kittykittykitty Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 How do all of you protect your birds when you become ill with a respiratory or gastric infection?:unsure::ohmy: :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Our Greys or other parrots are not really susceptible to viruses we carry like you mention. So I have never stayed away from or treated my Parrots any differently when I have a cold or other similar viral issue. A gastric infection, is not viral, it is bacterial. The only thing you need to ensure is you do not let your Grey beak in your mouth and wash your hands good after using the restroom. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 Thank you, Dan. I know handwashing is critical in controlling any infection e.g. MRSA, Salmonella, E. coli, etc., and the viruses also. When we first received Predious I read that Greys were susceptible to human respiratory infections, hence the question. Thanks for setting me straight. Ther's a lot of misinformation out there!:cheer:Side note: How hot is it in Visalia now?:whistle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zpyder Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Of course you can share infections with your bird but it happens rarely so I wouldn't stress about it. You can also get gastric infections of the viral kind. Poor bacteria always get blamed but many things can cause your tummy to be upset such as stress, travel and diet. Wash your hands and be wary of antibacterial soaps, they only kill the good bacteria and leave you susceptible to the bad bacteria. If you wash your hands frequently use a lotion to keep your skin from cracking and allowing bacteria to enter your body. Keep your birds cage clean including daily water changes and removing old food stuffs. Exercise, good sleep and good diet gives your body and your birds body a chance at being free of infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 Zpyder, so what I read was correct, it's in the frequency of transmission that the difference lies. When I was doing my peds rotation in nursung school almost all of my time was in CD at the county hospital. I never took any infection home. Of course there was frequent hand washing but the use of Clo Cream was as much a part of the technique as handwashing and gown changing. Universal precations now are very strict but I see a lot of poor technique in the handwashing area. It seems there is too much reliance on the use of gloves. There seems to be a lot of controversy about using a germicidal soap. I know that the alcohol hand cleansers are not effective against C. diff., only bleach, but since this is about parrots I guess I don't have to worry. Thank you for being willing to share your knowledge. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M2MM Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 If you are really concerned, you can get some of those face "masks" they use in hospitals to prevent sneeze and coughing "spray" from getting to your bird(s). I've done this myself.... and it's interesting how quickly your bird will get accustomed to seeing you dressed this way. Kumiko just looks at me funny at first, then acts like I always wear it. :cheer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zpyder Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 I have a great respect for nurses, my mother and grandmother were nurses. I almost went to nursing school but found the lab to be more interesting to me. I am always happy to share information. The bird flu had a lot to do with frequency of transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Kitty^3 - It's running around 101 to 103 the last 2 days. That is much better than the 110 we had 9 days ago. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblhelix Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Nothing is 100%, but in general the viruses that infect humans do not infect our avian friends and vice versa. Some viruses mutate over time and can cross infect species to species but the incidence of this is extremely low and when it has happened has not been a strong communicability rate (thank goodness). Bacteria on the other hand are less species specific. In either case if you have a viral or bacterial infection your contact with your pets exposes them to this. Again, if you have a cold (human rhino virus) or the flu (human influenza virus) you will not infect your bird as the virus/bird to not have compatible cellular receptors to allow the virus to infect. All in all, practice good hygiene in any case and it will only be beneficial. Wash your hands, dont go out of your way to cough on your bird etc, but also dont worry about it too much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Very nice Mark! THANKS!! B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 I wondered if anyone used masks.:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Our 110 degree temp was in June. Even though forcast hasn't materialized again--yet!:huh: :ohmy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Thank you! I know there are cross species infections but I'm really glad to know that it is unlikely I'll give the common viruses to Precious. :cheer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Zpyder wrote: Wash your hands and be wary of antibacterial soaps, they only kill the good bacteria and leave you susceptible to the bad bacteria. If you wash your hands frequently use a lotion to keep your skin from cracking and allowing bacteria to enter your body. I didn't know this.:ohmy: So the anti bacterial soap in my house is a waste?! What about the GermX? