28/08/2021
THE AVIAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM & HOW TO CARE FOR IT
In this article, we will cover how the avian respiratory system works & what different care their unique respiratory system requires. Birds are often placed in the home with little or no changes made to what we use in the home, in this article we cover why things need to change with a Bird in the home & why you can't just carry on as normal like you can when bringing other pets home. This is an in depth topic, so I will try to do it justice!
THE AVIAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Like us, Birds have 2 lungs, but they also have a series of air sacs throughout their body. The species we typically care for as pets have a series of 9 air sacs: A pair of cervical air sacs, 1 unpaired clavicular air sac, a pair of cranial thoracic air sacs, a pair of caudal thoracic air sacs & a pair of abdominal air sacs. These air sacs ensure that a continual flow of fresh air passes through the Bird's lungs. Thanks to the amazing efficiency of their air sacs, the air in a Bird's lungs in much higher in oxygen which is then available to their blood.
Birds are highly efficient breathers. They take oxygen into their tissues when they breathe in & also when they breathe out. This means that to recieve the same oxygen as one Bird breath, us humans would need to take 2 breaths! Avian bones are also filled with gaps (pneumatized bones). Their air sacs are attached to the spaces in these bones, meaning that their lungs, in effect, extend to the middle of their bones which helps them take in oxygen on both in & out breaths.
Whilst this breathing system is highly efficient &, it's fair to say, quite remarkable, it's also a domestic Bird's downfall. This wonderful breathing system is many times more sensitive to respiratory toxins & irritants than the respiratory system of humans & other common household pets. Because they take in more air, they take in more toxins & these toxins end up right in the center of their bones. Birds are highly complex exotic animals who need very specific conditions to thrive, but they are rarely allowed to live in fresh, toxin free air. Some Birds may take years to show the effects of respiratory toxins & others will die within moments of exposure. Even those who 'seem fine' in a house that uses avian respiratory toxins is being slowly poisoned, every breath is harming them (even if you don't see it yet).
Most of the angels I take in come with respiratory issues caused by air fresheners, candles & other avian respiratory toxins. Despite the fact that the Birds are fighting for every breath, the previous owner usually never noticed. These Birds need nebulizing to recover (sadly some never do recover). If they do survive with pure air & treatment, some Birds are left with damaged air sacs, meaning that every breath is an effort for the rest of their life & they are more prone to respiratory infections. Lets see how to prevent Birds from breathing in air that does them harm.
HOW TO CARE FOR THEIR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Birds need to be in homes free of respiratory toxins. It is so important. Simply closing a door or opening a window doesn't eliminate the damaging effects of these toxins on a Bird's health. There are many things that are respiratory toxins or irritants to Birds, a full list is well beyond the scope of this article, below we will list a small number of these toxins to give you an idea of what to avoid.
Candles (scented & non-scented), air fresheners (all kinds), nail polish, nail polish remover, hair spray, cooking fumes, teflon/PTFE (found in cookware, some hairdryers, hair straighteners, irons, ironing board covers, some clothing etc.), oven bags, perfume/aftershave, cleaning products & much more.
To emphasise the importance of fresh, clean, toxin free air & make it easy to remember, I have a clean air recipe- Fresh air in. Toxins out. Purify. Below is each 'ingredient' in more detail.
FRESH AIR IN- I make sure that my angels get a constant supply of fresh air (even in winter). Letting fresh air in keeps the indoor air circulating & fresh for our angels to breathe. To make it safe, we have built aviary panels over windows so that they can be safely open when Birds are flying in the room or when a cage is open to avoid the risk of them being lost. Fresh air is so important to our health & Birds are no different, safe access to fresh air & sun on warm days is also important. Just remember that they need to be on a harness, in a travel cage or safe aviary when outside to be safe.
TOXINS OUT- As mentioned above, we don't use any kind of respiratory irritant or toxins in the home that affect the respiratory health of my angels. We avoid all unnecessary toxins & for the things that need to be used, we find Bird safe alturnatives. For example, we use F10 avian disinfectant for most cleaning jobs & anything around the flock, use roll on deodorant made from natural ingredients, scent free washing liquids made of natural ingredients that don't leave harmful strong scents on clothes & use herbs & spices to replace air fresheners. Nobody is allowed to smoke or v**e inside the house or on the surrounding land. It is so important that Birds are allowed to breathe clean, toxin free air, making air safe for them to breathe isn't over reacting. They really are more sensitive than us & our other pets due to their incredible & unique respiratory system.
PURIFY- Bird safe air purifiers are a wonderful ingredient in fresh air management for our Birds. Contrary to popular belief, we can't continue using toxins & just put an air purifier on, this alone isn't enough to make the air safe for our Birds. We need to include an elimination of toxins & presence of fresh air to make the air its best for the Bird to breathe. Air purifiers help to reduce any air pollution & reduce the levels of dust & dander that can contribute to respiratory problems & damage in Birds. A Bird safe air purifier has no or an extremely low ozone/ ionizing function. Online Bird specific stores often sell a range of Bird safe air purifiers to take the worry out of tracking down a Bird safe one.
CONCLUSION
Our Birds may not be like other pets, they may need more specialist care, but they are worth every moment. This information is important for every Bird, from the smallest Finch right up to the biggest Parrot, every Bird has a right to clean, safe & fresh air. Thank you for wanting to care for every precious breath your angel takes. If it ever feels confusing, just remember: Fresh air in. Toxins out. Purify.
