Managing Chronic Egg-laying in your Pet Bird

by Dr. Anna Osofsky, DVM of Carrollton West Pet Hospital * (972)492-1828

Introduction:

Chronic egg-laying occurs when a bird lays more eggs than is normal during a given period of time; unfortunately, it is a common problem in pet birds. Although any species can be affected, it is most common in cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds, canaries and finches. Contrary to what many people think, birds can lay eggs without having a male available to mate with. Often, the bird perceives a person in the family or an object (such as a toy in their cage) to be her mate. Chronic egg-laying can lead to many severe medical problems such as egg-binding, egg-yolk collecting inside the abdomen, and fractured bones due to calcium loss. Because of these medical problems, it is important that we work together on reducing the number of eggs your bird lays.

What you can do at home:

There are many things that you can do at home to try to reduce the number of eggs your bird lays.

Removing any perceived mates: Birds will try to find ways to mimic their natural environments as much as possible; thus, they may try to find something to act as a mate whether one is available or not. Pet birds often consider one or more of the people in their family as a mate, toys or certain perches in the cage can act as stand-ins, and other birds in the household can, of course, be perceived mates. Try to remove contact with any perceived mates; for example, remove toys that your bird is mating with or reduce contact with the person the bird thinks of as a mate. Try to restrict petting to the bird’s head. Sometimes, the bird will masturbate on anything (food dishes, toys, perches etc), in which case it is impossible to remove perceived mates.

Removing any nesting material: If your bird is spending time at the bottom of the cage shredding newspapers or paper towels, these must be removed. Contact paper can be applied onto the bottom of the cage for easier daily cleaning of droppings and food. Newspaper or paper towels can be used when the bird is not trying to lay eggs. Nest boxes should only be provided when breeding is a goal.

Leaving eggs in the cage as long as the bird is interested in them: This will allow the bird to try to go through her normal behaviors after laying the eggs. If she is actively sitting on a clutch of eggs, she is less likely to continue laying. If her eggs keep being taken away, she may continue to lay eggs so that she can have something to sit on. If the bird has absolutely no interest in the eggs, they can be taken away. If your bird is sitting on the eggs at the bottom of the cage, make sure her food and water are easily accessible.

Decreasing day-length: Birds usually lay eggs when day-lengths are long (e.g. in the summer). By making your bird think it is winter, you may be able to reduce the number of eggs being laid. The bird should be kept in complete darkness for 14-16 hours a day (so only 8-10 hours of light); if any light is available during the dark period, this will not work. A walk-in closet or guest-bathroom may work best for providing complete darkness for this length of time. Some birds (e.g. cockatiels) breed during the rainy season and may initiate egg-laying when it is raining. Though we cannot control the rain, if you have a fountain near your bird or flowing water your bird can hear, this may increase her egg-laying.

Changing the environment: Birds need to feel secure to breed. If you can move your bird to a different place in the house and change her cage around a bit, you may make her feel insecure enough to stop laying eggs.

Nutrition:

In addition to trying to reduce the number of eggs laid, it is important to make sure your bird is on a good diet; an all seed diet increases the risk of egg-binding and fractured bones due to malnutrition. Ideally, we’d like small birds (cockatiels, lovebirds, and budgies) that are chronic egg-layers to have 50% of their diet be good quality seed and 50% be healthy fruits, veggies, and bird pellets. Larger birds should have no more than 10% of their diet consisting of seed. A cuttlebone should always be available to birds that are in lay so that they can increase their calcium intake in addition to what they receive in their regular diet.

Medical treatment:

Despite your best efforts, your bird may continue to be a chronic egg-layer even though you have followed all the recommendations for environmental changes. In these cases, or if your bird has become sick from egg-laying, medical treatments are needed.

Calcium supplementation: Egg-laying requires a HUGE amount of calcium, most of which is used to make the shell. Birds, especially those on an all seed diet, can quickly become calcium depleted, leading to serious medical problems. Thus, it can be helpful to supply additional calcium to your bird when she is actively laying. We can prescribe a calcium syrup that you can give to your bird via syringe once to twice a day or you can place the syrup in the water daily. Keep in mind that when your bird is NOT laying, the calcium supplementation should be stopped or it can potentially cause kidney problems in your bird.

