What should I do????

[budgiebuddy]

Hi, I got poisson ivy over the week. I have been staying away from my bird as much as possible since I got it cause I am not sure. I wanted to know do you think it is a good idea to stay away till the ivy goes away. Or is it okay to go near just keep him away from my face. That is where the poisson ivy is? Please respond I need to know.

[Michael]

Don't touch the bird as a precaution. Ask someone else to feed it and take care of it until you are better. Also, if you haven't already, don't shower or bath because it will just spread the poison ivy all over you. And resist the temptation to scratch or you will get it all over and everything will be itchy.

[budgiebuddy]

alright, thanks.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I'd also wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water -- you don't want the irritating stuff to get all over everywhere, but you do want to remove it from your skin. You are basically having an allergic reaction to stuff that brushed off on you from the plant. OTC lotions may help with the itching and OTC antihistamine like Benadryl may also help quell the reaction. Once well washed with soap and water, I'd personally worry more about getting the OTC products on the bird than the poison ivy itself. But it can't hurt to be conservative.