on the cage, such as "Keep your fingers out! I Bite!" or "Do Not Feed the Parrot!!!" Better yet, if you can, move your bird to a quiet bedroom until the party is over. I don't know why, but some idiots think it's funny to give alcohol to a bird, so don't take chances. Also, make sure all cups and glasses with alcohol, and all leftover food, are cleaned up after the party before your bird gets out and roams around
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Warnings To Keep Your Bird Safe
[We are dedicated to helping companion birds have a safer, healthier, and happier life. We take all warnings seriously. We realize that many of them may not be totally accurate. It is our policy that it is better to be safe than sorry. For that reason we will list all warnings we receive. It is up to you to determine if the product is actually safe. It would probably make good sense not to use the product until you make that determination. That is what we are going to do.
[Little Critter died today. . . . It is hard to write this through the tears. And the tragedy is there was nothing we could have done to save this little sweet bird because, you see, he wasn't our bird. He died from something that is causing more little innocent, precious, loving birds to die every day than all the other warnings on this page put together. He died of neglect.
Please, if you have a bird suffering from this or know of one who is please do something. Open yourself or that bird's family to the wonder of birds.
Neglect shows up in many ways. A bird confined to his or her cage for a lifetime is neglect. There comes a moment when he or she will not even leave the cage when the door is opened. The little creature has become so broken that the only security left is that small confined space. A bird needs exercise, the opportunity to explore, and contact with other loving beings.
Then there is neglect in diet. A bird whose diet consists of seeds and water will not be a healthy bird, have no chance to develop to his or her full potential, and his or her life will be drastically reduced. A sick bird who isn't taken to a bird vet because the people in the house (we usually refer to them as his family, but not in this case) don't recognize he is sick or don't want to spend the money, is slowly and painfully dying of neglect.
And lastly the one neglect that if resolved would solve all the rest . . . love. A bird just like a child must be able to give and receive love. With love they blossom into caring, loving, aware, intelligent, awesome little beings. Without it they die. Maybe not right away, but a little bit every day.
There is one good thing that came out of Little Critter's death (that's not his real name, the people in the house just treated him like a colorful plant and never even gave him one), at least he is out of his misery. --]
Metal in Candle Wicks are toxic says Aimee Any kind of a candle with a metal wick, including all candles in glass, give off either lead or zinc fumes which are dangerous to children and birds. Common cause has some info on it on their site. My grey had an elevated zinc level and has a picking problem; didn’t know why. After the news did a feature on the dangers of these candles to children, now I do! Check candles and see if it has a little wire in it. If it does then it makes a huge amount of zinc or lead airborne which is inhaled, or then settles as dust to be ingested.
Thanks for all your tips. Lost a dear cockatiel to an avocado, and a wonderful amazon most probably to a gas leak.
Barbara wrote in about Toys and Parakeets 1. Ladder (plastic) too close together, parakeets can’t get their body through. 2. Ladder (wood) glued together, it can get loose. 3. Mirror has wire, discard it. 4. Plastic perch with small beads, can choke or swallow them, throw it away, don’t buy it. 5. Mirror with cup, don’t put it together, parakeet can put his leg around and see another bird, and injure himself. 6. There are toys out there, but you need to look and see if they will not harm your special guys, or do what I did, I go to party stores, look for bracelets, and special hearts that can be hung, for swings, go to the toy store, buy little cars, my two parakeets love their special toys, I made for them. We buy toys for our children, and see that their ages match with toys, why can’t we check out the toys for parakeets and other birds. Thank You for letting me, get this out to all of you.
Avocado & Chocolate
“I’ve just lost my beloved Umbrella Cockatoo, Caesar, to what is suspected to be avocado poisoning.” [We are devastated by the loss of Caesar and we hope that we all learn from this tragic situation. Do not allow your birds to even get close to an avocado. They may take a bite without you knowing it. Also don't allow them to eat chocolate. They are both toxic to birds. This warning is dedicated to Caesar.]
Toys with rings I want to share with you what happened yesterday. We were horrified and shocked to find one of our cockatiels had hung himself on a toy. It is one that has the key ring on the top that you use to connect it to the cage. We never dreamed that a cockatiel could get their head through that little ring, but we learned the hard way they can. My little Wyatt is dead because I took for granted that his toy was safe. I want all my friends to realize that we should never take for granted that manufacturers have all the facts about what they produce. Doni and I are taking every toy with a ring and replacing it with something else. We realize this is a freak accident, BUT, if it can happen to one…..
By the way, I bought the toy from Pet Warehouse’s catalog. I’ve bought lots of them, all labeled for cockatiels. Hope you share this information and maybe we can prevent another tragedy. Dani
Moth Balls We have been told by a couple of Bird Vets not to use Moth Balls in your house if you have birds.
