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Things
You need to know!
 My
love for fids goes beyond their obvious beauty, incredible
intelligence or their often comical antics. They
give unconditional love from their hearts,
depending on us for companionship and good health, a challenge that
has not been easy for the avian owner.
I believe
nutrition is the single most important factor in the quality of your
fids life.
Without it disease and illness occur with time. Second is providing
toys to keep those busy, puzzling, and inquisitive minds occupied.
We have a responsibility to our bundles of feathers to provide
quality foods and toys so they can live to their potential lifespans.
Purchasing a bird is a huge commitment to pursuing those foods and
toys. Some things may be out of our control but we do have the means
available in this millennium to provide a healthy diet and
interesting toys for our fids. Educated bird owners know how much
time and energy are spent on feeding their birds properly. Are you
up to that challenge? Learn to read labels
and know exactly what you are providing. Just like us,
all birds need love, quality nutrition, sleep, clean air, fresh
water, exercise, sunshine and both positive mental and emotional
surroundings.
The truth is that most bird foods on
the market today do little more than just sustain life. Most foods
contain "pet-grade" ingredients, which are foodstuffs,
actually rejected for human consumption. If it can't be sold or
exported, they'll just give it to our pets. This means your birds
may be eating "by-products", the generic description for
beaks, feet, heads, claws, feathers, eyeballs, hair and hooves.
Companies are permitted to use what are termed "4D meats",
arriving at the slaughterhouse dead, diseased, dying or disabled.
What we've been led to believe is high quality food is actually
garbage. Garbage you would never knowingly feed your pets.
Preservatives allow manufacturers to keep food on the shelf for a
year or more, hardly to be considered fresh clean foods. Chemicals,
coloring agents, artificial preservatives found in most foods could
be creating serious health risks. A varied and balanced diet of
clean, unprocessed fruits, (most dried fruits in mixes have
sulfur dioxide, please ask your supplier if their fruit is naturally
dried) vegetables, seeds, grains, and nuts will keep your birds
happy, healthy and resistant to disease and degeneration, giving
both of you a lifetime of pleasure.
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What's in your foods?
Harmful
ingredients
found
in pet products:
 Sulfur
Dioxide:
A
chemical preservative used in Dried Fruits to enhance color.
Can cause allergies, itching, skin irritation, feather shredding or
picking. Make sure your mixes have naturally dried
fruits--manufacturers won't tell you its there...Always ASK!!!!
BHA:
A preservative and potentially dangerous for the kidneys.
BHT:
Used to retard spoilage and more toxic than its cousin BHA.
Ethoxyquin:
A
cancer causing substance.
Corn
Syrup: Pure sugar. They can get addicted to this taste
and will cause The "finicky eater" syndrome.
MSG:
Flavor enhancer used to disguise inferior food quality. Known to
cause brain and eye damage. High percentage of allergic Reactions in
pets and people.
Proply
Gallate: Chemical used to retard spoilage, found to cause
liver damage.
Propylene
Glycol: the chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent
for brake fluids. Used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in
foods. Tastes very sweet.
Sodium
Nitrate: A carcinogenic preservative and color enhancer.
Produces mutagenic changes.
Sodium
Nitrite: Harmful chemical preservative. A source of red
coloring. People have died from overdose.
These are just a few of the "no-no's"
to keep a watchful eye for. Digest all the information on cans, bags
and boxes and make sure your pet gets the best available.
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