Household Dangers
by Sally Blanchard

This article is reprinted from Issue #38 of the Pet Bird Report and may not be reprinted without the written permission of Sally Blanchard or the PBIC, Inc. Contact us for permission.

What household items are dangerous for my birds?

I am afraid this list could go on forever but I will list as many as I know of at this time and readers can let me know if I have left any out.

Teflon, Silverstone, T-fall and other non-stick coating used in Cookware, Stove Drip Pans, Irons, Ironing Board Covers, Bread Makers, and other household appliances:
When overheated, these items can release fumes that are deadly to birds. I personally would not own any cookware with non-stick coating as there is too much room for error. I can be a forgetful cook and occasionally have houseguests who may not know about the danger to my birds. I do not want to take the chance. I would rather scrub pots.

Burning Plastic of any kind—overheated plastic pan and pot handles, burning oil, and just about anything burning on the stove or in the household:
Non-stick coating is not the only thing that releases toxic fumes when it burns. Some woods burned in the fireplace can create problems for birds, especially if the fireplace is not well-vented.

Scented Candles, Plug-in Air Fresheners, Incense, Potpourri:
The vapors from the oils in these products can be toxic and even fatal to birds.

Cigarette, Cigar, and Pipe smoke, Marijuana smoke, Nicotine on hands and clothing, Ingested Tobacco and Marijuana:
Any smoke and/or fumes can be dangerous to birds. Nicotine on hands can cause contact dermatitis, especially foot problems. Ingesting tobacco products can make birds sick.

Aerosol Sprays of any kind, Oven Cleaners, Furniture Polish, Air Fresheners, Carpet Fresheners, Tub & Tile Cleaners, Cleaning Supplies, Bleach and Ammonia fumes, Oil-based Paint and paint product fumes, Tile Adhesives, Insecticides, Flea Bombs, Fertilizers, Fungicides, Hair Spray, Spray-on Deodorants, Perfumes, Colognes and more:
Use common sense. Any thing that produces fumes can cause parrots health problems and in some cases, be fatal to them. It is best to take birds out of a room if it is being cleaned, painted, etc. and only bring them back after the room has been thoroughly aired out and the fumes are gone. Keep your parrots out of the bathroom when you use spray products of any kind.

Leaded Stained Glass Decorations, Old Paint on Woodwork, Costume Jewelry, Curtain Weights, Lead Fishing Weights, Lead pellets, Solder, Some Artists Paints, Pencils and Chalks, Some Cage Paint & Galvanized Wire, Metal Hardware that Flakes or Chips:
Most or many of these items contain heavy metals such as lead, zinc, or cadmium which are toxic to parrots when chewed and ingested. If you suspect your parrot has eaten something with any heavy metal, it is essential to get him to the vet immediately. In some cases, x-ray will show that the foreign object is still be in the crop and the crop can be flushed. If the heavy metal goes into the digestive system, it can be a long, involved and expensive process to get it out and save your parrot’s life. (Please see Zinc & Your Parrot.)

Avocado, Chocolate, Alcohol, Rhubarb:
These are the most common foods that I know of that can be toxic and should not be given to birds.

An E-mail from a subscriber:
A fellow club member brought in a box of the new Reynolds cooking bags for the oven yesteray. They are aluminum and plastic and made to go up to 450 degrees. She used 2 at 375 degrees for 40 minutes and after 30 minutes she came back in the room to find her Amazon pumping for air and its eyes severaly burnt. He would have been dead in another 10 minutes. A metallic oder filled the house as well. Several other Amazons suffered eye irritations. She did call and report it to the company. Please post this where ever you think you may save birds lives.

New Warning! From a visitor to our web site: "My Amazon who I had for 16 years died April 4th 2002 & I am heartbroken. He died needlessly. I purchased a sofa that was treated with a fabric protector called STAINSAFE. I was told that stainsafe was harmless and would not hurt my parrot. 36 hours later Squigmund died. On the second day that I had the couch Squigmund had labored breathing so I rushed him to his avian vet that morning. He died at the vets 4 hours later. The vet did an necropsy. She said that he had leisons on his lungs and that he was exposed to something toxic. At that time I still did not have it figured out what could of killed him since I was very careful not to expose my Squigmund to toxins. We agreed to send his tissues to a bird pathologist who could identify why he died. It was confirmed that my beloved Squigmund died from inhalation toxicity do to the fabric protector Stainsafe."

Household Plants:
Some plants are toxic to birds. If you do not know which ones are dangerous and which ones are safe, keep your parrots away from any plants. A few dangerous plants include Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Daffodil and Iris bulbs, Mistletoe, Holly berries, Sanseveria (or Mother-in-law-tongue), Poinsettia, Oleander. Safe plants include Spider plants, and most ferns.

Human Dietary & Health Supplements:
Be very careful in assuming that any human dietary or health supplement is safe, particularly if it is a fad product, for your parrots. Do not give your parrot anything without first checking carefully with reliable sources about its safety and the quantity which can be safely consumed.

One parrot owner was giving her parrot a significant amount of seaweed thinking it would be very healthy for the bird. The parrot started feather picking and it was found that the seaweed was too high in salt content to be given in the quantity it was being fed.

A companion Eclectus, who had the best of care, died recently. When testing everything that the bird had been in contact with and consumed, it was discovered that the owner had been sharing "Kombucha tea" with her Eclectus. This tea was contaminated with aspergillus. Kombucha is not really a mushroom but a combination of yeasts living symbiotically with several bacteria that together produce powerful natural antibiotics that may be toxic but may also result in drug-resistant bacterial infections. But mycologists warn that in culturing the fungus the risk for contamination is high. The mold that sometimes grows on the Kombucha mushrooms may contain a fungus known as Aspergillus, which is also known to contaminate moldy marijuana. Aspergillosis is a fungal infection that attacks the brain and may be fatal in persons with weakened immune systems. Aspergillosis spores can also be found in landscaping mulch. We have heard from subscribers who lost their birds after mulch was used in their yard and the spores blew in through the windows near the birds!

If this article helped you and you appreciated the information, The Companion Parrot Quarterly continues to have in-depth, practical articles such as this one. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE