Top ten reasons pet birds die

An article written by Dr. Margaret Wissman DVM, a well known avian vet, listed the top 10 reasons Birds die before their time. The number one reason is Deprivation of water. The most common reason for this happening is due to a water bottle malfunctioning. If the delivery tube's ball sticks, or if a bird stuffs an object into the tube, effectively blocking it, a bird will be deprived of water. If an owner doesn't check that all water bottles are working every day, or if it is not noticed that the water level in the bottle is not going down, it may be days before an owner recognizes a problem. Rarely, the unthinkable happens and a bird's water bowl may go unfilled for days, or the bird may empty the bowl, which goes unnoticed, resulting in fatal dehydration. Most birds will die if water is withheld for three days, unless lots of moisture-laden foods are fed.
Make sure your bird has fresh clean water everyday and be sure to check those water bottles daily!

The Top Ten Bird Killers

Although we all like to think that we always have our bird's best interests at heart, it is impossible to foresee every single household danger that our avian friends can get into. But it is wise to be aware of the most common dangers to our pet birds, so that we can avoid those situations. And, of course, it is an excellent idea to have a well-stocked first-aid kit on hand at all times, in the event that a mishap does occur. Be sure to discuss emergency plans with your avian vet and have a list of emergency phone numbers available.
Many birds die before their time as a result of mistakes made by their owners, either unintentionally or through ignorance. Learn about the top ten reasons birds die, and just perhaps, this information may save some birds' lives.
1. Water

Deprivation of water can also have fatal results. The most common reason for this happening is due to a water bottle malfunctioning. If the delivery tube's ball sticks, or if a bird stuffs an object into the tube, effectively blocking it, a bird will be deprived of water. If an owner doesn't check that all water bottles are working every day, or if it is not noticed that the water level in the bottle is not going down, it may be days before an owner recognizes a problem. Rarely, the unthinkable happens and a bird's water bowl may go unfilled for days, or the bird may empty the bowl, which goes unnoticed, resulting in fatal dehydration. Most birds will die if water is withheld for three days, unless lots of moisture-laden foods are fed.
I recently treated a peach-faced lovebird that was severely dehydrated due to a malfunctioning water bottle. The owner had changed the water two days previously, and hadn't noticed a problem until she saw her lovebird wobbling on the perch, eyes closed. She rushed him to my practice, when she had discovered that the water bottle wasn't working, and with treatment and good support care, he survived. I have also dealt with several aviaries that used a water delivery system, and one or a series of waterers malfunctioned or were turned off, resulting in the death of birds. Water, whether in a bottle or bowl, should be checked daily.
2. Unclipped Wings

If a bird is to be allowed freedom outside of its cage, its wings should be properly clipped. This means that it can glide gracefully to the ground. If the wings are not clipped correctly, or if several primary wing feathers have grown back unbeknownst to the owner, an alarmed bird may end up flying erratically around the house, or worse, launching itself to the top of a tree! Some avian vets actually have a name for birds that have had run-ins with ceiling fans (shredded tweet!) If a bird is frightened, it may mistake a window or mirror for open spaces, and end up with a concussion. Contrary to popular belief, birds RARELY break their necks with such an injury. In all my years of practice, I have only seen two birds with compression fractures in neck vertebrae as a result of flying into an object. They can, and do, however, develop concussions, bleeding inside the brain, fractures, lacerations, ruptured air sacs and other serious, potentially deadly injuries, however.
I can't tell you the number of times that a client has told me that their bird, although flighted, never flies, yet they are calling to inform me that it has just flown away! The perils outdoors are too numerous to list.
Birds indoors have flown into pots of boiling water, open commodes, windows, mirrors, fondue pots and an active fireplace, to name just a few of the household hazards that I have seen.

