ANIMAL TALK Feathered friends - Prince Edward Island · Feathered friends ANIMAL TALK KIRA...
1
Emily Pringle Animal talk Birds are intelligent, sociable, inquisitive, and beautiful ani- mals that can be excellent com- panions. Without the specialized care they need, however, pet birds can develop significant physical and behavioral health problems such as malnutrition, feather plucking, excessive vocalization and aggression. In the wild, seed-eating birds eat a wide variety of foods, which provides them with a balanced diet. Wild budgerigar parakeets, for example, may eat as many as 60 different types of seeds. Pet birds fed only mixed seed diets often develop signs of malnutrition, since commercial seed mixes contain only a few types of seeds and birds may eat only their favourites. A diet lacking in es- sential nutrients may lead to obesity, poor feather quality, and a weakened immune system. A pet bird should eat an ap- propriate pelleted diet - fresh fruits and vegetables and some seeds. Treats like plain, whole- wheat toast or cooked whole- wheat pasta can be offered in small amounts. There are many recipes available for homemade mashes and salads for birds. Be- fore making changes, speak to your veterinarian or a reputable bird breeder. Pet birds raised on seed diets may have difficulty accepting new foods and will need careful monitored. Your veterinarian may recommend a vitamin and mineral supplement if your bird is only eating seeds. Avoid chocolate, coffee, tea, onions, garlic, avocado, artificial sweet- eners, fruit pits (like peach, plum), apple seeds, or foods con- taining high amounts of fat, salt or sugar. Among the potential hazards in a normal household, some may be obvious (ceiling fans), others may not (glasses of water). Birds are inquisitive by nature, and they will use their tongue and mouth to feel and in- vestigate objects. Supervise your pet carefully while it is out of its’ cage and be mindful of the following: — Nonstick cookware, air fresheners, scented candles and cigarette smoke can create po- tentially fatal fumes. Never keep your pet bird in the kitchen while you are cooking. — Windows, mirrors and ceil- ing fans can all be dangerous to a flying bird. Lock the outer door to prevent your bird from acci- dentally being let outside. — Standing water is another. Pet birds have drowned while trying to drink out of a glass of water by falling in headfirst and getting stuck. See PROPER, B6 B5 THE GUARDIAN MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016 www.theguardian.pe.ca features Providing the best care possible for your avian companion Feathered friends ■ ANIMAL TALK KIRA KOZMA-ALLAIN/SPECIAL TO THE GUARDIAN Mr. Bean, a mustached parakeet, developed lead poisoning in 2015 as result of chewing painted wood trim. He suffered from seizures and other neurologic signs. With prompt veterinary treatment he made a full recovery. NANETTE JOHNSTONE/THE GUARDIAN Nanette Johnston adopted Bones from the P.E.I. Humane Society in April 2015. Here they are getting their dog-carting certificate from Red Dog Training Services. Johnston says that after a couple of months of training they’ve become quite the team. ■ A happy ending PAM MAKER/ SPECIAL TO THE GUARDIAN Niko, a Lovebird, was part of the Southport Animal Hospital team for 10 years. At a glance — Pet birds often suffer from boredom and frustration. Pro- vide mental stimulation and physical activity by creating a Foraging Tree. Follow this link: www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/c aptive-foraging-video. — Other good birding sites in- clude the Eastern Canada Avian Association: www.ecavianasso- ciation.com; Pet birds Lafeber Co.: lafeber.com/pet-birds. FROM B5 Keep the toilet lid down and don’t leave dishes soaking in the sink. — Lead or other heavy metal poisoning is a potentially fatal condition. Lead sources include painted surfaces, fishing sinkers and stained glass. — Galvanized metals may contain high levels of zinc, which is also toxic. Chewing on electrical cords and fabrics can lead to electrocution or damage to the digestive system. — If you are considering get- ting a pet bird, do some careful research to learn about the species’ natural habitat, social interactions, behaviour, diet and life expectancy. Consider joining a bird club or going to a bird show to meet with breeders and their birds. Speak to your veteri- Proper care for birds narian about your pet’s health care needs that will include rou- tine physical exams, bloodwork and fecal analysis, as well as reg- ular beak, wing and nail care. Next month in Animal Talk: Open farm etiquette. Dr. Emily Pringle is a member of the P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association, one of the member groups of the P.E.I. Compan-ion Animal Welfare Initiative (CAWI), the goal of which is to improve the welfare of owned and unowned companion animals on P.E.I. CAWI consists of the P.E.I. Hu- mane Society, SpayAid, Cat Action Team, P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association, P.E.I. department of agriculture and forestry, P.E.I. 4-H, and Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at AVC. For more informa- tion, see gov.pe.ca/agriculture/CAWI. Readers may send questions related to the well being of owned and unowned companion animals to [email protected]
Transcript of ANIMAL TALK Feathered friends - Prince Edward Island · Feathered friends ANIMAL TALK KIRA...
