# Dry ice in bird home



## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

Okay the smoke from dry ice is just carbon dioxide and water vapor but will it dissipate and not affect the birds or will it linger and affect them? I don't want to do the dry ice smoke thing in or near the bird room but since CO 2 is denser than our breathing air it will probably end up in the bird room either way. Any answers? lol this is a weird question for the forum
Has any one else use dry ice in their home?


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## karendh (Mar 25, 2013)

Carbon dioxide is dangerous both to pets and children, it is a common way of euthanizing small birds and mammals.


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2014)

Definitely not safe...


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## Mr.Niceguy (Sep 21, 2014)

Carbon Dioxide is non-toxic. We exhale CO2 when we breathe. Plants need CO2 to photosynthesize carbohydrate. The byproduct of this is oxygen and it's part of the earth's carbon cycle. That's why we've heard of "talking to plants" to make them healthy. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but the point is that plants need CO2. 

I pump pure CO2 into water from my Brita filter to make carbonated water in my SodaStream.

Dry ice is frozen CO2. As it melts, it turns to gas vapor and dissipates in the air. Cool CO2 gas from melting dry ice is heavier than air and will drift to the floor. This can cause a higher concentration of CO2 in the air at lower levels. Sometimes it's dry ice/CO2 that is used to make familiar stage fog. 

http://chemistry.about.com/od/dryice/f/Why-Is-Dry-Ice-Dangerous.htm

Not to be confused with Carbon Monoxide, which is different and dangerous. 

In order to use CO2 for euthanasia it has to be done in a sealed chamber. The reason it can work in that way is not because CO2 is harmful itself, but because it replaces oxygen. The animal being euthanized is relaxed with the symptoms of hypoxia then dies from from lack of oxygen. Oxygen is removed from the chamber by replacing it with CO2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_euthanasia

Please surf around a little to satisfy yourself. 


For those who say it's dangerous (eek!) I would like to see some links, and know under what conditions. Anything can be dangerous. 

Yes, birds have small and active respiration systems. I wouldn't recommend pumping CO2 into a cage sealed with plastic.


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## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

Mixed responses i see haha well thank you for the info Mr. Niceguy!


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## Mr.Niceguy (Sep 21, 2014)

CrazyArtist said:


> Mixed responses i see haha well thank you for the info Mr. Niceguy!


What's a Mother to do? 

Yes, this is an open forum of different ideas. That's why it's good. I'm not here to argue or contradict anyone. I fully respect their opinions. 

Personally, I think there are many other things that are more dangerous than CO2, and I don't think we need to fear it for more than it actually is. "Gas" sounds ominous, but CO2 is everywhere around us. 

Our birds are delicate creatures. We have to do our best to supervise and protect them. It's always better to error on the side of caution. 

I applaud people who are sensitive about possible risks and concerned about protecting their birds.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

In the open air carbon dioxide quickly dissipates and doesn't get the chance to reach dangerous levels. If you want to do this make sure none of the gas reaches your 'tiels room and goes under the door and your house or 'tiels room is well ventilated. If you notice it did go under their door, the gas is heavier than oxygen so you have a little time to get to them, you would not want it to rise up. As long as windows aren't a safety issue for your 'tiel, most people have open windows when experimenting with dry ice in their homes. If you walk in and see your 'tiel breathing heavy or hopefully just passed out it most likely somehow got into the room and you should get them into fresh air immediately.

Dry ice is used to euthanize birds and small animals, but the concentrations of CO2 vs. Oxygen have to be pretty high. Data collected from rats suggests that 80% CO2 in the air or less can cause death. For birds respiratory systems I would say around 50% or less would cause death given how fast they breath to replace oxygen and that their respiratory system is unique with air sacs. "Because birds have air sacs that reach into the bones, and have no diaphragm, respiratory infections can spread to the abdominal cavity and bones. Bird lungs do not expand or contract like the lungs of mammals. In mammalian lungs, the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in microscopic sacs in the lungs, called 'alveoli.' In the avian lung, the gas exchange occurs in the walls of microscopic tubules, called 'air capillaries.' The respiratory system of birds is more efficient than that of mammals, transferring more oxygen with each breath. This also means that toxins in the air are also transferred more efficiently. This is one of the reasons why fumes from teflon are toxic to birds, but not to mammals at the same concentration." That respiratory efficiency they have works well outside where wind and oxygen dissipate a lot of harmful things, but works against them when they are trapped indoors and there is little ventilation, so please be very careful. 
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1829&aid=2721
http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/index.php


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## tielbob (Mar 25, 2013)

Just wondering what you're using it for at home. It's available here from some ice distributors - heard of it being used at home for short periods when a freezer konks out and sometimes to bait traps to attract certain bugs that seek out carbon dioxide but not much else for home use. Is it for the 'smoke' effect? As I said I'm just being curious.


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## slugabed (Jul 27, 2014)

CrazyArtist said:


> Okay the smoke from dry ice is just carbon dioxide and water vapor but will it dissipate and not affect the birds or will it linger and affect them? I don't want to do the dry ice smoke thing in or near the bird room but since CO 2 is denser than our breathing air it will probably end up in the bird room either way. Any answers? lol this is a weird question for the forum
> Has any one else use dry ice in their home?


I don't see a problem. CO2 suffocation requires a very large quantity of CO2. I can't imagine you'd be using that much dry ice.

Uh, what're you using dry ice for anyway?


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