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Care
General care and well being
Some aspects of care have already been covered in other sections. Really your Amazonneeds little else from you other than your love and attention. There are hidden dangers
lurking in your home though that you may not even be aware of. One of which is the Teflon
on your pots and pans. " Do what?" you say. Yes, the coating that makes cooking so much easier
for you, is very toxic to birds when heated to the point that the coating evaporates. About
the most sensitive part of a bird is his lungs. Remember the stories of miners taking
parakeets into the mines with them as an early warning device for air contamination? If
you had designs on keeping the cage in the kitchen for some reason, switch to plan B.
Another is scented candles. Say goodbye to all your vanilla candles when the bird moves
in, this is a no-no. Along the same lines are scented and other household cleaners and
deodorizers. These should not be used or sprayed around your bird, and Fabreeze for example has an
especially notorious reputation as a bird killer. For the smokers out there, yes, nicotine is
toxic to birds. Normally you should not notice your birds breathing, unless of course he
has been exercising hard. If you see your bird in labored breathing or panting take him to
the Vet immediately. One odd question that I have seen come up is how loud can I play
my stereo around my bird. Probably not many of you have heard a flock of Amazons in
the wild, but, If you could, you would hear one of the loudest natural noises in the world.
It is improbable that your home stereo could attain this sort of volume so, play away.
When your bird is happy and well adjusted he may like sitting on you and preening you as
he would one of his fellow flock members in the wild. This is fine with the exception of
letting him in your mouth to clean your teeth. Harmful bacteria to birds there, so leave the
dental hygiene to the Dentist. Your bird requires much sleep and so should go to bed and
get up at fairly set intervals. His cage should be so that there is no noise during sleeping
hours. For example, If you are in the room watching TV, your bird is not getting sleep. I
also get questions about having an Amazon around other pets, such as cats. (of which I
have two) This is perfectly fine as long as interaction is supervised. Generally Parrots are
large enough so that cats and other house pets will not bother them. Care should be
exercised though as cats have a bacteria that is fatal to birds in their saliva and they carry
bacteria (from their litter box) on their claws. If a bird receives a scratch from a cat it
should be washed and treated with a topical antibiotic. Do not use the cream type anti-biotics though on birds. You will need to obtain the powdered type made for birds. After a scratch the bird should be taken the vets who will more than likely prescribe a series of antibiotics. A BITE from a cat though, will need to be treated by a Vet without delay.
Routine mantainance
Amazons are from the rain forest, and so, love water. They should be bathed frequently, atleast once a week, more if you can. Stores sell expensive outdoor misters for Parrots. If
you can afford, and want one, I'm sure your bird will thank you. Otherwise place
lukewarm water in a clean spray bottle and proceed to mist your bird. Always clean your
bottle out after use, and use fresh water for baths. Water can grow harmful bacteria in it.
If you want, you can do baths my way. Simply take the bird in the shower with you.
Not too hot on the water though, and bathe the bird after you have used your soaps and
shampoo's. Afterwards, blow dry your buddy so he doesn't get chilled, and, easy on the
heat. mine loves to be blow dried, and I hear every word, phrase, and whistle he knows during
this process.
Wings and Nails
LOST and FOUND, A Scooter Story > A Scooter Story Read this story for a commentary on wing clipping, and my near tragedy!
Wing clipping is a matter of personal taste. I have heard arguments for and against both,
but, one strong one for clipping is the inability of the bird to escape through an open door
or widow.(read above) If you decide to get your birds wings clipped either go to a vet, or a trusted pet
store. The reason for this is a bird has "blood" feathers. If one of these feathers is cut and
the resulting bleeding not controlled they can bleed to death. If your Parrot accidently breaks one the bleeding MUST be stopped by grasping the feather with pliers and pulling it straight out. This operation takes two people usually, and, the wing should be braced so you do not break the wing. Some will claim that it is detremental to the birds overall health if you do not allow a bird to have flight. If you do allow your bird to fly though, make sure to turn off the ceiling fan. Also make sure that toilet lids are down (men),and do not leave them unattended.
