I am alergic to feathers!!!!

[Big_Squishy]

I have been away from GF for a good long while due to some health problems. Things are better but have gotten some very sad news. I am alergic to feathers. I started having respitory distress early this year. Though it was the flu, seasonal alergies or just stress from other medical problems I currently have. After a serious trip to the hospital last month, the Dr.'s finally started doing some breathing test. Found out that at the age of 34 I have developed Athsma and that besides being alergic to almost every type of grass in the US I am alergic to bird feathers. not just a little bit but seriously.

 

I was told that I should find a new home for BoBo.

 

I just can't do it. We clean 10 X more than we did before and I already thought it was overkill. Looking into an air filter system and am taking several medications to lessen my reaction.

 

I thought it was the Dander (dust) but from what the Dr. said besides the dust , all birds creat a sort of oil that comes from the preening gland. When they did the "Scratch Test" the tiny little poke they gave me with the feather solution on it swoll an area the size of grapefruit on my back. So besides a respitory reaction I have a skin reaction too.

 

This doesn't stop me from spending time with BoBo or really change the way I handle him for now. I am wondering if anyone else is alergic to feathers and what they might have done to make things better?

 

I refuse to send our family member away and unless it will kill me he stays. I can live with being uncomfortable I just hope something can help.

 

 

Big_Squishy

[Talon]

I have the JW Air systems. Invest in one or more for your home and you will see instant results to your allergies. PUtting them in my house cut my son's asthma medicine in half with in a week. I highly recommend them. I have 5 in my house.

[KimKim]

Hello, my husband has allergies also, but not as severe as yours sound. Like you, I keep a very clean cage and house, Babalu my grey, is not aloud in our bedroom. I also have a air cleaner right beside his cage and I am trying to get him use to bathing more too.

[Big_Squishy]

Thank you! I will check it out. I was looking at BlueAir systems. Almost all of them cost around $500.00. Looking into seeing if my health insurance will help with part of the cost. Thanks you once again for the info!

[Lyric]

So sorry to hear about your allergy problems. I hope it doesn't get so severe that you do have to rehome your grey. I think you should try looking into homeopathic remedies...I don't know if anyone makes one for African Grey allergies but it is definitely worth looking into. I started taking a homeopathic allergy med this fall and it really helped a lot. Best of luck to you.

[FirstPenguin]

So sorry to hear about your bad news. However.... DO NOT BUY JWR AIR SYSTEMS!!!! THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM! The product might work but by work I mean it turns on and blows air. I could build something does the same things with 60 bucks worth of hardware. The man behind it is dishonest and should not be trusted with your credit card information. On top of that the products scream snake oil. The marketing an support documents I know for a fact this guy says one thing and does another. He charges refills of filters with out your authorization and then speculates as to what went wrong. If you want to know more contact me.

 

Read this....

http://www.preciouspetstores.com/Profile/2587/

[Barbara2]

One thing to try is eating yogurt. The live active cultures build up your immune system and fight everything from allergies to infections to anything else that attacks your body. I used to have spring time allergies and several uninary tract infections a year. Since I started eating yogurt everyday, I have had almost none. I still get the occassional sinus headache but have not had a sinus infection since I started eating a cup a day.

[Malikah]

Oh how sad! I commend you for being so stubborn. Wishing you the best.

[ranaz]

God Bless you for your persistance.

I think it would also be good if you sprey your grey on daily basis. It reduces the feather dust.

I hope you'll find a good air purifier that works for you.

 

Good Luck

[Talon]

So sorry to hear about your bad news. However.... DO NOT BUY JWR AIR SYSTEMS!!!! THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM! The product might work but by work I mean it turns on and blows air. I could build something does the same things with 60 bucks worth of hardware. The man behind it is dishonest and should not be trusted with your credit card information. On top of that the products scream snake oil. The marketing an support documents I know for a fact this guy says one thing and does another. He charges refills of filters with out your authorization and then speculates as to what went wrong. If you want to know more contact me.

 

Read this....

http://www.preciouspetstores.com/Profile/2587/

 

 

Interesting......I haven't had any problems at all with him or his company. In fact, I have received 2 free air cleaners, several bulbs and filters at n/c. They are more than just a machine that blows air.......I have had GREAT success with these air cleaners, and I have purchased several other types and brands and they were all garbage and didn't last.

[Kaleah]

Sorry about the allergies and asthma, aside from the health problems you already have. I was born with asthma and I am also allergic to just about every animal there is. When I first got my Grey her nails were really sharp and whenever I held her I would end up with scratches that turned into hives. It's gotten better since her nails were trimmed though. I have also been told to get rid of my little "zoo", but I refuse. So I take a combination of Flonase and Zyrtec for my allergies, so I can enjoy my animals without difficulty breathing and chronic itchy eyes and runny noses. To me having pets out ways any allergies they may cause, so good for you choosing to keep your Grey.

[chezron]

Definitely read product reviews before buying an air filtration system. You definitely get what you pay for. The good ones are very expensive.

Another possibility, have you talked to you allergist about desensitizing shots? I was allergic to nearly everything, but after taking desensitizing shots for awhile, I am practically allergy free!

I hope you figure this problem out. For the outdoor allergies, you might try eating LOCAL organic honey as it will also gradually desensitize you because it contains minute amounts of different pollens from your area. A spoonful a day is all it takes.

[judygram]

I think this is interesting that we have two completely different opinions on the JW Air systems but could this be two different companies as Talon stated JW air systems and the other mentioned was JWR, are they one and the same or two different ones, inquiring minds would like to know.

[FirstPenguin]

No it's most likely the same. Talon referred to he, As in Jeff, the head of the company, the guy who does most or all of the phone work. All from the same 1990s style, poorly designed, full page ad that's been in birdtalk for ages. I've asked well regarded avian vets, and they either haven't heard of JWR or highly doubt the lofty claims made. Think about what an air filter does. There are no means for an end user to measure the performance of an air filter, except for the effect or user experience. This does not prove the claims or effectiveness of a product, this is merely an anecdotal observation.

 

So the filter takes some dust out of the air. The 60 dollar honeywell filter from home depot could potentially do the same thing and have the same user experience. Therefore, a product like an air filter, can make huge claims and charge for them because it takes a lot of lab work to prove those claims. I've spoken with a bird shop owner who uses 20 inch box fans covered with a pre-filter type foam on the intake side of the fan. This results in reduced dust and dander build up in her bird area. It doesn't take much for a basic air filter to give noticeable results. Beyond that initial effect it's hard to measure whether all those bells and whistles you paid for are really working.

 

Like so many of you we want whats best for our fids. However, clean air is clean air whether you're a human with asthma or a sensitive parrot. For that reason something marketed to parrot owners and parrot owners only is highly suspect. Why would a company produce a device just for birds when multiple industry's and disciplines could benefit from it. At this point I'll leave it at that and post a separate thread for this since it's veered off subject wise.

[Christiene]

use a Air systems and keep the cages clean , it will help you to get close to your birds .