How to disinfect pasasites safely

Timneh

New member
Oct 16, 2014
107
2
Illinois, Chicago suburbs
Parrots
Greenwing macaw baby girl
Hello,
thanks for the welcome.
I just got a call from my exotic animal vet today, my new baby Timneh has some strange parasites and they just gave him injection which has to be repeated in 2 weeks, they told me to disinfect the cage and perches for the next 4 weeks.
I am very disappointed, but can I ask you what is the best way to disinfect the cage and bowls and perches that is also SAFE for my baby parrot? Also how often do I need to disinfect the cage and perches until he is clear of parasites,, every day or every other day or what?
I was going to use diluted bleach and dawn dish soap mixed with hot water, the wipe off with a wet paper towels, any suggestions? I hope you will reply soon.

Patrick

*Beware of buying any animals from Florida, I also had tortoises from Florida 2 years ago that also had strange parasites on 2 separate occasions.
 
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Cyrinaluna

New member
Feb 27, 2014
140
0
Pittsburgh, PA
Parrots
1 cinnimon GCC - Lizzy
I've always heard a diluted vinegar solution was good too. Although I've used a very very mild bleach solution (1 part bleach to 5 parts water) on aquarium ornaments to get rid of particularly stubborn algae. I just had to rinse them well after. So it could be safe for birds. I just wouldn't mix it with the bird in the room. Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in.
 
OP
T

Timneh

New member
Oct 16, 2014
107
2
Illinois, Chicago suburbs
Parrots
Greenwing macaw baby girl
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Thanks Cyrinaluna.
My vet just called me back, she said to wash the cage and perches everyday with apple vinegar and to wipe up any visible fecal right away. She also said to keep my cat away from the bird room to be on the safe side. I didn't know cats can get parasites from parrot poop, but my cat likes licking everything. This is such a pain and the place I bought him from is being defensive, ridiculously saying it could have came from the United airline flight, that's a stretch, the chances of him getting it from the airline in like 5000 to 1 because the kennel carrier he was in was sealed and had screen all around it.
I hope this post will help anyone considering getting a new parrot.
1. Quarantine at least 2 months, even a hand fed baby like mine got it.
2. Bring your new parrot to a vet ASAP and get a blood and fecal exam the fecal exam was only $33.00
3. My opinion better to buy from a small closed aviary, like a breeder who does it for a hobby and doesnt bring strange birds in their house.
4. Wash anything you buy from a pet shop that also sells parrots, wash the toys and ladders and anything else that is in the open air of the store.
 
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Cyrinaluna

New member
Feb 27, 2014
140
0
Pittsburgh, PA
Parrots
1 cinnimon GCC - Lizzy
I'm sorry you're going through all of this :/ I doubt he could have gotten it from the airline. That just seems like a stretch.

Hopefully everything will work out and your little guy gets better quick!
 

Allee

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2013
16,852
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2
212
Texas
Parrots
U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's great your vet caught the problem and is treating Jangles, hopefully your little guy will recover quickly.
 

weco

New member
Nov 24, 2010
3,342
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USA
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Nanday, suns, parrotlet, Patagonian
I started this reply, then got distracted & didn't check for other responses before posting, so am doing this edit/update.....


What are you disinfecting for/against? (Sounds like possibly worms) The reason I ask is that normally you don't continue to disinfect except for contagious pathogens and while some of the more popular disinfectants can handle some things, but not others...for disinfecting a broad spectrum of things, you might be looking at laboratory grade disinfectants...what did your vet recommend using?

If your feathered friend has been diagnosed with a contagious disease, (if it's worms, they're not pathogens but are contagious in that they can be transmitted via cast off eggs & feces droppings) you also must thoroughly scrub and disinfect all cages, toys, and play stands. Don’t forget the spray disinfectant for your furniture and drapes, anything the affected bird came in contact with. Why bother, you ask? Because the causes of some illnesses can lay dormant for months or longer, patiently waiting for their next victim.

Many of us take disinfectants for granted and really do not understand what they do or do not do. Often we believe that simply pouring on a disinfectant will kill the pathogens and solve our problem. That is not always true.

Most disinfectants lose their effectiveness in the presence of organic matter, in other words, using a disinfectant on an area that has not been previously washed down to remove dirt and/or other organic material will generally be less effective than using the same disinfectant on surfaces that have been previously washed with a detergent solution and thoroughly rinsed.

According to Dr. Mark Hagen, DVM, Research DirectorHagen Avicultural Research Institute states:

”Disinfection refers to the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate objects by chemical physical means. There may still remain spores or traces of microorganisms but these should not result in disease to healthy birds.”

Hagen goes on to offer:

“Sterilization means nothing less than the removal and complete destruction of all living microorganisms; every single one. This can rarely, if ever be achieved in the cleansing of the animals’ environment though it is the aim.”

Never mix disinfectants or other chemicals as incompatibilities can create extremely dangerous mixtures and/or release toxic fumes. Be sure you read and understand the fine print also.

Here are some of the accepted disinfectants used in veterinary medicine. Some are available over-thecounter, while others may not be readily available to you locally. A discussion, with your veterinarian, about which disinfectant(s) to use and under what conditions is highly advisable.

Betadine
Calcium hypochlorite
Chlorhexidine
Chlorine dioxide solutions
Ethanol
Formaldehyde
Glutaraldehyde
Hexachlorophene
Household bleach (diluted to minimum
1% solution)
Iodine
Isopropyl alcohol (70% or stronger) (not the 50% or less alcohols you get at the dollar store)
Lysol
Mercurobutol
Mercurochrome
Pharmadine
Phisohex
Quaternary ammonium compounds
Sodium hypochlorite
Texosan
Triclosan

Enjoy your cleaning.....
 
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veimar

New member
Feb 5, 2014
1,150
4
Chicago, IL
Parrots
gcc Parry; lovebird Coco; 3 budgies (Tesla, Franky and Cesar); cockatiel Murzik, red rump parakeet girl Onyx
I once got a great cage off CL for very cheap, but oh man, was it dirty! I bluntly used Clorox on it and hot steamed it for about 40 min. (I know I'm safety freak) :D I don't believe you can disinfect anything without hot steam - if you have a steamer do it! :) Then shower it throughly and let stand for couple of hours to make sure there are no toxic residue or fumes left.
 

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