New Meaning to the phrase "Bird Addiction"

[LtlWngdAngl]

I went to my breeders bird store the other day, and I saw one of the saddest things I think I've ever seen: a Senegal parrot that was addicted to nicotine!
The owner of the bird (who's a friend of the breeder and a non-smoker) got the bird from a rescue. The bird's previous owner (and obviously abusive owner) was a smoker and would smoke around the bird and would smoke while handling the bird. The bird would get the nicotine through the residue left on the woman's hands and the food that the hands gave him. We all know that birds can create a dependence on addictive substances, and this bird created such a dependence that he needed it to live. The current owner said that she has to let a cigarette burn down while holding it, and then let the bird lick it off her hands. She said that she tried to ween him off of it, but was told by several vets that it would kill the bird not to have the nicotine. The bird is so sweet, but if it goes too long without a cigarette, he turns REALLY mean.
I never thought about that happening, but I'm glad now that I'm not a smoker! Please be careful if you are a smoker though!!

[Crebain]

All I can picture is a Senegal sitting on a perch, smoking a miniature Marlboro.

I need help...

But seriously folks, I think I'd try just mixing a few flakes of tobacco in with his food, or just burn a cig near the cage, like insence.

[SavvyMoon]

This sounds like a completely bogus story.
A senegal is a small bird. IF it was possible to actually
ingest enough nicotine from "licking it off fingers", it would surely have killed the bird by now, or made him very very ill.
Sorry, I'm not calling you a liar, but I sure don't believe one word of the story the bird store person told you. And I CERTAINLY don't believe ANY vet would say to continue such a practice because a bird is "addicted" to nicotine!!

Sorry, the whole thing sounds Ridiculous.

[Crebain]

I don't see any problem with a bird ingesting enough nicotine by licking tar from a smokers' hand, especially in conjunction with 2nd-hand smoke. I also doubt this would seriously sicken, much less kill, a parrot - regardless of size.

I bet this type of situation happens more often than you might guess.

[The Outlaw]

I gotta tell you, I don't believe that either. Please, don't think I'm calling you a liar, but someone isn't telling the whole truth. I will, however, ask my own vet about this problem.

THE OUTLAW

[LtlWngdAngl]

She was just telling me what the vet told her about it. She had began weening the bird off of it by just reducing the amount, reguardless of how grumpy the bird got, but the vet told her not to. She was there probably about 2 hours (I was there visiting my new baby) and towards the end, the bird went from really sweet to really mean, so she took it outside, lit a cigarette and I watched the bird go nuts trying to breathe it and it licked and kinda nipped at her fingers for a good 10 minuted afterwards...I believe it, especially since the bird is so small, it wouldn't take a whole lot for the bird to become addicted.
I don't know the medical reasoning or whether or not it can be weened off of it, all I know is what I saw and what she said and her vet said. It didn't seem to surprise my breeder, she said that she had seen that kind of thing before when she would take in abused birds. I know they can become addicted to caffeine (thought it kills them pretty quickly), so why not nicotine?

[Crebain]

I thought of caffiene also ... and still see no reason to doubt this story.

Outlaw, please let us know what your vet has to say.

[Chariclo]

Meanwhile, are all the new babies at this breeders in the same room as the smoking senegal?

[LtlWngdAngl]

no, no, no....it's not the breeders bird...it's a friend of hers that takes in abused and abandoned birds that came to visit. The cigarette was done outside, VERY far away from the other birds. The Senegal is actually the only bird she has at the time and has decided not to seek another home for it because she wants to give it the most comfortable rest-of-its-life that she can. The breeders babies are kept in a special room at her home, not at the store anyway...not until they're ready to be sold anyway

[Chariclo]

Ooohhhh! That's good!

I had visions of all the new hatchlings getting addicted too! Remeber that anti smoking commercial that was out a few years back that had all kinds of animals smoking? What a horrible visual!

Well atleast your baby will be okay then. Thanks for the clarification.