Where I live, living in a dry climate, in a high altitude brings a unique set of challenges
for humans. We complain of dry skin, dry noses, and headaches from airborne dust pollutants,
just to name a few. According to recent EPA statistics, studies of human exposure to air pollutants
indicate that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be two to five times, and occasionally, more
than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. It's estimated that most people spend as much as 90
percent of their time indoors - making home, schools and the workplace potentially hazardous to
one's health. Heath risks probably are higher for infants, the elderly and persons with chronic
diseases (from On the House, APNewsFeatures, onthehouse.com). For many people, especially those
with immune suppressed systems, exposure to animal dander, including parrot dander and aerosolized
fecal material, may potentially be a source of health problems, for animal and human! Without a
means to voice these same concerns, our pet birds are also physically challenged, as they are not
designed to live in our human environments, and especially are not "designed" for extremely low
humidity or for air compromised by environmental pollution from many household toxins. Consider too
that a bird is designed to be aerodynamic - and in addition to lungs, it has air sacs to maximize
oxygenation along with an incredibly efficient and fast metabolism. So if air isn't good for us to
breathe - it is even worse for our parrots! Ideally proper ventilation, mixing indoor air with
outdoor air, can revitalize the air in our homes and protect our health along with that of our
animals. But due to climate considerations, this is not always possible, and may do nothing to
improve the humidity content of the air in our homes.
As the founder and president of The Gabriel Foundation®, a parrot welfare organization with an
operating aviary that may house from 150 to 250 parrots at one time. I also share my home with
several dozen parrots and other non-human animals. Working with one "family" of animals for several
decades, both personally and professionally, I have had an opportunity to observe the impact of life
in our homes on hundreds of parrots. I have personally experienced the effects of too little
humidity in the air that I breathe, the need to keep the air in my home humidified, clean and free of
harmful particulates and dust, both impacted by physical location and a home with many companion
animals - some with special needs. I have used traditional humidifying methods in the past, and
worried about the potential for bacterial build-up in the water retaining chambers, the filters and
pads. I have also utilized regular and Hepa air filtration machines to keep the dust pollution
inside my home minimized, grumbling about the need for and cost of necessary replacement filters.
Many of the birds that come to the Foundation suffer from an array of captivity related problems,
especially upper respiratory, skin and feather disorders. Many of these problems have physical
origin due to the lack of ambient humidity in most home environments. Considering that more that
40 million parrots live in homes throughout the US, in a variety of climates and environments, the
majority of those parrots are affected too. Heating, air-conditioning, household and environmental
pollution are each potential contributing factors to a human's well-being; what about a non-human
animal such as a parrot that has significant health needs for clean air and adequate humidity for
its intrinsic well-being and possible immune support?
It finally occurred to me that the Venta Air washer is a perfect blend of air purification and
moisture critical to my needs and those of companion parrots - in homes, in retail stores, in indoor
avicultural situations, in zoos, in welfare organizations and in veterinary clinics. Venta Air was
encouraging and supportive, and a new relationship was born. We were approved for distributorship of
this product. We were provided with one unit that was placed in a small room housing several parrots
with severely compromised feather and skin quality. The changes and improvements for these birds
marked a substantial improvement in their skin with the increased ambient moisture. They were less
"itchy" and the skin less friable. Due to considerable feather follicle damage, new feather growth
was impossible for these two. But others have experienced some new feather growth that is excellent!
One of the unexpected benefits of the Venta Air washer is that it is so quiet while operating,
so that virtually no stress is created for the parrots when the product is used.
Using the Venta Air washer for the last couple of months has brought about some extremely positive
changes and we hope that you and your flock will reap the benefits of this excellent and significant
product. - Julie Weiss Murad
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