# Has anyone gotten sick from their bird?



## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

In a conversation about my new bird Cosmo between my dad and boyfriend, my dad told my boyfriend that birds carry lots of diseases that can get you sick. That got me wondering what are the chances/risk and has anyone on here or know anyone that got sick from their bird?

Now I'm pretty cautious and a germ phone so I'm constantly washing my hands. Cosmos cage gets cleaned at least once a week with touch up sweeps (he likes the vacuum!) and he stays mainly off the floor and seems healthy. We did have one poop eating incident when he pooped on his perch and then ate it before I could get to it (eww!)


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

Tbh if he popped on the carpet and I accidentally don't see it and step on it, I just grab a baby wipe and wipe it off my foot and go about my day. Is that bad to do? Should I wash my foot instead?


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

If your bird is healthy himself, there's nothing he can pass on to you  Many people think that birds carry Salmonella in their digestive tract in the same way that reptiles do but it is a complete myth - they would get sick from it just like us.

Murray is out of her cage all day. Excuse me for being gross but there's a whole lot of pooping goes on and a whole lot of it comes into contact with me. Honestly? I grab a tissue, wipe and carry on  I also cuddle my little Murray several times a day, and I have been known to eat apple slices she has nibbled (not the other way around mind you - our saliva can be toxic to them). If your boyfriend's dad was right I would be all kinds of dead right now


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

What Charlotte said! Generally most healthy birds don't carry anything people will get. Chlamydia psittaci (aka 'Parrot Fever') is transmissible to humans, which is why get well/new birdy vet checks are necessary. Even then it's cured with medications. Out of all the people I've known who have birds, including myself (and I'm a member of a parrot club!), I have only known one person to get Chlamydia psittaci and they got it from a commercial colony bred budgie from a pet store.


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## Nimra (Aug 4, 2014)

Is that what you guys do? Weird. My father tells me to wash my hands or feet whenever I touch my birds, their cage, their food or water. Because dear users birds still have germs.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

Everything around you is full of germs. Then, we should live in a bubble
I think with pet birds, use your common sense. If the bird is sick, take it to the vet. If it is healthy, there is no reason for your to fear.
How do you know that if you are in a public place, for instance, some human is not sick with something?
Like I said, use common sense.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

As vampiric conure said, Chlamydia psittaci is the only disease I'm aware of that could be passed to a human and it's not very common. Anything viral can't really be passed to other species. I think the bigger risk is us passing something bacterial to our birds than the other way around.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Most diseases parrots get are not transmissible to humans. That said, dust from parrots can collect in your lungs and cause problems with the respiratory tract. This is why running evaporative humidifiers and air purifiers is recommended especially in homes with a lot of parrots.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Pet birds are pretty safe germ-wise if they've been to an avian vet for a full check-up and have been declared bug-free. It's wild birds that can make you sick if you aren't overly careful with disinfecting. I've fostered countless wild birds and have gotten sick from them before. (This was before I had cockatiels).


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Like everyone has said. And whatever my baby bird doesn't eat I will eat, so I would have gotten so sick by now. :lol:

Of course, whatever I'm eating I don't let her eat. Human saliva=bad for them, and also some things I can eat she can't.


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

I'm relieved to know they aren't that "germy". I can see wild birds because anything wild has "germs" they can come into contact with dirt you know ;-) I've had an iguana and I pretty much take precautions the same and if not wash my hands more with Cosmo. I smoke (not in the house) and I'm always worried about something I touch with my hands might bother his cute little footsies so I'm even washing my hands before I handle him. I honestly was just a little bugged about the poop situation part and his mouth. I want him to give kisses so bad but he always makes his little angry sound and taps my lips (he doesn't bite) when I make kissey sounds and hold him close to my lips.


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

Also with all the "as long as he is checked out at the vets" I'm now going to look into getting him a check up because he hasn't had one yet in the two months I've had him. I saw there is a vet with an avian degree at a vets office close to my house. They are more pricier than who I first thought about taking him to, but after I heard at least $70 for a wing clip and "it will be more if we have to sedate him" I totally lost trust in that vet. So it would be worth to save up and take him to someone who has a degree with birds.


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Aw! Murray has come to realise that kisses are me trying to be nice  She doesn't always accept it, and most of the time you can't land one on her beak, but she'll tolerate it if you do.

I guess all animals, plants and things are germy - it just depends whether or not those germs are harmful. Dogs are much, much more germy than tiels and I know an alarming number of people who properly snog their dogs! Eek!


