# Cockatiels and Asthma



## Animals&Art (Oct 2, 2013)

I LOVE cockatiels and would like to get one - but knowing they are powder birds made me think of a question - my brother has asthma. Would the tiel affect that? :cinnamon:


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

It could. I would invest in an air purifier for the room the tiel will be in.


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

I agree with Moonchild. I think with an air purifier and keeping on top of not letting dust accumulate on the cage and around it would help. I've had problems with my asthma when I had a lot of birds - we used to have two Cockatoo's with a family of tiels and the dust was almost impossible for me to keep up with. That's why I have just the one tiel right now.


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

More than likely.
I am an asthmatic and find that when Skiddles gets really dusty it plays havoc with my asthma.
As Moonchild said get a purifier. Also, I find if I shower Skiddles twice a week then I am ok.


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

This may explain my never-before-experienced sudden bout of what I thought was "seasonal allergies". I'm sneezing at least 10 times a day and am stuffed up more often than not. Hmm....


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## Animals&Art (Oct 2, 2013)

Will an air purifier work if the tiel is not always in the same room? I am planning having the tiel out A LOT and/or moving the cage to the rooms I am most in during the day and moving it to my bedroom at night.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

it depends on your personal triggers. most people will likely be affected to some extent with asthma. i have asthma, but the birds dont bother me whatsoever... they're just not my trigger. 

but an air purifier will help big time  plus regular bathing for the tiel will help keep the dust down


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## Animals&Art (Oct 2, 2013)

Will I have to get a purifier for every room the tiel is regularly in? Mezza - how do you shower Skiddles?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I use a purifier and I don't even have asthma. Cockatiels are extremely dusty birds and it is not healthy for anyone's lungs to breathe the dust; an air purifier doesn't eliminate the dust, but it does help.


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## urbandecayno5 (Oct 24, 2012)

I have bad allergies and Hank set them off big time

I doubled up on my allergie meds(I don't suggest it) and got an air purifier. I haven't had any issues and it works really well


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

My husband and son are both allergic to pollen and cat dander, anything in bloom etc. However, the cockatiels don't bother them at all. We also have gerbils and they are fine with them too. Everyone is different.


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## lisaowens (Oct 17, 2011)

i have really bad asthma i have been hospitalized several times and had a tube shoved down my throat to help me breath if anyone knows the word for this help me out cause my mind is a blank right now lol. anyways i have had tiels in the past and a purifier helps so does giving them a bath each week. i have a grey , a love bird, a green cheek conure, 2 budgies and soon a tiel as long as i keep things clean run the purifier and my birds get a bath or at least misting once a week i am fine


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## Animals&Art (Oct 2, 2013)

I've heard that green cheek conures are not powder birds and are similar to what I am looking for in a cockatiel. What do you guys think about that? However much I want a cockatiel, my brother is more important to me.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

From what I have heard, green cheeks are very playful and active, little clowns. Tiels are a little more laid back. It is true they are not powdered birds like cockatiels and cockatoos. They also get a little more nippy than tiels and can have a pretty loud call. But that may not be an issue for you. Some people say they are pretty demanding too. Their poop is more runny too. Those are things I have heard, they are not my personal experience.


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

My friend has a green cheek - he's the cutest little thing. They are very playful and sooky. He loves to snuggle all the time. He's not very loud either. 

If a quaker wasn't on my 'next bird' list, then I would definitely get a conure (probably a sun conure).


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## lisaowens (Oct 17, 2011)

ok green cheek conures i only have one she is very quiet she is the quietest bird i have. they do nip and some will get in nasty moods and bite hard. this is a phase and will usually pass. they are playful and are known as the clowns of the conure family. they do like to snuggle and be with you they can also learn to talk. kiwi my green cheek will lay on her back and play with a ball that has a bell in it with her feet very cute. if you can handle the nippy stage and possible hard biting they are great birds to have not all go through the hard biting but they all do the nipping stage. this is my green cheek kiwi


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

Bird dust doesn't affect my asthma, it's more down to dust allergy that'll ever affect it.


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

Do you know what triggers your brothers Asthma? My biggest trigger is mold. Ragweed is a close second. If your brother's trigger isn't anything to do with dust/pet dander you might be ok. As a few people already said - it depends on what triggers his asthma. Kudos to you for being so thoughtful, too!


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## Animals&Art (Oct 2, 2013)

scootergirl762 said:


> Do you know what triggers your brothers Asthma? My biggest trigger is mold. Ragweed is a close second. If your brother's trigger isn't anything to do with dust/pet dander you might be ok. As a few people already said - it depends on what triggers his asthma. Kudos to you for being so thoughtful, too!


His triggers are dust, smoke, and hay. So. I will most likely not be getting a cockatiel. I'll look into a Green Cheek Conure instead, since they are not powder birds. If anyone has any suggestions for a non-powder, quiet, cuddly, trainable bird, please suggest! Thank you all for your help.


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

lisaowens said:


> i have really bad asthma i have been hospitalized several times and had a tube shoved down my throat to help me breath if anyone knows the word for this help me out cause my mind is a blank right now lol.


Endotracheal tube?


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## lisaowens (Oct 17, 2011)

Clair said:


> Endotracheal tube?


not sure if that is it or not they use it when someone can not breath on their own a machine breaths for them


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## imreddy (Feb 10, 2014)

I have asthma that is controlled. I am allergic to a lot of things: grass, pollen, mold, dust, dogs, cats and the list goes on. I don't remember my allergist tussling that I was allergic to birds. I just remember them telling me birds. 

I prepared for my birds. I purchased an air purifier and about to get a second one. I live in a basement apartment and tiels have a lot of feather dust. I realize that it was as much as I'm witnessing now. I'm all in, because I plan on keeping them. My allergies didn't begin to act up until pollen season started. I've had them since December 2013 and didn't get a sniffle or anything. So I don't know if my running nose is from pollen solely. 

I got a Sharp Plasma Cluster. I keep it close by my tiels cage; not too close because it cause cool air, but my air seems fresh and it doesn't put off any ozone pollution that is unhealthy for birds or asthma sufferers. 











I also have an Envion air purifier coming to me. I'm over the top but it's imperative that me and my birds have clean environment. I also plan to get I high grade purifier for the furnace and air conditioning. 










Hope all going well for you. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

Animals&Art said:


> Will I have to get a purifier for every room the tiel is regularly in? Mezza - how do you shower Skiddles?


Sorry about the late reply.

She loves her shower so I just bring her in when I have one. She sits on the shower screen and I offer my hand - if she wants a shower she gets on if she doesn't she takes off.

Skiddles just sits on my hand and either falls asleep or does the bath dance.  The water basically sprays off me.


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