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Subject:[pionus] More info on Febreeze

Date:Sun, Dec 5, 1999, 1:13pm

From: Dbenne8@aol.com

Straight from a certified Avian Vet... Good reading.,

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the potential hazards of Febreeze to birds. The manufacturer has made some modifications in their formulation in response to the controversy, but when I questioned the Proctor and Gamble consumer representative, they would not tell me what kind of testing had actually been done and refused to let me speak to a technical expert. The representative did say it was the FRAGRANCE, not the zinc that causes toxicity in birds. I was told that the label has been changed to warn about use in birds, but the bottles I found on the shelf as recently as this week still do not reflect this change.

I spoke at length with a Dr. Hansen from the ASPCA who told me that there may be a problem with birds and they are still collecting data---which mean that owners who have birds that die should send them the body (don't freeze it) so Dr. Branson Ritchie at the University of Georgia can do a necropsy.   He did say there has been NO testing in birds to date. Thus, it is imperative that bird owners who have had birds die IMMEDIATELY call the ASPCA to find out what to do with the body. If it is too late to do this, at least report their experiences to the ASPCA with as much detail as possible so there is a body of information on which to warrant further study if necessary. Please spread the word to other animal owners and people involved in the pet industry---veterinarians, pet shops, breeders, etc. It is important that as much information as possible is gathered so any potential danger to birds is adequately addressed as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Sue Chan, DVM, MPVM

( PASS IT ON )