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Dangers
Teflon
This
is
one
of
the
biggest
killer
of
birds
within
a
home
environment.
Teflon
is
a
brand
name
alongside
others
which
is
a
coating
used
to
cover
pans
which
enable
them
to
become
non
stick.
In
general
cooking
with
these
are
no
danger
to
your
birds,
but
if
a
pan
is
left
with
it’s
contents
drying
out
as
in
the
case
of
water
being
boiled
until
it
has
evaporated,
you
get
to
a
point
where
the
Teflon
heats
up
and
turns
to
a
gas.
This
gas
usually
results
in
the
bird
finding
it
difficult
to
breathe
and
death
swiftly
occurs.
The
majority
of
cases
involving
Teflon
poisoning
have
resulted
when
the
owner
has
forgotten
they
are
cooking
or
have
fallen
asleep
with
the
pan
left
on
the
stove.
A
very
sensible
precaution
when
cooking
is
to
leave
a
window
open
and
the
bird
is
kept
in
a
separate
room.
Unfortunately
there
is
no
first
aid
for
a
bird
exposed to Teflon poisoning, the best course of action is to place it in fresh air immediately and seek veterinary attention.
Avocado
Avocado
contains
the
chemical
persin
which
if
ingested
results
in
the
death
of
the
heart
muscle
in
birds
leading
to
cardiac
arrest.
Avocado
should
not
be
used
under
any
circumstances
and
be
wary
of
feeding
your
bird
from
the
kitchen
table
especially
in
relation
to
foods
such
as
guacamole which is found in many dips and in Mexican foods.
Heavy Metal Poisoning
Both
Lead
and
Zinc
are
very
poisonous
to
birds.
The
main
source
of
both
these
metals
is
via
cages
which
have
been
galvanised.
There
has
been
numerous
incidents
of
metal
poisoning
and
the
link
to
cheap
cages
made
in
the
far
east.
Galvanisation
creates
a
surface
layer
on
metals
such
as
copper
and
this
creates
a
rust
proof
shiny
surface.
Parrots
being
what
they
are
have
a
tendency
to
grab
hold
of
the
bars
in
their
mouths
and
rub
off
bits
of
food
etc.
and
in
this
process
get
heavy
metal
poisoning.
Other
direct
methods
is
to
eat
galvanised
products
found
in
your
house
which
may
contain
lead
or
zinc
including
pencils,
eating
dried
paint
containing
lead
etc.
Heavy
metal
poisoning
can
be
reversed
very
successfully
but
this
is
dependant
on
how
long
the
bird
has
been
exposed
to
the
ingestion.
In
some
cases
it
could
be
months.
Some signs of metal poisoning include lethargy, weakness, depression and anorexia.
General Dangers
Most
birds
cannot
see
a
window
as
a
barrier.
If
a
bird
was
to
fly
at
full
speed
and
hits
a
window
with
a
lot
of
force
it
can
break
it’s
neck.
Try
and
place
a
sticker
or
something
similar
which
alerts
your
bird
to
a
window.
Most
people
have
plants
in
the
house,
a
sensible
precaution
is
not
to
let
your
eclectus
near
any
plant,
to
try
and
complete
a
list
of
poisonous
and
non-poisonous
plants
is
impossible.
If
in
doubt
remove
all
plants.
Burns
are
a
common
danger,
having
an
eclectus
in
your
kitchen
is
asking
for
trouble,
knives,
kettles,
pans
of
piping
hot
food,
the
stove,
sink
full
of
water
are
all
dangers
if
your
eclectus
flies
off
and
suddenly
lands
into
one
of
the
items.
Don’t
forget
the
electrics,
there
is
wires
everywhere,
chewing
through
these
will
result
in
electric
shock.
Lastly
watch
out
for
open
windows
and
if
you
are
taking
the
bird
out,
an escaped eclectus is most likely going to fly off, get disorientated and often starve to death.
With
nearly
all
these
dangers,
ensure
you
have
already
identified
a
vet
so
in
the
case
of
an
eventuality
you
are
not
looking
for
one.
I
fully
recommend
vets
who
specialise
in
birds
who
have
often
dealt
with
these
cases.
If
you
ever
have
a
doubt,
don’t
hesitate
to
contact
your
vet.
Contact
me
if
you
are
requiring
a
specialist vet in your area.