Danger - Aloe Vera sprays and other feather sprays

[sodakat]

Cross posted with permission:

Laurella Desborough
<eclectusbreeder@...> wrote:

The best spray for our birds is WATER, just plain water. Why?


FIRST:Because the special sprays advertised that will make your bird's
feathers "shiny, bright" and so on, have chemicals in them and/or oils.

Now, our birds do not need manufactured oils or even natural plant oils
(aloe vera) on their feathers. These kinds of additives can cause
feather chewing and feather pulling as the birds try to get rid of that
unnatural coating.

SECOND: Because IF you manage to use the spray in such a way that the bird
BREATHES IN some of that spray, the oils (including the oils in aloe vera
sprays) will COAT the lungs and put the bird into respiratory distress,
possibly even causing its death.

One of my clients was following advice on one of the well
known eclectus yahoo lists, advice recommending the use of aloe vera
sprays, and she sprayed her beautiful healthy vosmaeri eclectus male. He
went into respiratory distress when he breathed in so much of the spray,
which contains tiny aloe vera oil droplets. The aloe vera oil droplets coated his
lungs and air sacs. He became immobile, lethargic, started
chewing on his feathers. He almost died. It took weeks to bring him back
to almost normal.

There is no way to remove that oil from the lungs! A
healthy bird now had his health forever compromised from the aloe vera
spray.

Bottom line: Stick with plain water to spray your bird!
Anyone who recommends anything else is NOT knowledgeable and is simply
following some nonsense advice on some internet group or website. Stay
with natural stuff and your bird will be safer. You may cross post this
message.

Laurella Desborough

Edit: I don't know which Yahoo group gave the info to use the spray, but it wasn't EclectusPetOwnersGroup

 

[Lady Jane]

Good information and thanks for posting. Speaking of dangers for birds my sister gave me a set of those candles that have a battery operated wick. You would think they would be safe! After reading about the device it says they have paraffin wax in the outside rim. So it looks like I will not be able to burn them.

 

[Deejo]

Excellent information! I have never understood why people would use anything other than plain water.

 

[jmfleish]

I've known this for years and have tried to tell people not to use Aloe on the feathers or in the water but some things can be so engrained in people's minds.

 

[jeb]

Thanks for the information, Kathy.

Jeb

 

[DQTimnehs]

Thanks for the warning!

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Thanks for the info

Good information and thanks for posting. Speaking of dangers for birds my sister gave me a set of those candles that have a battery operated wick. You would think they would be safe! After reading about the device it says they have paraffin wax in the outside rim. So it looks like I will not be able to burn them.

Do you have a pic of the candle?

 

[Marc]

I would like to thank you for this important information.

 

[Momto3boys]

I knew there was a reason why it wasnt safe but I didnt know exactly why.

My step dad has a CAG and he bought the Aloe because a lady who runs a parrot store here told him it was great (of course she did) so he bought it. I told him it's not safe to use, his CAG is just a baby...just spray with WATER and he wont believe me

 

[Love My Zons]

Water is the best and most natural way to hydrate and moisten skin and feathers. Great post, and good warning to all!

 

[Ziggymon]

Aloe is highly toxic to cats and dogs, and since I have a multi species household, I try to avoid anything that's toxic to any one of the species.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Is there any proof/facts on this being toxic?

I don't use aloe vera on my birds. But have in the past with never an issue. And my birds didn't seem to mind and I have cockatoos which have feather plucking/chewing sensitivities.

People also use ACV in water to condition the water against bacteria. And I'd think that would be more hazardous to breathe in.

Or what about other things too?

Not trying to argue but one cant just take everything they read online as fool proof and factual

 

[waterfaller1]

Good information and thanks for posting. Speaking of dangers for birds my sister gave me a set of those candles that have a battery operated wick. You would think they would be safe! After reading about the device it says they have paraffin wax in the outside rim. So it looks like I will not be able to burn them.

On the subject of candles, I thought it was the wick itself from candles that were made in Mexico, and the burning of them that made them toxic? And if birds are out then of course a flame and hot wax could be a safety issue. I use the candles that have a battery and no flame within several feet of Gryphon without issue. I know people who use yankee candles without issue.

 

[waterfaller1]

Some articles on the benefits of aloe by Carolyn Swicegood. You be the judge.
Aloe: Parrot Pharmacy In A Leaf

{Joel Murphy speaks about Noni, he is an awesome avian vet in sw FL}
Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - Kitchen Physician XIV - A Few Ounces Of Prevention

Land of Vos - Wingtips Articles - Aloe for Birdkeepers

 

[jmfleish]

I've found that Carolyn Swicegood doesn't always have the greatest of recommendations. After lots and lots of research on this issue, I've found that the benefits of aloe are only on burns and abrassions topically. I would never spray it on my birds feathers or put it in their water. Sometimes, we can get a little too crazy about homeopathic medications.

 

[Maxsmom]

Thanks for the warning

 

[sodakat]

Is there any proof/facts on this being toxic?

I don't use aloe vera on my birds. But have in the past with never an issue. And my birds didn't seem to mind and I have cockatoos which have feather plucking/chewing sensitivities.

People also use ACV in water to condition the water against bacteria. And I'd think that would be more hazardous to breathe in.

Or what about other things too?

Not trying to argue but one cant just take everything they read online as fool proof and factual

Laurella reported this information this week on an Eclectus list. She raised the bird who breathed in the aloe spray.

 

[JLcribber]

On the subject of candles, I thought it was the wick itself from candles that were made in Mexico, and the burning of them that made them toxic? And if birds are out then of course a flame and hot wax could be a safety issue. I use the candles that have a battery and no flame within several feet of Gryphon without issue. I know people who use yankee candles without issue.

Smoking a cigarette or drinking some whiskey is not going to kill you overnight. It's what it does to you over time. The suffering and poor quality of life we will have in the twilight of life is when it's going to rear it's ugly head. In a bird that process is accelerated many times because of the way they breathe.

Burning "ANYTHING" around the birds creates combustible particulate in the air they breathe which they take in. The real problem with that is their air system is not like our lungs which expels most things that enter. Their air sac system deposits and stores anything they breathe in. It does not get expelled so by burning anything you are slowly killing/shortening their life along with that poor quality of life they are going to live with as they get older.

 

[waterfaller1]

Relax...It DOES NOT BURN. It's just a light within an object that resembles a candle.

 

[sodakat]

Relax...It DOES NOT BURN. It's just a light within an object that resembles a candle.

Plus, even if it has parfin on the outside of the fake candle, it's not harmful. I think that was the original worry in this thread originated. The parafin on the fake candles is just for looks.