This is Ernie, my Bronze Winged Pionus:
Just hangin' out. You know.
Yes, I know; he’s adorable. But that’s not why I’m writing about him today. A few weeks ago, Ernie started sneezing. A few days later, the sneezes started being accompanied by discharge from his nares. Needless to say, a trip to the vet was in order. Since his energy level, behavior, eating habits, weight, and poop were all normal, the vet told me that she wanted to do a saline flush of his sinuses, but would leave it up to me whether or not we wanted to send out a culture and sensitivity of the mucous to determine the presence of bacterial or fungal infection. She wasn’t particularly concerned, because the discharge was clear and thin, rather than thick and yellow or greenish in color. However, because he has a delightful habit of dropping food in his water bowl and turning it into a lovely microbial soup, I was concerned that he may have inhaled some debris that was growing its own little pathogenic army in his respiratory system (and yes, I know that I should get a water bottle for him; it’s on my to-do list). So we sent out the C+S and waited.
About a week later, the good news came back: no positive growth! The pathologist found only inflammatory cells, indicating an allergy rather than an infection. What he had suddenly become allergic to remains, at present, a mystery, since the sneezing stopped shortly after our vet visit.
Unfortunately, shortly after the vet visit, Ernie’s poop changed dramatically (yes! This blog entry is about poop! You’re welcome). First of all, it noticeably increased in volume in fecal material and urine; secondly, there seemed to be a decrease in urates; thirdly, the fecal material would sometimes be unformed, indicating diarrhea; and finally, after only one day, the droppings on the bottom of the cage would be covered in a layer of greyish-white fungal fuzz. I thought that perhaps the house was too humid, which would speed up the growth of fungi naturally present in the air and environment, but none of my other birds’ droppings had any indication of fungal growth. Ernie was alone in this phenomenon.
Of course, this was very scary. Fungal growth on the feces could possibly indicate fungal infection in his GI tract, which can be very difficult to treat, even deadly. He had never had these symptoms before we went to the vet, so I wasn’t sure if he had contracted a nosocomial infection, or whether the stress of the visit had lowered his immune system enough to leave him vulnerable to environmental pathogens, or whether it was merely a coincidence that this was occurring so soon after his vet visit.
Whatever the case, I was still paying off my Care Credit account from previous vet visits and was just breaking even financially (as is always the case in the first quarter of every year), so I didn’t have money to make a trip to the vet at that point. Plus, I hope to avoid antifungal medications as much as possible, as they are very expensive and can be as dangerous to a bird’s health as the infection itself. These drugs can trash the liver and the immune system, and can negatively effect the body’s ability to excrete toxins. All in all, not a pretty picture.
Fortunately for me, I had on hand a few supplements at home that I figured I could try out to see if they could help Ernie’s body to heal without needing another trip to the vet. I used the following:
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) functions as a prebiotic, creating an environment in the GI tract that supports the growth and re-establishment of normal, healthy gut flora that has been lost due to medication, inflammation, immune suppression, or any other reason. It has also been shown to possess anti-fungal properties. In Avian Medicine: Principles and Application, the recommended dosage is 3 tsps/qt of water, but it has been reported to be effective in smaller doses. I use about 1 tsp in a bowl of water. A couple of important things to note:
* ACV is useless if it is pasteurized and filtered, so unless you are buying an organic, unpasteurized product in which you can see floating pieces of the “mother”, or “scoby“, it won’t do any good whatsoever.
* ACV should not be given as a daily supplement, as long term use of ACV has been noted to leech calcium from the body, in some cases causing hypocalcemia or even metabolic bone disease. However, a few weeks at a time should not cause a problem, especially if the bird is provided with cuttlebone or Manu mineral blocks so he can somewhat self-regulate his calcium intake.
Lily of the Desert Aloe Herbal Detox Formula (Aloe Detox): Aloe Detox is comprised of several herbal supplements, all reported to have healing as well as prophylactic properties. Among other things, it includes: filtered aloe, acacia gum, milk thistle, dandelion leaf, and Slippery Elm leaf. Filtered aloe is reported to reduce inflammation, increase absorption of nutrients, increase immune function, provide antioxidants, and reduce nitrate levels (nitrates are one of the chemical groups vaguely referred to as “toxins” when in reference to being in our bodies). Acacia Gum acts like a prebiotic, similar to ACV. Milk Thistle helps support liver function and detoxifies liver cells. Dandelion Leaf also helps support liver function, and reduces inflammation in the kidneys and urinary tract (which was particularly helpful in Ernie’s case, since I was concerned that he might have some renal distress, considering the increase in urine and decrease in urates). And finally, Slippery Elm is another anti-inflammatory. I mixed 1-2 tsps in his chop’n'freeze, of which he gets 2 heaping tablespoons every day. The only drawback to the Aloe Detox was that it also has Burdock Root in it, which acts as a diuretic. For a bird who already has an elevated urine output, that’s not the most desirable supplement to be giving; however, since I didn’t notice a further urine increase after I started giving it to him, I assumed it was not adversely effecting him.
