|
The Zinc Boogie Man. Update 6/22/02 This Article, the Zinc Boogie man, was written in Jan, 2002. It was not intended to offend anyone who has a parrot who has suffered with Zinc problems, however, it is intended to educate and inform those of you with an open mind regarding this issue. I have been told that I am not a Vet, therefore I have no right to express my opinion. However, I take a different approach. Your Vet isn't a toy, play gym manufacturer, who is familiar with hardware. I consider it a better approach to allow your vet to do what he or she does, treat the physical problems your parrot has, and allow someone intimately familiar with the HARDWARE end of this issue to express that end of the issue. Perhaps between the both of us, we can clarify the issue. I did a search using ZINC TOXICITY IN PARROTS and came up with the following links. http://www.funnyfarmexotics.com/IAS/Zn.htm This article was written by a Veterinarian, and there's some good info here. However, this person isn't familiar with hardware, and talks about GALVANIZED hardware, water dishes, quik links, etc. That's the problem. The parrot industry doesn't use Galvanized, we use electroplated. Here's the difference. Galvanized is like dipping an ice cream cone in chocolate and creating a shell. The Zinc can be bitten off, and pieces of zinc can be ingested. Ingesting zinc is the problem. Take a penny out of your pocket. If it was made after 1989, it's made of Zinc with a copper coating. Use your finger nail and try to scrape off the copper coating. Can't do it? That's call Electroplating. Electroplated hardware is exactly the same. In order for your bird to get sick from Zinc, they have to ingest zinc. So, the whole premise of this article is wrong because this Veterinarian doesn't know or differentiate between Galvanized and Electroplated. http://www.synnovation.com/zinctesting.html This article is basically garbage. He's completely unfamiliar with the issue, and goes to great lengths discussing testing, and OH MY GOD, what to do if you find ZINC. This is the kind of uninformed opinions that are a problem on the internet. Now to this issue. Here's your assignment. Visit the two articles above. If you feel you are well versed in this issue, see if you can figure out the flaw resulting in an incorrect conclusion. If you are interested in learning about this issue, or want to look for my opinions regarding the flaw in both of these articles, I have provided that information at the bottom of this page. It's Back! This article was written in June, 02 to address the latest scare regarding this issue Last weekend, my wife and I were talking and I made an off handed comment that the ZINC ISSUE had been awfully quite. I should have kept my mouth shut. Well, it's back, and this time it's nasty and personal. Yesterday, I got an e-mail from a lady, and basically, she wanted to know why I didn't use stainless. I've read your articles and I respect you for
being honest about what your I believe that
you make an excellent product but I think your attitude There is obviously a zinc problem in birds and
there is an Let me start by saying that I apologize to anyone offended by my THE ZINC BOOGIEMAN page. In no way do I want to minimize those of you who have parrots with Zinc Poisoning. However, this issue IS greatly misunderstood, and there is an Hysteria being fueled by, in most cases, misinformed people. Examine the issue from both sides. If you feel that there is a real danger if your bird is exposed to anything with Zinc, at least that decision is an informed one. Those of you who feel that PEOPLE LIKE ME SHOULD BE SILENCED, I feel sorry for you. I am presenting an alternative, researched point of view. I was under the impression that this was allowed in the United States of America, that's this was the foundation of our country. This is the crux of this issue. I'm not saying Zinc Poisoning isn't a problem or a Hoax. Zinc, as well as many other metals, can and are a problem if ingested by your bird. However, Zinc Poisoning is manifested by your bird ingesting quantities of Zinc. What I am saying is that your bird cannot get enough Zinc to cause poisoning from Plated Hardware. Over the last 10 years, I have researched this issue thoroughly. However, let me state this clearly and concisely. I have spent the last 25+ years of my life dealing with, loving and enjoying parrots. Wives have come and gone, hobbies have changed, and my life has evolved. However, there has been one constant, my love for parrots. They are imbedded in my heart, and always will be. 10 years ago, I found myself in a position to make my obsession with parrots my life's work. I find myself fortunate to make a living doing what I love. The Play Gyms I manufacture are unique and different and my own creation. I was frustrated by the lack of a quality Play Gym THAT MY PARROTS LIKED and decided to invent a better mouse trap, so to speak. 10 years later, here I am. IF ANY OF YOU THINK I WOULD JEOPARDIZE YOUR BIRD IN ANY WAY, YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN. I love your bird as much as you do. Now to this issue. There seems to be animosity regarding my page called THE ZINC BOOGIEMAN. As with many other things in our modern world, people read things, and misinterpret what they read. You must divide the Zinc issue into two categories: Zinc Poisoning and Zinc Toxicity. Zinc Poisoning: This is the most serious form of Zinc Exposure. Zinc Poisoning usually manifests itself in hours or days, and can be fatal. Many times, if a Necropsy is done, chunks of metal are found. Zinc Toxicity. Zinc Toxicity usually has no symptoms and is determined by testing. The lady who wrote me the E-mail above kept talking about Zinc Poisoning. She didn't understand there is a difference. Now, where does a bird gain exposure to Zinc. The last time this issue came up, I spoke with a lady who had a Blue and Gold Macaw who was being treated for Zinc Poisoning. I asked her where her bird had become exposed and she didn't know. However, it seems that she allowed her bird free run of her house, and somewhere, he had found something interesting to chew on and likely, had done so. Her Vet told her to remove EVERYTHING electroplated
from his cage. That was his solution.
