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is essential oil safe?

shmog

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Hi! I'm currently going through an ant problem, and essential oil is what I usually use to solve this.

I was wondering what essential oils are safe to use around birds, and what isn't?
 

JLcribber

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If your just using something in a localized spot to get rid of ants I don't think you have much to worry about. You're not atomizing it (or are you?) I use standard ant killer. Just make sure the birds are not right next to it or have access to it. Ants need to be killed at their source (or where they are getting in) or you will never get rid of the problem.

Having said that. There are no definitive studies on this topic where birds are concerned. Anything you do find/read is anecdotal at best. The biggest difference being humans have lungs. Birds do not.

A birds "air system" is not anything like a human lung. Anything they breathe in is permanently "deposited" in the body. All these "oils" no matter what flavour are being deposited throughout your birds body in the air sac system. It does not get expelled like in a human lung. "Anything" they breathe (no matter how benign) on a regular basis will build up to toxic levels. It may not not kill your bird immediately but it will certainly cause respiratory issues with time/exposure.

The only thing proven to be safe and beneficial for your bird is clean fresh air.

Like mammals, birds take in air and extract oxygen from it to supply body tissues, while fish respiration depends on getting the oxygen dissolved in water through organs called gills.

But bird respiration is significantly different from that of mammals, according to ''Manual of Ornithology: Avian Structure and Function.'' In the very efficient avian system, the lungs are small, taking up just 2 percent of body volume.

The external respiration system uses the lungs and a much larger series of air sacs distributed throughout the body so that the oxygen supply communicates directly with body parts. Oxygen is taken in and exchanged for carbon dioxide waste in the blood, then the carbon dioxide is moved out; so far, much like mammals.

But in birds, the air flow is one way, through tubes and chambers, rather than two ways, in and out of the lungs, as it is in mammals. And when a bird inhales, air actually leaves its lungs; fresh air enters the lungs as it exhales.

First, a constant stream of air enters through the back of the mouth and goes into the larynx and trachea. It is channeled in a pair of tubes straight through the lungs and into the system of air sacs and hollow bones. Gases from the air sacs are sent forward through the lungs again, then through more air sacs into the trachea, and then finally expelled from the body.
 

Hankmacaw

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Another way of putting it John, is that parrots breathe the same air twice and get twice as much of whatever is in it into their system. That is why I can't ever see putting anything, like EOs, in the air to damage their breathing system.
 

JLcribber

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Another way of putting it John, is that parrots breathe the same air twice and get twice as much of whatever is in it into their system. That is why I can't ever see putting anything, like EOs, in the air to damage their breathing system.
Great way of putting it. :)
 

Hankmacaw

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Here is a diagram of a parrot's respiratory system. Every breath of air by a bird travels through each and every part of the respiratory system - nine airsacs and two lungs. Just to complicate the matter more, birds have some hollow bones and a portion of the air they breathe stays in the bones to make them lighter and able to fly.

 

rocky'smom

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If you know where the ants are coming in try laying down a strip of cinnamon powder or cayenne powder.
 

finchly

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I agree about the ants, but not the EOs. Did you know that some parrots who’ve had breathing problems due to smokers have improved when Tea Tree oil was used as aromatherapy?

That said only some EOs are safe, and then within that set there is a further subset of how it is applied. And how pure the oil is, but then if it is so pure you must dilute it.

This has nothing to do with ants:
Lavender is one EO that is generaly safe. You’d buy it from a top rated company, no Walmart brand please. Then you’d dilute it - if using it in the air follow the mfr instructions and put 4,5 drops. If using it topically dilute to only 3% with coconut oil (again, very pure, no cheap brands) and rub on the soles of the feet.

See how complicated it is? You think you’re going to just diffuse some oils and you have birds.... the answer is a lot more complex than that.
 

Lady Jane

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Now I am a bit confused John wrote birds have no lungs and Mary Lynn wrote birds have 2 lungs.
 

Mizzely

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Now I am a bit confused John wrote birds have no lungs and Mary Lynn wrote birds have 2 lungs.

John said "A birds "air system" is not anything like a human lung." That is not to say they don't have lungs. His quote even specifies, "In the very efficient avian system, the lungs are small, taking up just 2 percent of body volume"
 

Hankmacaw

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Sorry Finchly - I am very opposed to EOs for birds, humans or Great Apes. "Oil", for birds is the killer word - you don't want any oils in your birds respiratory system.
 

