Avian Toxins

If you know of a substance toxic to birds that I have not listed, please email me so I can post it here and warn other bird owners.

Owners; take care! This list is by no means complete and I am constantly updating it. Remember, anything toxic to humans is also toxic to humans and take care-even the fumes of many of the items on this list can be toxice. Use common sense and always keep your wits about you, even in an emergency.

More to come! This site is still under construction!

[Toxins] [Routes of Poisoning] [Signs of Poisoning] [First Aid] [Poisoning by Acid, Alkali, or Petroleum Products] [Lead Poisoning] [Teflon Toxicity/Polymer Fume Fever]


Acid, Alkali, or Petroleum Products Household Poisons Plants
dishwasher detergent
drain cleaner
floor polish
formaldehyde
furniture polish
gasoline
kerosene
lye
oven cleaner
paint remover
paint thinner
shoe polish
toilet bowl cleaner
wax (floor or furniture)
wood preservative
acetone
ammonia
antifreeze
ant syrup or paste
arsenic
asbestos
bathroom bowl cleaner
bleach
boric acid
camphophenique
carbon monoxide
carbon tetrachloride
charcoal lighter
chlorine
cigarette smoke
clinitest tablets
copper and brass cleaners
corn and wart remover
crayons
deoderants
disinfectants
detergents
diazanon
drain cleaners
epoxy glue
fabric softeners
flea bombs/collars
garbage toxins
garden sprays
gasoline
gun cleaner
gunpowder
hair dyes
hair spray
herbicides
hexachlorophene (in some soaps)
indelible markers
insecticides
iodine
kerosene
lead
lighter fluid
linoleum (contains lead salts)
matches
model glue
mothballs
muriatic acid
mushrooms
nail polish
nail polish remover
non-stick cookware
oven cleaner
paint
paint remover
paint thinner
perfume
permanent wave solutions
pesticides
photographic solutions
pine oil
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
prescription and nonprescription drugs
red squill
rodenticides
rubbing alchohol
shaving lotion
shoe cleaners
silver polish
silverstone
snail bait
spot remover
spray starch
strychnine
sulphuric acid
suntan lotion
super glue
surgical acrylics
teflon
t-fal
turpentine
weed killers
window cleaners
amaryllis
american yew
avacado
azalea
balsam pear
baneberry
bird of paradise
black locust
blue-green algae
boxwood
buckthorn
buttercup
calla lily
caladium
castor bean (castor oil plant)
chalice vine
cherry tree
christmas candle
clematis
coral plant
cowslip
daffodil
daphne
datura
deadly amanita
death camas
delphinium
dieffenbachia
eggplant
elephant's ear (taro)
english ivy
enlish yew
false henbane
fly agaric mushroom (deadly amanita)
foxglove
glory bean
golden chain (laburnum)
hemlock, poison
hemlock, water
henbane
holly
horse bean
horse chestnut
hyacinth
hydrangea
indian turnip (jack-in-the-pulpit)
iris (blue flag)
ivy
jack-in-the-pulpit
japanese yew
hava bean (lima bean)
java bean
jerusalem cherry
jimsonweed (thornapple)
juniper
lantana
larkspur
laurel
lily-of-the-valley
lobelia
locoweed
lords and ladies (cuckoopint)
marijuana
mayapple
mescal bean
mistletoe
mock orange
monkshood
morning glory
narcissus
nightshades (all types)
oak
oleander
philodendron
poison ivy
poison oak
poinsettia
pokeweed (inkberry)
potato
privet
rhododendron
rhubarb
rosary pea (indian licorice)
sandbox tree
skunk cabbage
snowdrop
snow-on-the-mountain (ghostweed)
sweet pea
tobacco
virginia creeper
western yew
wisteria
yam bean
yew

Back to the top.


Routes of Poisoning

-ingestion (by mouth)
-inhalation (by breathing)
-topical (contact with skin)

Back to the top.


Signs of Poisoning

You should suspect poisoning if your bird is ill and you observe any of the the following: contact with a substance known to be poisonous including
-playing with the packaging of a toxic substance
-having been exposed to fumes/odors
-spilled/opened containers of poisonous substance
-toxic plants that have been recently chewed on
-alien substance found on feathers

Back to the top.


Signs to Watch for if You Have Reason to Believe Your Bird Has Been Poisoned

If you suspect poisoning you should watch for the following signs (however, you must remember that other problems will also demonstrate these signs):
-sudden onslaught of regurgitation, diarhea, coughing, loss of appetite, breathing problems, and/or depression
-unusual thirst
-blood in urine or feces
-redness or burns in the mouth area
-unusually high-pitched voice
-weakness
-convulsions/seizures/tremors
-uncoordinated movement of the body
-paralasis
-coma
-shock

Back to the top.

WebTracker