He never asked her where the bird might have become exposed.
Zinc products are divided into two categories. Hot Dip Galvanized and Electroplated. Hot Dip Galvanized. Remember the last time you bought an ice cream cone and they dipped it in the chocolate to form a chocolate shell. That's what they do to hot dip galvanize. The items to be treated are dipped on molten Zinc. There are chunks of Zinc, and if your bird is exposed to this, and ingests the chunks, can cause Zinc Poisoning. I do not, and have never used anything Galvanized. I agree that this amount of Zinc can be hazardous to your parrot. Electroplated. An electrical charge is applied to the metal, and a MINUTE layer of Zinc is applied to the metal to prevent rusting. Now, this layer of Zinc is measured in the thousands, and isn't loose. I have used a knife and been unable to remove any metal. Your bird being exposed this this amount if Zinc isn't going to cause poisoning. As for Zinc Toxicity, this can come from many OTHER sources. Ever look at the label of a cereal box. Zinc is a building block of life, and in much of the food we eat. Every morning, I take vitamins, each of which has 15 milligrams of Zinc. Here's the bottom line. Your bird will not be Zinc Poisoned by exposure to Electroplated hardware. Poisoning requires exposure to quantities of Zinc which are ingested. This lady, as well as others, have asked me why I just don't use all stainless, TO BE SAFE. Here's the reason why I don't JUMP ON THE STAINLESS BANDWAGON. Take a look at your parrots cage. Are the quick links stainless? If not, remove them. Are the chains our birds love so much stainless? If not, remove them. Are the chew toys mounted with stainless washers? If not remove them. Is the swing stainless? If not, remove it. Are the perches mounted with stainless washers? In not, remove them. Is the cage stainless? If not, remove it. Considering that about 98% of all parrot toys, perches, etc etc etc, are NOT made with stainless hardware, you have to ask yourself this question. Are all of these manufacturers irresponsible, insensitive, Cruel and Foolish, or is it possible, that they, Like ME, have researched this issue and found it to be totally misunderstood and misstated. People still don't understand my reason for not jumping on the stainless bandwagon. It is a much bigger issue, so here's another analogy. There are hundreds of types of Plastic. Recently, I picked up some dry cleaning. In big, black letters, it was stated that this bag was a choking hazard to your child. Would it be logical to remove ALL plastics from your Childs life because one form of plastic is potentially harmful. Suppose uninformed people began insisting that plastics were harmful to your children, and must be removed. These people were running around stating that my child died from Plastic. If you decided to simple remove all plastic, to be safe, The loser would be your child. The next time you visit Toys R Us, and you eliminated everything with any kind of Plastic, your child would have a very boring life. The stainless issue is exactly the same for your bird. I have never seen a commercially manufactured toy, etc, that used Galvanized hardware. However, once you only buy Stainless, there is very little available.
