Birds living with smokers

[parrotboy123]

Hello, I recently adopted a macaw he is 5 years old and named gizmo. He previous owner was a smoker and smoked in the house often, when I firt got him he smelled like smoke is there any health concerns I should be worried about or have him tested for or was it to short of a time to cause any issues?

 

[sunblaze]

Birds are particularly prone to respiratory issues so smoking around your bird is a big no no even things like incense and scented candles aren't good.

He should be fine but as he's a new bird you should probably get a check up from the vet just to give him the once over anyway, it shouldn't cost much, i don't know where you live but here in the UK if you ask to make an appointment with the veterinary nurse instead of the vet then it can often be a free consultation (depending on vet).

I would recommend giving him a good bath, and plenty of healthy greens to give his system a boost, i'd wager if his previous owner did not mind smoking around their bird they might not have cared enough to have him on the best diet.

you should have a look through the forum archive on things like diet and macaw species in general, it's a great place to find some really well thought out information. good luck to you and your new feathered friend =)

 

[parrotboy123]

Birds are particularly prone to respiratory issues so smoking around your bird is a big no no even things like incense and scented candles aren't good.

He should be fine but as he's a new bird you should probably get a check up from the vet just to give him the once over anyway, it shouldn't cost much, i don't know where you live but here in the UK if you ask to make an appointment with the veterinary nurse instead of the vet then it can often be a free consultation (depending on vet).

I would recommend giving him a good bath, and plenty of healthy greens to give his system a boost, i'd wager if his previous owner did not mind smoking around their bird they might not have cared enough to have him on the best diet.

you should have a look through the forum archive on things like diet and macaw species in general, it's a great place to find some really well thought out information. good luck to you and your new feathered friend =)

Thank you for your response I am going to give he a bath in the next few, Also the second day I had him he went to a avian vet and checked out well. I was just wound erring if I should have him checked more in depth for lung issues.

 

[sunblaze]

if your vet didn't mention about it during your visit then nah you'll be fine =)

 

[Allee]

Hi, Welcome to the forum! Congratulations on your new adoptee.

Did you let the Av Vet know Gizmo lived in a smoke filled environment? If so, the vet probably saw nothing to indicate a need for further testing. It's definitely a reason for concern and your vet should be willing and able to discuss the specifics with you.

Frequent mist baths with plain water should help with feather condition, but it will probably take a while for the feathers to be completely clean.

We'd like to see photos of Polly and Gizmo if you'd like to share.

 

[parrotboy123]

Thanks for all your answers I did explain to the vet that he was with a smoker and she said he would be fine and showed no symptoms, I just wanted to hear some other opinions. I'll be sure to post some pictures soon. -Nick