My cockatoo and hcv

[missy60051]

Now knowing that you're a mama to parrots, I have a concern.
Now you know they have sharp claws and when holding them it's inevitable they will scratch and draw blood on occasion.
Could he get hcv and or transfer my virus to other family members.  I've told everyone in the house not to pick up because of the possibilities.

[missy60051]

thank you for the information.
Now I won't worry, as much.
yes he's a big boy!
Thank you
Missy

[wyntre9]

sounds like he's a "Greater" Sulphur Crested.

I know how big those birds are - they're probably three times the size of my Amazon (who'se about as big as a large pigeon).

Cockatoos and McCaws are more the size of a great horned owl.

I think as long as you keep the nails nice and trimmed, and you may have to do it once a month, you should be fine, especially with regards to other uninfected people in your environment.

I know how hard it is to cut the nails yourself.  You have to be careful you don't clip so far down you knick the vein.

And I feel confident in saying that the chances of transmission that way must be astronomically small, if they exist at all.  If you're the one infected, you'd have to have an open wound on your skin when you handle Poppin, he'd have to touch the blood with his feet, then, before the blood dried, he'd have to come in contact with an open would on your daughter's skin.

I can't imagine you'd let Poppin rip your skin to shreds with his sharpened claws.  it would hurt too much and he'd have to really be digging into your flesh.

Biting would seem to be a more direct route, for instance, if he took a bite out of you, drew blood, and then, with the blood still on his beak, immediately bit your daughter and broke the skin.

My point is, the chances of all those things happening quickly just don't seem probable.  If he bit you, you'd probably immediately put him back in his cage where he couldn't get at anyone else and by the time you let him out again the blood would be dried and the transmission route would have been blocked.

I'd just make sure his nails are clipped, whether I was infected or NOT!  :)

In the ten plus years I've had parrots, I've never been scratched to the point blood was drawn.  Yes, there have been skin scrapes, shallow scratches that didn't penetrate the skin to the blood.  And I've been bitten a couple of times.  But whenever I was bitten, say on my finger, and had to treat it, the bird went back in the cage, I went to the faucet, cleaned the wound, poured alcohol on it, bandaged it up.  And the bite would be so quick, I mean, it's not like any of the parrots just bit down and then hung on for dear life while i tried to shake them free, that the birds probably didn't end up with blood on their beaks at all.


wyntre

[missy60051]

I have to be honest he hasn't had his nails cut since December.  He hates it.
Bad mom.
I usually do it myself.  Also when he gets his nails cut they still are sharp.
There's a place in town I'll give them a call to see if they'll do this for me.
Maybe I just don't cut them far enough.  I would hate to hurt him.

My worry though is what's to say he drew blood from me.  He likes to show off and this has happened often.  my oldest daughter is the only other person he'll let hold him.  then the same day or the next he gets his claws into her with my blood.

Not everyone realizes how big and frisky these birds are, so in that case it would be transfered human to human through the birds claws?

I really hope that hcv can't go to dogs or cats.  I did read a posting once that it can't.  He's had his way with the dogs too as they pass his cage.  He likes to play fight , but he gets carried away sometimes then thats it time to get back in the cage.

oh yes my poppins is a sulfer crested,but you know what I just had a complete brain fog.  For some reason I want to say king something or another. I'll have to get back to you on that and find my paperwork.

he's got the full crown with a little yellow in wing area.  He's a big nut.
Tonight he purposely was annoying my younger daughter because he knows she gets mad trying to watch tv. the screaming and the growling and the laughing.  Of course she's telling him to shut up.  He knows I'll protect him. He gets a kick out of it.there he goes mom! mom! Don't you talk to my poppins that way and he starts laughing saying that's right!
he's very mischievous.

This is just something I've wondered about and never got around into asking.
Thanks
Missy

[wyntre9]

I agree with L-Horn.

The odds against that ever happening have to be incalculable.

If you get the birds nails clipped regularly it will help with the scratches.

I have that problem with Venus (the Amazon)as she's always sitting on my shoulder or my arm and she deliberately sharpens her nails!  

She does let me clip them, but it takes so long I find it easier to bring her to a local bird store every 3 months.

What kind of Cockatoo?  An umbrella?  A sulphur-crested?  

(PS - birds are far more susceptible to being infected by a human disease than vice versa!)

[l-horn]

The cuckatoo in question does not have HCV. It is commonly said don't share razors or toothbrushes if you have HCV. Is HCV spread razor to human ? Does the razor have HCV. No, it doesn't. It is spread human to human via the razor or toothbrush, and in this case, a bird. But, like I said the odds are no doubt astronomical.

[l-horn]

Probably remotely possible if he scratched you, drew blood, then flew over and scratched a family member.

The odds have to be astronomical though.