Now to your Vet. If you are lucky enough to have an Avian Vet, Hopefully, they are versed and understand this issue. The last time this issue came up, (Jan Feb 02 I think) a friend of mine, who lives in Atlanta, called a couple of Avian Vets in the Atlanta area, and asked about Zinc. Both of these Vets were familiar with the issue and told her exposure to electroplated items wasn't a problem, exposure to Galvanized was. However, I recently had one of my Clients tell me that her Avian Vet told her that EXPOSURE TO ZINC IN ANY FORM WAS LIFE THREATENING. Understand this. Your Vet gets much of his or her information from professional journals. These journals are written by other Vets. How knowledgeable they are about this issue is open to speculation. However, many don't have parrots, and it's easy for them to tell you it's better TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. After all, you have to deal with your unhappy, bored parrot, not them. And that's my issue here. Our birds are bored to death. They are being fed pellets, BORING BORING BORING, and locked in their cages for hours at a time. If they get a few minutes of attention from you, they are lucky. We have our own, hectic lives and do our best. We wish we could do more, and feel guilty because we can't. Remove everything not stainless from their cages and what's left. The next time you visit your local bird or pet store, you won't see much stainless to choose from. Nothing in our lives is 100% safe. The next time you watch one of those Prescription commercials on TV, listen to the possible side effects at the end. Should we remove all prescription, and non prescription medication, from the market that isn't 100% safe. There wouldn't be anything left. Penicillin, the most important medication we have, is dangerous to 3% of human beings. Should the other 97% of us not be allowed to use it, or should we treat the 3% who are allergic with different medication. If your bird has an elevated Zinc level, or has suffered from Zinc Poisoning, by all means, remove zinc from his environment. As with any medication, if you have an intolerance, use something else. However, if, as the lady in the E-mail above stated, her bird had suffered no Ill effects from exposure to Zinc, where does it end. Nothing, and I mean nothing in life is 100% safe. There are tradeoffs we make every day. What has happened as a result of this issue I find chilling. The last time this issue came up, several months ago, one of my clients forwarded my Zinc Page to the moderator of one of the Eclectus chat rooms. I was thanked for my info and opinion, and was actually added to the Preferred List of dealers as someone to do business with. An alternate point of view was welcomed and as with anything else, people were allowed to make up their own minds. This time, it is completely different. Me personally, and my business has been attacked viciously. I have received several e-mails from my clients who are shocked and appalled by the level and scope of these attacks. Interesting enough though, NONE of the people doing the talking have my gyms. To make matters worse, my site has been REMOVED from one preferred list. Now, I have no problem with that, quite frankly, if I have to Toe the Company Line to be on this preferred list, you don't need to remove me, I would insist I be removed myself. Here's the problem I see though. If you a subscriber to this list, good luck. You can be assured you will only hear the current, politically correct views expressed. Be careful if you disagree. They have made it clear that they won't tolerate an apposing view. This is scary to me. If you are on the preferred list, BE CAREFUL.
Monitor what is being said on the chat rooms and make sure you COMPLY. If
someone comments that, YOU KNOW, I HEARD THAT RED DYE 46 CONTAINS PLUTONIUM, AND
IS DANGEROUS FOR OUR BIRDS, remove ANYTHING RED from your product line.
Then, Plaster the fact that you don't use anything red in your products all over
your site. Take out banner ads to promote this fact and keep your eye out
for the next PROBLEM. After all, Better SAFE THAN SORRY, right.
DON'T try to defend yourself, and explain that you DON'T use red dye 46. (IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT. I'm making up the RED DYE 46 THING. I don't
know there is such a thing as RED DYE 46, and if there is it certainly doesn't
contain Plutonium. I can just see several weeks from now a wildfire of
controversy about RED DYE). Where is this stuff coming from? Good question. Competition, maybe. Disgruntled people who can't afford my gyms, Maybe. Do-gooders who need an issue to make their lives interesting, maybe. Who knows. Gone are the days of free expression and apposing views. Once again, our parrots lose. The next time you complain that there are no good, new exciting parrots products, think of me and people like me. So, if you are petrified about the Zinc issue, and
the people misstating this issue have gotten to you, what should you do.
Here's my answer, BUY ONE OF MY GYMS. That's right. My gyms are
designed to give your bird a favorite place. They are designed to prevent
your bird from wandering around your house and keeping him occupied and busy.
Because guess what, if the Zinc issue is Wayne My original article, The Zinc Boogie Man. Zinc is being blamed for virtually every parrot malady there is. I call it the ZINC BOOGIE MAN. This is a letter I received from a perspective client and I thought it might be worth posting so people become educated regarding this issue. I find the amount of ignorance and misinformation being spread around disturbing and frustrating. Hope this helps. Wayne, Good morning. The second type is zinc plated. Zinc
Plating uses an
This is a close-up of the head of the Galvanized Lag. Look at how much Zinc is coating the manufacturers letters
Look at the difference in the head of the Plated lag. The coating is microscopic and clearly shows the manufacturers letters.