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblhelix Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 More and more scientific data support that using anti-microbial products for day to day disinfection is not only useless, its dangerous. Using these products regularly introduces an element driving natural selection for the bacterial strains that are RESISTANT to the antimocrobial ingredient. Effectively over time you kill off all the strains that actually die from the antibiotic component leaving those behind that have a resistance to thrive, reproduce and become the dominant strain. Its dangerous. We are seeing the same thing in the medical community with the over prescription of "antibiotics" to people that go to see the Dr with the common cold...antibiotics/antivirals etc are powerful and important drugs but they are easy to misuse and the resultant prodigy are very dangerous. Case in point, multiple drug resistant tuberculosis ( MDRTB ). this is a much under publicised but deadly from of TB that is on the rise and there is almost no cure for it. This is directly a result of the mis-use of anti TB drugs over the years....oK, enough blabbing from me for now. My vote, DO NOT USE ANTIBACTERIAL soaps etc around the house. Dont'g get caught up in the marketing hype the companies that sell these products are drumming up. They want to make a buck, but the products actually do more harm than good over time.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/07/27 20:48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Thank you for the response. My child's school list requires a large bottle of Germ X. I'd like to do some more research on this. You mentioned some great points. Karma for you...if I knew how to do it! Hehehe!:blush: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zpyder Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 GermX is an antibacterial that contains alcohol as the active ingredient. Thats what kills the bacteria but it can very drying and should not be used in place of hand washing with soap and water. The bacteria don't really build a resistance to that and it would be safe to use when it is not easy to wash your hands. The way you wash your hands is the key factor. You should be washing your hands long enough to sing the alphabet twice and then use a moisturizer to keep your skin from cracking. Your skin is your best defense and when it opens up is when bacteria cause infections. It is the way antibiotics have been used that is causing resistance in bacteria. When you get antibiotics for yourself or your pet you should use all of them to be sure that all of the bacteria have been eliminated. Don't save them for incase you need them the next time, they have a short shelf life and their are different antibiotics for different kinds of bacteria. So what you have saved may not be effective against what you are treating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 This is touching on a pet peeve of mine. Good handwashing practices and common courtesy, like not coughing or sneezing in other people's faces, can stop a lot. Since the SARS outbreak in Toronto you see those handwashing stations in a lot of places but I think they have the potential to do more harm than good. Some of the reasons have been stated by others. I also wonder if some believe it's a substitute for washing your hands. It's only meant for situations where there's no way to wash your hands in the spirit of 'something is better than nothing' As far as Dorian goes, I always wash my hands when coming in from the 'outside' world, changing the cat litter, gardening etc..., and I have a bottle of moisturizer at every sink. Also, I've always made sure the moisturizer was well absorbed into my skin before I let his little beak anywhere near my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 Our skin is the first line of defence. Thank you all for emphasizing the handwashing and the lotion. This is what I learned those MANY years ago. :ohmy: :cheer: And thank you for the information on the cellular receptors. Knowledge empowers!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 I like this stuff. http://cleanwelltoday.com/index.html?detectflash=false I prefer to only use natural products around my birds. It's so much easier just not to use any of the conventional stuff than trying to figure out what's safe and what's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzzique Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 I've never liked the antibacteral stuff. I stay away from it. However I do like the cleaning cloths. They are much easier to use on the walls than spray. Those are getting hard to find that don't have the antibacteral stuff in it. I have a problem using lotion. Most have a strong sent to them and have a tendoncy to set off my migrains. I also have skin allergys and there are several others that make me brake out in a rash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 I bet natural baby wipes would work great for cleaning around bird cages. I've never used them myself, but 7th Generation makes baby wipes that shouldn't have anything bad in them. Might just have to pick up a pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzzique Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 That is a good idea I will have to try that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted September 23, 2008 Author Share Posted September 23, 2008 Hi Matthew. I think natural is always best;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted September 23, 2008 Author Share Posted September 23, 2008 Hi Matthew. I think natural is always best;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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