Essential Oils and Parrots

[Fuzzy]

Here is a pic of Ollie ingesting the oils in NingXia Red...

He has quite a few sips before breakfast every day.

 

[Mizzely]

My understanding is that there is no formally approved grading standard used consistently throughout the oil industry. So what is "therapeutic quality" and how does it differ from other oils?

 

[Mizzely]

Here is just one place that talks about "therapeutic grade". I did share it in the group also. http://www.cropwatch.org/Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils corrected.pdf

 

[Piccha]

Food grade extractions are the safest bet. Choose USDA certified organic oils, USDA certification is a food standard and the entire process from growing to harvesting and distilling is covered under the certification process. Dilution rates for people are typically 1% in some rare cases up to 5% I would assume that for birds dilution rates would be much much lower again of course dependent on the oil.

 

[Fuzzy]

In his book "The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple", Dr David Stewart explains the limitations of AFNOR standards (I can't see anything in the book that says excerpts can't be printed):

"As AFNOR authorities have pointed out, their standard is only for a minimum profile of compounds and concentrations that must be present in an oil before it can be labeled as such and such a species. Complete, natural oils are mixtures of hundreds of compounds, but the AFNOR-ISO standard focuses on only a few ingredients, usually less than six. As an example, for an oil to be called "Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita)" by AFNOR standards, it must contain 35 - 45% menthol, 10 - 20% menthone, 4 - 9% methyl acetate and 3 - 7% 1,8 cineole. But these are only four compounds of hundreds present in a complete, natural oil. An unethical company could synthesize these four compounds, mix them in these proportions with a suitable filler oil and it would pass the AFNOR test. Such an oil would have a fragrance and taste like peppermint, but not its healing properties.

Fullfilling the AFNOR-ISO standard is not sufficient to prove if an oil is of therapeutic value. The healing properties of an oil also have to do with the way it was grown, harvested, distilled and packaged. These are factors not considered by AFNOR-ISO...

Thus derived, an essential oil will contain hundreds of constituents, most of them in trace amounts and measured in fractions of a percent. Yet every constituent is vital to the healing potential of the oil. It is the balance of these many constituents that forms the foundation of its therapeutic value..."

Personally I am very happy using the oils. They are expensive because they are absolutely pure. Dr Shelton and Angela Nelson only advocate using Young Living EO with animals as these have been tried and tested not only with their patients with incredible results, but by hundreds and thousands of Young Living members' animals over the years.

 

[sodakat]

Is Young Living EO kind of a pyramid scheme, where you get things cheaper if you have people "below" you? Reminds me of that cleaning product line, Amway. Any of their users/dealers swore by Amway.

 

[Mizzely]

In his book "The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple", Dr David Stewart explains the limitations of AFNOR standards (I can't see anything in the book that says excerpts can't be printed):

"As AFNOR authorities have pointed out, their standard is only for a minimum profile of compounds and concentrations that must be present in an oil before it can be labeled as such and such a species. Complete, natural oils are mixtures of hundreds of compounds, but the AFNOR-ISO standard focuses on only a few ingredients, usually less than six. As an example, for an oil to be called "Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita)" by AFNOR standards, it must contain 35 - 45% menthol, 10 - 20% menthone, 4 - 9% methyl acetate and 3 - 7% 1,8 cineole. But these are only four compounds of hundreds present in a complete, natural oil. An unethical company could synthesize these four compounds, mix them in these proportions with a suitable filler oil and it would pass the AFNOR test. Such an oil would have a fragrance and taste like peppermint, but not its healing properties.

Fullfilling the AFNOR-ISO standard is not sufficient to prove if an oil is of therapeutic value. The healing properties of an oil also have to do with the way it was grown, harvested, distilled and packaged. These are factors not considered by AFNOR-ISO...

Thus derived, an essential oil will contain hundreds of constituents, most of them in trace amounts and measured in fractions of a percent. Yet every constituent is vital to the healing potential of the oil. It is the balance of these many constituents that forms the foundation of its therapeutic value..."

Personally I am very happy using the oils. They are expensive because they are absolutely pure. Dr Shelton and Angela Nelson only advocate using Young Living EO with animals as these have been tried and tested not only with their patients with incredible results, but by hundreds and thousands of Young Living members' animals over the years.

