air quality getting worse mayday!

[Hooper]

Hello everyone,
Calling out for advice here. We currently have very bad air quality due to smoke from wild fires. It’s making me feel ill and eyes are burning and I am coughing. I can’t help but think what my Hooper (budgie) is going through. How can I improve the air quality for him? The weather is extremely hot and we need windows open but at the same time the smoke is terrible. I thought of dampening a cotton sheet over his cage but worry about moisture getting in to the lungs. Budgies are very prone to breathing problems. So far he seems fine and I am the one suffering physically(me) but mentally on him! I thought to post this out here and seek everyone’s advice. It’s only going to get worse over the weekend, they say. This smoke is arriving from Washington state and I am in Vancouver BC. Hope to hear from you xxx

 

[iamwhoiam]

If there is any way you can close those windows and try to stay cool that would be a very good thing. Do you have an air purifier? That can help filter out the air inside the house and decrease the smoke smell but the windows should be closed.
I had to seal up my house, close all the windows, take down the dog door, move one of my birds upstairs, and move two away from a sliding glass door because of the smoke.
It's been warm to hot here but not that hot where I need to open the windows. However, with all this smoke, I wouldn't open windows even if it was hot.
Can you close the windows and turn on a fan or two?
Hope the smoke will ease off. If things get worse you might have to move your budgie somewhere else where there is little to no smoke.

 

[Hooper]

If there is any way you can close those windows and try to stay cool that would be a very good thing. Do you have an air purifier? That can help filter out the air inside the house and decrease the smoke smell but the windows should be closed.
I had to seal up my house, close all the windows, take down the dog door, move one of my birds upstairs, and move two away from a sliding glass door because of the smoke.
It's been warm to hot here but not that hot where I need to open the windows. However, with all this smoke, I wouldn't open windows even if it was hot.
Can you close the windows and turn on a fan or two?
Hope the smoke will ease off. If things get worse you might have to move your budgie somewhere else where there is little to no smoke.

I Must buy an air purifier. I am using one little fan but guess I need more. Thank you x

 

[dollfish]

If you cannot get an air purifier, I would suggest putting your bird in a room with the doors and windows closed and sealing the door with wet towels underneath if more and more smoke seems to be coming in through the windows. Smoke can be very harmful to your bird. I hope you get through this quickly!

 

[Hooper]

Purifier on its way!

 

[Destiny]

Your best bet will be to keep windows and doors closed and run an air purifier. Find other ways to keep the room cool, like a fan, swamp cooler, or AC unit, or allow it to be hot. Do not leave the windows open! You need to minimize exposure to outdoor air for both you and the birds.

Air quality in my area is currently fluctuating between very unhealthy and hazardous. It could be days or weeks before things return to normal, due to the rampant wildfires and current weather conditions.

Be sure to buy extra filters for your air purifier. If it gets too dirty, the purifier will not be able to clean the air properly. Read the instructions and replace as directed. More frequent replacement may be necessary during extremely bad air quality events.

I anticipate that my car's cabin air filter will need replacement after all this, too.

 

[Hooper]

Your best bet will be to keep windows and doors closed and run an air purifier. Find other ways to keep the room cool, like a fan, swamp cooler, or AC unit, or allow it to be hot. Do not leave the windows open! You need to minimize exposure to outdoor air for both you and the birds.

Air quality in my area is currently fluctuating between very unhealthy and hazardous. It could be days or weeks before things return to normal, due to the rampant wildfires and current weather conditions.

Be sure to buy extra filters for your air purifier. If it gets too dirty, the purifier will not be able to clean the air properly. Read the instructions and replace as directed. More frequent replacement may be necessary during extremely bad air quality events.

I anticipate that my car's cabin air filter will need replacement after all this, too.

Oh didn’t think about the extra filters! Hope I find them! I wonder if I can wash them if not. Thank you for the advice. Stay safe x

 

[Hooper]

photo 15 hours ago and still getting worse this morning apparently.

 

[Destiny]

This is the view outside my bedroom window right now:



No blue skies around here. And the sunlight looks weirdly yellow because of the smoke haze. Looks kind of like a sepia-tone camera filter effect, but in real-life.

...

I'd also recommend wearing a face mask while outside. One that is actually designed to filter bad air, not just those "cloth over mouth" types that they sell everywhere right now.

The kind you want can be found at home improvement stores, because they are used when working in dusty environments or while doing activities like sanding or spray painting which create hazardous air conditions. Look for wording on the packaging that indicates that this mask can filter out particulates.

Something like this would be ideal:



Be sure that the mask fits your face properly, so it is snug but comfortable and remember to wear it when going outside. But try to minimize any outside activities, especially if you have a lung condition or smoke sensitivity.

Good luck and stay safe out there, folks!

 

[Hooper]

This is the view outside my bedroom window right now:

View attachment 353251

No blue skies around here. And the sunlight looks weirdly yellow because of the smoke haze. Looks kind of like a sepia-tone camera filter effect, but in real-life.

...

I'd also recommend wearing a face mask while outside. One that is actually designed to filter bad air, not just those "cloth over mouth" types that they sell everywhere right now.

The kind you want can be found at home improvement stores, because they are used when working in dusty environments or while doing activities like sanding or spray painting which create hazardous air conditions. Look for wording on the packaging that indicates that this mask can filter out particulates.

Something like this would be ideal:

View attachment 353252

Be sure that the mask fits your face properly, so it is snug but comfortable and remember to wear it when going outside. But try to minimize any outside activities, especially if you have a lung condition or smoke sensitivity.

Good luck and stay safe out there, folks!

If only I could make him a little mask to fit over his cere. I guess it’s impossible either way because most of their activities is using the mouth

 

[Hooper]

If only I could make him a little mask to fit over his cere. I guess it’s impossible either way because most of their activities is using the mouth

It is just so sad stay safe. I can’t find industrial masks atm and this was before the fires these week. It’s too late now it will pass over the next few days......I hope!

 

[Mybluebird]

I think all up and down the west coast looks like what you have @Hooper and @Destiny. Today is a little better in the LA area but quality is still very bad. They are telling people to bring dogs and cats inside and not go out jogging or walking the dogs. The weather is predicting a wind shift on Monday which may improve things.

 

[Destiny]

Yeah, keep your dogs inside as much as possible.

We had to leave the house for a while a few days ago when air quality was better than it is right now, so we put the dogs in the outdoor kennel, like we usually do. When we came home, they were coughing.

Not going to do that again.