House Plant Product Warning Earl warns: I have such faith in my parrots’ ability to recognize things they can and can’t eat that I want to warn people concerning house plants, that the problem may not be the plant itself, but pesticides and other chemicals that are applied to them. I was in the wholesale orchid business for almost 20 years and did use various chemicals in the controled environment of the greenhouse — fertilizers, mineral retardents like copper sprays, sterilizing agents, fungicides and bactericides — all of which have a certain period before the toxins degrade and change into less harmful substances. Some — which I did NOT use — persist over long periods of time and are very toxic to wildlife and carry label warnings concerning birds and fish. Sometimes plants are purchased after having been treated and other times a homeowner will treat the plant themselves without reading the product label. While some products are applied to and remain on the plant surface, others are systemic and remain in the plant tissue for specific periods of time.
Cage Bedding Only use paper on the bottom of the birdcages. Almost everything sold over the counter as bedding, can be harmful one way or another for the birds. Birds have died from ingesting the corncob bedding and other materials used as flooring for the cage. Cedar is never to be used for anything.
Teflon and all Non Stick Utensils and Appliances: If a non stick surface overheats it sends out toxic fumes that are fatal to birds. This means if you accidentally leave a non stick pan on the stove and it overheats your bird is dead. It doesn’t matter if the bird is in another room. If you can smell cooking in that room, then he will get the fumes. According to vets, they suffocate over a one or two hour period of time and it is heart wrenching to watch. There is no way to reverse the process once it begins. It just isn’t worth it.
Also be aware that other products can contain Teflon, like some DRYERS, (even HAIR DRYERS), SPACE HEATERS, IN-DOOR BARBECUES, GRILLS, WAFFLE IRONS, IRONS, SELF-CLEANING OVENS (someone wrote in to Ann Landers, according to a reader Elizabeth, that she had lost all her canaries due to her self-cleaning oven) etc. Some space heaters even use a Teflon coating that burns off during the first few uses. We always run a new space heater in the garage (there is no door to the house) for a day or so before using in the house. We also have reports that the same advice goes for new furnaces. Run the furnace for a day or two without the birds in the house to burn off the Teflon coating.
More Teflon coated products are coming on the market constantly so be diligent about this danger. If you buy something that heats up, ask yourself “Does this product contain Teflon” then check it out. There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to the life of your birds.
Don’t forget about other people doing work in your house. Here’s a very sad story from Michelle: In April we had a small piece of carpet cut out and replaced in the living room. I notified the repair man that I have birds in my house and cannot have any fumes, teflon used in my home. I have a amazon and a moluccan cockatoo. They assured me that there were no fumes or toxic material being used. 4 hours later my moluccan Roxy started to throw up, we rushed her to an emergency 24 hr. vet who didn’t know a thing about birds. She gave her a injection of antibiotic and she soon after went into respiratory distress and died at 1:15 am. We did not do a necropsy on her. I found out the next day they had used carpet glue and a Teflon iron to repair the carpet. Even though I took Roxy upstairs to another room while the work was being done she died anyway. A part of us died too that night. I’ll never know for sure exactly what she died from but I believe this was the cause. Many people have asked my then why is my amazon OK? I don’t really know. Let everyone know you cannot trust workers in your house, they don’t know what they are using in your house and they know less about parrots!!! Consider turning off all vents (air circulation devices like a furnace) and putting towels at the bottom of the door to your bird’s room if there is any remote possibility of toxic fumes. Of course removing the bird for 48 hours is best and there should be absolutely no bad smell when the bird returns.]
New Clorox unsafe for pets according to an email from a Vet. [Since this came out new information as come to light. Have you noticed that Clorox has changed? It's now Ultra Clorox and should be avoided at all costs. It took me weeks to get Clorox to respond to my query and then I found this Clorox Bleach, long a favorite with pet owners/animal workers-businesses for its simple chlorite (5.25% sodium hypochlorite with "inert ingredients") changed its formulation. New CLOROX ULTRA is sodium hypochlorite AND sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is one of the ingredients of LYE. It was added to make bleach work faster. While lye is used in making basic soaps, it is also very difficult to rinse off surfaces. DO NOT USE ULTRA CLOROX around pets (or children)! Do not use Ultra Clorox to disinfect floors, kennel runs, carriers/crates, litter boxes or feeding/water dishes! Because felines groom their paws, it is dangerous to cats. This is a warning to ALWAYS check labels on any "new & improved" product labels. Safeway brand Ultra Bleach DOES NOT contain any lye & is simply a stronger version of sodium hypochloride (simple bleach), with additional chemicals.
Check for Ethanol alcohol in your spray products. Jane warns: Ethanol (alcohol) in any form is fatal to birds and most household products and toiletries contain this. I just use a damp cloth now to dust, all spray deodorants are banned, and the moths and flies now get swatted. I think all these companies should be made aware of the lethal potential of using alcohol in products which causes neurological as well as biliary disorders in pet birds. I got the info from the internet where research has been done.
