Saliva and your bird...

[MandyG]

I thought this might be an interesting topic after reading Michael's post on idiodic parrot owners.

We all know that cat saliva and scratches are fatal, but what about dog saliva and human saliva? There are many parrot owners out there who let their birds explore their mouths, eat off of their utensils, and even eat food that the owner has chewed .

Is human saliva (or other animal's saliva) really toxic to our birds?


Human saliva is listed as poisonous to birds on this list http://www.birdsandpets.com/toxic.asp.

I've heard that it isn't toxic and won't actually kill a bird, but you can pass on certain germs (one website said cold germs?) and your bird could become sick if you're sick and don't realize it. And of course there's things such as e-coli that we can have small traces of that could make a bird seriously ill and eventually cause death.

I've also heard that there are some enzymes and other bacteria that are always present in human mouths that we need for digestion that birds have no immunity to and will make them very sick. I don't have any details on this though.

I've always read that the human mouth is one of the dirtiest places in the world (even compared to a dog that cleans themselves and eats whatever they can find, including feces and dead animals ). I'd rather be safe than sorry.


I've personally never had the desire to have my bird explore my mouth. A lot of websites I came across say that it's hard to resist having a cute little bird exploring our mouths, but I've never had any problem resisting it! The closest my bird comes to my mouth is me giving him a kiss on the beak, sometimes he'll turn and nip my lip (not hard!) and that's too close for him being near my mouth for me. Other than that sometimes if I have something like a hard boiled egg I'll take a bite of it to make it smaller for him then give him the other piece. That's rarely though, I don't think it's worth the risk. I don't even use chopsticks for touch training that have been previously used!


Does anybody have any other information on this? Or any information for the other side of the debate saying that human saliva does not harm our birds, which is proven by the owners that let their birds explore their mouths throughout the bird's life?

What about dog saliva? Obviously a dog bite is likely to be lethal just because of the injuries it would cause, but what about letting your bird play with your dog's toys? And why exactly is a cat bite/scratch fatal?

[Kathleen]

I don't know the exact specifics of the toxicity of human saliva. It is considered toxic but there is much more evidence about the toxicity of saliva in dogs and cats, so I will post the information and research that I found about that. I did a bit of summarizing and I posted some links to reference where I found this information. I also explained a few things that I think are very wordy and may not make sense to someone who doesn't have the background knowledge:


Bacteria called Pasteurella exist normally in the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal regions of dogs, cats, and other domestic and wild animals. (http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/33/1/202.pdf)

Pasteurella are a genus named after Louis Pasteur (a chemist and microbiologist who made some significant discoveries, disease and pasteurization). They are parasitic and they're often pathogenic in mammals, birds and reptiles. One specific species in this genus is called Pasteurella multocida, and it causes hemorrhagic septicemia in various mammals and fowl (bird) cholera. It can also infect humans. (http://www.answers.com/pasteurella)

Other kinds of birds are also harmed by the introduction of this bacteria. For example, in 1994, 50 out of 90 Japanese quails died of acute septicemia. Pasteurella multocida was found in blood and several organs of these birds.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11642279)

Pasteurella multocida is a pathogen that can cause haemorrhagic septicaemia in cattle and fowl cholera in birds. It has a toxin that activates a certain enzyme called Rho GTPase. (An enzyme is simply a protein that makes a chemical reaction happen faster). Rho GTPase hydrolyzes GTP. (To hydrolyze something means that it's being broken down; a bond is being broken, for instance through a reaction with water. GTP is just a form of energy that cells use.) This is necessary for actin stress fiber formation and this helps cells absorb molecules. (Actin stress fiber formation is simply talking about the proteins responsible for the shape of a cell, it's movement and some other functions in a cell). The toxin basically acts like a chemical that tells a cell to start reproducing (dividing to make a new cell) through mitosis. The bacteria also has some structures that allow it to survive in a harsh environment inside a host. (http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... _multocida)

Hemorrhagic septicemia comes from hemorrage obviously, or excessive bleeding, and septicemia means there is an infection of pathogens in the bloodstream and the body's response is inflammation. Inflammation leads to the triggering of different proteins which damages the body's ability to clot/coagulate and to get rid of pathogens. Eventually this leads to some organ damage. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepsis)

"Clinical signs of fowl cholera following infection may be manifested peracutely of acutely, with previously healthy birds suddenly being found dead or profoundly ill. Before death, the birds may exhibit convulsions, uncoordinated fluttering, stiffness and rapid breathing. Birds that do not die acutely may show signs of listlessness, shivering and huddling. Respiratory sound, sneezing and sticky nasal discharges are sometimes observed. The feathers surrounding the vent, eyes and beak may become matted with secretion. The droppings which may start out as pasty and yellow, may become bloodstained due to intestinal ulceration. Birds chronically affected with fowl cholera show weight loss, abdominal distention, lameness and joint enlargement."
(http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-15 ... --,00.html)

To read more I would suggest these sources:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-15 ... --,00.html
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... _multocida