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birdie puppy's mom
Bappie
Joined: 15 Dec 2006
Posts: 56
Location: NW Indiana, USA |
| Showering with only water? |
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I need some help badly. Poor Crybaby'a white wings are now a funky unattractive shade of gray.  I asked my vet about using baby shampoo on him, and she said no, not to use anything but warm water and the hand held shower head set on a rain type pressure. He accustomed to his showers just bring given means of a misting type spray bottle(as done by his previous owner). But in view of how cruddy his wings are, I wonder about all water. Some input please?
Shirley |
Monday April 23, 2007 8:07 pm |
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NakedDogMom
Fledgeling
Joined: 09 Apr 2006
Posts: 312
Location: Ohio |
Hey.....Sera loves going into the kitchen sink and I put the faucet on the sprayer. She'll just lay down in the bottom of the sink to get SOAKED! She's dripping when she's done.....it's really cute.
She loves it....but not all birds will......start slow and let him play in some standing water first (like a 9 x 13 dish in the sink....) |
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Monday April 23, 2007 8:39 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
Oh, I wouldn't try any shampoo or cleanser of any sort. There's just too much risk of irritating the bird's skin or ruining its feathers. A dab of shampoo or soap on the bird's skin, even if it gets rinsed off, could cause the skin to dry out (at best) or cause an allergic or even toxic reaction. Toxic reactions, even deaths, have been recorded in cats that reacted to cat shampoo; and we all know how sensitive birds are. Even the fragrance in the baby shampoo could be harmful. With through rinsing, a bit of the shampoo could still cling to the feathers. This will attract more dirt, at best. (Just like shampooing carpet does) At worst, residue could harm you bird when he grooms. Also, if the bird perceives any residue on his feathers, he may rip them out!
One way to enhance the action of plain, warm water is to blot it off with a cotton cloth, then wet the wing again, over and over, provided the bird thinks it is fun. The dry cloth will give the dirt a place to go. |
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Tuesday April 24, 2007 12:34 am |
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birdie puppy's mom
Bappie
Joined: 15 Dec 2006
Posts: 56
Location: NW Indiana, USA |
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Thanks Meg!
Whatyou are saying makes common sense, and hadn't yet occured to me.
He got his first hand held shower today, and in retrospect it was hilarious.  I had him stand on a shower stool that we have and I was kneeling over the side of the tub, and gently began rinsing him down. He slipped and tumbled off the stool and scared me to death, but he was back on his feet in the blink of an eye, and came runnning to me, we tried it one more time and again my Crybaby went tumbling, but promptly got on his feet, and from the other side of the tub came a very happy, "Hi Baby!" I again checked him over, and said that is enough showering for you sweetie and bundled him in a towel, and went back into his room where there are no breezes of wind at all, and put him on his perch to dry. At first it appeared, that I now had a gray winged U2.  He is dry now, and believe it or not he looks considerably better. Tomorrow will be shower time again, only with warm water in a spray bottle like he is used to,, with him safely on my hand or in his cage. LOL Thank gooodness he is alright. By the way, I think I got a lot wetter than he did !!!
Shirley |
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Tuesday April 24, 2007 2:03 am |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
Hi there,
I've showered my white doves with baby shampoo several times and they were fine, and their feathers went back to being white. I know Cheeta also washes her white cockatoo with shampoo every once in a while and she's never had any problems either. It's really difficult to get the shampoo through the feathers to the skin, you'd have to use an awful lot. The feathers will protect the skin. I know wildlife centres use dish detergent on ducks that have swam into oil spills, and they're fine afterwards too.  |
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Tuesday April 24, 2007 7:03 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
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quote:
wildlife centres use dish detergent on ducks that have swam into oil spills, and they're fine afterwards too.
Oil-covered wild birds cannot survive, so they must be washed, I believe, with Murphy's Oil Soap. It is an emergency situation.
I have been involved with the cosmetics industry for years, have done hundreds of hours of research on cosmetics and herbs, and would NEVER use or recommend a product meant for humans on a bird. Many of these products use chemicals that are not even safe for use by humans, especially the fragranced ones. (The FDA does not regulate the use of these chemicals until after consumers are harmed by them and complain/sue/die/whatever.)
Just because an animal survives the use of a shampoo, lotion, or perfume with no visible distress does not mean that no damage was done to it. Even a product that is truely 100% natural could kill a bird with pure essential oils. Cat people learned this the hard way, accidently killing their kitties with tea tree oil in shampoo or on the skin, sometimes, but not necessarily, the first time the product was used. Even lavender oil, which is considered safe for human infants, will destroy a cat's liver. Birds are known to be at least as sensitive as cats; most likely more so. Dogs and people are better able to detoxify harmful chemicals than birds and cats.
