Received a sad email today. One of the 2012 hand fed Rosy Bourkes sold to a sweet couple in Salem, OR became ill suddenly. They took him to an avian vet, but he died in the waiting room. An autopsy identified zinc poisoning as the probable cause.
Though rare, birds--particularly small ones--are very susceptible to zinc poisoning. It doesn't take much to cause toxicity. Bourke parakeets don't chew as much as many of the other parakeets, but one toy with exposed zinc on a chain or bell can be harmful. Saying that, my birds all have swings with bells. However, they've had them for years, so I suspect they're safe.
A good resource on possible locations of zinc in the home is given at the Winged Wisdom website. No need to repeat what they've already written. Here is a link. It is worth reading.
Winged Wisdom Link on Zinc Poisoning
One other note...we have sorrow in our home too. Our malamute/lab mix of 14 years died last week. Haven't felt much like doing anything since then. He was a much-loved member of our family, from a seven-week-old puppy to a grand old dog. Miss him terribly.
Peace and Blessings.
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| Younger days...running free and happy on an Oregon beach. |
1 comment:
Hi Gail,
So sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. We had our flat-coated retriever for over 13 years, and when she passed, it was as though a whole era of our lives had ended. I hope you are feeling better. 14 years is a lot of great memories, isn't it?
-Diana
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