rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kehaar) (09/21/90)
sandra@pyrtech.pyramid.com (Sandra Macika) writes: > Lead is EXTREMELY bad for the bird. It completely shuts down it's > digestive system. Ah, my favorite topic, lead poisoning. In this context, it may be just an extraneous point, but I always like to say a few words on lead poisoning... What actually happens with lead poisoning is the lead in the gizzard is broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream. There, it oxidizes to Pb 2+ ions. These then attack the nervous system viciously, replacing the Na+ ions there and causing irreversible damage. Eventually, the lead attacks the brain, causing respitory paralysis and death. However, some lead-poisoned birds do die of starvation. If you've ever seen a film of a goose dying of lead poisoning, usually if it is in it's advanced stages the goose's neck and head will be bent back over it's back. Sometimes the wings will be arched, too. These symtoms are all caused by voluntary muscle paralysis. The really sad part is if you catch a bird in this stage, it's hopeless. The bird is doomed. There has been some reasearch done, on an off, to develop an antidote to lead poisoning, but due to the fact that most Pb-poisoned birds are caught when it's far too late, most of us are pursuing a better solution: elimiation of lead at it's source. We did it with lead-based paints... -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- R. Cody Buchmann ^.^ "Kehaar" "He tell *me* the plan...I *know* the email: rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu plan!" -Watership Down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------