BrokenWing Chronicles
Herbal Remedies For Parrots
Herbal medicine was early man's first line of defense against the many ills and accidents that plagued him. Ancient humans learned from the observation of animals, including birds, how to use leaves, earth, mud and water to make soothing applications. Although the methods were crude, several of today's medicines are based upon sources as simple as those of ancient man.
Presently, the use of herbs as self-prescribed medication is growing rapidly in the United States. It is an industry with more than $1.5 billion in annual sales. Medicinal herbs are the same natural plant drugs that have been used since antiquity. They remain the only form of medicine for a large majority of the world's population that lacks access to hospitals and pharmacies.
Some of the popular herbal remedies for people are:
•Backache: Valerian root •Headache: Feverfew •Muscle Aches: Capsaicum cream •Indigestion: Peppermint or Chamomile tea •Nausea: Ginger (tea, capsules, candy) •Depression: St. John's Wort •Anxiety & Stress: Valerian root •Colds and Flu: Echinacea •Coughs: Slippery elm •Menopause Problems: Black cohosh extracts •Sleep Problem: St. John's Wort or Valerian root
HERBAL TREATMENTS FOR PARROTS
Years ago, only the most experimental-minded of birdkeepers used herbs, because there were no guidelines for their use, nor had dosages for them been determined. As we realized that the potential for harm to our birds by herbal remedies was somewhat less than that of pharmaceuticals, we began to establish dosages by starting with minute amounts and increasing gradually to the optimal level. When using the milder herbs, one might use the method of establishing the correct dosage for a human infant of about ten pounds, and use one tenth the amount for a parrot weighing approximately one pound.
•ALOE VERA-- The most popular herbal remedy for the care of parrots seems to be aloe. One popular use of aloe is a topical spray to sooth the irritated skin of birds that engage in feather plucking. Aloe Vera Herbal Remedy
Our love of parrots can be extremely rewarding! Most of the time, interacting with them is pure pleasure. But, one of the few drawbacks of keeping parrots as a hobby or a business is the occasional painful bite. It is surprising that although most of us know about the use of aloe vera gel for sunburn, there seems to be little awareness of its merits as an analgesic for other minor injuries.
It will take only one incident of a smashed toe, a cut finger, a scraped knee, or a crushing bird bite from a beak capable of exerting a couple thousand pounds of pressure to convince you of the almost magical pain-killing ability of aloe vera gel. Not only does aloe vera gel relieve pain almost instantly, it also helps to prevent bruising and its accompanying purple, black and blue colors. When you have a cut, abrasion, bruise or painful bite, immediately immerse the wounded area in a thick coating of the gel. For a badly bitten finger, fill a rubber finger cot with the thick gel and wear it on the finger for as long as you like, five minutes is good and an hour is better! The pain will be a thing of the past within the first few minutes. If you have older aloe vera plants with large leaves, you might cut open a leaf and wrap it around an injured finger.
•ALOE DETOX-- About a year ago, I wrote an account in an on-line newsletter of an adult female eclectus that I own who became seriously ill. After undergoing every imaginable test and treatment protocol by two veterinarians, no diagnosis could be made and the bird was sent home to be "kept comfortable." In desperation, I went browsing in a health food store with the hope of finding something that might save my beloved bird. Both vets had mentioned liver damage so I decided to try a liver-detoxifying agent called Aloe Detox by Naturade. I was shocked at the immediate response--her appetite returned, she began perching for the first time in weeks and she became responsive to her surroundings again.
After a couple weeks of steady improvement and when she seemed normal again, I took her back to one of the treating vets for blood work. He was pleasantly surprised just to see her alive, and he drew blood for re-testing. He phoned me with the results of the CBC and said "If I had not drawn the blood myself, I would not believe that it came from the same bird. All of her liver values are completely normal!"
In hindsight, I wish that I had kept a log of all her treatments, including the Aloe Detox, but the dosage that I used was, at best, unscientific, being simply all that I could get into her. I made her drinking water half Aloe Detox, soaked her bird bread in it, and put it on everything that she would eat. Being a non-toxic product, I felt that there was no danger of overdosing her. Due to the serious nature of her condition, there was nothing to lose.
The veterinarian who published the on-line newsletter in which I recounted this story became interested in Aloe Detox . Here is what Dr. M.L Simmons says about the product.
Read more here
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww24eii.htmArty
