The Importance Of Bathing For Canaries
Pet handlers often consider bathing dogs, cats and even large rodents as they spend a lot of time outside of their primary habitats. In turn, the importance of bathing for birds such as canaries is often underestimated, but even so, giving your bird the chance to get wet from time to time is essential.
As with mammalian fur, various harmful substances and pathogens can lodge in a bird’s feathers, even if it doesn’t leave its cage at all. If you want to know how to bathe your canary safely and effectively, read on.
Canaries need to bathe
Although it may not seem like it, the domestic canary ( Serinus canaria domestica) is a very clean species. An adult specimen will spend a considerable part of its time taking care of its feathers, ie, spreading the protective oils synthesized in the uropigial gland.
The activity of this gland on the animal’s immune system is essential, as it performs several functions. Among them, we find the following:
- The oils produced make the feathers waterproof.
- The secretions contain vitamin D precursors, which will be transformed into this vitamin when they come into contact with the sun – and will be ingested again when the animal cleans itself.
- The oils produced also have a certain antimicrobial activity.
Thus, canaries are far from being dirty. Unfortunately, a very dry home environment can dry out your winged pet’s skin. This can result in the appearance of epidermal desquamation, worsening of the feathers’ ability to isolate, and many other events that favor infections. Therefore, the bath is essential.
How to bathe your canary?
The answer to that question couldn’t be simpler. Just make available – preferably every day – a small bowl of water and the bird will do the rest of the work. In general, the bath interval should follow these guidelines, depending on the season:
- During winter, the canary must bathe at least twice a week.
- During the summer, because of the heat and the danger of dehydration, the animal must have the bowl available at least four times a week.
The ideal is to put the container for the bath in the morning, as this is the time of day when the animal instinctively looks for water sources to clean itself. If night bathing is promoted, the canary runs the risk of going to sleep with wet feathers. This act, in the long run, can be harmful to the bird.
It should also be noted that the body temperature of poultry is 40 °C to 42 °C. Therefore, the water provided must always be warm, to prevent the animal from suffering a thermal shock . As soon as he finishes his bath, it is necessary to pay attention that the bird’s cage is not positioned in places with drafts. That way you’ll prevent the canary from having a cold.
Finally, you need to remove the bowl from the cage as soon as you verify that the canary has soaked as much as necessary. In this way, it is possible to prevent the animal from consuming the water, which will become dirty after the animal is disinfected and defecated.
Types of water and considerations
Although it may not seem like it, there are different types of water that can be taken into consideration for an ideal bath for your canary. Let’s introduce the three most common:
- Warm tap water for an ordinary bath. This is the option that should be used most of the time.
- Canary bath salts. Canary bath salts are an excellent addition to tap water whenever you want to offer them. They promote the shine of the feathers and protect the animal from pathogens. If you have to choose a time to manage them, choose the moult period.
- Water with vinegar. You can add a little apple cider vinegar to your bath water as well from time to time, as it acts as an antiparasitic.
Finally, it should be noted that not all canaries like to bathe. If your bird definitely refuses, you can choose to spray or spray water over the cage a few times a week. This will not stress the animal too much, as it is a simulation of a small episode of natural rain.
As you can see in these lines, the importance of bathing for canaries should not be underestimated. Placing a small shallow bowl in the animal’s cage about four times a week will provide fun, well-being, hygiene and health.