3. Toxic Fumes

Non-stick cookware and other household items possessing a non-stick surface made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be toxic to birds. If overheated (temperatures over 530 degrees F), the gas released is extremely dangerous to birds and can result in death. However, even with normal usage, some fumes may also be released, so non-stick cookware, drip pans, irons, ironing board covers and heat-lamps with a PTFE coating should not be used around birds.
Passive inhalation of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke can cause chronic eye problems, skin irritation and respiratory disease. Birds that live in homes with smokes may develop coughing, sneezing, sinusitis and conjunctivitis, which may resolve spontaneously, if the bird is moved to a location free of smoke. Some birds exposed to chronic second-hand smoke will develop secondary bacterial infections, as well, which can prove fatal.
Many common disinfectants and household cleaning agents release fumes that can be toxic or fatal to birds. Chlorine bleach, phenols and ammonia can all have dangerous vapors that can cause irritation, toxicosis and even death.
Common household aerosol products, such as perfume, deodorant and hairspray, can cause respiratory problems in birds. They may cause severe inflammation and difficulty breathing, and after large or direct exposure, death can occur. Any pump spray or aerosol using a propellant can be dangerous to birds, and these should not be used around birds.
Natural gas leaks can cause sudden death in birds. Any type of heater, used improperly or with inadequate ventilation can be deadly to birds. Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, can also be fatal to birds. Anyone with pet birds should have a working carbon monoxide monitoring device in the home, preferably in the room where the birds are kept. Second-hand smoke from marijuana can also cause severe depression and regurgitation. Burning foods, overheated cooking oils and smoke from a fire can cause fatal inhalations.
4. Trauma

A bird with properly clipped wings may develop the "cute" habit of climbing down off of its cage to seek out favorite family members. A bird walking on the floor, especially a small one, may be easily injured by people who don't see it. Little Bad Boy, a green female budgerigar patient of mine, was one of the lucky ones; she survived being stepped on by her owner. She did suffer a broken pelvis and internal injuries that resulted in her requiring surgery. Another client with a beloved pet Quaker parakeet is still grieving over his death; her little bird was accidentally closed in a sliding glass door, and he died instantly. He was following his owner out the door when she slid the door shut behind her, not knowing that he was right behind her.
I have dealt with the deaths of many birds that had been stepped on, closed in doors, vacuumed up and one even was squashed when it was playing under a bandana on a desk! The owner (a student) had come home and tossed her textbooks onto her desk, instantly killing her parrotlet. Birds have been squished by recliners and fold-out beds and have also been killed by owners sitting on them when they have crawled under cushions. Little birds have been killed by computer printers, after climbing into the cartridge area. Larger birds have been electrocuted by chewing through electric cords. One sun conure that was playing in a pile of clothing in the laundry basket was drowned when its owner dumped the clothes into the washing machine, closed the lid, and "washed" the bird with the dirty clothes. An Amazon parrot that is a patient of mine climbed into the open dryer and the unsuspecting owner closed the door and turned on the dryer. Fortunately, the dryer was only set on "fluff" and the bird was only briefly tumbled when the owner realized what had happened. If the heat had been on, the bird might have died or suffered serious injury. Birds have also hopped off owners' shoulders and into open refrigerators and freezers.
5. Other Animals

