Hi, just wondering if anyone has any concerns about germ transmission between bird and human. My conure's beak ends up kinda between my lips sometimes and she touches my lip with her tongue when we are playing kissy-face...and I kiss her on top of the head or side of the neck frequently....despite this, yes I'm a bit of a germaphobe...so I'm curious as to what other's opinions are. Thanks.
beak to mouth contact (kissy kissy)
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Kiwibird
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Some people feel it could make your bird sick. I think allowing them a lot of contact with saliva might or perhaps if you have some kind of oral infection like gingivitis. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I don't feel my lips are a festering pool of deadly germs (no more than my hands or arms or anywhere else) for my bird and I don't have any issues in my mouth infection wise/practice good oral hygiene.
I allow "kisses" from my bird on the lip (he goes for the top of my upper lip). I don't allow him to stick his beak or tongue INSIDE my mouth. If Im sick, I minimize all contact with my bird, but otherwise I don't fight him on it. He loves giving kisses
Top of head and body are safe to kiss. I mean, obviously don't slobber on your bird but kisses should be ok
I allow "kisses" from my bird on the lip (he goes for the top of my upper lip). I don't allow him to stick his beak or tongue INSIDE my mouth. If Im sick, I minimize all contact with my bird, but otherwise I don't fight him on it. He loves giving kisses
Top of head and body are safe to kiss. I mean, obviously don't slobber on your bird but kisses should be ok
Mariar
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I agree..i wouldnt worry about it..my bird will say..i want that. .then proceed to prey my mouth open to take my food..never been sick
As covered so very well above, when specific areas and level of wetness are limited there is few issues if any.
Most Human germ as like most Parrot germs are not cross species based and therefore do not transfer. Now, there are a few that do and they are commonly found in the soil all around us! So anytime you are outside working in the soil, approach entering your home like a clean room. Everything we are wearing should go into the wash and you into the shower before contact with your Parrot and other members of your family. Transmit to you and then within your home is very rare! But it is something that you should be aware of.
It is very possible for you to drive yourself a bit nuts with over concerns of transmitting germs. Practice good hygiene and one quickly limits problems from developing.
I work at dry kissing the upper Bill. It is important to understand that Parrots commonly choose to have a dry month and tongue.
Enjoy!
Most Human germ as like most Parrot germs are not cross species based and therefore do not transfer. Now, there are a few that do and they are commonly found in the soil all around us! So anytime you are outside working in the soil, approach entering your home like a clean room. Everything we are wearing should go into the wash and you into the shower before contact with your Parrot and other members of your family. Transmit to you and then within your home is very rare! But it is something that you should be aware of.
It is very possible for you to drive yourself a bit nuts with over concerns of transmitting germs. Practice good hygiene and one quickly limits problems from developing.
I work at dry kissing the upper Bill. It is important to understand that Parrots commonly choose to have a dry month and tongue.
Enjoy!
Pilaf
New member
Echo also kisses me a lot on my mouth, and once he even got to my teeth and I had his whole head in my mouth (that was a bit less pleasant). But I do let him kiss my lips if he's gentle. My lovebird Pilaf also used to do that and it never made him sick.
I know what my avian certified vet would say.
"giving mouth kisses to a bird exchanges gram negative bacteria to the bird and this is bad for the bird. It can weaken there immune system and leave them susceptible to other infections"
every time I have taken a sick bird in to him he does a swab of the birds throat and shows me the culture under the microscope.
I can't verify one way or the other how bad this is but....
My YNA loves to give me kisses and they are very hard to avoid. He is and has been healthy (knock on wood) since I bought him in 1986.
Both amazons that have passed away never got kisses from humans yet they had gram negative bacteria anyway.
As stated about if I am sick I do try to limit my handling of my FIDS for there own good.
As for germs the other way around. my YNA sneezed right into my OPEN eye the other day. snot and all tight into my eye. other than being grossed out I got along just fine.
texsize
"giving mouth kisses to a bird exchanges gram negative bacteria to the bird and this is bad for the bird. It can weaken there immune system and leave them susceptible to other infections"
every time I have taken a sick bird in to him he does a swab of the birds throat and shows me the culture under the microscope.
I can't verify one way or the other how bad this is but....
My YNA loves to give me kisses and they are very hard to avoid. He is and has been healthy (knock on wood) since I bought him in 1986.
Both amazons that have passed away never got kisses from humans yet they had gram negative bacteria anyway.
As stated about if I am sick I do try to limit my handling of my FIDS for there own good.
As for germs the other way around. my YNA sneezed right into my OPEN eye the other day. snot and all tight into my eye. other than being grossed out I got along just fine.
texsize
Skittys_Daddy
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If your bird was 'drinking' or licking your saliva, it could very likely pose a problem, especially if it happens repeatedly. Birds don't have the ability to fight any bacteria that may come from our saliva, so thats where most of the risk is.
But kissing them on the beak poses very little risk. Since they aren't coming into direct contact with you via mouth-to-mouth. I kiss Skitty on the beak all the time and have with past birds as well.
