Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    Yes, I have lost two birds because of living in a "smoke environment".
    I learned the hard way.  My husband nows smokes in his workshop or out
    of the house.
    
    Hard lesson...
    
    Caralyn

    
    
    Bad birds....NO one smokes in my livingroom where the big birds
    are...they smoke in the kitchen, outside or in the shed...
    
    =Lisa

    Hi,
    
    My Wife and I are both non-smokers and noone smokes in our house. It
    took time for some of the relatives to get used to it. Some respect our
    wishes some don't visit so often. My wife and I both experience alergic
    reactions when exposed to smoke. I would have to think that all living
    creatures are allergic to smoke in varying degrees.
    
    NHAS bird club meetings are now no smoking. Before it always amazed me
    how many Bird people smoked and also how many people brought their
    birds to the meetings and exposed their birds to the smoke. I used to
    have to change my clothes as soon as I got home.
    
    Doug
    

    
    well not to worry -- we don't smoked round the kids anymore -- only
    outside or in another section of the house.
    
    HOWEVER it doesn't completely seem to be helping.
    chewy again is raspy and congested and it seems that pookette is too.
    off to dr kaufman again tomorrow at 6 with all three! (chewy, pookey,
    pookette)
    
    certainly tho there will be NO more SMOKING with the kids around
    to irritate any condition they may have.
    
    with pookette tho i am inclined to believe especially that it is a cold
    since she never experienced any reaction to smoke previously.
    
    also what should one think of this
    the breeder we bought chewy from is no longer having her birds hand
    raised at her assistant's home -- relations are broken off
    
    apparently chewy was caging with a yellow nape who also has upper
    resp problems.  there was a buyer for him, but the buyer did not take
    him because of the problem.  several of her grey's died at this
    assistant's house too.  wish i had known earlier.
    
    i don't regret a minute of chewy. but i would have been financially
    alot better off if i had known of this problem! --t

    
    well $101 later -- 
    
    chewy -- is fine.  the vet could not pinpoint anything specific.  
    she heard the girgling noise.  she listened to his lungs, looked down
    his throat, felt around his neck, and  checked his ears; you name it, she
    did it short of xraying him which she did not feel was necessary at
    this time. (i was glad of that.)  she thinks that he is just girgling
    his saliva for no apparent reason. she said that he was healthy, and he
    gained weight through weaning -- he now weighs 334 grams.  
    there was no nasal discharges, etc.  she just said to keep monitoring
    him for discharges from the nose and ears.
    
    pookey and pookette were both fine -- pookette was a wapping 91 grams!
    and pookey was 84 grams.  I thought for sure pookey was bigger than
    pookette but the proof is in the scale.
    
    pookey was a perfect little gentleman for the vet.  i wouldn't quite
    call him hand tamed, but he doesn't draw blood anymore, and he pretty
    much jumps on your hand without having a heart attack.
    
    so another episode comes to an end.  i figured out of this that i am
    probably just an over protective mom, but i rather do that than not.
    
    btw
    chewy turned out to be the perfect name for the new addition.  he eats
    non stop
    
    green beans
    yellow beans
    carrots
    broccoli
    lettuce of all kinds
    peppers of all kinds
    cherrios
    zuprene biscuits
    grapes
    apples
    peaches
    plums
    alfalfa sprouts
    gram crackers
    peanut butter cookies
    and so on 
    and so on
    does anybody have recommendations on what else to try
    i tried alot more fruit, but he didn't like it that much
    
    t

    
    Hi, glad to here chewy is fine...have you tried pasta
    of any kind? pizza, rice, corn on the cob..i could go
    on and on..mango's (when i can afford one), marley loves
    lima beans and peas..pistachio nuts (not the red ones)are
    fun..mixed frozen veggies are quick and easy..they all like
    chicken..my macaw loves meat...as you can see the birds eat
    almost if not better then me...
    
    =lisa

    
    we call chewy corn face alot.  HE LOVES CORN ON THE COB!!!! HE GETS IT
    EVERYWHERE!  did anyone ever notice how hard it is to keep picked up
    after the little buggers?
    
    i haven't tried pizza yet or pasta -- i'll have to give it a try!
    i noticed that my chewy eats much better than i...he'll live forever!
    
    t

    Be careful about smoking in "another part of the house".  Smoke travels
    via the heating and cooling system and smoke eventually reaches every
    corner.  My husband (and any smoking guests) smoke OUTSIDE only!!
    
    I took us 12 years to finally reach this agreement but I and all my
    birds/pets are healthier for it.
    
    Jeanne