Herb mix from Mountain Rose Herbs:
I make my own herb/supplement mix and add it to their chop’n'freeze, but I added a couple of extra spoonfuls of it to his chop each day, primarily because of the following ingredients: Montmorillonite clay, Eucalyptus, cinnamon, and turmeric. Montmorillonite clay is similar to the clays that South American parrots eat, and serves the same purpose that Eucalyptus serves for Australasian parrot. Both are chelating agents (which means they should NOT be given while your bird is on medication, as they will bind to the medication and neutralize it, so it passes through the body without doing any good), as well as reported anti-inflammatories. These serve a vital function in the wild, as parrots frequently eat plants that are toxic or contaminated by pathogenic organisms. By eating clays or eucalyptus first, they protect themselves from harm. Cinnamon and turmeric are both believed to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, among other benefits.
So, after adding these supplements to his food and water every day, this is what happened:
Day 3: The fungal fuzz stopped appearing on his droppings.
Day 7: The fecal material became more solid, more formed.
And finally, today, Day 21: The urine has returned to a normal amount, and the urates are a normal amount, as well.
I’m still going to give him these supplements for a few more days before removing one at a time to see how he does. Ideally, I would have started giving them one at a time, too, so that I could tell which supplements, if any, are helping, and which are just along for the ride. However, since there was a very real possibility that he had a fungal infection, I didn’t want to risk being cautious and methodical about it, so I took more of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach. And so far, it appears to have worked! Hooray!
So, in closing: I know I’ve already written way more than most people would ever want to read about my bird’s poop, but there are a few closing comments that I feel are important to mention:
1) Empirical responsibility. You might have noticed that I often used phrases like, “are reported to have” or “are believed to possess”. That is because many natural remedies have not undergone scientific study, or if they have, they have been done for humans, not parrots, or if they have, I don’t know about it, because this is a blog entry, not a formal article or book. I’m simply not going to invest that much time doing research for a blog. Sorry. Besides, the ancient wisdom of human civilizations across space and time, the anectodal evidence of thousands of birds enthusiasts around the world, and my own personal experiences are convincing enough for me. Still, even though I use and even promote the use of herbal remedies, it’s important to not make unfounded claims.
2) Supplements are not replacements for a good avian vet. I would never, ever advise someone not to take their bird to their vet if they were ill or injured. Supplements are great for trying to nip a potential illness in the bud, especially if you are temporarily broke, you live very far away from your vet, or your vet is temporarily unavailable (weekend or holiday), but the moment your bird might take a turn for the worse or simply fail to improve, they need to be seen by an avian vet ASAP. If Ernie’s droppings hadn’t improved so drastically by Day 3, I would have begged, borrowed, or stolen to get him seen. Fortunately, that proved unnecessary. But the point is: don’t underestimate the value of an avian vet.
3) Know what you’re giving and why. A lot of people think that because supplements are natural, they are therefore harmless, but people, that is not the case. Drugs are made from plants. Poisons are made from plants. The reason herbal supplements work is because they contain chemicals that do impact our bodies. So offering supplements willy-nilly, without really knowing what they do, why they do it, or what the right dose is, goes beyond irresponsible to downright dangerous. If you want to delve into the wonderful world of the natural pharmacy, read up on it! I highly recommend Holistic Care For Birds, and if you want to get really gung-ho, there’s also some great information in Avian Medicine: Principles and Applications (linked above). There’s also a wonderful forum on Avian Avenue called “Holistic Avenue“, where you can find a links to a lot of helpful articles and get advice from other bird owners. Fair warning: the advice you’ll be getting is mostly going to be anecdotal and not necessarily scientifically backed, but as I said earlier, there is certainly value in anecdotal evidence and personal experience.
Ok! So if you’re still reading this, kudos!! I know how painfully long this blog entry is–because I wrote it, and my fingertips are numb! But I thought it would be nice to share an example of success with home remedies and provide some background information as well. I hope at least one person finds this helpful!
