How to properly clean vegetables and fruits for birds?

[Elenacam]

Hi there!

I try to give fruits and vegetables to my birdies.
I normally have no problems, but the other day a birdie apparently caught some bug in the trachea (already treated by the vet and doing fine :) ) and the only possible source I can think of was some contaminated vegetable or fruit :eek:

I try to clean thoroughly vegetables and fruits before giving them to my birdies, but I wonder if I might clean them differently... How do YOU clean them to make sure you've killed any possible (micro) bug, bacteria, etc?

[Macawpower58]

Caught a bug? An insect, or virus?

I wash mine with a bristled brush. That's all I do. I don't even buy organic. So far I've never had a problem. I only feed fresh firm produce though, never old outdated stuff. Many of the root vegatable (like some squash, sweet potatos and such, I cook first).

[Wiztherewoz]

You could always just make sure you peel everything if you're really worried.

I agree with Becky, only give them fresh products from a good supplier. I personally only rinse them with clean water, so I'm not much use to ya.

Was it your bird who caught the bug?

[Elenacam]

Caught a bug? An insect, or virus?

I wash mine with a bristled brush. That's all I do. I don't even buy organic. So far I've never had a problem. I only feed fresh firm produce though, never old outdated stuff. Many of the root vegatable (like some squash, sweet potatos and such, I cook first).

Sorry for the delay in answering!
For some odd reason, the instant email notification feature did not work and I thought I had not gotten any answers!

Thanks for your advice.

It was one of my birdies who caught the "thing". I said bug to simplify, but it was not a bug. It was a fungus, I think, as the vet treated my birdie for aspergillosis and the ivermectin medication worked just fine.
I give them a good mix of seeds and then fruits and vegetables. I thought I cleaned well my fruits and vegetables, but... I wonder how the birdie could have gotten fungus!

The other birdies did not and are doing fine.
This birdie who caught it is quite old. I have had it with me 9 years and by the time I adopted him, it was clear he was already sort of old, so who knows how old he is!

Any idea of how he could have gotten it? I should ask the vet, I know, but I forgot when I saw her and I don't want to bother her again (poor lady has done too much for my birdies lately and charged little).

[LadyLynn]

Hey, you are the vet's customer, you give her your hard earned cash, you have every right to ask her over and over again, make her earn her paycheck, besides if she loves your birds, she'll love it if you keep asking her no matter what time or how stupid it may seem.
so keep asking your vet.

[Elenacam]

Hey, you are the vet's customer, you give her your hard earned cash, you have every right to ask her over and over again, make her earn her paycheck, besides if she loves your birds, she'll love it if you keep asking her no matter what time or how stupid it may seem.
so keep asking your vet.


:) you are right... it's just that I have an avian sanctuary, and so I go to her way too often... poor lady has a lot of consideration toward me and does not charge me for most visits, gives me for free medication, etc.
I have been treating 3 birdies at once and drove her crazy, I bet, with it, in the past month, since this is not a "live or die" situation right now compared to other birdies I rescue. I will ask her whenever the chance shows up. But in the meantime I wanted to know if you knew here :)

[Macawpower58]

Do you feed peanuts? Peanuts can develope fungus, and you need to be careful you only feed fresh ones. I'm not sure about seeds, but I'd think old ones could also.

[Elenacam]

Do you feed peanuts? Peanuts can develope fungus, and you need to be careful you only feed fresh ones. I'm not sure about seeds, but I'd think old ones could also.

Thanks for the tip!
Actually, I don't give them peanuts. I have a dog and I am never sure what I read concerning the dog OR the birdies, but it got stuck in my mind that chocolate and peanuts were no no and I thought for either.
Thanks for the advice :hail: