Advice on rehoming CAG due to severe allergy :( help!

[Dominique3]

Hello,
I was wondering if you could give me some advice; I've been having chronic recurring nasal/sinus problems which has now developed into severe face/head pain since getting my CAG 5 years ago. I've had operations on my nose and every medication (including allergy) under the sun but none have helped. I also have a HEPA air filtration on constantly, yet still find my nose/head bad and recently at the point of unbearable. I've had an operation on my nose, but now it's back to as bad as before: I've researched allergy to mold/bird dander and my symptoms seem to fit this.
I have an appointment with a specialist tomorrow and I'm going to request specific dander/mold allergen blood tests.

If it is my parrot (and cockatiel) then I will be faced with the awful concept of rehoming him.

My CAG is 5 years old, part parent and then hand-reared, closed rung, very friendly, talks and learns new things, dances to music, doesn't swear etc.

I don't know whether to try to rehome him to a home with perhaps an aviary and another parrot to keep him company(perhaps a female if someone wanted to breed?)
As I feel he could be happy like this - what is your opinion? As he has never been in the same cage as a bird since he was a chick.


He enjoys sitting in his cage looking out the window, but I feel he could be happier with a larger area to roam and a member of his own species; however I'm aware this could go wrong and he could be hurt/stressed, do CAG's tend to get along well with each other?

What do you think I should do?
I would of course visit any home before this happened, and tell them to contact me for any reason as I would have him back.

I do not want to rehome him, but my facial pain and nose has become debilitating and I don't know what else to do.

I would really appreciate any advice you have,

Thank you,

Dominique Betts. domz_323@hotmail.co.uk

[liz]

Where are you. The forum is world wide. There could be a member in your community who could help.

[Wolf]

While we do have several members in the UK, that may be able to offer you advice, I think that the first thing to do is wait on the results of your tests. In the meantime if you have a room that you can keep your birds in where they can be warm that you can seal off and use your filtration in that may reduce the bird dander situation enough that you could use a disposable face mask to go in and play with them while keeping the dander out of the remainder of your living space.
This is definitely a difficult situation to deal with and I feel for you with the difficulties presented by this turn of events, and hope for the best for both you and your birds.

[Pajarita]

Actually, as far as I know, bird dust (dander) allergy usually affects the lungs. It's what used to be called bird breeders disease but we now know as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and the symptoms are more like bronchitis and, sometimes, asthma than sinusitis which is what the symptoms you describe resemble (allergy doesn't usually cause pain at the level you have). Of course, this doesn't mean that what you have is not an allergy to the dust only that, if it is, it would be an unusual manifestation of it (although, of course, the dust needs to go into the lungs through the nose...). I am surprised that your doctors did surgery before testing for allergens... isn't that the first or second thing doctors do in situations like this? But I am not allergic to anything so what do I know?

In any case, I would wait until I know for sure and, in the meantime, get myself a super duper air purifier (yours might be too small), a humidifier (high humidity helps A LOT with airborne particles), keep a window open a crack at all times and clean the cages thoroughly every single day (it's not only feather dust that causes a reaction, it could be the protein in the poop).

And, if it is confirmed that it's indeed your birds that is causing this, then I would rehome them but it doesn't necessarily have to be to a home with another gray. I would look for somebody who stays at home and owns the house, not too young, not too old and with previous experience in parrots (I would also look for somebody who feeds a fresh food diet and keeps them to solar schedule and not in cages but I am pickier than most people about animal care).

[liz]

That isn't being picky. That is just the requirements.

[Saber]

Im sorry to hear of your suspected allergies. I have severe/chronic allergies and asthma - I've been in the emergency room more times then I can remember from it as well. I have had a full panel of allergy testing twice now, 7 sinus surgeries and take 4 differnet sinus medicatons and 2 inhalers every day as well as other medications including pain medication and migraine medication as a direct result of the sinus pressure I feel on a day to day basis. I have confirmed allergies to the dust/dander that are associated with birds, as well as dogs and cats and a whole host of other things that don't apply here. In addition I'm a vet tech so have constant exposure every day. All that being said, I have a congo african grey, dog, cat, ferret, and fish. I can say that after 15 years of trial and error I have worked out a pretty decent arrangement with medications and cleaning routines. Before then, I had lost my sense of smell for 4 years due to the constant infections of both my sinues and my lungs.

The point of my post is that with enough time, effort, and the proper doctors (who I have to travel 3 hours one way to see pretty often) it was manageable for me. Not to say you will have the same results, I just want you to know it may not be the end of the line for you and your grey. I was constantly scolded for having my pets and working where I do. I simply told my doctors that they are my children (I don't have any human ones) and when you find a job you were born to do its not something I'm willing to give up under any circumstances. I actually had to change doctors twice because of my stubborness to accept thier diagnosis of "getting rid of the animals". They are not just animals to me so after considerable pain and financial stress I'm at a place where I can breathe, smell, taste, etc. and still snuggle and love on my furry and feathered kids.

While some might consider this a terrible story, it is my personal one and I'm ok with it. My CAG is going to be with me for a lifetime and is a commitment I chose to make when I adopted him.

I truely hope you are able to figure out your way of handeling your personal situation and don't lose hope!

[Wolf]

Yay, Saber! Wonderful story and words of encouragement. Thank you.

[Pajarita]

Triple kudos to you, my dear! You are an inspiration to all of us! I also have had asthma my entire adult life and it has now become a mild form of COPD but I don't react to animals dander... or maybe I've always had but never even noticed