Herpes in Quakers Duffy wants Quaker owners to know: I am currently dealing with a Quaker (Joker) who has Herpes, which lies dormat in Quakers until under great stress or injury. Joker broke his leg Thanksgiving which kicked in the herpes, which in turn started the mutulating. I hope this helps a few people knowing that herpes can be a cause of self mutulation. If nothing else you can have your vets check for this possibility in your feathered loved ones.
Onions may not be good for birds Michelle reports that onions are poisonous to dogs, and the talk amongst breeders and bird clubs is that onions are also poisonous to birds. When ingested they interact with digestive juices and release a toxic chemical. My bird club is now warning people not to feed their birds onions for this reason. They say a little piece now and then (whew! in my case) isn't harmful, but a steady diet may result in poisoning, and it's difficult for the vet to detect from tests what the problem would be.
Leg Band Dangerous Jackie wrote in to say: My greenwing macaw, Bruno, bent his leg band so bad it was stopping the circulation. If I hadn't acted quickly it could have ended tragically. [We have received many stories about birds dying as a result of hanging from their leg band. Consider removing the leg band. We were surprised how easy it was to do by our Vet and it sure saved us a lot of worry over the years because as with kids you never know what stunts they are going to pull.
Febreze now says they have removed the zinc chloride from their product and it is now safe around birds. They do say not to spray with the bird in the room. We have also had reports that the fragrance may also be harmful. What concerns us most about all products when they say they are safe around birds, but to remove the bird from the room while it is being used, is that the manufacturer assumes that the bird remains in the cage. Since we know they don't and are into everything--our clothes, furniture, drapes, etc.--we worry about what may happen if the bird ingests the product after the fact. This is a general comment and not specific to Febreze.
Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh carpet deodorizer We got this message: "My cockatiel died after I used it. Company admitted it's not recommended for use around birds. They said they didn't need to put a warning on the product. I'm just broken hearted, and her mate is just lost without her. Loretta"
Warning about OFF Insect repellent! I wanted to let people know of an experience I recently had. Last week a friend came over to hold a Bourke (Bourke's Grass Parakeet from Australia) she is planning to buy. She washed her hands like always. In less then 5 minutes he was having a seizure. I called a friend and after looking and answering questions it was realized that it was from the OFF Insect repellent she had sprayed on her shirt. Either he had inhaled the vapors or nibbled on her shirt and ingested some. He had them for 24 hours; 5 days have passed since the last one. I feel I am lucky the outcome could have been far worse. I just wanted to get this information out there. Angie
The 3M plastic window treatments--used for drafty windows--give off fumes that are toxic to birds when, as directions tell you to do, a blow dryer is used to make them "smooth" and adhere better. A member lost birds that way. Deanna
New Furnace: Another member lost his Blue and Gold Macaw after having a new furnace installed. The furnace apparently had some parts that gave off toxic fumes during their initial start-up phase. Apparently it's best to keep birds away during the first couple days a new furnace runs.
"Material Safety Data Sheet" Being a past Safety Director, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. Any product you buy, you can receive a "Material Safety Data Sheet" (MSDA) from the MFG. by calling them and requesting it. MSDA Sheets will list all chemicals in the product, "It Is Required By Law". You may want to pass this on to all Bird Patroller Members so they can obtain the information about the products they are using in their home's. Lonnie Bird Patrol member.
MSG I also wanted to let you know that feeding your birds anything with MSG in it can be deadly. I had the most wonderful Mullucan Cockatoo named Sammy that I lost overnight because some guests fed him Chinese food with MSG in it. I was unaware that they did this. The Vet told me later, after his death that that was what caused it. Thank you, Ruth [Please note you can find MSG in a lot more food than just Chinese food, look at the ingredients of the food you buy. All of the following ingredients contain MSG. Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate, Monosodium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Textured Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast Extract, Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast food or nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast. Click on the following for further details: http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm]
Organic bird bedding. We’ve been seeing birds die of grit impactions for years now, as we slowly (but hopefully surely) get the information out to the bird owning public. So, please, don’t risk your bird’s life. Not just babies eat cage bottom materials, adults can, and do as well. And birds of all ages can die from that behavior. So, no walnut shell bedding, corn cob bedding, kitty litter. Plain old newspaper, paper towels, brown paper bags or on a roll, etc., work just fine. You can see and evaluate daily droppings catching any changes before the problem is overwhelming. Color, size, consistency and number of droppings are all VERY important. Sure it’s easier to “keep clean” if you only change bedding once a week or so, but who knows what’s going on with the droppings if you cannot see them?
House Plants: Today our little Chi Chi died. He was a black masked lovebird. Three months old, a new addition to our family for Christmas. He was his daddy’s little boy that’s for sure. Anyway, today he died in his Dad’s hands. The cause of death was a house plant. A very large Jade plant we have had for years. Apparently they are fatal. Last night while I was in the kitchen, I noticed Chi Chi in the plant. I don’t know how he got there. He got through the night but died slowly today. He slept fitfully in his dad’s hands until mid afternoon and then quietly passed on. Anyway, plants are scary, keep the babies away from all of them unless you know for sure it’s safe. It happens so fast. We all miss him. Darrell, Tammy and Baby [Please check all house plants to see if they are toxic to birds. There are a great many that are.
