# What are the signs of smoke inhalation in budgies?



## Nausicaa (Jul 22, 2021)

As perhaps you have heard, Greece and the capital in particular, is burning with fires. My family and I cannot leave the city, as recommended (for smoke inhalation reasons, not because we might get BBQed, though the suburbs are, sadly burning) yet because my mother just underwent surgery. There's been warnings that the fires by now have reached industrial sites, meaning the smoke coming to us is not just burned trees and (sigh) animals, but also potentially dangerous chemical likes plastic and who knows what else. I'm really worried about the health of my two budgies. I've done all I can as per the relevant sticky, bar the air purifier because we dont have one. Iris (adult, unknown age) and Dawn (about a year old) seem okay wtih all the changes to their routines, since I had to put them in a different room which is not safe for free flight, though they appear subdued. They play around abit, eat a little, though not seeds, and you'll hear a chirp now and then, but they're not their usual selves. The fact that room temp is 40Celsius doesnt help either. I keep a close eye on them for signs of gagging, coughing and so on, and they're not doing any of that, but I'm still worried. Is there a chance they might drop dead without any warning? The only hospital fit to treat birds that might have an oxygen chamber is closer to the fire than my place and probably flooded with animals in immediate need. 
TLDR: How can I protect my burgies from dangerous smoke? If I covered the cage with a thin, wet/damp sheet to act as a filter would it be a problem to them? There's talk we, humans, might have to wear masks inside the house even...

Thanks for any reply, hope you and your budgies are all safe.


----------



## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

That room is far, far too hot, which probably explains them not being their usual selves. Is there anything you can do to bring the temperature down to something more comfortable? If you get an air purifier, it'll keep the air in the room safe(r) if it has a HEPA filter. The thin wet sheet will do nothing to protect from smoke particulate. 

Sorry about your situation, it must be very stressful for you.


----------



## Nausicaa (Jul 22, 2021)

Well, actually the temp I took was where I was, which had raised blinders (I have to study somehow...) and the adjoining room where they are is cooler, but still pretty warm. Iris has been sluggish for a while now, since she's in deep molt, but at least they've eaten now abit. 

Idk if we can, other than turn on the AC, about which scientists are on the fence for now. They're also asking the we keep them at 26 degrees and no less, because the system is suffering from the fires as well. Now a propane factory is burning and there's explosions apparently. Everyone says it;ll only get worse in the near future, so we may have to turn on the AC in the end. Seriously, the heat is horrible for someone lived entirely on ACed summers. But I went out to deposit some donations for the affected people and their animals just a few blocks away, and there's ash falling like snow, the temperature of the fires is that high. 

Thank you, it is quite stressful, but it's nothing compaired to that of the people whose homes and businesses are burning.


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Sorry for your situation and all in the area, do you think it will come to the point you may be asked to evacuate? Here in the US there are terrible fires on the west coast and there have been several instances where the residents had to leave their homes.


----------



## Nausicaa (Jul 22, 2021)

Yes, there's fires in many places around the world, it's terrible. No, I live in the middle of Athens and though there's a small forrest just a street over, Lykabettus Hill, but it stands alone and couldn't catch fire unless someone, well, was a crazed arsonist. Thanks for the interest and I hope you're safe from the fires on the west coast - at least there are no dead this year so far. We, and by we I mean those of us who live in the city, are doing better now, the winds are blowing from the sea, so we get fresh air and no ash and the temperatures are not as crazy as the previous weeks, when 45 had become routine! Iris and Dawn are doing really well, they ate, drank, now they're singing non-stop! Btw, @Cody , I wanted to thank you, since you were right about avitaminosis A - Dawn's new feathers look much smoother and shiny now and won't fray that much! 



Cody said:


> there have been several instances where the residents had to leave their homes.


That's terrible, did the homes make it? There's so many houses, cars and businesses burning here... People are leaving, holding what they can in their hands. I'm actually trying to find right now if there are any birds that need fostering or at home care for burns, but firefighters are mostly concerned about cats and dogs.


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

In many cases the houses and whole towns burned to the ground.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm so sorry you are going through this. It sounds as though you are doing everything you can to protect yourselves and your budgies.
Sending lots of prayers your way.*


----------



## Nausicaa (Jul 22, 2021)

Yeah, things are terrible in northern California as well, just saw a collage of places affected by fires, it's tragic... 

@FaeryBee Thanks, I just don't want them to go the way of the mine canaries. Athens is doing better now, but there're still uncontained fires in other parts of the country. There's so much footage of people fleeing with only the clothes on their back and their pets in their arms. 

Hope you guys are all safe and breathing fresh air!


----------



## Marian (Jan 22, 2021)

Nausicaa said:


> Yeah, things are terrible in northern California as well, just saw a collage of places affected by fires, it's tragic...
> 
> @FaeryBee Thanks, I just don't want them to go the way of the mine canaries. Athens is doing better now, but there're still uncontained fires in other parts of the country. There's so much footage of people fleeing with only the clothes on their back and their pets in their arms.
> 
> Hope you guys are all safe and breathing fresh air!


Wet sheets and a simple fan blowing on and through them can help to cool a small area to create a slightly more comfortable area for a budgie cage and a study desk. An old fashioned form of AC still used in my neck of the woods (Australia). In fact when we lived in a house with no AC in Mildura we used to wet our top bed sheets and wring them out so they were still damp so evaporation helped us keep cool and get some sleep. Sounds terrible but you get used to it and it works.
I now live 20klm outside a town in rural Victoria Australia and am dreading the coming summer.
I hope your mother is recovering well from her surgery and that you, your family and your budgies stay safe.


----------



## Nausicaa (Jul 22, 2021)

Marian said:


> Wet sheets and a simple fan blowing on and through them can help to cool a small area to create a slightly more comfortable area for a budgie cage and a study desk. An old fashioned form of AC still used in my neck of the woods (Australia). In fact when we lived in a house with no AC in Mildura we used to wet our top bed sheets and wring them out so they were still damp so evaporation helped us keep cool and get some sleep. Sounds terrible but you get used to it and it works.
> I now live 20klm outside a town in rural Victoria Australia and am dreading the coming summer.
> I hope your mother is recovering well from her surgery and that you, your family and your budgies stay safe.


Wow, that's some heat! We dont have a fan, but I read the AC's manual from top to bottom and apparently it doesn't take in air from outside, so they should be okay. Thankfully, the fires here are extinghuished by now, though for a while it was a close call. 

Thank you very much, we're all fine. I do hope Australia doesn't get terrible bushfires this year round, it was a nightmare watching it on TV, all these animals dying. I read somewhere that last year an area totalling both Denmark and the Netherlands was destroyed by the fires. Goodness. Fingers crossed.


----------