Birds should never be left unsupervised outside of the cage, especially if other animals, including other birds, share the same house. Even if a pet dog or cat has acted completely trustworthy around a pet bird, it should not be trusted. Many birds have died as a result of another housepet either "playing" too exuberantly with a bird, or from the pet biting or stepping on the pet bird.
For example, a client of mine had recently purchased a young military macaw, Kelly. Their medium-sized dog had been introduced to the new baby, and it had reacted with interest, trying to lick and sniff the bird. They hadn't even owned Kelly for one week when, left unattended for just a moment to answer the phone, the dog bit through the bird's beak, causing severe bleeding and injury to the still soft beak. Luckily, Kelly survived the bite, and with time, the beak has regrown and now appears quite normal, but the owners spent many anguished hours, not to mention a lot of money, working with me to keep the beak tissue infection-free, as it healed.
Birds may also injure each other. Lovebirds are notorious for nipping the toes of birds housed in neighboring cages. Toes are the most commonly injured body part, and bleeding may be serious, and even fatal. Especially with the onset of puberty, birds that previously got along together, may begin fighting, with fatal results.
Any animal bite should be considered extremely serious, possibly life-threatening. The bacteria found in the saliva and the mouth of a mammal can cause fatal septicemia (infection in the bloodstream) of a bird in very short order. Cat bites should be considered the most dangerous, as the Pasteurella bacteria commonly found in the feline mouth, are extremely hazardous to birds. Even a simple puncture by a tooth can result in a fatal infection. Scratches from claws are also extremely dangerous, as the risk of infection is very real.

6. Toxic Food or Plants

There are several foods that are very toxic to birds. Chocolate is digested in a different way by birds, and the metabolite, theobromide, is very toxic to them. Baker's chocolate and dark chocolate are the most toxic, and milk chocolate, although less toxic, is still a forbidden food for birds. Caffeine is also metabolized differently in birds, which also results in toxic compounds. There is some data that indicates that some varieties of avocado are toxic to birds, with perhaps the skin and pit being the most dangerous parts. Although unlikely to kill a bird, to be on the safe side, avocado should not be fed to birds. Onions can cause a fatal hemolytic anemia in dogs and cats, but since birds' red blood cells have a nucleus, this may protect the cells from the severe injury that occurs in other species. However, until this topic is studied, it is best to not feed onions to birds.
Some houseplants can be toxic, even fatal, to birds. Lists of potentially toxic plants have been published often in Bird Talk. Outdoor plants can also kill birds. I had a client with a pet cockatiel that died as a result of oleander toxicosis. Oleander is a beautiful flowering plant often used for landscaping in Florida where I live. Most Floridians can recognize this dangerous plant, however, newcomers to the Sunshine State may not know about it. This client, new to Florida, had placed some oleander branches in her cockatiel's cage, so that he could chew on the leaves and bark. When she next checked on her pet, he was already dead! It is very important that owners be able to identify dangerous plants that may be found in their bird's environment.
7. Hand-Feeding Mistakes

There is no doubt in my mind that many a baby bird has expired as a result of hand-feeding mishaps. Unweaned baby birds should not be sold or given to inexperienced hand-feeders for this reason. It is not necessary for a baby bird to be hand-fed by the family purchasing it in order for it to become "bonded" to them. Budgies are routinely tamed down as pets once they have fledged by the parents, and this can also occur with larger birds fed-out by the parents. Baby birds can also be hand-fed by the aviculturist, and be visited by the new owners to allow the babies to become accustomed to their new families. Weaned birds can be sold to owners, and they will settle in with their new families in no time. So, there is no reason for a baby to be fed by an inexperienced owner.
There are many different things that can go wrong during the hand-rearing process, including feeding formula improperly (mixed incorrectly, stored incorrectly, fed at wrong temperature), delivering the food improperly (dirty utensils, forcing food into the baby resulting in aspiration pneumonia, injuring the mouth or crop with feeding equipment), poor husbandry techniques (keeping the baby at the incorrect temperature, not practicing good hygiene, indiscriminate use of antibiotics), just to mention just a few potential problems.
Most commonly, babies are kept at the incorrect temperature, or the food is fed at too low of a temperature, resulting in a slowed down gastrointestinal tract, which can be fatal, if not corrected in time. If the baby is forced to eat, it may struggle and end up inhaling the baby formula, resulting in aspiration pneumonia. If a large amount of food is inhaled, the baby will die immediately, but if a small amount of food ends up in the respiratory tract, the aspiration pneumonia may result in the baby suffering for days, trying desperately to breathe, before it dies.
Infection is common in hand-feeding babies that are not cared for properly. Bacterial infection, fungal infection and polyoma virus infection are the most common infectious diseases in baby birds, and all can prove fatal.
Hand-feeding is best left up to those with experience.
8. Owner-Caused Diseases

