Hi I'm a new member

[Janis]

Hi.I'm Jan.
I have always wanted to own a parrot and for my birthday the end of December,my sons brought me a beautiful Alexandrine, Rio. She is believed to be around 18 months old.
However, the past 8 weeks I have had a continual cough which is very irritating and I sound as tho I have a continuous cold and bunged up. Rio is right next to where I sit in the lounge.
I have not been at home for the past 36 hours and my cough was lots better. I only coughed very occasionally.
I'm back home today and within 2 hours I can't stop coughing again.
Could this be an allergy to my Rio?
Thanks, Jan :

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, wow!
I don't have knowledge on this, but I want to welcome you, and hope somebody can help.
Maybe consult your physician?

 

[wrench13]

Never heard of that kind of an alergy. Cockatoos, yes, Greys, yes, they both produce a lot of powder, and some folks are alergic to that. But a cough from an Alex? Try going into a pet shop that carries a lot of birds and see what happens? That would be a sad thing, to be alergic to parrots.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome, hope your fears are wrong!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums Jan, thanks for joining. It is possible you are allergic to Rio based on the timeline. Do you have other known allergies?

I'd definitely consult your physician to seek advice. If your allergy is fairly mild, it may be possible to mitigate some of the discomfort. Having Rio in a room with a heavy-duty quality air cleaner will help. Frequent bathing of birds can help remove accumulated dander.

I hope you are able to get some relief, but your doctor is an important first step!