Summarize the following:
Mites affect your bird by burrowing into their skin, often in the area around their eyes and beak. This is known as an infestation of Knemidokoptes pilae, or burrowing face mites. In the early stages of this infestation, the mites are barely visible and will not affect the overall condition of your bird. But you may notice crusty plaques in the corners of your bird’s beak or on your bird’s beak. These bright white deposits will become thicker and more crusty as the mites continue to burrow. The upper area of your bird’s face will appear to have deep burrows or holes, as the mites will dig tunnels or paths in your bird’s skin. The skin around your bird’s eyes and beak will eventually appear cavernous or full of thick, deep tunnels that appear crusty and irritated. Mites can also affect your bird’s legs, known as scaly leg mites or Knemidokoptes mutans. The mites will burrow into the skin of your bird’s legs and lay eggs inside your bird’s skin. As a result, your bird’s legs may appear very dry, scaly, and show white deposits that may turn crusty. The mites release metabolites that severely irritate your bird’s skin, resulting in swelling and scaly skin, or rashes. Mites come out to feed at night, so your bird may be very restless or irritated during the night as a result of bites from the mites. Your bird may also be restless or appear to try to itch his skin against his cage during the day as the mites continue to burrow. In an attempt to remove the mites, your bird may also groom or preen himself excessively, though the mites cannot be removed by grooming or preening. Mites can also burrow and infest your bird’s trachea, air sacs, bronchi or sinuses, resulting in symptoms like coughing, sneezing, or difficulty breathing. Your bird may also start to open-mouth breathe, almost as if he is gasping for air. Watch him when he breathes in his cage for any signs of difficulty breathing or breathing with an open mouth. Your bird may also experience weight loss due to the mite infestation, and he may make clicking sounds or have a change in vocal sounds a result of mites burrowed in his respiratory system. Your bird may have noticeable feather damage, with missing patches of feathers or piles of feathers in his cage. This is as a result of excessive preening or cleaning by your bird in an attempt to remove the mites from his skin. Since mites are nocturnal, they will reproduce during the day and feed at night. Use a flashlight to check your bird’s head and legs for any crawling mites during the night. They may appear as small, red or black spots or specks that move and burrow close to your bird’s skin.

summary: Check around your bird’s eyes and beak for any crusty looking area. Examine your bird’s legs for scaly, irritated skin. Note if your bird is restless at night or preens excessively. Check if your bird is coughing, sneezing, open-mouth breathing, or has difficulty breathing. Look for any feather damage or feather loss. Examine your bird’s head and legs at night for swarms of mites.


Summarize the following:
Every U.S. state has different laws regarding mandatory vaccinations and the channels available (if any) to qualify your child for exemption. Research your state's laws and determine a course of action for legally opting out (as discussed in the next several steps of this guide). This information can be found online on various websites dedicated to vaccine legislation.  Regardless of the method you choose for pursuing vaccine exemption, you will need to complete paperwork that states your objection to state mandated vaccination. This might consist of anything from a simple form filled out by the parent to an application that must be signed by a physician and submitted to the state for approval.  In some states, your child must have an established, doctor-verified medical reason for opting out of vaccinations. If you do not want your child to be vaccinated but they do not qualify for medical exemption, they will not be allowed to attend public school. Most states in the U.S. allow vaccine exemptions on the basis of religious objections, although some (like California) have recently taken away this option after witnessing large outbreaks of preventable diseases. If your faith prohibits your child from receiving medical care, you can pursue a religious exemption from state-mandated immunization.  Depending on your state's laws, this type of exemption may require a clergy member or other religious official to verify that you are a member of a church that subscribes to an anti-medicine ideology. It is unethical and irresponsible to claim religious exemption if this does not apply to you. If you are opposed to child immunization for nonreligious reasons, seek a philosophical exemption instead (discussed in a later step). If your child has a medical condition or allergy that would cause a serious adverse reaction to certain vaccines, your state likely allows exemption from the vaccine in question. You will need to submit verification of your child's condition from a qualified physician. Ask your doctor how to proceed with this process, as it varies by state.  Medical exemptions are extremely difficult to obtain, because the list of conditions that legally justify skipping out on your child's immunization is very short. If you have concerns about possible health effects from vaccines, your objection is philosophical, not medical. Some states allow healthcare workers other than M.D.s (Doctors of Medicine) and D.O.s (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) to submit medical exemption forms, but this is not common. This type of exemption has only recently been allowed in some U.S. states and is by far the most controversial. If you opt out of immunization for your child on a philosophical basis, you are saying that you have no medical or religious reason for doing so. Only 17 states allow this type of vaccination exemption, and some carry additional requirements such as a physician's signature or completion of a vaccine education course.  Different states use different terminology to refer to this type of exemption. Alternative terms include "conscientious" and "personal belief" exemption. This type of exemption requires that the parents (and in some cases the child) officially agree to opt out of all mandated vaccines. Currently, no state allows philosophical exemption from only one or some mandated vaccines. It is critical that you understand the seriousness of deciding to opt out of vaccines on philosophical grounds. It is a very good idea to discuss the matter with a physician, even if your state does not require a doctor's signature to seek this exemption. Additional information about this can be found on the CDC website. This type of exemption from vaccination is only allowed in some states and only applies in situations where the child has already been vaccinated against a specific disease, or has contracted and recovered from that disease. In either case, a blood test report verifying the presence of disease antibodies in the child is required. See your family doctor to pursue this type of exemption.  Proof of immunity exemptions only apply to the specific disease in question and cannot be used to gain exemption from any other vaccines. Blood testing services can be found in most family medicine clinics and usually carry a fee. Ask your doctor about whether their clinic offers these services.
summary: Learn your state's exemption laws. Opt out on religious grounds. Opt out on medical grounds. Opt out on philosophical grounds. Show proof of immunity.