Terrible allergies.

[Buzz2537]

I took in my 88 year old father's Cockatiel who is 20 years old because he was not being properly cared for. My dad is failing and he did the best he could. Anyway, we got him a big new cage and toys and new diet. He is adjusting great and my Hahn's and the Tiel chat to one another. The problem is I have severe allergies to the dander from the Tiel. He is i. The bird room, which is actually just my Hahn's Hahnna's room since she is our only parrot. I five the Tiel a bath every day and I put an air purifier i the room, but whenI have the Tiel on me, after about a half hour my eyes swell and I start wheezing and coughing. I hate to keep him alone in the room or caged. I Usually will let him out to play on the gym whenI have Hahnna out in the house with me, and the when Hahnna goes back in her room I have to put the Tiel back in his cage so Hahnna does not nip him. At night I have both out with me. The Tiel on my shoulder and Hahnna playing in my lap. I have to do right by this little guy so he has to stay here until God decides otherwise. Anyone else have issues with the Tiel powder/dander and have you found anything that has helped. i take claritonin the morning and benadryl at night. Thanks. Elaine, Hahnna and now Cricket.

 

[prsgirl77]

hello there
Its very kind of you to take in the tiel you'll find they are affectionate, laid back and amusing companions. I have asthma as well as terrible allergies, yet I have nine birds ( two amazons, two love birds, four budgies and a tiel). What helps is symbicort on mornings ( for my asthma), singular, eye drops and I shower all the birds at least once a day to keep the dust to a minimum. Hope this helps.

 

[alcmene]

We got a tiel as a pet for our daughter (who begged for years for one) and we are all super allergic to his dust, but we love him so we keep him anyway.

Things that have helped us-
Is your air filter a HEPA one? We had a regular one that didn't seem to do anything. When I pitched it and bought a HEPA filter it made a HUGE difference.

I am incredibly anal about keeping his cage sparkling clean. Every day I take it out on the patio and spray it down with the pressure washer to get every trace of dust and dander off of it. I actually bought him a 2nd cage, so he has one to live in while the other one dries, and I just swap them out daily.

He gets bathed multiple times a day. Every morning after breakfast he gets his big bath. I mean a really deep thorough soaking. Put an inch or 2 of water in a bowl and then mist him while he rolls around in it. He is soaked all the way through- looks like he's been in a monsoon. After all that I dry him with the blowdryer (set on no heat- just air blow on low), which both dries him and helps blow off any remaining dust. Whenever we're going to hold him, he gets a light misting with Avian Solution Daily Bath Spray first. That stuff is both antiseptic and makes him just slightly damp enough that he's not blowing dust everywhere whenever he moves.

Hope you find something that works for you! And that's so wonderful of you to take in your dad's bird.