Although it is fun to take baby birds to bird shows, swap meets and club meetings, it is very dangerous for the babies. Infections can spread to baby birds, even through the air, even if the owner is diligent about not allowing any direct contact with the babies. Many diseases can prove fatal to babies, especially polyoma virus. Adult birds are also at risk from exposure to other birds from the same sources, as well as from trips to the pet store, as well. Having parties where owners bring their birds can also spread disease. Unfortunately, a bird can carry a disease, and be able to pass it to others without appearing ill. Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), chlamydiosis (psittacosis), Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) and pacheco's disease may all be spread by birds that MAY appear healthy in physical appearance. Giardia, a one-celled protozoal organism, can be spread by a bird ingesting food or water contaminated by the droppings of an infested bird. Remember that we don't even have tests for some of the diseases that birds can have! Deliberately exposing birds to other birds, even if they have been vet checked, is dangerous and should be avoided, or kept to an absolute minimum.
Many bird owners make a common mistake when adding a new pet to the family. Regardless of the origin of the bird, and any testing run on the new bird, it should be quarantined for at least one month, preferably two, before it is introduced into the home. There is very sound logic for this. If the bird is harboring an infectious agent, the stress of moving the bird to a new home may precipitate it breaking with signs of clinical illness. Not every person can afford to test a new bird for everything we have diagnostic lab exams for, so quarantine can often protect the family's established pet birds from the risk of disease. And conversely, a pet bird may have a sub-clinical infection that it could pass to the new bird, so quarantine also protects the newly acquired bird.
A client of mine had two pet birds, a cockatiel and a quaker. They bought a cherry-headed conure from a pet store, and noticed after about a month that it wasn't acting well. They had put the new bird in their bird room with their other two birds immediately upon bringing it home. The little conure tested positive for chlamydiosis, and because they did not quarantine the new bird, I ended up treating all three birds with injections (once a week) for almost two months. Follow-up testing showed that all three birds seemed over the infection. Then about four months later, they called me because the quaker wasn't acting well. When I inspected their bird room, there was a new green budgie in there! They told me that they had caught the budgie when it landed on the husband's shoulder outside their home. Instead of quarantining him, they once again put the new bird into the same room as their pets. I tested the budgie, and the tests showed that the budgie was shedding the chlamydial organism, as was the quaker! So, all the birds had to undergo treatment for chlamydiosis once again! Although none of the birds died, they had been quite ill. Testing and quarantining might have prevented this.
Owners must understand that it is dangerous for pet birds to have direct contact with their owner's mouths. We carry bacteria and fungi that can cause serious infection, or even death, in our birds. Birds should never be kissed with an open mouth, nor should birds be allowed any contact with the owner's teeth, tongue, lips or saliva.
9. Heat Exposure

Exotic birds, while from warm, tropical climates, cannot tolerate excessive heat. Children, dogs, cats, other pets and birds should never be left in a car during warmer weather, even with the windows partially lowered. Temperatures inside a car can rapidly reach lethal levels.
Heat can also kill birds in a more insidious way. An owner may place a cage outdoors in the shade in the morning, for fresh air, and as the sun slides across the sky during the day, the bird may end up in the direct sun by the afternoon. With no place to escape the sun, a bird may rapidly develop hyperthermia and die. An overheated bird will begin panting, and with panting, will also begin getting dehydrated. Most birds suffering from hyperthermia will try to get out of the sun, and may try to bathe to cool off, if possible. If the bird's body temperature rises high enough, it will seizure and die. Hyperthermia can also occur if a bird's cage is relocated by a window, with no shade to escape the sun. Hyperthermia can also occur in baby birds, if a brooder is set at too high of a temperature, or if the brooder malfunctions.

