▲Birdy最愛吃花生，但媽媽沒想到最愛的零食隱藏致命危機。（圖／翻攝自Instagram／birdy.african.grey.parrot）
寵物小組／綜合報導
還記得真實版垃圾鴿「灰鸚Birdy」嗎？遺憾再也看不到牠奔放的「甩頭舞」了，Birdy6日因麴菌症病逝，1月時發現去看醫生，但已經太晚了，即使吃藥控制，Birdy撐了11個月仍繼續惡化。對於失去Birdy媽媽非常傷心，雖然麴菌症可能是環境引起，但也可能是吃到不新鮮的花生造成的。
23歲的Birdy從小聽到音樂就會興致勃勃地跳起「甩頭舞」，全世界許多人都看過牠隨著媽媽「Go Birdy!」的節奏，奔放甩頭的模樣讓大家好奇「怎麼都不會暈？」，而且這個樣子和超紅網路貼圖「垃圾鴿」簡直一模一樣。然而Birdy的粉絲專頁和Instagram當地時間6日貼出「安息吧Birdy，我們會想你」的照片，Birdy已經飛上天堂跳牠自豪的「頭部大車輪」了。
Birdy今年1月診斷出麴菌症，麴菌可能來自所有有殼的堅果、家中盆栽的土壤或是任何潮濕的環境，鸚鵡一旦感染會有呼吸困難、加速呼吸、聲音改變、糞便異常、消瘦、食慾不振等，而Birdy很愛吃花生，媽媽懷疑是自己給Birdy吃了不新鮮的花生，因此非常自責，「我不知道花生對鸚鵡來說很危險，雖然了解病因和環境也可能有關，但想到可能是因為我給牠吃了不新鮮的花生，就對自己好生氣。」
11個月來，Birdy每天吃3、4種藥2次，還得使用噴霧劑1到2次，媽媽把整袋花生、葵花子都丟了，整個飲食也做了調整，初期看來有成效，Birdy能開心吃飯、跳舞，但麴菌症最近已經無法用藥物控制，最終奪去了Birdy的生命。
媽媽表示，推廣不要給鸚鵡吃花生以來，有很多人爭辯「可是我的灰鸚愛吃」、「我都買人類等級的給牠吃」，事實上麴菌會出現在任何堅果類的外殼，和等級一點關係也沒有，因為無法得知花生在買回來之前究竟是怎麼被保存的。媽媽希望用Birdy的案例讓大家知道，別讓自家的鳥兒和Biry受一樣的苦。
▼Birdy當天使了，大家會永遠記的牠帶來的歡笑和快樂。
Birdy has not had his procedure yet. I took video of him before we left for the vet. THIS IS ASPERGILLOSIS! Symptoms range from respiratory distress, gasping, accelerated breathing, voice changes, abnormal droppings, emaciation, regurgitation, poor appetite, diarrhea, anorexia, gout, increased thirst, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, just to name a few. I’m so angry because although it can come from environmental factors, Birdy ate a contaminated peanut. I had no idea PEANUTS ARE DANGEROUS FOR PARROTS. In general they are unhealthy because they have little nutritional value but mainly because the shells can carry aspergillis which is a deadly mold especially for parrots. Even unshelled loose peanuts can carry the mold if they have been in contact with a moldy shell. I found out about peanuts through my vet when it was too late. What’s more frustrating although Avian vets agree #nopeanutsforparrots parrot food manufacturers continue to add peanuts both shelled and unshelled to their food. After all it’s what the people want and they want to make some money. Infuriating! Birdy has been struggling since January. We completely changed his diet. No peanuts which were his favorite or sunflower seeds. We threw away the entire bag of food we had because anything in contact with the moldy shell or peanut can carry the mold. He takes 3-4 medicines twice a day by syringe and a nebulizer treatment 1-2 times a day. We did all the right things but this mold is so aggressive it stopped responding to meds which is why we need the endoscopy. Please google #aspergillosis in parrots and read about it. There are also environmental factors like poor ventilation, poor sanitation, dusty conditions, and close confinement can increase the chance the microscopic spores will be inhaled. Please continue to share Birdy’s story. This video is so hard for me to watch but I thought maybe it will help convince those of you who have argued with me “but my Grey loves peanuts! I’ll give him human grade peanuts”. ANY peanut can carry the mold. You have no idea how the peanut was stored before it ended up in your home. Don’t take the chance or your bird will inevitably suffer like my little man.
Birdy the Dancing Parrot（@birdy.african.grey.parrot）分享的貼文 於 張貼
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