Apple seeds: Someone wrote in to say: “Did you know that apple seeds are toxic to birds? They contain cyanide.” [The apple part is just fine. Most birds love apples. Just be sure you keep them away from the seeds.
More warnings as we receive them, so check this page often.
Holiday Warnings! We all know how rushed the Holidays are! We’re running around buying presents, cooking goodies, wrapping presents, and generally going bonkers! It’s easy at this time of year to get distracted and forgetful, especially toward our winged friends. With that in mind, we’re posting a few Holiday Pointers for you on the . Take a few minutes to read each section to help avoid a possible holiday emergency or tragedy.
Purchasing a Bird as a Christmas Present
We’ve all heard stories of the problems animal shelters had after 101 Dalmatians was in the theater. Well-meaning folks bought tons of puppies for children at Christmas, only to turn them over to animal shelters a few months later when they found out how rambunctious and ill-fitted these puppies were for life with their families. Birds are becoming extremely popular in the United States as pets, and we’re seeing some of the same problems as a result. Before you decide to buy your child a pet bird for Christmas or any other time of the year, please do research as to which species best fits your family. Talk to a bird club member in your area, visit a breeder, read books on different species. It is absolutely essential that you understand about diet, sanitation, toys, interaction. Even many of the smaller birds such as cockatiels and Quakers can live up to 15 to 20 years. Are you and your child ready for such a commitment? Are you willing and able to provide sometimes expensive proper veterinary care during the life of your feathered friend? Are you prepared to give the same amount of attention and love for years to your pet bird that you started him with during Christmas when he was brand new? Please help us avoid the tragedy of unwanted pet birds by doing research BEFORE you buy.
The Hustle and Bustle of Christmas
Birds love routine, and sometimes at Christmas we’re so busy we often forget our feathered friends need our attention. Be prepared at Christmas for some “bad behavior” such as screaming or biting. Keep in mind our friends don’t understand why we’re tired from shopping or baking. Keep some special “Christmas Treats” on hand (Nutraberries or other special bird-friendly muffins or goodies you can bake yourself) and make sure to lavish some attention on your friend. If you are going away for the holidays, prepare NOW to get a responsible pet sitter who understands birds, or make arrangements for a trusted friend to come in and take care of your baby in your absence. Make introductions beforehand so your bird sees the person at least once, and you can show the caretaker what foods and treats, and in what proportion, to feed your bird. Visits of at least once a day are absolutely necessary for clean food and water.
Holiday Decorations
Birds get their comfort from repetition, so when new things all of a sudden appear in their environment they can get stressed or fly in terror and hurt or kill themselves. So bird owners should keep the decorations out of sight of the bird, and especially consider that any unfamiliar item (especially if it moves or flutters) above your birds may be interpreted as a predator. I remember bringing a balloon home one day, only to open the door to hear screams of panic and attempts to escape or hide by my birds.
Also of course Bird Owners should make sure the birds can’t get to the decorations because they will get curious and may sample some intriguing items. Cords especially look delicious enough to chew, and it only takes half a second for a bird to bite through an electrical cord and get a very serious shock which may result in death.
Don’t use automatic moving items, like remote control cars, dolls that walks etc. in front of the bird. They do not understand and fly in terror and kill or hurt themselves.
Many traditional Holiday plants are also poisonous, so really it’s better to be safe than sorry. No holly, mistletoe, Jerusalem cherry, poinsettias, flowering bulbs such as paper whites, etc. Remember this rule of thumb for holiday plants: “When in doubt, DON’T!” It only takes a half second for an inquisitive bird to gulp a delicious looking Jerusalem cherry, and if you’re lucky you make it to the vet’s office in time. You can use artificial flowers, but don’t allow your birds to chew them, as the wires that stiffen flower stalks and petals often contain zinc or lead compounds, both of which are deadly for birds.
Scents from candles, pine room sprays, room deodorizers can be deadly. No potpourri, please. Instead, use herbal potpourris you prepare yourself. Bowls of lavender flowers, dried basil leaves, lemon verbena, cinnamon sticks with dried orange peels, all make great scent potpourris that won’t poison your bird. Don’t use an essential oil diffuser either.
The Christmas Morning Frenzy
Don’t open packages with the bird on the floor, in the excitement they can be stepped on. Also, a smaller bird may get hidden in the papers and inadvertently picked up in a bundle and put in the trash bag. Sound impossible? Believe me, it’s not. To be safe, keep your bird in his cage until ALL packages have been opened and ALL ribbons and papers have been cleaned up and thrown out. Don’t leave open bags of colorful papers and ribbons lying around, they are way too tempting to play in. Immediately throw out any cellophane or plastic wrapping, as it can suffocate birds.
