| Products West Coast Tropical Bird Studio Inc.
will not Recommend: |
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Gravel for hookbills or Sandpaper products such as perch
covers or cage liners |
Gravel
is not needed for a hook billed birds such as Budgies, Lovebirds,
Parrotlets, Cockatiels or parrots. Soft billed birds such as Finches and
Canaries do require grit which is best placed in a
clean separate dish high up away from droppings.
We do not recommend putting gravel or gravel paper on the bottom of
your cage. Quite often this product is sold with cages with no grate. This
method of cage care encourages the bird to pick at the gravel which may be
contaminated with it's own droppings. The gravel paper and all other
sandpaper products are made with glue, and quite often lead to skin
ailments, especially on the tiny feet. |
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| Chemical cage protectors |
Birds absorb toxins very
quickly. It does not make sense to place a disk which emits a chemical or
pesticide continually, on or near a bird's cage. If your bird has no mites,
and you practice common sense in cleanliness (for example do not buy open
bin bulk foods for your bird) then it is unlikely your bird will get mites,
unless exposed to a bird already infested. If you suspect mites on your
bird, see an avian vet immediately for proper treatment. |
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| Seed only diets |
Bird nutrition has come a
long way in the past 20 years. Wonderful leaps have been made in
developing formulated diets which help birds to maintain optimum health
and better immune systems. It is not a coincidence that many species fed
seed only diets have more infections, behavior problems and quite often a
shorter lifespan. Read |
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| Round cages or too small cages |
It has been well
documented that most birds do not do well in a round cage environment. A round space does not lend to creating a flight or variety of
play areas. Also it has been observed by many experts that most birds are stressed by a lack of
definition and corners they can perceive as hiding places.
Although some birds may adjust, why not provide the best cage space for your bird ?
Wider, rectangular cages allow you to create a more interesting and
healthy environment for your bird. |
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| Open bulk foods |
Bird diseases are transmitted by air and
touch. Open bins allow anyone in a continually changing public to put
their hands in or lean over these bins. With so many excellent sealed packaged
mixes on the market, the wise pet owner will not take this risk. |
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| Using only straight dowel
perches |
When a bird has only
straight dowel perches, especially if they are all the same diameter, this
is very unnatural , boring, and can even cause some health problems. We
recommend lots of different diameters and textures, such as natural wood,
cotton rope, sisal rope, and grooming perches. Perches do not need
to always be placed straight across as it is much more interesting to
arrange multi levels and different lengths with perches that attach to
only one side.( In some cases, 2 sided attachments can be better. For
example, in the case of very large active birds, the perch may need the
added support.) |
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| Over the counter remedies |
It take years of training to become
an Avian Veterinarian. Diagnosing a bird's illness is not a job for the
average person. The variables are endless, and it can be dangerous to
administer a wrong medication or a wrong dosage to your pet bird.. Some
over the counter medications only mask an illness temporarily, and waste
precious time that could save your bird's life. Quite often the cost of
these medications equals the cost of a proper veterinarian check up. Some
people purchase medical insurance for their pets, in the event of a costly
illness or accident. Others may chose to set a little aside regularly to
offset such an expense.
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| Peanuts in the shell |
Because peanuts grow
underground, they may be contaminated with fungal spores which are linked
to Aspergillosis in parrots. This can result in a respiratory infection.
This illness is treatable, but can result in a chronic condition. Unsalted, blanched , shelled peanuts
are fine. However, we do prefer walnuts, almonds, and other tree growing
nuts for their nutritional content. |
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| Click on
your choice to see details. |
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