But what makes them MORE pure than what other companies that claim the exact same thing? I realize that each essential oil that is pure will have hundreds of components. Is there a "wrong" mix of this, and if so, who decides that? Where can I find a listing that breaks down exactly what Peppermint Oil should have in it and at what percentages and concentrations? If AFNOR and ISO don't take into consideration the important things like growing, harvesting, distilling and packaging, where can I find a guide that says "this is how Peppermint should be handled to get the real deal?" so that I can go to companies and look for this breakdown from them to compare it to.

There has to be a start somewhere. Just because someone started with Young Living doesn't mean it is the only one that is appropriate. It just means that someone started there because they had to start SOMEWHERE. I feel as though someone could have done the exact same thing with doTERRA and everyone would then ONLY use doTERRA.

I don't doubt that YL is a good product. I just doubt that it is the only one, and the cost is not a true indication of quality as they use a Multi Level Marketing business model. Example, Mary Kay cosmetics are expensive, but are they the best? Hardly. They have to have an inflated cost in order to pay everyone enough to keep them buying and selling.

 

[Deejo]

Extremely interesting.
I have not had the time to read much of anything about YL but plan to.

Recently, here in Canada, there was a bit on the news about harmful effects of using essential oils over long periods of time. The people working in Spas, was one of the examples discussed in the segment.
I need to find that TV segment on-line, as we caught only the last few minutes of it.

 

[Mizzely]

Extremely interesting.
I have not had the time to read much of anything about YL but plan to.

Recently, here in Canada, there was a bit on the news about harmful effects of using essential oils over long periods of time. The people working in Spas, was one of the examples discussed in the segment.
I need to find that TV segment on-line, as we caught only the last few minutes of it.

Oh man, that's depressing to hear!

The more I read the more confused I get.

 

[Deejo]

Oh man, that's depressing to hear!

The more I read the more confused I get.

I find it very confusing. The only reason I stopped to listen to the last few minutes of that blurb on the news, is because of all the hype about using EO with parrots. (YL or any other)

 

[Mizzely]

Yeah, its kind of frustrating because people keep saying that I need "Therapeutic Grade"...the one I found states that it is also "Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade" but who is doing the certifying? Food Grade alone I am being told isn't all that good because they have to add or remove substances in order to sell a consistent product (ie - your peppermint candy should always taste the same as your next peppermint candy), and that a real quality EO will have some variations in taste and smell from batch to batch - which you can't have in food. USDA organic may be a better quality but I am still researching - apparently my head isn't spinning fast enough yet

 

[Piccha]

Extremely interesting.
I have not had the time to read much of anything about YL but plan to.

Recently, here in Canada, there was a bit on the news about harmful effects of using essential oils over long periods of time. The people working in Spas, was one of the examples discussed in the segment.
I need to find that TV segment on-line, as we caught only the last few minutes of it.

Its not entirely surprising that people are having negative effects from long term exposure. In the right does something can be helpful and then that same thing can be deadly. Thats not to mean we should be afraid of essential oils in moderation and used with caution.

An essential oil itself is a compound of molecules that can be helpful and harmful in varying amounts. Layer on top of that that farming practices such as pesticide use, the condition and testing of the land and groundwater that the herb is grown on, and the extraction process which not only includes the method of extraction (steam distilled, expeller pressed, cold pressed, CO2, Hexane etc) but also includes the disinfectants and cleansing methods of the extraction and bottling equipment. This is why I mentioned that choosing a USDA Certified organic product is a safe bet because it certifies to organic standards for food consumption. You cant even use commercial disinfectants on the equipment used for processing.

A great source for retail sized essential oils is Bulk organic herbs, spices & essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs their products are outstanding in terms of quality and they provide you with ample information. For example, you can request the G&C analysis of the batch of essential oils that you are ordering, this will help you understand what the % content of the major known molecules are present in your batch (as this varies from batch to batch) they also have certified organic Palm Fruit oil, which I plan on ordering when they get it back in stock.

I'm not aware of too many oils that are suitable for use of our birdies, arnica montana for pain and inflammation, chamomile... that's the extent of my knowledge regarding oils that have been safely used on birds.

I've read some info posted on other sites about how birds naturally encounter essential oils in their native environments and while this may be true keep in mind the most important factor, dosage. 1 drop of rose essential takes approximately 4 lbs of rose petals to make. So bear that in mind when you see images of birds chewing on foliage or flowers that produce essential oils. Keep dosages very very very low for our avian companions. Also keep in mind that if you are looking to buy and essential oil that is known as an expensive oil, don't bargain shop for it, you increase your chances of purchasing one that has been adulterated, i.e rose oil at a price that is too good to be true can be cut with geranium oil to reduce the cost.