Also, NEVER give your bird ribbon to chew and shred. She could get the ribbon tangled around her neck and inadvertently hang herself in the cage; she could ingest the ribbon which may cut her crop and intestines, or choke her, or cause impaction of the crop. If you wish, keep a color paper plate (not styrofoam) handy. When it’s time to open presents, make a big deal of giving your friend the plate to chew and shred while you’re “shredding” your Christmas Presents! What fun, eh??!!
The Holiday Kitchen
The kitchen can be a dangerous place for birds. Self-cleaning ovens and Teflon pans can be deadly if overheated, and first time used room heaters with Teflon can be deadly. Folks who bring dishes that need to be cooked at your house should be told to bring ONLY non-Teflon or non-stick dishes. NO EXCEPTIONS. If they bring their food in a Teflon pan anyway, saying “oh, I’ll watch it! It will be fine!” Immediately bring out your own pans and pots and insist. How many times have we gotten distracted and left the fire burning under a pan or pot on the stove? Oh yeah, we’ve all done it. Well, it only takes one time, and once a bird inhales Teflon or nonstick fumes there’s no way to save him or her. It’s a terrible and painful way to die, so take no chances, please! And it doesn’t matter if the bird is in the living room, or on another floor. The fumes travel throughout the house.
Also, keep the bird out of the kitchen when cooking. There’s the Teflon danger, yes, but also a bird could easily fall into or fly into a pot of boiling water, or land on a hot burner.
It’s Time to Eat!
Okay, whew! We got through the worst parts! We usually have plenty of company for the holidays, so lay down a few bird-friendly rules for your visitors. NO ONE is allowed to feed your bird “treats” except you or under your strict supervision. Children should be told to keep their fingers out of the cages for their own safety. While it’s fun to feed a bird treats, imagine a child feeding chocolate to your bird, or many salty nuts, or maybe a piece of apple that has apple seeds on it. Please, it’s up to you to lay down the bird laws and keep your friend safe!
You may wish to move your bird’s cage into the dining room when you sit down for a formal dinner. Keep his cage close to you, and have some “holiday food” for him to eat. After all, he’s a member of the family too! Baked yams with no butter or salt makes an excellent treat for your friend while you eat. Carrot sticks, pieces of turkey, potato with no butter, salt or gravy, steamed broccoli, etc., all make great “Christmas Dinner” treats for your bird. Make sure all warm foods are just that: warm, not hot. Just above room temperature is perfect.
No matter how much your bird begs other people for food, never allow guests to give food treats to your bird unless they are bird people too and know what’s good and what’s bad for birds.
Miscellaneous Tips
Use caution when new people come to your house for the holidays. Make sure your bird can’t accidentally get outside as guests come through the door, and make sure folks don’t stand talking with the door open. Cold drafts can be deadly for birds, along with getting out the door. Please also ask your guests not to smoke around your birds. If it seems they will die without a cigarette, ask them to step outside. Remember, nicotine and all tobacco byproducts are poisonous to birds, whether ingested or inhaled!
If you have guests who are afraid of birds, keep your birds in their cages. You don’t want somebody in a panic swatting at your bird, or kicking her, or stepping on her. It’s best to leave your bird in her cage when lots of guests are in the house partying. Folks as a rule don’t look down when they’re moving around, and your bird can easily be stepped on and killed.
During a party, it’s best to keep signs on the cage, such as “Keep your fingers out! I Bite!” or “Do Not Feed the Parrot!!!” Better yet, if you can, move your bird to a quiet bedroom until the party is over. I don’t know why, but some idiots think it’s funny to give alcohol to a bird, so don’t take chances. Also, make sure all cups and glasses with alcohol, and all leftover food, are cleaned up after the party before your bird gets out and roams around.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=75 0 Daily Hazards http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=73 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=73#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:16:26 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=73 Daily Hazards
“People” Food. Excessive amounts of any non-pet food given to your animals are hard to digest and can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.
Bones. Bones are dangerous to dogs and cats because they can splinter and pierce internal organs causing serious injury or death. Pieces of bones can lodge in your pet’s throat and cause choking. Buy your dog safe U.S. made rawhide, rubber, or nylon bones instead. Imports may contain pesticides or chemical preservatives.
Chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs and cats because their bodies are unable to process it.
Onions. Onions can lead to anemia in dogs.
Electrical Cords. Since many dogs and cats like to chew, it is important to make sure they do not chew electrical cords–burns or electrocution may result.
Household Cleaners, Medications, and Chemicals. Many common cleaners, medications, and chemicals (including anti-freeze) can be toxic to dogs and cats. These should not be within easy reach of pets.
Household Plants. Some common household plants may be poisonous to dogs and cats. For a free list, please contact The Anti-Cruelty Society.