I hope these pics clearly show you the difference between Galvanized and Zinc Plated. A persistent parrot, aggressively gnawing on a Galvanized bolt or other item MIGHT over time have a problem. With Plated, there is nothing to flake off. One more thing. Birds don't have saliva glands. Unless they can remove chunks of Zinc, how are they going to ingest this. That being said, I use a combination of stainless
and zinc plated hardware. Now, for my
opinion. A couple of years ago, I discussed this Zinc issue with a
world renowned Avian Vet. He told me that Zinc was a severe problem for
parrots and that he was treating roughly one case of Zinc toxicity a week.
Understand this. These cases weren't parrots coming in who were sick or
dying from zinc. These were parrots who were plucking or exhibiting other
destructive behavior. The elevated zinc levels were a POSSIBLE cause,
among hundreds. Now, I also know that this vet tested virtually all of his
patients for EVERYTHING. The cost of the average initial visit was between
$300.00 and $500.00 dollars. My next question to him was the number
of parrots he treated weekly. His answer was about 300. MY next
question to him was this. If 1 in 300 parrots has an elevated zinc level,
is it prudent to remove all the products containing zinc from the other 299
parrots. Let me give you a comparison here. Approx. 3 out of every
100 human beings have adverse reactions to Penicillin. Do we remove
penicillin from the market because 3% are allergic? No, we use something
else for those people. Zinc is mentioned as potentially one of
hundreds of causes of plucking for example. In my opinion, most plucking
is environmental, parrots locked in cages, lack of attention, boring diet,
Manzanita or other unsuitable perches, and on and on. Please understand
this, zinc poisoning is fatal usually with a day or two. Should your
parrot get a hold a raw zinc, a penny for example is approximately 96% Zinc,
DON'T GIVE YOUR PARROTS PENNIES, and bite off and ingest a substantial
quantity, the effects are almost immediate. This has nothing to do with
zinc plated hardware. The quantity of zinc here is minute.
I would also like to say that since 1992, I've built well over 6000 of these Play Gyms. All were done using Zinc Plated hardware and if anything, the parrots lucky enough to enjoy my gyms are happier and healthier because of them. I have received numerous letters and calls about plucking parrots growing back their feathers because they were happier and had a better life. That's the product I offer. If there were any documented proof that minute exposure to zinc was toxic, I would change my construction hardware immediately. Currently, all I have heard are half truths and hype. From a personal note. I have spent the last decade of my life trying to change and improve the lives of these incredible birds I love so much. If you think that I would then jeopardize those same birds by producing an unsafe product, then you don't understand my commitment and dedication. In fact, those of you who have spoken with me know that my business is a one man operation. Considering that at one time, I had over 100 dealers in the southern half of Florida alone, there is only one reason that I can't open a small manufacturing plant and mass produce these gyms and sell them all over the country. That one reason is Bottlebrush. It is only available on a limited basis. So what makes my product the best thing bar none for parrots, limits my business to ME. If I didn't care about YOUR parrots, I could order Manzanita by the truckload, open a factory and retire in five years a wealthy man. Bottlebrush is the ONLY thing I will ever use and those of you who have used it agree with me. I accept this as a limitation in my business because Bottlebrush is worth it. The bigger issue in my mind is this. For whatever reason, the people who are pushing this issue are sending us all down a very slippery slope. Right now it's Zinc. I had a lady ask me, WELL, ISN'T IT BETTER TO BE SAFE. Maybe. However, what's next? A couple of years ago, the Powdercoated cage issue was rampant. This stuff is dangerous, causes health problems, etc, etc. When this comes up again, and it will, are you going to run down and spend thousands of dollars buying your parrot a stainless steel cage TO BE SAFE. The last time this issue was rampant, I had an acquaintance take a second mortgage, throw away three Powdercoated cages and spend $15,000.00 on three stainless steel cages. Are their parrots better off, NO. Safer, NO. This was also a non issue pushed by someone with an ulterior motive. Gee, I wonder who benefited from this scare. Ask yourself who benefits from the current Zinc scare. Definitely not your parrots. We owe it to our parrots to stand back, take a deep breath and use some common sense. Lets face it, you wouldn't want your doctor or Vet changing your medical treatments every time they hear a different rumor or opinion. We expect our professionals to research the issue, and do what is best for us. The same thing applies here. Since I have researched this issue thoroughly, and built over 6000+ play gyms, AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM, PERIOD, I consider this a non-issue. However, having never