# Actually just wondering



## SammySam (Nov 25, 2016)

If I remember right, when I wrote an essay for school about what foods are dangerous for birds, I think I read that dairy is bad for them? Not sure if I did for a fact or not.

I'm lactose intolerant so I can't either if it's true, but if that's true, then I'm just wondering why they can't? Is it like dogs and cats (and me  ) being lactose intolerant? If it's not, then I'm probably thinking of something else.

But I was genuinely curious about how onions, according to the sources I used, causes blood vessels to rupture? I know they have sulfur in them so that's probably what causes that but I'm the kind of person who likes to know exactly how things work out and end with certain results. So if anyone can answer these questions, I'd appreciate it.

It's weird how these things we see everyday are so dangerous to our little babies.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

For the first one, birds are indeed lactose intolerant :thumbsup: As birds, which are more closely related to reptiles than to mammals, they did not need to develop the gut bacteria (which contain lactase, an enzyme which breaks down lactose) that mammals have.

Onions (and garlic, for that matter) have a high level of a certain oxidant. When introduced into the body, it latches onto red blood cells, causing the body to react to it as a foreign invader and destroy the blood cell. This is called "hemolytic anemia", referring to the hemolysis (rupturing of blood cells) and consequent anemia of the toxicity. 

I hope that helps


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## Iris (May 8, 2012)

StarlingWings said:


> For the first one, birds are indeed lactose intolerant :thumbsup: As birds, which are more closely related to reptiles than to mammals, they did not need to develop the gut bacteria (which contain lactase, an enzyme which breaks down lactose) that mammals have.
> 
> Onions (and garlic, for that matter) have a high level of a certain oxidant. When introduced into the body, it latches onto red blood cells, causing the body to react to it as a foreign invader and destroy the blood cell. This is called "hemolytic anemia", referring to the hemolysis (rupturing of blood cells) and consequent anemia of the toxicity.
> 
> I hope that helps


This is very interesting! Thank you so much for explaining it, it's interesting how birds react differently to milk than mammals.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Your very welcome


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## SammySam (Nov 25, 2016)

That's pretty cool  Thanks for explaining!


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