Animals Allowed to Run Loose. Dogs and cats that are allowed to run loose are in constant danger. They can easily get hit by a car, become lost, be attacked by other animals, abused by cruel people, exposed to extreme weather conditions, and eat garbage or poison. Loose animals are also a danger to other people. Dogs should be walked on a leash at all times, and cats should be kept indoors.
Holiday Hazards
Mistletoe, Holly, and Poinsettias. Keep your animals away from these holiday plants. They are all poisonous to pets.
Holiday Trees. Make sure that your holiday tree is steady and secure so that it can’t be knocked over. If you have anything other than plain water in the tree stand, cover it so that your dog or cat cannot drink from it. Furthermore, tinsel, string, ribbon or angel hair can cause choking or intestinal blockage if swallowed by your pet. Sharp pine needles, bits of broken ornaments, and ornament hooks can cause intestinal as well as external injuries. Also, keep ornaments high enough on the tree to be out of reach of your pets.
Guests and Gatherings. If you have guests, post a sign on both sides of your door so that everyone is careful to close it securely. A dog or cat can easily slip out and not be missed in the holiday confusion. (This is one more reason to make sure that your companion animal is wearing up-to-date identification.) You might even consider keeping your pet in a quiet room during the festivities. This way, you won’t have to worry about them slipping out, and they won’t be frightened by the noise and commotion.
Animals As Gifts. Do not give a dog or a cat as a gift. Having a companion animal means a daily commitment to that animal for its entire life (10-20 years). Becoming a companion animal guardian is a personal decision that should never be made by someone else. If you want to offer the companionship of a dog or cat to a friend, give a gift certificate from The Anti-Cruelty Society instead. This way, the recipient can choose an appropriate and compatible animal–or choose to not get an animal at all.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, be sure to know how to offer your pet first aid and where to obtain follow-up care from your veterinarian or an emergency clinic.
Web Site Disclaimer:
This site is designed for informational and educational purposes only. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand.com does not warrant that the information is in every respect accurate. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comandand sub domains are not responsible for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies on its site or the results obtained from use of the information provided herein. Web site users are always encouraged to check and confirm the information with other sources and through direct professional contact.
Copyright © 1996-2009 www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand others as noted.
Daily Hazards
“People” Food. Excessive amounts of any non-pet food given to your animals are hard to digest and can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.
Bones. Bones are dangerous to dogs and cats because they can splinter and pierce internal organs causing serious injury or death. Pieces of bones can lodge in your pet’s throat and cause choking. Buy your dog safe U.S. made rawhide, rubber, or nylon bones instead. Imports may contain pesticides or chemical preservatives.
Chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs and cats because their bodies are unable to process it.
Onions. Onions can lead to anemia in dogs.
Electrical Cords. Since many dogs and cats like to chew, it is important to make sure they do not chew electrical cords–burns or electrocution may result.
Household Cleaners, Medications, and Chemicals. Many common cleaners, medications, and chemicals (including anti-freeze) can be toxic to dogs and cats. These should not be within easy reach of pets.
Household Plants. Some common household plants may be poisonous to dogs and cats. For a free list, please contact The Anti-Cruelty Society.
Animals Allowed to Run Loose. Dogs and cats that are allowed to run loose are in constant danger. They can easily get hit by a car, become lost, be attacked by other animals, abused by cruel people, exposed to extreme weather conditions, and eat garbage or poison. Loose animals are also a danger to other people. Dogs should be walked on a leash at all times, and cats should be kept indoors.
Holiday Hazards
Mistletoe, Holly, and Poinsettias. Keep your animals away from these holiday plants. They are all poisonous to pets.
Holiday Trees. Make sure that your holiday tree is steady and secure so that it can’t be knocked over. If you have anything other than plain water in the tree stand, cover it so that your dog or cat cannot drink from it. Furthermore, tinsel, string, ribbon or angel hair can cause choking or intestinal blockage if swallowed by your pet. Sharp pine needles, bits of broken ornaments, and ornament hooks can cause intestinal as well as external injuries. Also, keep ornaments high enough on the tree to be out of reach of your pets.
Guests and Gatherings. If you have guests, post a sign on both sides of your door so that everyone is careful to close it securely. A dog or cat can easily slip out and not be missed in the holiday confusion. (This is one more reason to make sure that your companion animal is wearing up-to-date identification.) You might even consider keeping your pet in a quiet room during the festivities. This way, you won’t have to worry about them slipping out, and they won’t be frightened by the noise and commotion.
Animals As Gifts. Do not give a dog or a cat as a gift. Having a companion animal means a daily commitment to that animal for its entire life (10-20 years). Becoming a companion animal guardian is a personal decision that should never be made by someone else. If you want to offer the companionship of a dog or cat to a friend, give a gift certificate from The Anti-Cruelty Society instead. This way, the recipient can choose an appropriate and compatible animal–or choose to not get an animal at all.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, be sure to know how to offer your pet first aid and where to obtain follow-up care from your veterinarian or an emergency clinic.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=73 0 Backyard Dangers http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=71 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=71#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:14:06 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=71 Backyard Dangers
Dogs and Cats:
Protecting your animal companion from the dangers she could face outdoors begins in your own backyard. Could your pet be facing enemy territory everytime she steps outside? By taking the following simple, but important, precautions, you can ensure that your backyard is always a safe haven.
