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Zinc Toxicity In Our Bird
Zinc poisoning
has certainly become a real threat to our beloved feather friends these
days.
So much so that the entire bird-toy industry has started to re-evaluate the
use of galvanized
or zinc plated hardware in the toys and products they produce.
When a bird is showing signs of illness & all test results are negative for
infections or viruses,
the next test is usually for zinc toxicity. When these tests come back
positive,
the owner can go nuts trying to figure out how this happened!
At this point, everything the bird has been exposed to, gets re-examined.
Usually a zinc source will be found, whether it be a quick link, metal chain
or even the painted finish on the cage but ....
is this really the source of the problem?
Take a minute to consider these questions
*What about the cases where no zinc source can be found?
*What about birds who do not
chew on metals at all?
*And why does one bird in a home get sick and not the others in the same
home?
*Why don't our aviary birds, (breeders or pets), who live their entire life in
galvanized cages, get ill?
*And why do zoos still use galvanized enclosures if the exposure to zinc is
so deadly?
Interesting questions, don't you agree?
Well, I don't have the answers but I do have a couple of theories
1st off, I don't believe animals are any different than we
are when it comes to
immune and basic metabolic systems. Some birds immune system & metabolisms
function very well,
while others don't. This could be due to anything from genetics, breeding or
current diet & husbandry.
Never the less, every bird is different.
I also believe that all companion birds live with a tremendous underline
stress,
regardless of how happy & content they may seem to be.
Everyone's immune and metabolic systems are easily
compromised by stress.
How this relates to zinc toxicity in our birds
If a bird has a weakened immune system or its body does not
metabolize foods properly,
this would be the bird to run a greater risk of zinc poisoning, in my
opinion.
Some birds are just more sensitive to zinc than others, just like some
people
are more sensitive to iron. For some people, iron can even be deadly
Zinc is a natural mineral found in our foods. It's an essential for mineral
for life itself in birds.
However there is a big difference between zinc in it's raw form & zinc that
has been pre metabolized by plants.
So consider this
The pet
industry is not held to the same standards as human food processing.
Human foods
are processed in Stainless Steel equipment, from start to finish
but pet
foods are usually processed in galvanized (zinc plated) equipment.
From the time the grains and seed are harvested for bird foods, until the
time they are bagged for sale,
they are tumbled, poured, mixed, etc., in
direct contact with zinc.
I believe the processing would create a type of
sandblasting on the surface of the galvanized equipment.
If so, I am certain that the finished product contains more raw zinc than we
are aware of.
Common Denominator
I think it is very possible that the common denominator in our
parrots
who suffer from zinc toxicity could be;
#1 the birds who have a lower tolerance to zinc and
#2 those same birds who's main diet is processed pet industry bird foods,
including seed, pellets, treats, snacks, etc.
Precautions
We need to keep a close eye on all metals our birds are exposed to
and be aware of how our birds interact with them.
Birds who have a fetish for metals should be given stainless steel only, if
any.
Plus, I think it is important that we all do our best to feed as
many natural,
human grade foods as possible.
Seeds, pellets & other processed "bird" foods should be available but
should not be the mainstay of our birds diets.
Twice daily feedings of fresh fruits, vegetables and natural grains
as well as the many new
human grade bird foods now available, should be common
practice in caring or our parrots.
Also remember, there is no way to know which birds are at risk for zinc
poisoning but if we
can eliminate as much stress as possible from their lives, they will have a
better chance of beating
the odds against it, as well as other hidden illnesses that may be lurking.
BACK
C. Polega / Design-Rite
January 2002
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