My heart is breaking

[nikkirae]

So, Most of you know about Gracie got her from a friend that did not take care of her at all and she is blind. Well I have started to have breathing problems a few weeks back and I knew right away it was from the dander. I have spent a ton of time around Cockatoo's and never once had a asthma attack. I have even clean cockatoo cages, I work in a pet store for 5 years and cleaned all types of bird cages that were inclosed in glass.

 

I have a air cleaner running on high 24/7 I am using an inhaler as needed and taking an allergy med also I am giving her a shower once a day cleaning down her cage and cleaning everything in the room everyday. It was going great then BAMB back to not breathing ok again! I am doing EVERYTHING I can to keep this baby girl I am IN LOVE with her!! I have a friend that runs a sanctuary and she will take her forever if I can not keep her. UGH! This just makes me so mad!!! Never ever ever did I think this would happen! But I can say even if she has to go it was better off that I took her instead of leaving her in that nasty house she came from. I am going to give it till after xmas.

 

Another thing is I was visting a friend that works at a avian vet and I was standing in a room with cockatoos and grey and not ONCE was I bothered. whats going on? I know grey's are dusty but Gracie it seems like when she shakes someone is pouring powder out of a bottle. I just don't know

[MKparrot]

Have you checked with the doctor that it is dander that caused your problem. Maybe (I am hoping so much) it something else? I am sorry to hear that Gracie will have to leave you...

I admire your love and passion for Gracie ! I really DO.

[nikkirae]

I know it's her for sure, When I am away from her I am fine. I do have allergies but not to birds, Well 3 years ago I was not that can change in a heart beat. I have a mask on today so we shall see.

[danmcq]

Have you tried placing a humidifier close to the cage? You don't want it so close it sprays on to the cage. But close in proximity on high would make the air in that area much more humid. When she shakes, the damper air will be absorbed by the dander and tend to fall faster, rather than floating around for a good distance.

[Talon]

Are you sure it is her and not something else in your home?

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

That is so sad! Is there any way you can find her a " forever" home rather than sanctuary? They are great, but your bird needs a forever home. I can relate and understand about the asthma. Both my boys have asthma, and when I was asked to adopt Sunny our Sunconure, since he loved Ryan and bonded with him the day he met him at age nine, I hesitated due to the asthma. Had the boys tested first before I committed. No allergies to bird dander. Sunny came home. Nancy

[nikkirae]

Kins the lady that runs the sanctuary is a good friend of mine

so it's more of a home she does not have a ton of birds and has another blind grey I know she will be safe and taken care of. danmcq I am buying one tomorrow! I was thinking the same thing! thanks a bunch!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

So happy to hear! Nancy

[Timbersmom]

I was wondering if it was possible that something else in the house too (as Talon said), since you were around another grey and didn't react badly. I have allergies also, though not to greys thank God. As you said, you can develop an allergy to something new at any time. Got my fingers crossed for you!

[Cherylnj]

Have you thought about seeing an allergist? Maybe a series of allergy shots would help? Just a thought.

[nikkirae]

Thanks Timber!!! I know it's her because I was fine b4 she got here, BUT she had not been showered in all her life 12+ years and they smoked in the house and who knows what kinda allergins were there getting on her. So I have been cleaning her cage with apple cider vinegar w mother in it and it was doing great, I changed to the white because it's well cheaper and that's when it started getting bad again. I wonder if the apple cleans the dander better then the white LOL. I am just searching for things!

 

Adding.... When you find dander around your house is it a fine powder or small chunks?

[Muse]

So sorry to hear. Regardless of the cause, allergies are a bummer. Sometimes there are ways to get around them. It does seem strange that one Grey triggers them and another does not. I agree with others - I'd see an allergist to be sure before I'd give up my bird. That is very difficult to do. I wish you the best, and hope you can find something that gives you relief.

[katana600]

It is rough living with allergies. Mine are unpredictable, I am allergic to cats, but my kids had two. We had them for 13 years. There were long periods when I had no symptoms, but an inadvertent scratch and my eyes would swell shut. Certain times of year were the worst including the onset of winter and it may have had something to do with old dust in the ducts. If you have forced air, it may be worth a try to have your ducts professionally cleaned and change to the kind of filter you can wash weekly. It may not be just dander but a combination causing the tipping point effect. Also, try a neti pot. It's worth a full blitz to see if its a seasonal overload rather than your beloved companion alone.

[Timbersmom]

I'd try the shots. I had those several years ago, and they did make a big difference!

