# Birds and asthma



## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

I'm so sad today. I had a bid asthma attack last tuedsay, the biggest one I ever had. The doctor told me that birds' little skin and feather debris can irritate humans airway muscles... There is no way I get rid of my 4 doves ( soon 5 ) at any cost! Does anyone have pigeons and lives with asthma? Any tips to help me?








Sad Poulette


----------



## fred2344 (Jan 9, 2002)

I know a few people who developed asthmatic attacks from their animals. I'm one of them when we had guinea pigs. The only things I can recommend to you is to try a large well-made air ionizer, vaccuum and dust much more often and to keep the birds in their own room. 
I know you may not want to hear this but there may come a point where you might have to give the birds up. That's a very hard thing to come to terms with but these attacks can get worse.


----------



## WhiteWingsCa (Mar 1, 2002)

interesting...we're just discussing something similar to this in another forum I frequent...

I have a condition called "pigeon lung". It is a severe allergic reaction to pigeon bloom, which results in an almost pneumonia-like condition in the lungs, and asthmatic type symptoms.

I cannot go into the lofts without a good quality mask, and must change my clothes and wash immediately when I come back inside the house. I cannot have birds of any type in the house....which is partly why our doves are now outside in the loft with the pigeons.

Some people can continue keeping birds, with special precautions, even after finding out they have health problems from them. Others aren't so lucky, and do have to get rid of them.....

Let's hope you're in the first category!


----------



## Wild Dove (Apr 9, 2002)

Oh Suz...I am SO sorry to hear of this








You must be feeling at such a loss because I know how very much you love your birds.
Other than the very good suggestions above, perhaps having the dove babies around has made things worse than they normally would be. I am in no way sure about this, but I suspect that when the babies are getting their new feathers, they are creating much more debris than the adults normally would. Perhaps giving Plume and Columbeau some fake eggs to sit on for awhile might improve things for you? I don't know, it may be worth a try. Also, dampening down the cage areas before you clean...say with a water spritzer might help keep the debris from becoming airborne.
Please don't give up hope...there are many good suggestions here and I know you are willing to try anything and everything! Let's do it!
Wild Dove


----------



## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello 

And i am also very sorry to hear about this









When Tooty was growing up she shed all those little wax things out of her feathers and i don't have Asthma but i thought i might be allergict to her or something(i sneezed day and night) Tooty also sneezed...But now neither of us sneeze anymore...
Just like Wild Dove said above i think you should make sure always keep the place clean while your little baby dove is growing up so your Asthma won't get worse....
And i hope very much everything will be alright.

Mary


----------



## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

Thank you all you are very kind to worry about me







The weather is very hot and humid now in Montréal and there is a lot of pollen and dandelion stuff in the air. I believe the addition of all this with more birds in the house and one baby dove after another don't help? (I brougt the 2 doves who are usually at work for my vacations). Anyway I am under medical supervision and I will really really do everything possible to avoid letting my birds go... they are all like little Prozac pills to me!!!!







I would use any suggestion, so please keep giving me some good ideas, you are all good friends!
Suz.


----------



## turkey (May 19, 2002)

Suz,

How is it going for you? My husband has ashtma and this worries me, but he has shown no signs of a reaction from the birds yet. 

Have you been getting better or staying the same?

Julie


----------



## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

I'm asthmatic, I had asthma before I met Bernie. I developed the condition as an adult. Go figure.

Allergens are everywhere and there are many allergic "triggers", such as, second hand cigarette smoke. These things working together, can trigger an asthma attack. Combine pollen, mold, dust, and a whiff of the "right" perfume, and I'll shut right down!









The hot, humid, ozone laden air doesn't help matters!









I used steroids for years and still keep my Albuteral inhaler handy. Some weeks I never touch my inhaler. At other times, I'll use it several times in a day. Cats and certain perfumes really bother me. The cockatiels we had seemed to aggravate the condition too. 
The three pigeons we have--not really.

We did install an electrostatic air cleaner on the central air system of the house--that helped big time!

Air your house out routinely and run the A/C
when you can on "re-circulate" assuming no
member of your household smokes.

You may want to not sleep with the birds in the same room as you.

--Ray


----------



## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

Good morning Turkey and Ray,
Thank you for caring, yes I feel a little better since last week. I had another attack yesterday, but a "regular" one, that I can handle, as usually since I have this condition. The one last week arrrived so fast and was so intense that I panicked. I have tendance to do anxiety too, wich doesn't help at all with asthma...
I put an ionizer in the bedroom, stay at home with the air-conditionning on, and try to relax doing some contemplative meditation with my friend doves!








Instead of going downtown (I love the Jazz Festival of Montreal) I lurk at the site: http://www.montrealcam.com/en-festicam_pano.html 
Have a good day, 
Suz.


----------

