Please help with parakeet health, paint,and my new oven.?

Question

Well.... I am painting and using polyurethane on my kitchen so my parakeet is at his grandma's house for safe keeping. I had my new oven delivered and they said to turn it on for 1/2 hour and there will be fumes the first time I use it. Well.. the book that came with it said the same thing, and that there will be fumes the first several times it is used. The book also said that it can kill a pet bird. I already know that, but I am wondering when it will be safe for him to come home. will this oven be dangerous forever? how many times should I use it before he comes home? If I don't smell the fumes anymore, can it still hurt him?

Answer 1

I wouldn't rely on your nose to distinguish whether the air is safe for your keet to breathe again.  A bird's respiratory system is so efficient that even miniscule amounts of toxins can spell death to it.  You will want to leave your parakeet at his grandma's for the first several times you use your new oven, as the directions state. Depending upon how often you cook, it could mean up to a month or so.  Once you do bring your bird home, position his cage in a room that is closed off from the kitchen, and with a window or two in it for ventilation.  Monitor your bird often for any signs of illness (they can go downhill extremely fast from poisonous fumes). If you see anything unusual about him, i.e. lethargy, falling off the perch, not eating, vomiting, get him outside quickly and call an avian vet. Your awareness can mean the difference between life and death for your bird.  And one last thing, in case you didn't know--those non-stick pans i.e. Teflon, are extremely toxic to birds, as they emit the same type of poisons when at high temperatures--don't use them!!!  Use stainless steel instead, and save your bird.

Answer 2

Birds can be very sensitive to chemicals in the air and lack of oxygen (that is why they brought canaries into the mining caves, to alert the miners to bad air).

I would use the oven for at least two days before bringing the bird home, and keep the windows open to air everything out.