You will know when your bird need his nails clipped
by the shredding of your skin when the bird is on you. You can clip or file the nails at
home without too much fuss. I use nail clippers to remove the points of the claws, and
then file them until they are smooth. There is a vein that runs through the claw and care
should be used not to cut it. If you are unsure how much to cut off visit your Vet or Pet
store to have them show you how far to cut, and where the vein is. If you accidentally cut
one, apply direct pressure, or apply cornstarch to the cut until the bleeding stops. Apply some antibiotic and It should then scab up and heal nicely.
Toy's
Amazons are highly intelligent, and will need something to amuse itself while you are away. Leaving the TV orradio on is OK, but he will need toys as well. An Amazon will play with just about
anything including knotted shoestrings (do not hang in the cage) and paper towel cores. They like shoestrings
because the plastic ends remind them of pin feathers. When a new feather grows it has a
sheath around it that feels like plastic and is sharp to the touch, hence "pin" feather. If you
do much rubbing on your birds neck you will feel them, but be careful because if rubbed
the wrong way they will cause discomfort to your bird and you may get a nip out of him.
Amazons love to chew so you may offer natural wood or undyed leather pieces for
chewing. If using natural wood though, get it from the pet store. Thus ensuring It will be
dried and free of insects or parasites. My birds favorite is a block of wood that has holes
drilled in it with nuts wedged in the holes. If you buy a bell, make sure the clapper is well
secured. A beak is very powerful and your bird may remove the clapper resulting in a
choking hazard. Look around your local pet store and you are sure to find many toys
your amazon will love. Also, offer the toys just a couple at a time and rotate the toys you
have in the cage. This will keep the gage from becoming too cluttered, and insure your
pet does not become bored with any one toy. Amazons love to climb and will appreciate
any climbing ladders or perches you provide. Perches should be graduated in size to
promote foot health and exercise.
First Aid Kit
Fortunately for us, Amazons are strong birds which helps us, help them. They generallygive some warning when they feel ill giving us the valuable time to get them to a Vet.
There are things to keep around the house to facilitate the healing of your bird until a vet
can be reached though that I will share.
Have a first aid kit on hand. Things you will want to include in the kit are:
First and foremost, the emergency number to your vet!
A heating pad, or infrared heat lamp (regular lamps are too bright and can stress the
bird), and a thermometer. Birds have higher body temperatures than you and I, so, many
times elevating the cage temperature to around 85 to 90 degrees will help dramatically. If
you prefer this can be done in a pet carrier, for one it is smaller and easier to heat, and
also, since your going to the vets anyway (right?) he is already in the transport cage.
Monitor the situation closely and be sure not to overheat your bird. (If he begins panting
and extending his wings, it's too hot) And be sure that the heating pad or lamp is out of
reach of the bird. You don't want to complicate matters further with a burn or shock.
Having a good flashlight helps a lot to see what your doing. You will also want a
selection of gauze type bandages, surgical sponges, and paper tape that will not become
overly stuck to the birds feathers.
A set of nail clippers and emery type filing boards.
A pair of needle nose pliers or hemostats to pull blood feathers if necessary.
A (or some) syringes and Gerber high protein baby food (or whatever your vet
recommends) for emergency feeding.
Styptic powder(nails only!) or cornstarch powder (nails, beak, or body) to help stop
bleeding.
Bottled water to flush wounds or burns.
And finally some antiseptic wash, and anti bacterial gel, and powder. Consult your vet for
more information on what to put in a kit and the way he or she wants you to give first aid.
Some prefer that some products and applications be used in lieu of others when they get
their patient in.
Owning a bird will also require you to become quite the expert of bird droppings. Your
bird's droppings should be inspected daily to note any changes in color or consistency.
Birds can loose water rapidly and dehydrate very quickly if they have loose stools or
diarrhea. To ease you a bit though, stools can vary in color with the foods they eat. They
can also become loose with eating water rich foods, or by drinking alot of water. Blood
in the stool should be checked by a vet right away. Should you go to the vet with a stool
problem, be sure to collect and take a fresh sample of stool to the vets when you go. One
further thing you may want to invest in is a scale to keep a log of your birds weight with.
This may often times be the only gauge that something has gone awry with your birds
health.
I know I repeat myself, but this can not be overstated. Go to the vet. Go when he's
healthy, and go when he's ill. ( I step down from my soap box)
Most important of all? You and your amazon enjoy each others company. :-)