EmilyPringleAnimaltalk
Birds are intelligent, sociable,inquisitive, and beautiful ani-mals that can be excellent com-panions.
Without the specialized carethey need, however, pet birdscan develop significant physicaland behavioral health problemssuch as malnutrition, featherplucking, excessive vocalizationand aggression.
In the wild, seed-eating birdseat a wide variety of foods, whichprovides them with a balanceddiet.
Wild budgerigar parakeets, forexample, may eat as many as 60different types of seeds. Pet birdsfed only mixed seed diets oftendevelop signs of malnutrition,since commercial seed mixescontain only a few types of seedsand birds may eat only theirfavourites. A diet lacking in es-sential nutrients may lead toobesity, poor feather quality, anda weakened immune system.
A pet bird should eat an ap-propriate pelleted diet - freshfruits and vegetables and someseeds. Treats like plain, whole-wheat toast or cooked whole-wheat pasta can be offered insmall amounts. There are manyrecipes available for homemademashes and salads for birds. Be-fore making changes, speak toyour veterinarian or a reputablebird breeder.
Pet birds raised on seed dietsmay have difficulty acceptingnew foods and will need carefulmonitored. Your veterinarianmay recommend a vitamin andmineral supplement if your birdis only eating seeds. Avoidchocolate, coffee, tea, onions,garlic, avocado, artificial sweet-eners, fruit pits (like peach,
plum), apple seeds, or foods con-taining high amounts of fat, saltor sugar. Among the potentialhazards in a normal household,some may be obvious (ceilingfans), others may not (glasses ofwater). Birds are inquisitive bynature, and they will use theirtongue and mouth to feel and in-vestigate objects.
Supervise your pet carefullywhile it is out of its’ cage and bemindful of the following:
— Nonstick cookware, airfresheners, scented candles andcigarette smoke can create po-tentially fatal fumes. Never keepyour pet bird in the kitchenwhile you are cooking.
— Windows, mirrors and ceil-ing fans can all be dangerous toa flying bird. Lock the outer doorto prevent your bird from acci-dentally being let outside.
— Standing water is another.Pet birds have drowned whiletrying to drink out of a glass ofwater by falling in headfirst andgetting stuck.
See PROPER, B6
B5 THE GUARDIANMONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016
www.theguardian.pe.ca
features
Providing the best care possible for your avian companion
Feathered friends■ ANIMAL TALK
KIRA KOZMA-ALLAIN/SPECIAL TO THE GUARDIAN
Mr. Bean, a mustached parakeet, developed lead poisoning in 2015 as result of chewing painted wood trim. Hesuffered from seizures and other neurologic signs. With prompt veterinary treatment he made a full recovery.
NANETTE JOHNSTONE/THE GUARDIAN
Nanette Johnston adopted Bones from the P.E.I. Humane Society inApril 2015. Here they are getting their dog-carting certificate from RedDog Training Services. Johnston says that after a couple of months oftraining they’ve become quite the team.
■ A happy ending
PAM MAKER/ SPECIAL TO THE GUARDIAN
Niko, a Lovebird, was part of theSouthport Animal Hospital team for10 years.
At a glance— Pet birds often suffer fromboredom and frustration. Pro-vide mental stimulation andphysical activity by creating aForaging Tree. Follow this link:www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/captive-foraging-video.— Other good birding sites in-clude the Eastern Canada AvianAssociation: www.ecavianasso-ciation.com; Pet birds LafeberCo.: lafeber.com/pet-birds.
FROM B5
Keep the toilet lid down anddon’t leave dishes soaking in thesink.
— Lead or other heavy metalpoisoning is a potentially fatalcondition. Lead sources includepainted surfaces, fishing sinkersand stained glass.
— Galvanized metals maycontain high levels of zinc,which is also toxic. Chewing onelectrical cords and fabrics canlead to electrocution or damageto the digestive system.
— If you are considering get-ting a pet bird, do some carefulresearch to learn about thespecies’ natural habitat, socialinteractions, behaviour, diet andlife expectancy. Consider joininga bird club or going to a birdshow to meet with breeders andtheir birds. Speak to your veteri-
Proper care for birds narian about your pet’s health care needs that will include rou-tine physical exams, bloodwork and fecal analysis, as well as reg-ular beak, wing and nail care.
Next month in Animal Talk: Open farm etiquette.
Dr. Emily Pringle is a member of the P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association, one of the member groups of the P.E.I. Compan-ion
Animal Welfare Initiative (CAWI), the goal of which is to improve the welfare of
owned and unowned companion animals on P.E.I. CAWI consists of the P.E.I. Hu-
mane Society, SpayAid, Cat Action Team, P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association, P.E.I.
department of agriculture and forestry, P.E.I. 4-H, and Sir James Dunn Animal
Welfare Centre at AVC. For more informa-tion, see gov.pe.ca/agriculture/CAWI.
Readers may send questions related to the well being of owned and unowned
companion animals [email protected]