been accused of being politically correct, I will go a step further. If you do a search for stainless steel parrot toys, you will only find a few manufacturers. I estimate that about 98% of all parrot supply manufacturers don't use stainless. Most of these business are parrot lovers like myself looking to improve the lives of their own birds and others. Do you think most of these people don't care about your birds and are strictly out to save pennies, or do you think as I do that most have researched the issue as I have and found the issue bogus. And as for the few companies that do use stainless, I consider it a selling tool and nothing else. So where is this misinformation coming from? In most cases, This hysteria is coming from parrot lovers who just don't know the facts and are reacting to half truths and rumors. That's the purpose of this page. If these parrot lovers will read this page and consider the information provided they will agree with me. The second source of this hysteria is a little more sinister. There are a few companies who are using this issue as a selling tool and feeding this hysteria. I find it unfortunate and perhaps these companies would be better served to develop new and innovative products for our parrots. Once again, STAINLESS STEEL plastered all over a site is intended to sell to YOU, most parrots can't read and if they could, wouldn't care about this issue. When everything Zinc plated is removed from our parrots lives, that means no chains, bells, toys and tons of other stuff parrots need to make their lives tolerable, there isn't much left. The next time you go to your local bird or pet store, ask them which toys are stainless. Unless you have a great store, there will be virtually nothing available, and what is available is very expensive. Approximately 98% of all the parrot supplies manufactured today use Zinc plated hardware. If you fall for THE ZINC BOOGIE MAN, You are going to have a very bored parrot. Parrots didn't ask to be locked up in cages, we do that for our convenience. I consider the parrot industry to be in a very sad state and I'm doing my part to improve it. Hope you understand. So what's the bottom line here. You are now more educated about this issue than 99% of the people talking about this issue. This isn't about money with me. I honestly feel this is a bogus issue, period. You are not in the Play Gym business, you are looking for someone to build you the RIGHT gym for your situation and bird. That's what I do. I am fanatical about Quality, safety and will use my experience to do what is right for you. That's what you want and expect me to do, isn't it. So what will I be doing with my birds? I will continue giving my birds lots of chains, quik links and other zinc plated toys. This is a totally BOGUS issue, I practice what I preach, and I'm not going to succumb to THE ZINC BOOGIE MAN. Wayne
What's wrong with these articles. This is the bottom line with this issue. Taking the information in both of those articles at face value, I would agree with their conclusions, Stainless is the way to go. However, here's the Flaw. They are both talking about Galvanized hardware, not electroplated. Neither article even mentions electroplated. The first article even stated that Zinc has a dull finish. That is Galvanized. Electroplated is shiny. 9 of the last 10 years, I have sold my Play Gyms and toys strictly wholesale to Bird and Pet stores. In many cases, while waiting for the owner to pick out their order, I would browse the store looking at toys, etc. NOT ONCE, IN 9 YEARS, DID I EVER SEE ANY TOYS, CHAINS, QUICK LINKS, ETC. ETC. THAT WERE GALVANIZED, NEVER ONCE. To talk about Galvanized as being what your bird has on the toys, chains, etc. makes the premise of these articles wrong, therefore making the conclusions wrong. If the only choice were Galvanized or Stainless, I would agree that Stainless is the way to go. Galvanized has chunks and pieces of Zinc that could be ingested. Electroplated does not. If you read the article about, I clearly show Pictures of the difference. So what happens with these articles. Your Vet, perhaps not being familiar with the issue, does an internet search and finds these two articles. Not being a hardware person, they read the articles and conclude that stainless is the way to go. Someone needs to correct these articles, and I guess that's me. Once again, this is a bigger issue than just the Zinc thing. Once you buy into the ANY ZINC IS BAD mindset, your bird is in trouble. The selection, price and availability of stainless items to make his or her life tolerable is limited at best. And, as is common in most cases, your parrot once again is the loser. You are now in a position of being educated regarding this issue. For some of you, you perhaps read what is here, but don't want to be confused with the facts. However, for most of you, I hope you will take this info, and use your best judgment. From a personal note, I want to thank all of you who e-mailed me support for having the guts to stand up for what I believe. Some even order my gyms because they read the info, and understand where I'm coming from. It's people like you, and your lucky birds, that are the reason I'm in business. Thanks. Wayne
|
