Your Bird has a Heavy Metal Poisoning

From talking with you, looking at your bird and from the X-rays I know that your bird has heavy metal poisoning. This is a life threatening disease and your bird will need to stay in hospital until it starts eating. It may take as short as one day and as long as 10 days to detoxify your bird. When the heavy metal has been in the body for too long or when there is excessive amounts of heavy metal ingested then it may be impossible to save your bird, but we manage to save more than 90% of birds presented to us with heavy metal poisoning. I can not predict the outcome but must rely on the daily progress of your bird. Please ring me twice daily to check on the progress. We will do our best!

What is heavy metal poisoning?
There are several types of heavy metal poisons which affect birds, but the most common are zinc, lead and copper poisoning. Zinc is used on many cages to prevent rusting and when new, before it has oxidised, it is toxic to birds when ingested. We see this poisoning often in birds placed into a new aviary or cage. It is called "New Wire Disease" for this reason. Lead poisoning occurs in older houses and when birds chew on the solder which joins the wire together in the cage. Copper poisoning is less common but occurs when the bird chews an electrical wire.

It must be remembered that not every bird in a new cage will get heavy metal poisoning. Hen birds which have a mineral deficiency will chew on wire more than a bird that has a perfect diet. Inquisitive, depressed and naughty pet birds will chew wire and so may ingest the zinc coating or solder "dag". The common signs of heavy metal poisoning are increased thirst, vomiting in larger birds, sudden depression, not eating and a dark green diarrhoea.

How is it treated?
When the metal is in the gizzard or lower, heavy metal poisoning is treated with an antidote-like injection called Calsenate. This substance leeches the poisonous zinc/lead out of the ingested metal fragments and renders the zinc or lead harmless. But at the same time the bird must be fed and its fluid intake maintained or the kidneys and liver will shut down. Surgery to remove the ingested metallic poison is performed when the metal is still in the crop. Antibiotics or anti-fungals may be necessary pending the culture test.

Your bird must be hospitalised until it is eating and drinking by itself and then it can be discharged and treated as an outpatient or at home.

Are there any other special instructions?
To accelerate the healing process I recommend that all birds are given TurboBooster and F-vite on the sterile seed day for 1 week, then for one day twice weekly after this time. The TurboBooster helps lubricate the metal fragments down through the bowel. The F-vite is given because often the ingestion of the metal relates to a mineral imbalance. Following the antibiotic treatment DufoPlus and Ioford are given twice weekly. Make sure your bird is actually eating and drinking. If not, then it will need to return for further injections and force feeding in hospital.

Are there any long term problems?
Heavy metals can harm the kidneys and liver and leave the bird susceptible to illness in the future. To protect your bird from repeat intoxications follow the health programme and use TurboBooster and F-vite as part of the weekly health programme.

Is this disease contagious to humans or other birds?
No.

Can heavy metal be prevented from recurring?
Yes. By providing good levels of minerals and by scrubbing new wire with a vinegar solution to accelerate the oxidisation process which renders the zinc non toxic. New cages can be left to weather for 3 months of longer before birds are introduced to the aviary.

Copyright © 2002 Rob Marshall, All Rights Reserved.