Use our Animal Care Library for quick, easy access to our most common animal care problems. Use our Animal Care Library for quick, easy access to our most common animal care problems. Use our Animal Care Library for quick, easy access to our most common animal care problems.
Stress can be defined as the physiological response of a bird to a situation that causes it strain or tension, such as overcrowding, too high ot too low temperature and/or humidity and the inability to hide from real or imagined threats.
There are two types of stress - Physical and psychological. Physical stress can be principally divided again into two types: emergency stress, such as a situation that poses an immediate threat, and continuing stress such as overcrowding in a cage. Stress can be beneficial as it keeps the bird alert and allows it to react more competently to an emergency.
A bird reacts to emergency stress, such as you trying to catch it, by releasing a large amount of adrenaline into the blood stream. This has the effect of raising the blood pressure, emptying sugar supplies into the blood stream and dilating the blood vessels in the muscles to give them immediate use of this energy – such as flying away.
If stress is overwhelming, such as in the case of an uncontrollable infectious disease, exhaustion of the adrenal gland sets in, usually with fatal results.
A review of the most common cause of death in birds in one zoological collection showed that most of the disease factors were of relatively low virulence indicating the predisposing factors such as stress added to the circumstances that allowed these opportunists to cause death.
Stress in birds can be reduced by recognizing some of their basic needs:
Stress occurs in every bird’s cage or aviary, reducing breeding results and causing unnecessary deaths. Look for ways to minimize stress before it is too late.
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Vet Cross Bundaberg Hospital
2 Inglis Court
Svensson Heights 4670
(07) 4151 5044
info@vetcross.com.au
Mon-Fri: 8am - 6pm
Saturday: 9am - 3pm
Available for emergencies 24/7
Vet Cross Gin Gin
48 Mulgrave Street
Gin Gin 4671
(07) 4157 3991
gingin@vetcross.com.au
Mon-Fri: 9am - 5pm
Sat: 9am - 12pm (nurse only)
Vet Cross Bargara
Bargara Central Shopping Centre,
Shop 19/699 Bargara Rd
Bargara 4670
(07) 4130 5003
bargara@vetcross.com.au
Mon-Fri: 9am - 5pm
Sat: 9am - 12pm (nurse only)
Vet Cross Pet Store
Shop 2/2 Inglis Court
Svensson Heights 4670
(07) 4152 5939
petstore@vetcross.com.au
Mon-Fri: 8am - 5:30pm
Saturday: 9am - 3pm