But kissing them on the beak poses very little risk. Since they aren't coming into direct contact with you via mouth-to-mouth. I kiss Skitty on the beak all the time and have with past birds as well.
Kiwibird
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Salty kisses on the outside of the lips, never getting to my closed mouth.
But he love to lick sweat of me, especially in summer time when I come i from yard or car work, when I am sweating profusely.
But he love to lick sweat of me, especially in summer time when I come i from yard or car work, when I am sweating profusely.
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Skittys_Daddy
Well-known member
- Jan 6, 2014
- 2,172
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- Parrots
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Neotropical Pigeon - "Skittles" (born 3/29/10)
Cockatiel - "Peaches" (1995-2015) R.I.P.
Budgie - "Sammy"
(1989-2000) R.I.P.
Budgie - "Sandy"
(1987-1989) R.I.P.
Skitty likes the sleep from my eyes. Sometimes he'll even try to stick his tongue under my eyelids. I don't let him because its not good for either of us and quite dangerous for me as well, but that doesn't stop him from trying.
Skittles will also lick the sweat from the hair on my side when I sweat. I suspect they like the sweat and such cause of the salt content.
Skittles will also lick the sweat from the hair on my side when I sweat. I suspect they like the sweat and such cause of the salt content.
LordTriggs
New member
Rio once decided he'd like one of my teeth as it has a metal filling
he also quite like poking his tongue in my ear which was less fun due to sensitivity from an accident when I was young
really as long as he's not drinking your saliva I'm sure it's fine
he also quite like poking his tongue in my ear which was less fun due to sensitivity from an accident when I was young
really as long as he's not drinking your saliva I'm sure it's fine
clark_conure
Well-known member
If you get a cold....DON'T do it! But if your healthy I've never once got a disease or passed a disease to my bird. Some things do cross species lines like for instance avina bird flu, but if it's just beak kissy then you'd be the exception "that proves the rule" if your bird got sick.
It's fine, I kiss my bird all the time, and he says I love you and I say I love you. It's not worth it if you can't fully just enjoy your feelings of love for one anouther. But IF you do get a cold, you might find a bird sitter for a few days....
It's fine, I kiss my bird all the time, and he says I love you and I say I love you. It's not worth it if you can't fully just enjoy your feelings of love for one anouther. But IF you do get a cold, you might find a bird sitter for a few days....
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Ya, Coco likes nibbling around the outer corner of my eyes and my eyelids and eyelashes too, which creeps me out. Isn't there supposed to be tiny little bugs that live on your eyelashes?
clark_conure
Well-known member
Those bugs are mites, I read an article in national geographic about them a couple years ago, the article was kind of self deprecating because the guy was like I used a scanning electron microscope and discovered at least one thousand (or some such number) or new different species and all his peers were like , yeah we probably figured much more than that.
They eat bacteria, dead skin, things like that, you probably have millions or so on your face right now, as does every thing. But they are mostly harmless for their numbers. Just barely bigger than bacteria but just being around a bird or him near you would cause exposure, so if nothing bad has happened your probably going to stay that way.
They eat bacteria, dead skin, things like that, you probably have millions or so on your face right now, as does every thing. But they are mostly harmless for their numbers. Just barely bigger than bacteria but just being around a bird or him near you would cause exposure, so if nothing bad has happened your probably going to stay that way.
Kiwibird
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Eyelash mites are normal and should be on every human. One of those symbiotic relationship things. I've heard one of the reason women who wear a lot of eye makeup and mascara/fake lashes often have brittle/damaged/thinner natural eyelashes is because the makeup kills the mites that keep them healthy. As these mites evolved with Homo sapiens, they likely have no affect/die on anything besides a human eyelash. I know of no known case of a bird getting sick from beaking around the eye, though parrots are not always the most gentle creature so I personally don't allow Kiwi in my eye area because I don't want an accidental eye injury should he nibble too hard. Almost any other part of the body will heal, but the eyes will not.
The human body is not just a single organism, it plays host to an entire microscopic symbiotic ecosystem to stay healthy and running properly! Theres no need to fear eyelash mites or the bacteria that lives on our skin/in our guts etc... Who knows what kind of mites and buggies live on our birds that keep them healthy we are yet to know about!
The human body is not just a single organism, it plays host to an entire microscopic symbiotic ecosystem to stay healthy and running properly! Theres no need to fear eyelash mites or the bacteria that lives on our skin/in our guts etc... Who knows what kind of mites and buggies live on our birds that keep them healthy we are yet to know about!
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LordTriggs
New member
I remember reading a documentation a couple years back on the further concept of this and a hypothesis that all of our organs/limbs ETC are all different things that form together and work alongside each other to keep going. Almost certainly nonsense but makes for a cool/weird sci-fi concept.
back to the topic at hand, parasites and things that feed off us almost certainly feed off other creatures too. Day to day things on people aren't anything to worry about to be honest
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