Lupron injections: Lupron is a reproductive hormone that can be given to birds to stop egg-laying. It may initially cause an increase in reproductive behaviors but should then suppress them starting about 3 days after the injection. Each injection should last approximately one month, but the actual time may vary. Lupron does not work in every bird but it is quite safe and can be very effective. Lupron injections are moderately expensive but are an essential tool in treating birds with reproductive diseases. In addition, the injections may eventually stop working over time.

Surgical treatment: “Spaying” your bird is the most definitive way to stop egg-laying and it can be life-saving. However, there are downsides to this procedure. First, it can be costly. Second, there are significant surgical and anesthetic risks. Finally, at present when we “spay” a bird we only remove the oviduct and uterus and must leave the ovary in place. As a result, we estimate that in about 10% of birds, the ovary will continue to try to release eggs but they will have nowhere to go. These birds then have egg yolk in their abdomen and can become sick. This complication does not occur in most birds but it is important that you are aware of the risks.

When to call your veterinarian:

Chronic egg-laying can lead to many secondary health problems. Please contact us immediately if your bird has been trying to lay an egg for a prolonged period of time but has not been able to pass it, if your bird is not passing any droppings, if your bird is bleeding from the vent, if you notice tissue protruding from the vent, if your bird is lethargic, if your bird is sitting fluffed at the bottom of the cage, or if your bird is not eating well. Please also contact us (though it is not usually an emergency) if your bird’s eggs become soft-shelled or malformed as these can indicate problems to come. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the information in this handout or concerns about your bird—and thank you for trusting us with the care of your special family member!

Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird - Part 3

Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird

Guests mean snackies and the opportunity to wow your friends and families with cool new recipes. If you have an inquisitive parrot you may wish to stick to recipes that have all bird safe ingredients. Is there such a thing? Of course! Preparing food that pleases our family and guests and that is safe for our curious feathered friends means only a few minor adjustments.

Before you start planning, shopping and cooking, here are the key toxic foods that birds should not eat in any form (part of a recipe or as is):

* Avocado
* Chocolate
* Caffeine
* Alcohol

So champagne and chocolate truffles are definitely out if your parrot can get to them! The key is not leaving hazardous foods in the open with unattended birds. And guests must be clear on the house rule: no-one feeds the birds without your permission and presence.

Here are other are other topics to be aware of for companion bird safety:
Cooking

* The holiday season is the best time of year to get in the habit of cooking without your constant companion bird. The chances of injury are much higher with the increased activity in the kitchen preparing all those yummy goodies for your family and friends.
* Watch out for that inquisitive bird who may fly or jump right in the middle of what you are doing, whether it be simmering sauce, saut�ing scallions, or sieving spaghetti for an evening meal. Hot dishes, cooking pots and utensils, and hot foods present very real high risk burn hazards.
* Be careful of the type of cookware you use. Non-stick coatings, when heated, are very toxic to birds.
* Keep all hot foods covered with a lid. This prevents beak marks in the buns before they go on the table and prevents those beaks from getting into foods with potentially harmful ingredients and hot dishes with burn potential.

Fumes

Cooking pots and counter top appliances are two obvious sources of hazardous fumes.

Also consider:

* Self-cleaning oven fumes - highly toxic to birds - if you don’t want your bird inhaling them do you want to?
* Candles, incense, carpet fresheners, air fresheners, and room deodorizers - all contain one or both of scent oils and propellants that are very dangerous to the fragile respiration system of your bird.
* Cigarette, marijuana, pipe and cigar smoke - if second-hand smoke is bad for people, it’s worse for your birds.
* Microwave popcorn fumes - highly dangerous to the avian respiratory system.

If you want a festive spicy scent in the air for a gathering, consider a small simmering pot with herbs or spices such as rosemary, mint, lemon balm, cloves, whole allspice, or cinnamon stick. These are safe aromatic ingredients that can be simmered individually or in various combinations with lemon and or orange slices.

CAUTION: When using this method and these ingredients, be sure to keep an eye on the water level so the pot does not cook dry and burn. Automatic simmering pots for this purpose can be purchased in stores or online.
Kitchen Safety

Keep all drawers and cupboard and appliance doors closed at all times! Birds are very curious and if in nesting mode will gladly investigate open doors, drawers and anything else that looks cozy. Drawers may have sharp and pointy knives and utensils. Cupboards may have heavy, unstable stacks of food and cooking supplies or containers, bowls, pots and pans that can shift or tip.