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

When I make a squeaky kiss noise my 'tiel gets annoyed at me because she doesn't like the sound of it. She will shake her head and lunge at me if I'm close! Though she loves it if I make a pop noise when I give her kisses. There are some sounds the 'tiels like and some they don't. You just have to read their body language. Sometimes they will like the sound, but it was just too close or too loud and so they will also shake their heads. When my 'tiel likes a noise she will tilt her head to the side, look up and listen. Which I think is adorable. :lol:

Yes, I'm glad you're not taking him to that vet. Birds should never have to be sedated for a simple wing clip. That vet doesn't have much experience with birds and wouldn't be any help to you now or in the future for any diseases. You can also see if there are other avian vets around you here:
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

Birds that have been checked out, aren't germy at all. Except of course when they decide it's fun to step in their droppings or eat them. 
We actually are the germy ones to them. Whatever they get can come from us coming into contact with them since they don't go outside and aren't exposed to those germs. So it is good that you are taking precautions and washing your hands before handling. That is what you should do to make sure he doesn't get sick. Also be careful of your saliva when giving him kisses, human saliva has a lot of bacteria.


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## estypest (Jul 31, 2014)

Kiwi said:


> When I make a squeaky kiss noise my 'tiel gets annoyed at me because she doesn't like the sound of it. She will shake her head and lunge at me if I'm close! Though she loves it if I make a pop noise when I give her kisses. There are some sounds the 'tiels like and some they don't. You just have to read their body language. Sometimes they will like the sound, but it was just too close or too loud and so they will also shake their heads. When my 'tiel likes a noise she will tilt her head to the side, look up and listen. Which I think is adorable. :lol:



Ahh! That sounds just like Maxi is I do a raspberry sound, she hates it -- crest flattens, super squawk and tail fanning if I dare blow her a kiss haha. 

And birds inherently aren't dirty/germy and such, just best to take the basic precautions you would with any animal, especially when there's poop involved. The only main thing with birds is the dust factor, unfortunately Maxi does seem to stir up my mum's asthma. Bit more of a worry though is if you're birds might have contact with wild birds somehow (or things wild birds have been in contact with..) anyway I'm babbling. Pet birds -- not inherently sickly in themselves !


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

Maybe I need to make the sound I make when I'm offering his beloved "treats" ohh has he learned what that word means, you should see his cute little face light up when he sees me opening his millet treat bag or any bag mostly. Being a pet shop bird a few months ago, he never gotten any of this luxury before, but he is coming around. I had him stepping onto my palm and eating right from it today. He felt uneasy about my fingers and would randomly get mad at them which he learned they weren't doing anything and his interest in the treats in my palm were grater.


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

Kiwi said:


> Yes, I'm glad you're not taking him to that vet. Birds should never have to be sedated for a simple wing clip. That vet doesn't have much experience with birds and wouldn't be any help to you now or in the future for any diseases. You can also see if there are other avian vets around you here:
> http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803


I just checked the website and the closest would be Kent which is about 30-45 mins from my house. It's almost like a catch 22 because you want someone who knows what they are doing, but you have to think about emergencues and how 5 and 45 mins are a huge differences. I might just call and check out this other vet by my house, you're right the first one obviously isn't knowledgeable if he would make it an option to sedate for a simple wing clip


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Car Alarm had Psittacosis and I never got sick from him but there are some people who have but like already mentioned there are only some illnesses that can be passed onto people and they wouldn't be to common I would think. 

I've found that while my normal vets fees are cheaper than the avian one I see who charges $90 a consult the avian vet usually works out to be cheaper because they get whats wrong pretty much straight away where as my normal vet takes a fair few visits and still doesn't know whats wrong 

Myka loves when I give him kisses, I'll give him a kiss on the beak and make a sound and he makes the kissing sound back


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## Nimra (Aug 4, 2014)

You guys are absolutely.............insane


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## Nimra (Aug 4, 2014)

Birds do have germs and they can make you sick. Probably explains why people in other countries stay sick all the time. If you guys are not sick right now, then you will turn sick later.


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## galactickiwi (Feb 4, 2015)

i have heard theres a certain flu cockatiels can pass to their owners, but as for general sickness i would think as long as youre being sanitary for both your bird and yourself (washing hands and cleaning up droppings etc) i cant see how pet birds would carry anything horrible... they walk in their droppings sure but theyre reallt only going to carry around whats in your house and their cage otherwise


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

Nimra said:


> You guys are absolutely.............insane





Nimra said:


> Birds do have germs and they can make you sick. Probably explains why people in other countries stay sick all the time. If you guys are not sick right now, then you will turn sick later.


Judgemental much? People who are sick all the time have weakened immune systems or took a lot of antibiotics which is proven over time will become ineffective to them. Not everyone in "other countries" than Pakastan owns a bird... Cockatiels live around 20 years and there are a lot of people on here who've owned them for a very long time so I'm trusting their judgement and not a blanket statement sorry. And yes I'm insane about my pets I love them and my pup gives me kisses on my face and sleeps in my bed with me, lots of cooties huh? Its amazing I bet to you that I never get sick either!


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

To be honest Nimra I don't see how you can make a judgemental statement like that about all of us when you own two cockatiels yourself, so if that makes us insane and means that we are going to get sick then you are right there in the group with us.


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