The first line of defense is an escape-proof fence. It should be high and sturdy. If there are any gaps under your gates or hedges, you may need to use fine wire-mesh at ground level to keep your dog from crawling or digging his way out.
Letting your cat explore outdoors is recommended only if you are there to supervise her in a well-fenced-in area. A sudden loud noise, or simply seeing a dog walk by, may cause her to bolt-which could end in heartbreak, especially if you live near a busy road or highway. To keep your feline in the yard, you can purchase a cat-proof add-on for your fence.
You’ll also need to conduct a plant check. Many garden plants and trees can be harmful to pets if ingested. Some of these include holly, rhododendron, lily-of-the-valley, yew, clematis, ivy, columbine and hemlock. Some species may be more, or less, toxic to dogs than cats, so it’s a good idea to find out if a tree or flower is safe for your pet before you plant it. Also remember to keep flower bulbs out of reach of curious dogs and cats.
To prevent your pet from eating something she shouldn’t, make sure your garbage cans are secured with tamper-proof lids. It’s a good idea to keep them in a cupboard or shed. Insecticides and rodenticides should be kept in a locked shed or garage; this goes for paint, oil, gasoline, other dangerous chemicals and sharp tools as well. And remember to use common sense if you have just applied weed killer to your lawn or other toxic chemical or fertilizer to the plants in your garden. Your pet could be exposed to these potentially harmful substances simply by walking through an area where these products have been applied and then licking his paws.
And antifreeze, while essential to a car’s cooling system, may be very dangerous to your pets if they are exposed to it. Be sure to clean up any spills from your vehicle immediately, and consider switching to a propylene glycol-based antifreeze such as Prestone Low Tox, which provides an added margin of safety for pets and wildlife. Prestone Low Tox is significantly less toxic than conventional ethylene glycol antifreeze, but remember – no antifreeze is absolutely safe. As with any household chemical, safe use and disposal of antifreeze is essential.
If you suspect your dog or cat has ingested poisonous plant material, antifreeze, insecticide or other dangerous chemicals, call your veterinarian or The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435. There will be a charge to your credit card per case.
Web Site Disclaimer:
This site is designed for informational and educational purposes only. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand.com does not warrant that the information is in every respect accurate. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comandand sub domains are not responsible for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies on its site or the results obtained from use of the information provided herein. Web site users are always encouraged to check and confirm the information with other sources and through direct professional contact.
Copyright © 1996-2009 www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand others as noted.
Backyard Dangers
Dogs and Cats:
Protecting your animal companion from the dangers she could face outdoors begins in your own backyard. Could your pet be facing enemy territory everytime she steps outside? By taking the following simple, but important, precautions, you can ensure that your backyard is always a safe haven.
The first line of defense is an escape-proof fence. It should be high and sturdy. If there are any gaps under your gates or hedges, you may need to use fine wire-mesh at ground level to keep your dog from crawling or digging his way out.
Letting your cat explore outdoors is recommended only if you are there to supervise her in a well-fenced-in area. A sudden loud noise, or simply seeing a dog walk by, may cause her to bolt-which could end in heartbreak, especially if you live near a busy road or highway. To keep your feline in the yard, you can purchase a cat-proof add-on for your fence.
You’ll also need to conduct a plant check. Many garden plants and trees can be harmful to pets if ingested. Some of these include holly, rhododendron, lily-of-the-valley, yew, clematis, ivy, columbine and hemlock. Some species may be more, or less, toxic to dogs than cats, so it’s a good idea to find out if a tree or flower is safe for your pet before you plant it. Also remember to keep flower bulbs out of reach of curious dogs and cats.
To prevent your pet from eating something she shouldn’t, make sure your garbage cans are secured with tamper-proof lids. It’s a good idea to keep them in a cupboard or shed. Insecticides and rodenticides should be kept in a locked shed or garage; this goes for paint, oil, gasoline, other dangerous chemicals and sharp tools as well. And remember to use common sense if you have just applied weed killer to your lawn or other toxic chemical or fertilizer to the plants in your garden. Your pet could be exposed to these potentially harmful substances simply by walking through an area where these products have been applied and then licking his paws.
And antifreeze, while essential to a car’s cooling system, may be very dangerous to your pets if they are exposed to it. Be sure to clean up any spills from your vehicle immediately, and consider switching to a propylene glycol-based antifreeze such as Prestone Low Tox, which provides an added margin of safety for pets and wildlife. Prestone Low Tox is significantly less toxic than conventional ethylene glycol antifreeze, but remember – no antifreeze is absolutely safe. As with any household chemical, safe use and disposal of antifreeze is essential.
