Bunnies, ducklings, and chicks are not Easter toys - MyFoxTallahassee.com

By Diane Griffith, Staff Writer
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Chicks, baby ducks, and bunnies may be cute and cuddly, but they don't make good Easter gifts. Like all animals, they require special care and handling. Ducks and chicks can carry bacteria that can make your child sick. Some states even prohibit pet shops from selling chicks at Easter.

Chicks and ducks can carry salmonella and other illnesses, and children shouldn't kiss or hold a sick bird or bunny. Children are more likely than adults to get salmonella because they don't always wash their hands after handling an animal and are more likely to put their fingers in their mouth. They are also at higher risk because their immune systems aren't fully developed.

Salmonella can be transmitted from animals to humans and then passed on to others. Also at increased risk from handling these birds are people with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Why you shouldn't give live animals as Easter gifts
Because of the demand for chicks and ducklings each Easter, large numbers of them are shipped together. Shipping so many animals at one time makes them more prone to disease.

The birds may not appear dirty, but infected stool can be present on their feathers and beaks. When children touch these pets and put their fingers in their mouth, they can become infected.

Symptoms of salmonella
From 1 to 3 days after playing with an infected pet, a child may have a fever, diarrhea, or stomach pain. Nausea, chills, and headaches are also possible. These symptoms usually last about a week. Children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems usually have the worst symptoms. Sometimes, hospitalization is required.

Contact your doctor if anyone develops these symptoms after handling ducklings or chicks.

Handling animals
If there are small animals around at Easter, keep the following pointers in mind:

• Don't let children younger than 5 play with chicks, ducklings, or rabbits unless they are closely supervised by an adult.
• Children should always wash their hands with soap and warm water after handling any animal.
• They should never kiss the pet or hold it close to their mouth.
• Children should never eat or drink while interacting with pets.
• No one should play with animals on tables or anywhere else that food is prepared or served.

Other dangers
When you give a child an Easter pet, illness is not the only issue to consider. Children love to cuddle animals. But rabbits do not like to be held. In their effort to escape, they can seriously scratch a child with the claws on their hind feet.

A rabbit that tries to escape a child's clutches can kick hard enough to break its back. And a chick or duckling, which has very fragile bones, can be killed if a child mishandles or squeezes it.

Many people aren't aware of the demands of having these pets. Some fail to think ahead to the time when that cute little duckling will turn into a duck and that baby chick will turn into a chicken. They also may not realize that rabbits have special diets and needs that can cost owners a bundle.

Sadly, a few weeks after Easter each year, animal shelters are overrun with animals that people no longer want. These animals usually end up being put to sleep. In fact, more rabbits are euthanized than any other type of animal.

Some owners release these animals into the wild where they can't fend for themselves and become easy prey.

When an Easter pet doesn't work out, children are often left saddened and disappointed. You can spare your child, and an animal, from this situation by leaving a stuffed bunny or duckling in your child's Easter basket instead.

SOURCES:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why parents should think twice before giving baby birds for Easter. Accessed: 03/23/2011
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella from pocket pets. Accessed: 03/23/2011
• British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. No rabbits for Easter, please! Accessed: 03/23/2011
• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Animal specific training: rabbit. Accessed: 03/23/2011
• State of Michigan. Ducklings, chicks, and baby bunnies! Accessed: 03/23/2011

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