 

[Piccha]

I haven't really looked at it for birds as I am more interested in it for myself, but here is one thing I saw in the group:

Now the fun stuff...what have we been doing with the oils in the birds? The answer is...EVERYTHING! If you have been around birds for any length of time, you will know that avian medicine is a very frustrating field. We've all heard of birds that are dying but every test run is coming back "normal". Here is where the EO's play such a huge role. In an ill bird, we will diffuse an oil such as Thieves which has antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, antitumoral, immune boosting properties and so much more. The oils are used by the body as needed and then leave. No harmful antibiotics, no guessing, just using 100% made by nature. So far in our infancy of working with essential oils and birds, we have helped clear pappilomas in a greenwing, chronic diarrhea in a harlequin macaw, severe iron deficiency, crop infections, not to mention scores of respiratory infections, bacterial infections adn more. I was able to save the life of a little budgie who was hanging by her beak on the side of a cage trying to breathe...we didn't think she'd even make it to the vet she was struggling so. So I grabbed Frankincense and Valor and rubbed it on her feet. Within about one minute, she took a deep breath and started breathing normally!! Right there in my hand!! (Please note: NONE of my recommendations are to be substituted for care from an vet. Please find a holistic vet of your choice and work with him or her together with the essential oils!) We also love it in the rescues to help with depression, anxiety, hopelessness, hyperactivity and so much more.

Not to mention being able to use wonderfully scented things in the house again that eliminates odors and is not only not harmful to my babies, but is actually BENEFICIAL! I had someone just comment the other day on how wonderful my house smelled "like a spa". Try doing that in a tiny house with 17 birds! I was flattered beyond belief! And we also now have ways to clean and disinfect our cages and homes in general without causing harm. I can use the Thieves cleaner which is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti microbial in the cages with my birds STILL IN THE CAGE! It is that safe! You could drink an entire bottle with no harm (although it would probably taste terrible).

Oh my. I was just re-reading this post and noticed at the bottom someone in that group mentioned she could drink the entire bottle of the Theives blend without I'll effect and that is absolutely misleading and very likely not true.

 

[Mizzely]

Oh my. I was just re-reading this post and noticed at the bottom someone in that group mentioned she could drink the entire bottle of the Theives blend without I'll effect and that is absolutely misleading and very likely not true.

I felt that was very misleading also, due to the volatile nature of the EO.

 

[Welshanne]

like any product a little of what you fancy does you good, but using something too much or constantly can also have an adverse effect over time.
When you think of us humans and drugs, there is an example. One person can tolerate a massive amount and strength because they need it for whatever is wrong with their body. Another person would keel over using just half the amount because of their different bodily needs.
Any used on our birds is another matter as their air sacs etc does not leave room for error and it would be a case of here today and gone tomorrow. For this reason only I would proceed with caution.

 

[thebirdygirl]

I have been using 100% organic lavender essential oil with my birdies. It got rid of bumblefoot in my cockatiel, never to return! I swear by it!

 

[aparrotly]

Writing from a United States perspective

"Therapeutic grade," "aromatherapy grade," "medicinal grade," and "clinical grade" are simply marketing terms. They're not associated with any regulatory agency or industry standard: anyone can call their essential oil "therapeutic grade," "aromatherapy grade," "medicinal grade," or "clinical grade."

Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils Is a Misleading Claim

"Food grade" is regulated and assigned by the Food and Drug Administration. Any essential oil that will be ingested should be food-grade. Because birds preen with their mouths, any essential oil that goes on the outside of a bird will end up on the inside of the bird.

I've never looked into essential oils before, but some essential oil suppliers' and retailers' claims sounds just like the unevidenced, fraudulent claims made by suppliers and retailers of health supplements that I encountered all the time in chronic illness circles. They're unregulated or minimally regulated; they invent medical benefits out of thin air and twist good research into outrageous claims just to make a buck, even though their lies could have horrific consequences for consumers (the best terrible example I've run into: promoting monolaurin, which is found in coconut oil, as an antiviral treatment or cure for HIV/AIDS when its true and only use in the treatment of HIV/AIDS is helping dangerously underweight people gain a lot of weight). If any supplier or retailer claims that an ingredient has medical benefits, and especially if they claim that only their special formulation offers medical benefits, research the claims yourself! Hop onto Google Scholar and do some digging.

I'm not against holistic methods. I use some of them with our parrots. Even when there's no empirical evidence for offering your bird food-grade essential oils whose ingredients are bird-safe, there's no harm in it, either, as long as you make sure that they are food-grade and bird-safe.