Toxic metal in bird toys???

[WillowQ]

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Rope looks fine to me as long as your bird doesn’t chew it excessively. Says the core is iron.

 

[WillowQ]

I give her the same water I drink we have a filter on the fridge. Should I still get a separate filter system for her?

You could just buy a gallon of distilled water if you’re worried

 

[Karla2023]

I wouldn’t think water would’ve a source of copper poisoning. Pipes get flushed regularly which is why we’re not more concerned about composition of pipes in houses.
I don’t see any copper in those toys. Could she have chewed on an electrical wire? I’d guess that if any of those fasteners were toxic that would be zinc.

Im trying to remember if copper is used in soldering or welds?

No my bird has not chewed on any electrical cords ever. That is why I am surprise about this. I only had her for 5 month. I got her from a bird shop

 

[Karla2023]

You could just buy a gallon of distilled water if you’re worried

I bought a water tester to check, it says is coming today. Let’s see

 

[Karla2023]

Just a side note my cage is from A and E. I got it at the bird store. I just don’t know what that cause of the copper is. This is very frustrating because without the cause there is no way for me to remove it.

 

[Mizzely]

Copper is commonly used in metal alloys, so anything that is not stainless steel could be a source. Nickel plating is usually safe but the metal underneath is not.

Copper can also be found in some foods like meat, shellfish, nuts, etc. So depending on the diet I suppose that could contribute.

It's also possible that this is from before you got her, and that it was nothing you did, just something you found

 

[Karla2023]

I always fed her vegetables and pellets, bananas, kiwi and strawberry. Seeds were on occasions like every two weeks and a very small amount. I did feed her lots of broccoli, spinach and kale lots of quinoa and carrots. Sweet potato. For nuts she had cashews and almonds pumpkins seeds. Cooked lentils.

 

[Karla2023]

Do you guys think this is a good filter for water Brita Water Filter Pitcher for Tap and Drinking Water with 1 Standard Filter, Lasts 2 Months, 6-Cup Capacity, BPA Free, Turquoise https://a.co/d/dPr3dvP

 

[Karla2023]

I bought this water quality meter. I tested my tap it gave me a result of 162 ppm and my filtered fridge water 142 ppm :/

 

[WillowQ]

I don’t know that a Britta filter would remove metal.
Also it looks like you are ok.
is there any possibility she ingested something years ago and it’s still in there?

 

[Pixiebeak]

This covers a lot of metals .
I did see that parrot toy bells can be a source of copper

Parrots & Heavy Metal (the substance - not the music)

myparrotshop.com

 

[Karla2023]

I don’t know that a Britta filter would remove metal.
Also it looks like you are ok.
is there any possibility she ingested something years ago and it’s still in there?

I got her in corner 2022 from a bird shop she was 8 month old .

 

[Karla2023]

I meant October

 

[Winn]

This covers a lot of metals .
I did see that parrot toy bells can be a source of copper

Parrots & Heavy Metal (the substance - not the music)

myparrotshop.com

I had been looking for the article I read a while back that claimed many bird bells were copper with a shiny silver-toned paint applied. (They pass the "magnet test" but aren't bird-safe.) I haven't found it yet.
I also recently read an article that said some imported colored wooden beads have been tested and been proven to have lead paint. (A (now former) bird owner had a toy tested after an unfortunate health incident with her bird and the lab found lead paint on the beads.)
Many Amazon bird toys aren't safe. Those bought in pet stores aren't any better. They look fun for our birds and they get great reviews, but they are mass-produced as cheaply as possible to maximize company profit.

 

[Karla2023]

I had been looking for the article I read a while back that claimed many bird bells were copper with a shiny silver-toned paint applied. (They pass the "magnet test" but aren't bird-safe.) I haven't found it yet.
I also recently read an article that said some imported colored wooden beads have been tested and been proven to have lead paint. (A (now former) bird owner had a toy tested after an unfortunate health incident with her bird and the lab found lead paint on the beads.)
Many Amazon bird toys aren't safe. Those bought in pet stores aren't any better. They look fun for our birds and they get great reviews, but they are mass-produced as cheaply as possible to maximize company profit.

@Winn thank you so much for this valuable information. I did buy like 2 Amazon wooden toys immediately removed them and threw them away. I will not be buying from the bird shop either. I will buy from the stores listed in this forum. This is some scary stuff. very sad

 

[Karla2023]

I want to show some photo of my bird when she was at the bird shop

 

[Shezbug]

Drinking water can be the source of copper- my plumber just removed all my copper pipes from my house and upgraded with a safer option, the longer water sits in copper pipes the more copper that is leached from the pipes.
I would think that the small amounts of copper deemed safe for humans would end up being much more of a problem for a small bird whos system is much more sensitive to contaminants and is obviously a heck of a lot smaller than a humans.
Copper can be found in many other metals deemed not safe for birds which is why it is important to only use toys and items for birds that are preferably SS and to always monitor where metal things like cages are at with damage and deterioration etc.

Good water filters can remove many heavy metals but if you are at all concerned that it is your piped in water then I personally would opt for buying safe drinking water (purified water) for your bird.

 

[Karla2023]

My best friend and I had some video that we were going over to see what her cage looked like. When we got our birds we did not know any better about the dangers in toys or any other stuff.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Thst metal lock and chain are likely unsafeas well as that metal wire they have holding the bird tag

 

[Karla2023]

Thst metal lock and chain are likely unsafeas well as that metal wire they have holding the bird tag

I am thinking of going to the bird store next week to speak to the owner