10. Sleeping With Birds

Birds should sleep in their cages. Birds that are allowed to sleep in bed with their owners are at serious risk for suffocation or life-threatening trauma. Even though an owner has slept with the pet bird for a while, there is always the chance that the bird will get lodged between the waterbed and frame, smothered under a pillow, or be rolled over on during sound sleep. It has happened all too often to allow such a risk. Although it is fun to read or watch television in bed or on the sofa with a pet bird, if there is a chance that you might doze off, it is time to return the bird to its cage.
Although we cannot foresee every possible accident or problem that can occur with our pet birds, by knowing the top ten bird killers, you can avoid the most common dangers.

Very interesting. Thank you for posting!

Thanks for posting this! Lots of great information!

very good!...I have printed this off for future reference...thanks so much!

here is the original url Top Ten Bird Killers

I would recommend that everybody have a copy on the fridge, copies for potential buyers, a copy for your bird sitter!
I will be providing it to anybody that buys my babies.
They seem simple but sometimes you can forget

Some great information, thanks for posting.

I have been reading up on bird care, and I saw this article. This article is the thing that scared me the most about getting a bird. It seems everything can kill your pet bird and it made me think what's the point of getting a bird?

I bought a pineapple green cheeks conure and I have not brought it home yet to give to my wife. I am waiting until I get back from vacation (thanksgiving) before we bring it home to care for.

I almost think I made the wrong choice after reading this article as it seems everything in my house can kill the bird. Than again I wonder how much of this death can be eliminated if you just cage it properly and every time it's out of the cage you are with it playing and supervising? I don't plan on letting my bird run free around the house ever! If we are not playing with it or letting it sit with us watching tv or playing computer than it's in it's cage!

I have had caged animals before and never let them out of the cage unless I was present playing with my animals. I got rid of them due to me being deployed. I never had a problem with my caged animals. Most of the people that have caged animals, death comes when they allow them to run around the house without being watched.

The only thing that still scares me is the heaters I have. It's a ceramic heater and a radiator heater and I got one big cabinet heater. The gases is whats scaring me. I hope it's just paranoia!

Like I said this article made me think twice about a bird. I can care for it and it's personality is not whats scaring me. It's the fact that it seems everything in the world can kill a bird. They are less hardy than fish it seems like which I have a lot of experience in.

ConureLady said:

10. Sleeping With Birds

Birds should sleep in their cages. Birds that are allowed to sleep in bed with their owners are at serious risk for suffocation or life-threatening trauma. Even though an owner has slept with the pet bird for a while, there is always the chance that the bird will get lodged between the waterbed and frame, smothered under a pillow, or be rolled over on during sound sleep. It has happened all too often to allow such a risk. Although it is fun to read or watch television in bed or on the sofa with a pet bird, if there is a chance that you might doze off, it is time to return the bird to its cage.
Although we cannot foresee every possible accident or problem that can occur with our pet birds, by knowing the top ten bird killers, you can avoid the most common dangers.

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Or the bird will get cozy and cuddly inside some sheets, wrap up inside them, and get trapped - unable to get out - and suffocate. Cuddly birds are great, but anything with a bed should be avoided.

These articles gave me the shudders, especially the sleeping one. Suffocation, too much weight, getting choked. My mom has 2 non stick pans but I'm going to throw them out and buy my mom regular pans.

I read the articles and what everyone says, and yet I know people that have birds for years and never had a problem using the Non Stick pans, scented candles. Yet they don't cook with the bird on their shoulders and they don't use the candles in the area the birds are housed.

So my conclusion is as long as your smart and keep the bird away from the dangers and don't put them in an area of the home that can cause problems, they should be ok,

When I get my own place, my bird will be in the computer room, safe from every danger in the house (as much as possible). I am not going to worry about it, I am just going to be cautious.

