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Hello,What do I have to do if my bird (lovebird) has eatten a house plant (poinsettia green leaves)? It happened a few min ago. I am really worried now. Your quick respond would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely,Natalia
Optional Information: Type of Animal: LovebirdGender: unknownAge: 5 months Already Tried: just washed it's beack, and tounge
Hello Natalia,
Poinsettias are toxic to birds, as you probably already know, and I would advise you to take your bird to an emergency veterinarian right away. There are a few medications that can be given to help prevent absorption of the toxic elements in the plant (activated charcoal) and fluid therapy will also help. Hopefully your bird did not actually swallow much of the plant parts.
Good luck.
Thank you Dr. Gwen.I also have called Animal Poison Control while I was wating for an answer. They say that based on 22 identical cases they've had so far, there is no really a need to go to an emergency room, because poinsettia is a low-risk poison plant. I even asked them about activated charcoal, but they said that most likely it won't be needed either. In most of the cases fluid and food helps to "desolve" the plant. The bird can get an upset stomach and a bit of diarea, but it will not affect the overall bird's health. However, I understand that it would be a totally different story if a bird actually eats a bunch of poinsettia. In my case it seems that the bird just nibbled on the leaves. However, I will make sure that in the future all of the possible hazards will be far away from the birdie. Thanks again, and have a wonderfull and stressless the rest of the weekend.Sincerely,Natalia
I am relieved to hear your bird did not likely eat much of the plant. I tend to err on the side of caution and assume the pets have been exposed to more than we truly know - assuming they didn't eat any can be dangerous! My main concern with your bird was the young age, as very young and very old animals are more susceptible to the ill effects, but am very glad that you called poison control and they were able to help you.
I would still keep a close eye on him/her for the next 24 hrs to make sure he/she makes a full recovery (and hopefully shows no clinical signs at all!).
Experience: Over ten years of experience with pet birds, wildlife, and zoological avian collections.
Thank you!
You are very welcome. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I will be happy to help.