Last Updated on June 28, 2024 by Mitch Rezman

You certainly need no reminder we are in the midst of a long holiday starting on Thursday (2024) the day we celebrate by shooting dangerous explosive devices 200 feet into the air and through the weekend.

Much like the Weather Channel reminds you to put a blanket in your trunk every winter, we’re here to provide a refresher for Parrot Pyrotechnic Prophylactic Preparation (that one caused a brain cramp 🙂

Decades ago, I remember literally prying an absolutely fearless Malamute from under a king-size bed frame on the 4th of July.

It took two people to lift the bed while a third dragged the 105-pound dog out from under, in the midst of the fireworks.

If you check with your veterinarian you’ll find giving your dog an appropriate portion of Benadryl around sundown on the fourth will help calm down your dog just the way the stuff makes you and I drowsy.

My guess is dogs get over it pretty quickly.

With parrots, my concern is that sudden very loud noises, some doling out a sense of compression in the bird’s chest will cause stress which could trigger feather mutilation or other health issues.

 

What precautions can I take with my bird?

There are actions that should and can be taken.

I’ve read that you can desensitize your birds with YouTube videos.

Play some fireworks videos in front of your bird so they recognize what’s going on the night of the fourth.

I’m not saying that’s a bad idea. I’m just saying that I’ve always found Murphy’s Law to be highly optimistic.

Your bird’s cage situation is of prime concern.

A parrot in a seemingly large cage, flapping its wings uncontrollably after a fireworks burst, can cause injury to bone and/or cause broken blood feathers due to banging against toys, accessories, and the cage bars. A bird first aid kit should always be at hand as well.

 

Instructions on how to pull a blood feather.

A smaller travel or sleep cage is probably your best bet because it will restrict the bird’s movement and it’s also easier to cover with a thicker blanket that will muffle sounds.

The bird should be in a room with no windows, or windows should be covered as the flashing light bursts can be just as scary as flickering headlights while driving with your bird at night. 

Music, news radio, or television should be turned on in the background.

This will also help offset the noise from the fireworks.

Common sense would dictate that the room is cool enough with circulating air so all of this additional insulation over the cage is not overheating the bird.

 

Can I medicate my bird to help him or her through this?

Bird’s metabolisms are different from dogs which is why we recommend Nekton Relax which is an avian-specific formulation using L-Taurine – an amino acid. 

Its normal use is for

• Screamers
• Nervous or aggressive birds
• Behavior-related feather pickers and chewers.
• Traveling birds
• New environments like a bird cage change or human relocation

We recommend Nekton Relax for pre-medicating parrots on the Fourth of July holiday, as it’s ideally suited for birds.

What makes it so special is L-tryptophan which has been found to directly stimulate the production of alpha brain waves.

These brain waves are associated with an awake, yet relaxed, state in humans (and animals).

And this is why birds who are on Nekton Relax are not in a druggie, foggy stupor and are calmer and less stressed.

This state can lead to less biting, less plucking, and less overall aggressive behavior. 

Have something to say or want to give us some feedback?

Please leave a comment below or reach out here.

Written by Mitch Rezman
Approved by Catherine Tobsing

Thank you so much for your article about the fireworks on the 4th of July.

We have fireworks (illegal) that go off in very close proximity to our house, that shake our house, and you can hear the debris raining down on our roof.

We had no idea the year we moved here that that would happen.

I do cover my Amazon’s cage with an extra blanket on the window side of her cage (the front has a navy blue sheet so she has airflow).  

Her toys are pushed to the sides of her cage when I put her to bed those nights.

I appreciate your recommendation for the calming med she can take.

She’s a strong girl who’s been through a LOT before we rescued her (5 homes in 8 years, neglected).

She’s 21 this October and is a beauty! 

Thank you so much for this article.

We have fireworks that go off in very close proximity to our house, that shake our house, and you can hear the debris raining down on our roof.

We had no idea the year we moved here that that would happen. I do cover my Amazon’s cage with an extra blanket on the window side of her cage (the front has a navy blue sheet so she has airflow).

Her toys are pushed to the sides of her cage when I put her to bed those nights.

I appreciate your recommendation for the calming med she can take. She’s a strong girl who’s been through a LOT before we rescued her (5 homes in 8 years, neglected). She’s 21 this October and is a beauty! 

I’m attaching a photo of her self-made swimsuit top – gotta love it!  Thanks again!

Karen G.