If your bird is in the kitchen with you during food preparation, always be aware of its whereabouts. But for hygiene and safety reasons, it’s a good idea to keep your bird(s) out of the kitchen while preparing meals at all times of the year.

True Story: My beloved kakariki, Jade, rest her dear little soul, scared the “you know what”, out of me and my family one year. I had my parents in from Salmon, Arm, BC and my brother and his two sons from Calgary and Stone Plain, Alberta, respectively. Jade had diabetes and thus she was highly water dependent. She was also a female, hormonal, nesty little thing who loved dark corners and hidey holes.

It was Christmas Eve and we were sitting around watching a movie when I realized I hadn’t seen Jade for some time. The panic alarm was up and everyone was looking for Jade. I figured it had been at least a half hour since anyone had seen her.

We started the hunt. After 10 minutes of looking and calling, I thought that maybe she had gotten into an opened drawer and was shut in. Sure enough, I found her, weak and dehydrated in the bottom of the drawer unit in the kitchen.

Thankfully I worked, and still do, in a veterinary clinic for birds only and knew what to do for Jade; she had gone into diabetic shock before. This was very scary for all involved. My Mom got a crash course on how to hold a parrot steady for injections.

What started as a simple list of holiday hazards has turned out to be a multi-part series! In the next article, we’ll cover first aid for birds and a few other hazards that didn’t fall neatly into the first three parts.

Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird - Part 2

Holiday Hazards to Parrots and Softbills - Part Two

With the holidays, out come our favourite decorations. But some seasonal decorations, plants, and gifts can pose hazards to our birds. Fortunately, with a little awareness and planning we can decorate safely and minimize risks to our parrots and softbills.

Here are decorative items to be careful with during the holiday season:
Trees

Use a Safe Tree of one of these types:

* Pine or Fir with short needles
* Soft-needled artificial trees (soft as in nylon fabric or flexible plastic needles)

Do not use these unsafe natural and artificial trees:

* Spruce - very pitchy branches and needles - pitch may get stuck to feathers if your bird decides to play “Partridge in a Pear Tree” for you
* Artificial trees with metallic needles interspersed with fabric or plastic needles - metallic needles may contain heavy metals and if ingested can cause metal poisoning, gastro-intestinal (GI) tract irritation and the biggest concern - GI tract obstruction

Avoid these trees:

* Any long needle natural tree such as scotch pine - long needles pose puncture hazard for your tropical and jungle flying friend who may not have the flying or landing dexterity of their free flying mates in the wild.

Household Decorations

Many decorations on the tree and around the house can be hazardous to your inquisitive flying beak.

Here are a few items to be careful with:
Electrical Hazards - Lights and Cords

With the holidays come extra lights. New compact lights are less of a heat source and burn hazard than old style lights but with any lights comes the danger of chewed electrical cords.

Be sure your birds are monitored at all times while out and about in areas with seasonal lighting and exposed extension cords.

Try to hide, cover and conceal extension cords, lighting cords and tree lights from inquisitive beaks
Other Decorations

* Decorations like angel hair may be made of fibreglass and very dangerous when ingested.
* Minimize use of spray on snow. If you must use spray on snow on the windows, keep your birds well away while doing so.
* Many spray on products use Freon as a propellant. Curious birdies may want to taste the white stuff so be very vigilant while your birds are out and have access to spray on decorations.

Glass and metal decorations and lighting on the tree can be very alluring to your pet. But the materials can be unsafe so be sure not to let birds use them as toys.

* Metal ornaments may contain metals that are harmful if chewed and ingested.
* Do a thorough cleanup if glass ornaments get broken. The sharp edges on fragments can cause cuts, both internally and externally.
* Christmas light strings on the tree are another chewing hazard. Be watchful at all times when your bird is out near the tree, or in the tree.

Gifts and Wrapping

Safe Gift Wrap Options

Recycle, reuse…Well two out of three is pretty good. Unprinted newsprint makes a great gift wrap. Some of the best things come in a plain brown wrapper!

Save and reuse gift wrap from different occasions throughout the year as well as saved Christmas wrap from previous years. Focus on non-glossy, non-metallic papers.

Avoid coloured tissue paper which may contain heavy metals. If ingested, the paper may cause metal poisoning, GI tract irritation or GI tract obstruction.

Use small stick on bows. These are very pretty, hang very short ends and pose less of a threat to your curious bird.

