Human health and bird dust

[MnGuy]

I'm hoping people who have kept African greys or cockatoos long-term can provide some insight regarding human respiratory health and bird dust. I've grown a little more paranoid about this issue because an acquaintance, who does not have a bird, was diagnosed with farmer's lung, which is caused by airborne particles like birdkeeper's lung.

I've read a lot about what people do to keep down dust, so I'm hoping people who have kept CAGs and cockatoos long-term can answer this:

-Have you noticed a health impact from bird dust?


I have had my CAG for about eight years. For a long time, her cage was kept in a spare room with my second parrot (now deceased from old age) that I turned into a bird room. She would still come out into common living spaces all of the time. Earlier this year, I moved my CAG into a cage in the corner of my living room.

I have an air filter and vacuum regularly, but I notice a lot of dust on my furniture, floor, etc. What else can I do?

 

[Familyof12]

Interesting. My mother has severe asthma. The kind of asthma where she spent most of my youth in a hospital. It's one of the reason we moved from Hawaii to California when I was young, most of it was humidity and dust. We keep chickens at my house and my mother spends all day with them. She doesn't get asthma from our birds outside or with our birds indoors. I vacuum daily and scrub (windows, walls, etc.) when my birds go outside to play for a couple of hours every day. Same with the chickens. We are paranoid about salmonella or other poison from poop.

 

[Hankmacaw]

There have been a couple of members of this forum who had to rehome their birds because of the development of bird lung. One must keep the environment immaculately clean and bath your dusty bird(s) often. Two or three GOOD air purifiers are a must.

It's not only humans that can be damaged by the dust of these birds. Amazons, conures and especially Macaws are susceptible to Pulmonary Hypersensitivity Disease.

It's not something to be paranoid about, but a concern is well worth while.

 

[MnGuy]

There have been a couple of members of this forum who had to rehome their birds because of the development of bird lung. One must keep the environment immaculately clean and bath your dusty bird(s) often. Two or three GOOD air purifiers are a must.

It's not only humans that can be damaged by the dust of these birds. Amazons, conures and especially Macaws are susceptible to Pulmonary Hypersensitivity Disease.

It's not something to be paranoid about, but a concern is well worth while.

Thank you for your honest input. I suffer from regular seasonal allergies, but it seems to have gotten worse with age. I honestly don't know if it's because of my CAG or not. I dated a cat owner for a while, and I feel like my allergies worsened after that. (I did not have my CAG at the time.) My allergist said that it's a real possibility that being around a cat, which I'm hugely allergic to, made me more susceptible to all of my other allergies, too.

I do not get shots regularly, but occasionally get one shot in the spring and one in the fall if necessary.

I hate the idea of having to rehome my CAG, but I have considered it in the past when I've had long coughing fits. My allergist said the coughing is allergy related. However, I also know I didn't start experiencing them during my fall allergy season until after I adopted my CAG. However, it's also hard to know whether CAG dust plays any role in it. Ugh.

 

[jmfleish]

I brought home my TAG more than 14 years ago followed by my D2 three months later. I now have a houseful of CAGs, Galahs, and Amazons. The Amazons do very well with all the dust. The one Conure I had, a Patagonian Conure, did not. I almost killed her and ended up rehoming her. I will not ever, and I mean NEVER own a Macaw because of all the dusty birds I own (five CAGs, one TAG, five Galahs, and one D2). I do not have asthma or any other kind of breathing issue or any kind of regular allergy and I've always been as healthy as a horse. I played in the dirt as a child and had plenty of pets as a child.

I think that if you haven't had problems up to now, you probably won't from one bird, although there is a risk for those of us with lots of birds. Give your bird frequent baths, spray the papers down with water before changing them, and get a good air filter if you don't have one. Make sure to keep the filters of your furnace changed frequently as well as the filters of your air filter and see your doctor regularly for preventive care and you should be fine. Your doctor will definitely catch something way ahead of time. If you go in for regular check ups for preventive care, it's not something that's just going to sneak up on you, it's something that takes a while to develop.

 

[MnGuy]

I brought home my TAG more than 14 years ago followed by my D2 three months later. I now have a houseful of CAGs, Galahs, and Amazons. The Amazons do very well with all the dust. The one Conure I had, a Patagonian Conure, did not. I almost killed her and ended up rehoming her. I will not ever, and I mean NEVER own a Macaw because of all the dusty birds I own (five CAGs, one TAG, five Galahs, and one D2). I do not have asthma or any other kind of breathing issue or any kind of regular allergy and I've always been as healthy as a horse. I played in the dirt as a child and had plenty of pets as a child.

