When more than 1 million children’s toys were recalled due to possible lead paint contamination, many parents began to question every item tucked into the toy chest. After all, if Barbie and Elmo could be called into question, what would be next?
Bird owners, like parents, put a great deal of effort into choosing what they believe are safe and enriching toys and educational items for their pets. Fortunately, there have not yet been any recalls of bird products.
“A lot of the responsible people use food dye for bird toys,” said Kitty Remington, DVM, of Animal Health Clinic in Florida. “But how many people buy human toys for their birds?”
And therein lies part of the bigger problem, veterinarians say, directly or indirectly allowing birds access to items not intended for them.
**For the full article, pick up the March 2008 issue of BIRD TALK**
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