Approximately 30% of the humans in this country are now suffering from years of exposure to the chemicals in our food, cleaning products and body care products. Some just have a mild asthmatic or allergic reaction. However, many of these people are already so sick from ordinary chemicals that further unavoidable exposures to these chemicals will tax their bodies to the extent they will become allergic to FOOD and literally starve to death. Others will die, ARE dying, from the heart problems, lung problems, and cancers these chemicals cause.
I love my pets and would not risk shortening their lives by using chemicals on or around them. WHY TAKE THE CHANCE? Parrots can live for many decades with the proper care. I, for one, do not wish to bury my bird one moment before the decades of life that are her birthright. |
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Tuesday April 24, 2007 7:51 pm |
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birdie puppy's mom
Bappie
Joined: 15 Dec 2006
Posts: 56
Location: NW Indiana, USA |
Hi Meg,
Thanks again for the new information. I have read in several books about the birds sensitivity, and am inclined to agree with you. Warm water is what he is going to be "showered with" besides tons of love and affection. since I wou;d nearly die if something were to happen to Crybaby, ESPECIALLY if it were something I had done or caused. I am praying never to have to bury him, that the unpleasant chore will fall to one of our kids, or even a future grandchild. Long after I am gone.
Thanks again, so much - and Crybaby thanks you, too.
Shirley and Crybaby |
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Tuesday April 24, 2007 10:57 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
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quote:
Originally posted by meg832
I have been involved with the cosmetics industry for years, have done hundreds of hours of research on cosmetics and herbs, and would NEVER use or recommend a product meant for humans on a bird. Many of these products use chemicals that are not even safe for use by humans, especially the fragranced ones. (The FDA does not regulate the use of these chemicals until after consumers are harmed by them and complain/sue/die/whatever.)
Just because an animal survives the use of a shampoo, lotion, or perfume with no visible distress does not mean that no damage was done to it. Even a product that is truely 100% natural could kill a bird with pure essential oils. Cat people learned this the hard way, accidently killing their kitties with tea tree oil in shampoo or on the skin, sometimes, but not necessarily, the first time the product was used. Even lavender oil, which is considered safe for human infants, will destroy a cat's liver. Birds are known to be at least as sensitive as cats; most likely more so. Dogs and people are better able to detoxify harmful chemicals than birds and cats.
Approximately 30% of the humans in this country are now suffering from years of exposure to the chemicals in our food, cleaning products and body care products. Some just have a mild asthmatic or allergic reaction. However, many of these people are already so sick from ordinary chemicals that further unavoidable exposures to these chemicals will tax their bodies to the extent they will become allergic to FOOD and literally starve to death. Others will die, ARE dying, from the heart problems, lung problems, and cancers these chemicals cause.
I love my pets and would not risk shortening their lives by using chemicals on or around them. WHY TAKE THE CHANCE? Parrots can live for many decades with the proper care. I, for one, do not wish to bury my bird one moment before the decades of life that are her birthright.
Hi Meg
I'm very open to learning new things, and I appreciate your advice. I haven't worked in the cosmetic industry, nor have I ever suffered from any allergies, nor have I ever owned a cat, so perhaps you have had the oppurtunity to research and learn more about this topic than I have. I just know other people that have used shampoo to wash their birds, and so I thought it was ok.. I stand corrected. But I don't feel there's any need for you to yell (caps), and I sure hope you're not suggesting that I would ever knowingly risk shortening my birds' lives, or that I wish to bury my birds, or that I don't take proper care of my birds. Any shampoo that I used on my birds was fragrance free, and it definitely wasn't enough to penetrate through the feathers, it was like a drop of shampoo. But I agree, knowing that it's so dangerous, of course I wouldn't take the chance now.  I just have to say though, and I mean no offence, I find it kinda ironic that you feel so strongly about this to the point where you will yell "WHY TAKE THE CHANCE", but you couldn't understand why I felt so strongly about not letting birds come in contact with human saliva, even though I provided documented evidence that it causes serious illness, because that's exactly what I was saying, why take the chance?  |
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Wednesday April 25, 2007 1:20 am |
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Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
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| Re: Showering with only water? |
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I did clean Zazu before with special bird shampoo but I didn't think he looked better afterwards. His feathers were all messed up and it took days for them to look pretty again.  They were clean but after Mr. Pink had played again he was back to his old dirty self again. |
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Thursday April 26, 2007 9:04 am |
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jletaz
Experienced flier
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Posts: 1286
Location: CA, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by shirin
not letting birds come in contact with human saliva, even though I provided documented evidence that it causes serious illness, because that's exactly what I was saying, why take the chance?
I agree with that one Shirin. I know we humans have gram negaive bacteria in our mouths as part of our natural flora, but it can be
dangerous to birds. That's why they say not to let a bird bite off of a piece of food where your mouth has been, or play with your toothbrushes, or peck around at your teeth etc. A lot of people do that though... I think maybe a lot of people don't know that since it is not an issue with other common pets.
Julie |
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Thursday April 26, 2007 10:16 pm |
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