Also it blows my mind people sleep with birds. Cats and Dogs I can understand, because they are more hardy animals and rolling over on them is not going to hurt them as much. Where as a bird is small and has fragile bones!! It just seems stupid and dumb all the way around no matter how much you love your bird.

I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT NUMBER 1 THIS MORNING! LOL

I was going to make a post warning just this (regarding water bottles). I had an incident with my Kermit when he was still around. Kermit loved to poo in his water as well as drop and dip food into it. I would come home from work to find his water disgusting and I was afraid he would get ill from it (he would have, it was just a matter of time). He had become addicted to pooping in his water to the point where if I put a fresh bowl in, he would immediately sit in it and poo :/ I would then have to go refill and try again. Now that I think about it, he was such an odd little devil lol

So I changed him to a water bottle, which was exceptional and it amazed me just how intelligent birds are, within 10 seconds of my attaching it to the wall he had learned water came from it and how he needed to work it to get water out. But it was not spring loaded. Because he liked to dip his food in water he would take a pellet to the bottle and use it to push the ball in. One day he stuffed a pellet into it and water no longer came out, I didn't realise until about 48 hours later!! When I noticed his water level wasn't dropping. Sometimes I wonder if that incident contributed to his death a little over a month later

I personally recommend bottles with the spring which pushes the ball down, it makes noise when used which may be irritating but it is less likely to become jammed if your bird is inclined to soak his meals. I also check the tube daily to make sure water is flowing freely and wash it out every couple of days just in case, but aside from that my birds have a water bowl on top of their cage on the play gym. I am paranoid now :/

I have the water bottle with the ball at the end. Am now thinking perhaps I should get a second one so there are two working water bottles all the time...that way if one becomes blocked/stops working there's a back-up.

i actually bought four glass dishwasher safe bottles...
i switch two new ones every day and sterilize the used ones in the washer without soap then i check if it works.
i have two in there at a time and i'm going to stop putting water in one of the dishes and just put food. i would just take the dish out, but its one thats built into the cage that opens from the outside.

Thats a really good idea actually... I saw some glass ones the other day I might pick up a couple for my cages. At the moment I have plastic ones which I wasnt game to put into the dishwasher even though they look heavy duty. They are designed for dogs.

I had a dog with a phobia of water in bowls once LOL so I got her a bottle as well. I would never go back to using water bowls now, the bottles are fabulous they just require regular checking. I just offer a huge shallow tupperware container with an inch of water in the bottom twice a week for baths Colada knows when I am going to fill the container and flies to my shoulder... she cant wait, she is in that container before the water has finished pouring... so as I walk back to the cage I have a very happy Colada splashing me with water the whole way

I love my birds <3

baron1282 said:

I read the articles and what everyone says, and yet I know people that have birds for years and never had a problem using the Non Stick pans, scented candles. Yet they don't cook with the bird on their shoulders and they don't use the candles in the area the birds are housed.

Click to expand...

PTFE is the danger when it comes to anything that heats up.... Not all non-stick pans have PTFE. In fact, I have two sets of non-stick pans without PTFE.

The biggest concern with candles was the lead wicks. Most candles now-a-days don't contain lead. At least, that's how I understood it... that, and scented candles are also dangerous because of what's put into them. Soy candles and regular candles I *think* are ok, but I still don't burn candles.

There are many things in this article that I disagree with and a lot of it I find is scaremongering for paronts.

1)Yes water bottles can break; but if you're a responsible parront you should be monitoring their levels of water daily, if not completely changing the water. With this in mind any problems with water bottles would be noticed same day.

We provide Merlin with a water bottle and a dish of water. If he messes in his dish, he has his water bottle, if he were to break his water bottle (he doesn't dunk food) then he has his dish. Not inspecting both of these is irresponsible and so could lead to death like mentioned above.

2) Wing clipping is forever debated about, however since the article is so pro wing clipping, I'm going to give the opposing view.