I think that if you haven't had problems up to now, you probably won't from one bird, although there is a risk for those of us with lots of birds. Give your bird frequent baths, spray the papers down with water before changing them, and get a good air filter if you don't have one. Make sure to keep the filters of your furnace changed frequently as well as the filters of your air filter and see your doctor regularly for preventive care and you should be fine. Your doctor will definitely catch something way ahead of time. If you go in for regular check ups for preventive care, it's not something that's just going to sneak up on you, it's something that takes a while to develop.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have one air filter now, but plan to get more.

 

[iamwhoiam]

I have 3-4 air purifiers running and change the filter in the HVAC every 4-6 weeks.

 

[MnGuy]

I have 3-4 air purifiers running and change the filter in the HVAC every 4-6 weeks.

Do you have a brand of air purifier you like? I have a brand from Sears that I can no longer buy replacement filters for, so I need to get new ones. Thanks!

 

[ode.to.parrots]

I would love to hear what brands you all use for your air purifiers. From what I've read, Rabbit Air and Austin Air sound like the best ones.

 

[BirdGuy21]

I have only had my TAG for about six months and parakeets for a year, but I can say the dust hasn't bothered me too much. I did have asthma really bad when I was younger and occasionally get exercise induced asthma, but the birds haven't made much of an impact. We are pretty fanatical about cleaning the cages- vacuum several times a week and change cage paper daily.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Do you have a brand of air purifier you like? I have a brand from Sears that I can no longer buy replacement filters for, so I need to get new ones. Thanks!

I have a Rabbit BioGS now discontinued but they have newer models. I also have Therapures. I would like another Rabbit but they are expensive. However, it's one of the best air purifiers and it's also quiet compared to the Therapures. I had Honeywells and they were OK although 2 of them stopped working. They were also a lot noisier than the Rabbit and Therapures.
Austin and Rabbit make excellent air purifiers.

 

[MnGuy]

I have a Rabbit BioGS now discontinued but they have newer models. I also have Therapures. I would like another Rabbit but they are expensive. However, it's one of the best air purifiers and it's also quiet compared to the Therapures. I had Honeywells and they were OK although 2 of them stopped working. They were also a lot noisier than the Rabbit and Therapures.
Austin and Rabbit make excellent air purifiers.

Thank you! That's great to know!

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Air purifiers are a must if you have a too, a grey or cockatiels. Their under feathers, or down feathers are shed by flaking away as dust and they simply drop the wimpy spine of the feather or what is left when they molt; and I find my tiels molt year round, as does my grey, Emmie. Only the budgies, lovies and my Pois actually go through a period of molt twice a year.

I have moderate asthma due to over stimulation by cat dander back in the late 80s and through the 90s when I ran a cattery and had 28 cats. After my first wife left me, I allowed the cat population to decrease by assimilation and now have only 7 and none from the original cattery are still alive. I find my bird's dander does not bother me as long as I am not stupid enough to try and clean the filters with a breeze throwing the dander around. But I do have a hx of one severe episode almost requiring a vent and I notice I need to find a new pulmonary physician after many years of not seeing anyone but my GP. I am 67 now and I need to take care of myself if I am to keep up with my Sunshine Senegal into her middle age; she is only 17 this year.

 

[MnGuy]

Air purifiers are a must if you have a too, a grey or cockatiels. Their under feathers, or down feathers are shed by flaking away as dust and they simply drop the wimpy spine of the feather or what is left when they molt; and I find my tiels molt year round, as does my grey, Emmie. Only the budgies, lovies and my Pois actually go through a period of molt twice a year.

I have moderate asthma due to over stimulation by cat dander back in the late 80s and through the 90s when I ran a cattery and had 28 cats. After my first wife left me, I allowed the cat population to decrease by assimilation and now have only 7 and none from the original cattery are still alive. I find my bird's dander does not bother me as long as I am not stupid enough to try and clean the filters with a breeze throwing the dander around. But I do have a hx of one severe episode almost requiring a vent and I notice I need to find a new pulmonary physician after many years of not seeing anyone but my GP. I am 67 now and I need to take care of myself if I am to keep up with my Sunshine Senegal into her middle age; she is only 17 this year.

Here's to good health to you.

 

[Clueless]

Do you have a brand of air purifier you like? I have a brand from Sears that I can no longer buy replacement filters for, so I need to get new ones. Thanks!

@Macawnutz what is the thing they have to avoid on air cleaners...... is it ozone generators?

I own a rabbitair and a Blue air. Bought them both second hand. Love love love the rabbitair.

 

[Leah M Pike]

How big are the dander bits greys produce? Do you really need the premium filters that cost +$300?