I discussed cayenne with my holistic avian vet and her biggest concern is to not allow the bird to inhale the powdered spice. It is OK to put cayenne into boiling water to release the oil and cautiously inhale the steam, but do not use it for respiratory therapy on birds due to their complex system. It should also, of course, never be used around the eyes as it will burn the corneas and blind the bird. Use for stopping bleeding is fantastic and use to help keep wounds clean and free of infection is also great. Dr Stern also likes using the paste of cayenne and water to cover wounds with a thin 'bandaid' of coverage; and it doesn't matter if the bird eats the paste. I like it because by using the cayenne paste, I do not have to keep fighting with the bird to leave their bandage alone. I just reapply it as needed. Oh, yeah, it also keeps the wound dry, since it has a drying effect on the skin.