Fully flighted birds get more exercise than those who are clipped. They develop stronger breastbone muscles. Flighted birds have the OPTION of getting away from fear inducing situations. Merlin makes it quite clear when he is afraid, or uncomfortable with a situation, he has the freedom of leaving that when he wants to.

Merlin LOVES to have a good flap around the bedroom, flap flap flap and screaming. He does this in the morning and in the evening. If he didn't have this option, he gets pent up energy and becomes excessively nippy.

Merlin has not ONCE flown into a window, mirror/anything. Since he has been allowed to fly and explore he knows what is what. Use net curtains, or some form of tinting so the birds don't see it as a clear option of getting out of that room. We made our windows and mirrors streaky at first when we got our budgies to stop them, they not have learnt the same as Merlin.

Accidents can happen, birds can get out of doors, windows etc. I know this too well, we almost lost Merlin. This has not made me change my opinion on wing clipping however as he had a better chance of avoiding predators. If he got out and away from me, he can get out and away from predators meaning I have a better chance of getting him back, safe and well. Not chowed down on by a fox or a cat, etc. I'd rather he had a chance at getting away, flying an awful long way, for someone to find him, check his chip and get him home safe.

Don't be boiling water on a pan with your bird around the room, don't have them in the room with the windows wide open. Just don't be careless.

3) Toxic Fumes; this again is a fairly obvious one again.
DON'T use sprays or perfumes near your birds, they have sensitive respiratory system and most fumes are irritants. Don't cook near your bird; have kitchen windows open when cooking to ventilate the rooms.

Again just don't be silly, bleach and phenols are strong irritants for even us, so consider how tiny and sensitive their systems are. If you're unsure, don't use it and ask.

4) Trauma from people standing/squashing their birds in doorways etc. Do NOT leave your bird unsupervised. This is pretty straight forward. If you are going to, then please let others know that there is a lose bird who could be wandering around. Be vigilant. Check doorways and door frames so no feet are getting trapped, or bird being stood on. Check the seat before you sit down. If you have to leave the room in a rush whilst the bird is out, as soon as youre back, find your bird and put him back somewhere safe. Don't just let them wander without caution.

5)Other animals; Leaving a bird with other animals is obviously something that you shouldnt do lightly. I know I can leave Annie my rabbit in the room with Merlin for a short while without him getting injured. Annie is not aggressive in the slightest and she knows Merlin can be nippy - so she avoids him. Any 'predatory' animal, however, should be supervised. This again is common sense, your dogs vs your bird, who do you think is likely to win if one should become agitated with the other?

Merlin is never left out of his cage in the same room as the budgies unsupervised, because he will go for toes if given the chance. My senegal has a much bigger beak than my budgies. So don't mix...

6) Take the approach that "if its bad for me, it's worse for the bird".

Chocolate, salt, fatty foods, caffine, alcohol - all bad for us, toxic to our birds. They're much smaller and they don't process food in the same way.

Avocado, onions and seeds/pits of fruits should also be avoided. It all seems like a lot but really is very easy to keep on top of. Do you eat the pits or seeds of fruit? I doubt it. So really, "what i don't eat/whats bad for me" and avocado and onions!

Please always remember that there is a forum full of people here to answer any food queries if you're confused.




The rest are all infallible. We've all heard the "dogs die in hot cars". Same applies for birds. Just as we catch infections and illnesses from others, so do birds, but they are masters are hiding it, so usually proves to be a million times worse before we realise they are even sick, so be vigilant taking them out! The biggest problem is taking birds to mix with other birds who's health you do not know about.

and one of the biggest; DO NOT BUY AN UNWEANED BABY. LEAVE WEANING TO THE EXPERIENCED.

Honestly though, most of this sounds so terrifying and it really is scaremongering. With some common sense and just thinking about what could happen you can avoid most of these. Accidents happen, expect them to happen, prepare for it and it will be much easier to fix if it does. We're all here on the forum to help owners who are confused or struggling with these.

Please