If you suspect your dog or cat has ingested poisonous plant material, antifreeze, insecticide or other dangerous chemicals, call your veterinarian or The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435. There will be a charge to your credit card per case.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=71 0 Pets and Poison http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=68 http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=68#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:10:50 +0000 Richard http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?p=68 PETS AND POISONS
Common Household Items Can Be Poisonous To Pets
Presented by PetCare911
With permission from Dana Farbman, Senior
Manager of Client & Professional Relations
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
If your pet has come into contact with a potential toxin…
leave your computer and call your veterinarian immediately!
Or call the ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER
888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435)
$50 fee may be applied to credit card
Thousands of dogs and cats needlessly suffer and many die each year by accidental ingestion of household poisons, including pesticides, popular houseplants, medications and common foods. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the only animal poison control center in North America offers advice to pet owners about the many household products that can be dangerous and even deadly to their four-legged family member.
Mothballs, potpourri oils, coffee grounds, homemade play dough, fabric softener sheets, dishwashing detergent, batteries, cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, pennies and hand and foot warmers could be dangerous for your pet.
Keep all prescription and over-the-counter medications out of your pets’ reach, preferably in closed/locked cabinets above the counter. Painkillers, cold medicines, antidepressants, vitamins and diet pills can be lethal to animals, even in small doses.
Read all of the information on the label before using a product on your pet or in your home. If a product is for use only on dogs, it should never be used on cats; if a product is for use only on cats, it should never be used on dogs.
Be aware of the plants you have in your home and yard. The ingestion of azalea, oleander, sago palm or yew plant material by your pet can be fatal. Easter lily, day lily, tiger lily and some other lily species can cause kidney failure in cats.
Make sure your pets do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until they have dried completely. Always store such products in areas that are inaccessible to your pets. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, ask the manufacturer and/or your veterinarian for instructions.
Be alert for antifreeze/coolant leaking from your vehicle. Animals are attracted to the sweet taste and ingesting just a small amount can cause an animal’s death. Consider using animal-friendly products that use propylene glycol rather than those containing ethylene glycol.
When using rat, mouse, snail or slug baits, or ant or roach traps, place the products in areas that are inaccessible to your pet. Some bait contains sweet smelling inert ingredients, such as jelly, peanut butter or sugar that can attract your pets.
Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435) if you suspect that your pet has ingested something poisonous.
Web Site Disclaimer:
This site is designed for informational and educational purposes only. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand.com does not warrant that the information is in every respect accurate. www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comandand sub domains are not responsible for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies on its site or the results obtained from use of the information provided herein. Web site users are always encouraged to check and confirm the information with other sources and through direct professional contact.
Copyright © 1996-2009 www.Bitlockers.com and www.whatfolder.comand others as noted.
Pets and Poison

Common Household Items Can Be Poisonous To Pets
Presented by PetCare911
With permission from Dana Farbman, Senior
Manager of Client & Professional Relations
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
If your pet has come into contact with a potential toxin…
leave your computer and call your veterinarian immediately!
Or call the ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER
888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435)
$50 fee may be applied to credit card
Thousands of dogs and cats needlessly suffer and many die each year by accidental ingestion of household poisons, including pesticides, popular houseplants, medications and common foods. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the only animal poison control center in North America offers advice to pet owners about the many household products that can be dangerous and even deadly to their four-legged family member.
Mothballs, potpourri oils, coffee grounds, homemade play dough, fabric softener sheets, dishwashing detergent, batteries, cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, pennies and hand and foot warmers could be dangerous for your pet.
Keep all prescription and over-the-counter medications out of your pets’ reach, preferably in closed/locked cabinets above the counter. Painkillers, cold medicines, antidepressants, vitamins and diet pills can be lethal to animals, even in small doses.
Read all of the information on the label before using a product on your pet or in your home. If a product is for use only on dogs, it should never be used on cats; if a product is for use only on cats, it should never be used on dogs.
Be aware of the plants you have in your home and yard. The ingestion of azalea, oleander, sago palm or yew plant material by your pet can be fatal. Easter lily, day lily, tiger lily and some other lily species can cause kidney failure in cats.
Make sure your pets do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until they have dried completely. Always store such products in areas that are inaccessible to your pets. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, ask the manufacturer and/or your veterinarian for instructions.
Be alert for antifreeze/coolant leaking from your vehicle. Animals are attracted to the sweet taste and ingesting just a small amount can cause an animal’s death. Consider using animal-friendly products that use propylene glycol rather than those containing ethylene glycol.
When using rat, mouse, snail or slug baits, or ant or roach traps, place the products in areas that are inaccessible to your pet. Some bait contains sweet smelling inert ingredients, such as jelly, peanut butter or sugar that can attract your pets.
Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435) if you suspect that your pet has ingested something poisonous.
]]> http://www.bitlockers.com/petcare911/?feed=rss2&p=68 0