Birds and Vaping (bird owners please read)

[MsSki]

I have 2 birds but they are in my daughters room. BUT the other day i was paying attention I was vaping in the living room and i turned my head to look at My Bearded Dragon( he is a baby) and his tank was filled with vapor, I removed him and aired the tank out but for a whole day he didnt eat. Now that im not vaping near him he is back to eating his 15 crickets a day. I was scared tho

Tara

 

[TropicalBob]

Well ... I now see a SECOND bird.

Birds ARE early warning signs. They are "canaries in the mine". They are sensitive to something in short supply that could kill humans in a larger supply or over a longer period.

Anyone keep bees? Blow some vapor into the beehive and see how they react. Bees aren't bothered by fog, so they shouldn't be disturbed by vapor mist -- unless there's something in the vapor. They'll let you know in a hurry.

I think there might be faint handwriting on the wall. Not lipstick-red, but faint handwriting here. We know e-smoking isn't going to kill us outright in a couple of years. I'm proof. But we know nothing about long-term. It behooves us to watch the indicators of trouble down the road.

 

[miss MiA]

Well ... I now see a SECOND bird.

Birds ARE early warning signs. They are "canaries in the mine". They are sensitive to something in short supply that could kill humans in a larger supply or over a longer period.

Anyone keep bees? Blow some vapor into the beehive and see how they react. Bees aren't bothered by fog, so they shouldn't be disturbed by vapor mist -- unless there's something in the vapor. They'll let you know in a hurry.

I think there might be faint handwriting on the wall. Not lipstick-red, but faint handwriting here. We know e-smoking isn't going to kill us outright in a couple of years. I'm proof. But we know nothing about long-term. It behooves us to watch the indicators of trouble down the road.

That does not take into consideration the critical and unavoidable fact that temporary loss of appetite (and in one case, sleeping less) is ALL that was reported with these birds, nor the very valid point made earlier that it is entirely likely to be attributable to the effect of a stimulant alone, namely nicotine. (And at that, a much greater ounce-for-ounce concentration of it in the case of a bird being exposed to the same vapor as a human.)

 

[TropicalBob]

We will each make of this what our background data and research determine. You're free to play it down if you like.

I said it bears watching. I'll stand by that.

 

[miss MiA]

We will each make of this what our background data and research determine. You're free to play it down if you like.

I said it bears watching. I'll stand by that.

It's not 'playing something down' to make the factual point that temp appetite loss and less sleep are well-established side effects of stimulants, including nicotine; and being that those were the sole symptoms reported here, inquire as to why you seem to suspect deeper more ominous complications. (Even if there's very little nic in exhaled vapor, this is relative to ultra-sensitive, magnitudes tinier and less efficient bird respiratory systems; scented candles and toiletries don't sit well with them either, but they do most humans.)

Some may want to follow your instincts but preferably more than blindly.

 

[bestthingever]

Well ... I now see a SECOND bird.

Birds ARE early warning signs. They are "canaries in the mine". They are sensitive to something in short supply that could kill humans in a larger supply or over a longer period.

Anyone keep bees? Blow some vapor into the beehive and see how they react. Bees aren't bothered by fog, so they shouldn't be disturbed by vapor mist -- unless there's something in the vapor. They'll let you know in a hurry.

I think there might be faint handwriting on the wall. Not lipstick-red, but faint handwriting here. We know e-smoking isn't going to kill us outright in a couple of years. I'm proof. But we know nothing about long-term. It behooves us to watch the indicators of trouble down the road.

I didn't see mention of a 2nd bird, only one bird and a bearded dragon.
I think that while it's safe to say that we shouldn't expose our pets to our exhaled vapor, let's not forget that there are other things that could have caused those symptoms in the OP's bird.

 

[Mammal]

Well ... I now see a SECOND bird.

Birds ARE early warning signs. They are "canaries in the mine". They are sensitive to something in short supply that could kill humans in a larger supply or over a longer period.

Note that birds are also highly sensitive to things that don't much bother... um, mammals:
Google
(Not to argue that PTFE is perfectly safe, but the reaction between the clades is way disproportionate.)

Do be careful with your nonstick pans if you keep birds. And one of the articles also mentions the shatterproof coating on certain incandescent [hot] light bulbs as a big culprit. Could well be that they don't take well to 'vapor,' either.