[Muse]

Thanks Timber!!! I know it's her because I was fine b4 she got here, BUT she had not been showered in all her life 12+ years and they smoked in the house and who knows what kinda allergins were there getting on her. So I have been cleaning her cage with apple cider vinegar w mother in it and it was doing great, I changed to the white because it's well cheaper and that's when it started getting bad again. I wonder if the apple cleans the dander better then the white LOL. I am just searching for things!

 

Adding.... When you find dander around your house is it a fine powder or small chunks?

 

You know, I had a thought - you said she lived 12+ years in a home with smokers. Perhaps it is the smoke you are allergic to? I am highly sensitive to smoke, especially cigarette smoke. And I smoked from age 20 to 31. My doctor at the time said it wasn't an "allergy" because allergies are reactions to proteins and called it a non-allergic rhinitis. One tiny whiff and my nose runs, eyes water, sinuses swell - and the next day I will have a sore throat all day. Many times I have "run the gauntlet" trying to get inside a restaurant past smokers at the door to try to save myself lots of suffering. One can only run so far and so fast while holding their breath. But I know I have had objects (some that were packed for years) that had the faintest bit of residue on them that triggered a reaction. Was the cage also from that home? It could have residual nicotine in areas you can't get to. All I know is that it takes a very minute amount for me to have a reaction. This might explain why it seems to be just this one bird out of all the other birds you have contact with.

 

As for dander, I have noticed it takes two forms with the Greybies. A white powdery substance that ranges from fine to fairly coarse, and flakes that appear like dandruff when they are preening on my husband. I tease him about needing Head & Shoulders, lol.

[Inara]

How frustrating this must be for you. It does seem that given you have been around many other birds, including another Grey, that it could be Gracie related. No bath for 12 years, who knows what kind of crapola is harbored in her feathers. It might be worth having your vet check her out for mites, as well as give her a proper head to toe cleaning (by the vet or vet's staff). I can only imagine what *her* little respiratory system must be going through. Also, if she had been housed around all that smoke for years, she could have some nicotine withdrawal herself.

 

Inara (TAG) doesn't seem to produce a lot of dander. We live in a high, arid climate. I mist her daily and I'm careful about using filtered water in her mist bottle as well as her water dishes. I figure that if I'm misting her with chlorinated tap water that that will just add to any dryness issues and can't be healthy for her. It's also why I don't have her shower with me. Because of our climate, we're pretty dusty anyway unless, like today, there is snow on the ground. So I dust every other day with a microfiber mitt and then toss it into the washer immediately afterward. I also vacuum every other day (and spot vacuum around her cage sometimes daily) and clean the filter on the vacuum immediately afterward.

 

It's always a very heart wrenching decision to put a companion up for adoption or to surrender to a sanctuary. The positive, is that Gracie is now out of her terrible home of origin. Only you know how equipped you are physically, emotionally, and financially to deal with this frustrating and sad situation. I wish for you and Gracie, the best possible outcome.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Give Gracie an awesome shower! Remove the smoke and dander that has been there a long time. Then see how you feel. I am an asthma pro. After testing kids for allergies to birds... everyone was negative... we got out birds! I don't encourage anyone with asthmatic symptoms, to keep any animal. I am severely allergic to cats. So are my kids. NOT just allergies, but wheezing.I remember at the age of nine, a cat came to live with us. I still remember sitting in our living room trying to breathe. NEVER EVER again, was I going to suffer that way! Nor were my kids. If your allergic with asthma... it will NEVER go away. Nancy

[nikkirae]

I am going to try a few things, We are taking her to the vet very soon plus I am buying the Austin air purifier I heard it's amazing, I have one running now the dang filter was 70$ and it seems to be just pushing the dander and dust around more then anything! The Austin air has a 30 day money back so it's worth the try! I have a feeling that her cage was COVERED in dander/dust and they cleaned it up b4 I came to get her. I can see on the cage where the grey parts have whitish looking powder when you get it wet it goes away and after it dries it back to that same look. I am thinking about buying a new cage for her she is blind so maybe even the same one that she has now.

[Lupine]

Keep us posted! Vinegar not only helps to lift dust when wiping stuff down, but it also helps eliminate mold and bacteria. If your Greybie has or recently had mites, your allergies could be to mite spoor and ensuing fungus/bacteria, not to her dander. So be sure to thoroughly clean all household surfaces.

 

Bird dander is essentially just the keratin from the feather sheathing, if I recall (but of course I could be wrong) as well as a bit of skin flakes. Feather lice/skin lice eat this stuff, and poop out stuff that is then fed upon by fungus/bacteria. So I agree that a good, avian-vet assisted grooming would help, plus regular spraydowns/bathing. See how she is after a good molt?