Bird breeders lung and Avian Alveolitis

[Saemma]

For those who don't remove the soiled papers on a daily basis, I thought I would include this link for you.

It is my personal opinion that it's a good idea to get into the habit of changing these papers every single day even if it isn't "convenient".
Do it for your parrots but also for the longterm health of the HUMANS too.

Parrots also leave behind a fine dust in the air when they preen their feathers. This is inhaled by both us and anyone living in the same home. It's important to protect yourself today so you can still be healthy in the future.

*When the droppings dry, they give off a fine dust which floats in the air that you breath and can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis. *

Pet Birds and Air Purifiers

 

[Jadie]

Thanks for posting this! I have allergies to all kinds of things, I actually am quite allergic to dander, dust, pollen, etc.. but I've immunized myself to it by working with and having my own animals, but sometimes my allergies will really flare up and cause havoc out of no where and it's horrible. While I usually do change my guys dirty paper everyday sometimes it does get put off to the next day. I'm really looking into buying an air purifier when I have some extra cash....I can just imagine what's floating around the air in here! And I'm sure it's not good for us and my babies.

 

[Compassion]

Thanks for the link,I'd never heard of bird breeders lung before! I'm like Jade and have allergies as well,my allergies haven't been bothering me as much since I moved into the new apartment (no carpet yay!) but I would still like to purchase a good quality air purifier sometime this summer.

 

[magni]

Thank You I never herd of that, good to know

 

[Saemma]

You're very welcome, Magni, Jadie and Compassion.
I've always been pretty conscientious about the amount of dust in my home but ever since I have had parrots, SO MUCH more so. If I let it go for just one day, I will see a "layer" of dust on my furniture. It makes me very uncomfortable to see this.
I sweep and dust 6 days a week for 40 minutes. On the 7th day, I do the major cleaning which includes everything. This takes a few hours.
I am pretty sensitive to dust and have seasonal allergies, a few years ago I also caught pneumonia. A good air purifier is a must have imho and I see the difference that it makes.
Sometimes when Emma is preening in the sunlight I can see "puffs" of dust being blown in the air by her.

 

[lotus15]

Thanks for that article, Saemma, very very helpful What kind of air purifier do you use?

 

[Saemma]

I use a Honey well air purifier. Hold on..
Honeywell Enviracaire QuietCare HEPA Air Purifier 17000

 

[Saemma]

I also have this one.

Honeywell 17005 Enviracaire QuietCare HEPA Air Purifier

 

[lotus15]

I use a Honey well air purifier. Hold on..
Honeywell Enviracaire QuietCare HEPA Air Purifier 17000

Ooh! Thank you Is it really quiet?

 

[atvchick95]

This is what it is - and my b/fs mom has it, from cleaning her husbands pigeon cages a few times while he was working double shifts

not every one gets it, her husband as raised pigeons for over 30 years and is perfectly fine -

but she now Many many many years later has to use oxygen , she's on many different meds for it along with inhalers

She can no longer be around birds - She'll come to our house and we talk out side or if she comes in it's only for a few minutes - When she starts coughing and can't stop we know she has to leave.

the House we lived a couple years ago had HUGE picture windows in the birds room So if we wanted to show her any of the new birds or babies She'd walk around to the side yard, and we'd show her through the window. She enjoys seeing my birds but her health can't handle it

Histoplasmosis Facts

 

[atvchick95]

Ooh! Thank you Is it really quiet?

YES it is i have it along with another honeywell a smaller one - the smaller one is extreamly loud on Medium and Even louder on high

this one is on High at all times and we have to shut the other one off and walk over to this one to know if its still on or not I want to get a few more of these ones and ditch the loud one when we shut the smaller one off to clean it, it gets really quiet in the birds room and its NICE I hate being in there when its on its just annoying loud but this one I love

 

[Saemma]

Ooh! Thank you Is it really quiet?

Not really quiet ... but very very effective at making the air smell clean. It does a very good job and frankly, you kind of get used to the noise. There are 3 settings and the lowest one is kind of soothing. When I leave my home, I leave it on the lowest setting.

 

[lotus15]

Thank you both I have been looking into air purifiers and the Honeywell seems like a very economical option. I have heard amazing things about the IQair (that link mentions it as well!) but just don't think I can afford it at the moment. And I'm also not sure I need all that power for my little apartment. I will do some more research into the Honeywell Thanks again!

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Saemma]

This is what it is - and my b/fs mom has it, from cleaning her husbands pigeon cages a few times while he was working double shifts

not every one gets it, her husband as raised pigeons for over 30 years and is perfectly fine -

but she now Many many many years later has to use oxygen , she's on many different meds for it along with inhalers

She can no longer be around birds - She'll come to our house and we talk out side or if she comes in it's only for a few minutes - When she starts coughing and can't stop we know she has to leave.

the House we lived a couple years ago had HUGE picture windows in the birds room So if we wanted to show her any of the new birds or babies She'd walk around to the side yard, and we'd show her through the window. She enjoys seeing my birds but her health can't handle it

Histoplasmosis Facts

Thanks so much for sharing this!!

 

[crzybrdldy]

People that already have respritory problems should not have Cockatiels, Cockatoos or African Greys, these birds have a fourth feather which is the one that usually produces all the dust, it is the powder down feather.

I am owned by two of these species and I do have respritory problems, not good for me, so I do clean their cages every day and vacuum their room every day.

 

[atvchick95]

Thanks so much for sharing this!!

your welcome

 

[allison]

I know Jan from pionus parrots is affected by bird keepers lung (I think) and is now getting out of breeding.
Breeders4Sale

 

[Saemma]

Yes.. I think I remember her mentioning this.

 

[Jadie]

I was also wondering how noisy they were..and do you guys keep them on at all times?(sorry it''s kind of a dumb question lol). I'm worried about raising the already high electricity bill lol!