Unsafe Gift Wrapping

Avoid coloured metallic gift wrap which may contain heavy metals. Be very careful of long curly ribbon. Many birds love shiny things and my become tangled in long, loose ribbons on packages when trying to see what Santa left under the tree for them.
Plants

This time of year many visitors and guests will present their hosts with a lovely seasonal plant. Be aware of plants that can pose a threat to your companion bird. Play it safe, keep your beloved birdies away from these plants:

* Poinsettia - the milky substance in the stems can by irritating to the oral cavity, eyes, and gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.
* Christmas Cactus - oral and GI tract irritant
* Holly berries - GI tract irritant
* Mistletoe berries - highly toxic when ingested

The list of hazards may seem long, but plenty of safe options are available, so bird-safe decorating need not put a crimp in your holiday style. Have a great Holiday Season!

Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird - Part 1

Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird
Holiday Hazards to Parrots and Softbills - Part One

Now that Hallowe’en and Thanksgiving are past it’s time to start thinking about the holidays. There is plenty to look forward to!

Holidays mean fun, friends, social gatherings, festivities and, for our feathered friends, hazards.

The increased activities around the Holidays can be stressful for our feathered friends. Be very aware of how your birds react to guests and how guests react to your fids, (feathered kids).

Things to be very aware of with Guests and Visitors:

* Make sure all guests and friends of guests know to not feed your birds unless you are in the room - this lets you be in control of what and how much is being given to your bird as a snack.
* Observe each bird’s reaction to and behavior with newcomers and visa versa. If a bird shows signs of distress with certain individuals, it’s best to move the bird to a quiet room where it will not be bothered by people and is away from people noise. Also be aware that not everyone is comfortable near birds, especially larger ones with big voices and birds who take flight suddenly.
* If you can’t supervise your guests around your bird, it may be best to move your bird to another room away from the noise, confusion and potentially dangerous interactions.
* Always be in attendance when the children of guests are around your bird. Sudden movements, loud noises, and attempts to touch or handle can bring on defensive behavior and potential for injury to both bird and child.
* Having strangers handle your bird can be a very valuable socializing tool and exciting for your guests. But interaction with strangers can also be a stressful experience. To avoid a bad experience for your bird and your guests, allow your bird to be handled only when you are present and after appropriate instruction has been given to the novice handler.

Birds are adaptable creatures and don’t need to be totally sheltered from the flow of daily life which includes unfamiliar people visiting. Just keep an eye on the situation and don’t let the higher traffic in your home during the holidays overwhelm your birds.

Have a great Holiday Season!

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Help Your Bird Beat The Heat

Keep your animals cool.

This heat wave has been brutal, on both human and animal alike. What a way to kick off the 2008 summer!
I know that, at least in my neck of the woods, we’ve been sweating it out for a couple weeks now. I am
so thankful for my air conditioning. Hot weather always causes me to come up with alternatives to keeping
my pets cool. What are some alternative options to good, reliable, air conditioning, that I could use in
case (goodness forbid) it went out?

For your indoor birds, you have a couple options.

- Ice cubes in the water. Quick easy way to give your bird access to something cool

- Feed some frozen veggies. You can run a bag of organic frozen veggies under hot water for a minute or less to slightly unthaw, and then place in your birds cage. A great treat, easy to make, and will help beat the heat.

- Save your empty 2 liter bottles of pop. Fill with water and store in the freezer. If you need heat relief in a pinch, take the bottles and put them in front of a fan. Fan will blow cold air off the bottle and help cool
the area down.

- Spray your bird with cool water. Tried and true, a quick fix for a hot day.

For birds that are located outside in aviaries or cages:

- make sure the birds have protection from the direct sun. Fixing a tarp over the cage/aviary will help
ward off direct rays.

- make sure the birds have plenty of access to water

- If your bird is in an outdoor cage, try and keep the cage off of concrete. Concrete reflects heat back and
can really contribute to the heat factor in an immediate area.

- Ice in the water, as mentioned above.

- Use common sense.

Never attempt to apply sun block to your bird. If you are worried about how your bird takes the heat, don’t
push the limits. Birds can adapt to heat better then they can handle the cold, but heat can still kill. If your
heat wave is extreme and you are without a way of cooling your house down, consider taking your birds on a trip to a friends house, perhaps a local pet store, or someplace that you and your pets can safely escape the hot temperatures.