Oddly, the two bird owners [all parakeets] I've known have both been heavy indoor smokers, and their pets did pretty okay considering. One's budgie got done in by the smoke from a malfunctioning oil burner [canary in the coal mine indeed], and the others' were finally lost to infection (respiratory?) but at quite an old age.

 

[shadowcptn]

Parrot Update: It turns out my parrot is starting into a moult, and is perfectly healthy & fine - He is having no ill effects from the vaping, which I've since been doing in another room.

 

[Eighttrucktires]

I smoked around my Conure for years 'till October. I have vaped around him since then. I'm sure he will out live me regardless.

 

[miss MiA]

Parrot Update: It turns out my parrot is starting into a moult, and is perfectly healthy & fine - He is having no ill effects from the vaping, which I've since been doing in another room.

Yay, glad to hear it! Give the little fella a big hug (well erm, some warm strokes anyway!) from all of us!

(Oh, aside to bestthingever -- lol on 'bearded dragon'! I figured that must be some kind of birdie, and the aquarium was an incubator type thing since he's a babe! )

 

[buttercrunch]

there was a thread about vapor & spiders a few months back, anyone remember??

 

[bestthingever]

Parrot Update: It turns out my parrot is starting into a moult, and is perfectly healthy & fine - He is having no ill effects from the vaping, which I've since been doing in another room.

Thank goodness !! I'm so happy to hear it; I was actually thinking about your bird today, and hoping you would update us.

I didn't think about the moult, but my experience is that birds can have an 'off' day every now and then (just like us), and may not seem like happy campers for a day or so....still, gotta keep on lookout for signs of trouble, which they will try to conceal if possible .

 

[bestthingever]

Note that birds are also highly sensitive to things that don't much bother... um, mammals:
Google
(Not to argue that PTFE is perfectly safe, but the reaction between the clades is way disproportionate.)

Do be careful with your nonstick pans if you keep birds. And one of the articles also mentions the shatterproof coating on certain incandescent [hot] light bulbs as a big culprit. Could well be that they don't take well to 'vapor,' either.

I got rid of all my non-stick pans 10 years ago when my birds were still babies. About one year later, the breeder I bought my birds from lost quite a few of her birds all in one fell swoop, when a family member left a teflon-coated pan on the stove, then laid down to nap. Needless to say, she was devastated, both financially & emotionally. I'm afraid to have them in my house now, and I'm not entirely certain that they don't harm humans as well !

 

[TropicalBob]

That IS a theory, bestthingever.

And good to hear that there's an example for the bird's ill feeling.

 

[bestthingever]

That IS a theory, bestthingever.

And good to hear that there's an example for the bird's ill feeling.

Yeah, I know.

Hey, how's life in Port Charlotte ? I lived in Fort Myers for a while, loved it.

 

[EasyPuffer]

As I started reading this I was vaping away with a cat in my lap, and our quaker parrot about 8 feet away... I guess I can be pretty oblivious!

Thanks for the heads up! I'll puff outside now, better safe than sorry!

 

[shadowcptn]

As I started reading this I was vaping away with a cat in my lap, and our quaker parrot about 8 feet away... I guess I can be pretty oblivious!

Thanks for the heads up! I'll puff outside now, better safe than sorry!

I'm glad that you read this thread. We really don't know the effects of vaping "right next to" any animal, nor the effects of smoking analogs around our feathered or furry animals. There's never been a study about the health risks of either, has there?

By the way, my parrot is also a quaker (green). He's a very well-behaved parrot, but isn't very social. Common characteristic for the quaker so it seems.

Happy vaping!

 

[shadowcptn]

Thank goodness !! I'm so happy to hear it; I was actually thinking about your bird today, and hoping you would update us.

I didn't think about the moult, but my experience is that birds can have an 'off' day every now and then (just like us), and may not seem like happy campers for a day or so....still, gotta keep on lookout for signs of trouble, which they will try to conceal if possible .

Thanks!

 

[leannebug]

What about children? Are there any threads or studies (even 'non-scientific') about the effects of vaping around kids?

My son and I have always smoked analogs outside and never in the car, but since we recently discovered the wonderful world of ecigs, we have been doing it inside. Both around our cats and my younger child. This has been on my mind this first week, quite a bit, and although my younger child is thrilled that at our switch (and desire to move towards quitting, also not constantly going outside, etc) I DON"T want to put her in any danger.

Any thoughts?