Why Do Birds Have Dander ? Effective Ways to Reduce It.
Surprisingly, birds produce a lot of dander that can be a cause of a number of issues. The dander produced by birds can be very difficult to minimize if you do not know how to deal with it, but don’t worry. In this article, we are going to introduce you to some ways to reduce your issue of bird dander.
Keep reading as in this article, we are going to tell you where the bird dander comes from, the possible health issues due to it. We will also include some practical ways including the best air purifier for bird dander as one of the ways to help you minimize it to the level that it is harmless for you and your family.
Table of Contents
What Actually is Bird Dander?
Bird dander is a fine powder produced by the feathers of the birds. This powder helps the birds to keep their feathers soft and smooth. This powder is given off by the bird every time it moves or flaps its wings. So whenever your bird flutters its wings, the dander scatters throughout your home.
Health Issues Due to Bird Dander
The bird dander that scatters throughout the room whenever the bird flaps or preens its wing can cause health-related issues, not only for you but also for itself. The bird dander can cause irritation and trigger allergic reactions especially for people who already have respiratory problems such as asthma. Furthermore, it can also cause rashes, eczema, watery eyes, and itchiness. These conditions are hard to avoid if you have a bird/birds as a pet and you keep it indoors with you.
Additionally, it can also cause respiratory problems to your bird as it has pretty basic and sensitive air passageways that lack the adaptations to trap and control air pollutants from entering their systems when they breathe.
Ways to Reduce Bird Dander
If you want to avoid all these issues, you should follow the techniques mentioned below. These methods will surely help you to reduce the spread of bird dander in the air and hence prevent the health issues caused by these airborne particles.
Bathing and Cleaning Your Birds Regularly
The dander is more likely to spread throughout the room when your bird is dry and flaps its wings. So one of the best ways to avoid the spreading of dander is to let the birdbath on its own. Birds normally love that. You can set up a birdbath inside its cage, and let it explore and enjoy. If you don’t have one, you can use an unused plastic bottle, cut it and fill it in half with water. If you notice that your bird doesn’t like bathing, you can use a spray bottle and wet your bird once a day.
With bathing, regular cleaning is also very essential. You should regularly clean its cage regularly. For that, you can line the bottom of the cage with a sheet and wipe it daily to remove all the droppings, feathers, and dander to avoid air contamination. Keep your bird clean and wipe the cage once in a while. This will surely make a difference.
HEPA Filtration
The easiest and most effective way to avoid bird dander in the air that can cause symptoms of allergies and irritation is using HEPA filtration in your room. All you have to do is install an air purifier in your home. It will efficiently clean the air and provide you with a healthy environment to breathe in.
The air purifiers have HEPA filters in them that filter the air. Continuous filtration will remove all the air pollutants. Hence investing in an air purifier will be worth your money if you want to keep your feathery fellow with you and don’t want those respiratory issues.
Making Changes in Your Environment
You can change your environment to make your work easy. As your environment will need regular cleaning you should choose the setup carefully so that it is easier to clean. Carpets and upholstery retain a lot of dander that is almost impossible to avoid. So, you should avoid that in your bird’s room. Hardwood floors that are easy to wipe are a perfect choice instead of carpets.
Limiting the Number of Birds
If the dander from your birds is causing issues for you and your family, you should limit the number of birds if not avoid them. You can keep the ones that produce the least amount of dander and get rid of the rest. This will ease your work and minimize the health issues by minimizing bird dander.
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