Anyone that has had parrots can tell you that keeping them safe involves some planning and careful choices when it comes to what we have in our homes. But sometimes things happen that are outside of our control that can be dangerous to ourselves and our birds. Natural disasters and unexpected emergencies are frightening for everyone including the animals in our care. Being prepared and having a plan in case we need to act quickly is important. Let's explore some possible scenarios and some things we can do to help ourselves be prepared to act quickly if necessary to keep the ones we love safe.

Air Quality Emergencies

Wildfires and smoke:

Dry conditions, high temperatures, and sometimes human error can create a high risk for wildfires. Over the last few years, several have occurred causing widespread damage and forcing people to evacuate their homes. (We’ll talk more about evacuating later in this post). Wildfires seem to be occurring more often as climate change affects the planet. You don’t have to be in the direct path of the fire itself to be in danger, however. Where there’s fire - there’s smoke and the pollutants it brings into the air. 

Smoke creates particle pollution, or particulate matter, in the air. Smoke  also contains gasses and fine particles created when a wildfire burns things like buildings and vegetation. This creates unsafe breathing conditions for humans and birds alike. Because birds have such sensitive respiratory systems, they are especially vulnerable to poor air quality. Even if the smoke doesn’t seem to immediately harm birds, it can have lasting effects on them. Exposure to smoke has been shown to damage a bird’s lung tissue and leave them open to infection. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency created a way of measuring air quality called an Air Quality Index (AQI) that measures how many pollutants are in the air and assigns a score and color code system based on that score to help people understand how concerned they should be when pollutants are present. The higher the value on a score of 0-500 the greater the health concern and danger to life. This can be a valuable tool in helping to determine what sort of action a person should take for their families and help them understand how much danger is present to their birds. 

If you are ever dealing with smoky conditions outside, there’s some steps you can take to help keep the ones in your home as safe as possible. These are some of the recommendations listed on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website. I highly recommend you visit it and read everything they have there as it goes into more detail. 

• Purchase a portable air cleaner to help filter out particles in the air. Make sure whichever product you choose does not create ozone. It should state on the packaging if it does this, but you can also call the manufacturer directly to be sure. 
• Know how to adjust your HVAC system or air conditioner to keep smoke out. 

• If you have a central HVAC system, find out if it has a fresh air intake. If it does, find out how to close it or turn the system to recirculate mode.” Consider upgrading to a MERV 13 or higher rated filter if your system can accommodate it.
• If you have an evaporative cooler, avoid using it unless there is a heat emergency because it can result in more smoke being brought inside.
• If you have a window air conditioner, find out how to close the outdoor air damper. If you cannot close the damper, consider preparing other cooling options like a fan. Make sure that the seal between the air conditioner and the window is as tight as possible.
• If you have a portable air conditioner with a single hose, typically vented out of a window, do not use it in smoky conditions because it can result in more smoke being brought inside. You should look into other possible cooling options if you ever need them if this is what you are using. 

The EPA’s website also has a section on how to create a “clean room” that is very helpful when dealing with smoke conditions outside.

Carbon Monoxide:

In Centennial, Co, a woman was devastated when her two parrots died overnight without warning. After investigating, a vet informed her that they died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. It turns out a valve was installed incorrectly in her gas range. This story is heartbreaking but not as uncommon as one might think. Carbon monoxide is not detectable in the air without a device and can kill without a person even knowing it is present. Sometimes there are symptoms a person experiences as a warning but sometimes it strikes suddenly as with the story mentioned. The woman thankfully survived, but the bird’s sensitivities were enough that they did not make it. It can happen at any time but is often reported to cause death overnight while a person is sleeping, unaware that they and the others in their home are in danger.

If carbon monoxide is detected in a person’s home, they have to act quickly. When it comes to parrots, we should have carriers on hand ready to go. Everyone, human and animal alike,  should be removed from the house as soon as CO is detected and emergency services should then be contacted. It’s vital that any person and animal receive immediate emergency care if they are exposed to CO. Being prepared and having a plan is vital. If a carrier is not readily accessible, some have shared stories of using other items like a pillowcase or blanket to secure their birds and get them out of a house quickly. Do whatever is safest and makes the most sense if you are ever in this situation. 

It is extremely important that every bird owner, and every person in general, has a carbon monoxide detector in their homes. These detectors monitor the CO levels in a home and alert you if it finds any. Detectors should, at minimum, be placed on each level of the home. It’s highly advised that they also be placed in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms and wherever the birds are located in the house.

Air Quality Detectors like those that detect smoke, CO, and other dangers can and should be purchased and placed in our homes regardless of whether or not we have birds. However, having them is an extra step in keeping our respiratory-sensitive birds safe. There are many options out there so a person has got some choices in what they buy.

House Fires

House fires are scary and we often only have moments to react and get to safety. It’s very important to have a plan in place for if one occurs. I highly recommend having an emergency kit ready to go just in case a person is ever needing to get themselves and their family out of a house quickly. 

For birds, having a carrier that you can quickly access and put them in is important. It can be a huge advantage to also have a kit ready to go for them with things like:

• Bottled water
• Towels
• Food
• A parrot first aid kit
• Your avian veterinarian’s information and medical records
• A list of parrot shelters and hotels that accept birds
• Bird's medication
• Extra food and water bowls

Make sure everyone in the house knows exactly what they need to do and where to evacuate safely if there’s a fire and they need to escape. Plotting out and having the planned escape route in a convenient location to access as well as having fire “drills” so everyone in a house knows exactly what to do, especially if they occur while everyone is in bed, can save the lives of both human and bird. As well as having an emergency kit ready for the birds in our home, it's a good idea to have an emergency evacuation kit by planned exits if you are able to safely get them before leaving the house.

Sometimes, we experience a smaller fire that requires quick attention but doesn’t require evacuation. However, even after the flames are gone, if smoke is present, the birds in the home may still be in danger and should be safely removed from the home if possible. When it comes to fire extinguishers, it is important to note that there is some information out there that says they can be harmful if pets breathe them in. However, I wasn’t able to find anything consistent when it comes to birds specifically. I recommend checking to see what kind of fire extinguishers you have and speaking with your vet to get more information. Smoke inhalation itself is dangerous to birds, so during an emergency situation all we can do is weigh our options and do what we feel is best to keep each other safe. It’s always best not to keep birds in the kitchen or areas where fire and smoke are more likely to occur. Having them in these areas will make it so that there is even less time to make choices in a hurry.

In the next blog post, we’ll discuss more emergency situations and how to help keep your birds safe if you ever find yourself faced with them. In the meantime, visit our website at  https://www.birdstreetbistro.com and take a look at some of the delicious, healthy products we offer for birds. We also offer gift cards for the people and birds in your life!

References:

Verstappen, Frank A., and Gerry M. Dorrestein. “Aspergillosis in Amazon parrots after corticosteroid therapy for smoke-inhalation injury.” Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, vol. 19, no. 2, June 2005, pp. 138–141, https://doi.org/10.1647/2002-029. 

“Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality .” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/wildfires-and-indoor-air-quality-iaq#_What_Can_I_2.  

Gruenauer, Jason. “Two Dead Birds, Carbon Monoxide, and a Gas Range to Blame?” Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH), 17 Nov. 2017, www.denver7.com/news/front-range/centennial/two-dead-birds-carbon-monoxide-and-a-gas-range-to-blame.