Lady Jane

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Once when I was nursing a home patient that had infected boils on her body i got two of them on my arms despite using precautions.
Pretty gross. I put tea tree on the two on my arms and repeated two times a day for about five days. They gradually went away. I was quite surprised. Staff infection can be tough to control. That was the only time I used EO. Could not use Tea Tree oil on the patient because she had leukemia.
 

finchly

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Tea tree oil is an amazing oil with anti fungal , antibacterial, and antiviral qualities. It has been used for YEARS with good results. People get to write whatever they want on the Internet, so they do. And I find most people i the medical profession to be incredibly closed-minded to even the idea of maybe using an alternative treatment. Even if their way isn’t working.

Unfortunately people do not take the care to find out how to use oils so they do it wrong and blame the oil, IMO.

@Lady Jane The other name for tea tree oil is melaleuca. You may have heard of people eradicating their cancer by drinking gallons of melaleuca (not oil, processed some other way). The stories are true, I knew one of the people years ago who did it.

Many drug companies produce compounds that begin with a natural product, like melaleuca, lavender, peppermint....then they add a bunch of chemicals. And we (not I but others) trust the chemical laden compound more than the original plant! It doesn’t make any sense.

@Hankmacaw I appreciate and respect your position. :agreetodisagree: I realize this is a polarizing topic. Had I never become so ill, I would never have known anything about essential oils and herbal remedies. Now that i know how beneficial they are I am interested in using them for my fids, or at least learning about that. The knowledge comes slowly becaue i want to KNOW....thru scientific studies.... not anecdotes.

Oh one more point. If we dilute the oil with water (to diffuse it) the ratio becomes 1:300 or more. So there is very little oil in the diffuser. Maybe that is what makes it safe? And when applying topically, they aren’t breathing it.
 

painesgrey

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There are no scientifically proven benefits, but plenty of obvious risks. Since there is no strict government regulation on essential oils and their purity, you can never truly be guaranteed that they do not contain toxic compounds.

Success stories are anecdotal at best, and don't constitute proof of their safety. Just because one bird doesn't react poorly doesn't mean that others won't.

Many oils are toxic to cats and dogs, including tea tree oil. Melalueca/tea tree oil is one of the most common causes of EO toxicity in dogs. Also, cats cannot metabolize the enzymes found in many EOs, resulting in acute toxicity.

If it has been shown that they're toxic to some animals, why take the risk?

Many drug companies produce compounds that begin with a natural product, like melaleuca, lavender, peppermint....then they add a bunch of chemicals. And we (not I but others) trust the chemical laden compound more than the original plant! It doesn’t make any sense.
Many medicines are based off of these plants, sure... but in the process of developing those medicines, they've isolated the nontoxic, beneficial parts from the toxic ones. Adding a bunch of chemicals and removing other "natural" parts don't make the results bad.
 
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camelotshadow

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Interesting
Was using TTO in Australia for bug bites & took a bottle home as it works well.

It is labeled poison.

Really was unaware of the bird respiratory system.

Feel like a dunce as I thought the air sacs were inside the lungs...
 

finchly

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I’m not going to keep arguing with close minded folks but I do have to chuckle when people are adamant that there “are no scientifically proven benefits” but there are proven risks. Are those proven scientifically? Lol

There are at least 2 scientists I know of with active studies and published results. Hope your birds don’t ever need the treatment since they’ll just miss out.

I’m using tea tree oil shampoo on my dog for a yeast condition. Used it over 10 years ago on a dogs hot spots. Diffuse lavender to calm the birds. My massage therapist has discovered several oils that help with my constant muscle spasms. I regularly mix oils for hubbys bruises, my migraines, neighbors allergies. Can put one drop on a mosquito bite and it never itches again. I diffuse 3 oils in my room at night to help with insomnia, much more effective than a pill that changes REM patterns and leaves you groggy.

I’m very thankful for the ability to use natural ingredients and my own blends so that I know exactly what is in it and can control exposure to unnecessary chemicals. Same goes for the birds, if EOs will help them rather than harsh meds that have negative side effects— I’m all for it. I wish I knew more specifics... am learning.
 

Gazimon

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For those who want scientific results instead of anecdotes, I wonder what kind of science would qualify? Apart from subjecting fids to increasing levels of EO exposure [which I am not sure I can accept in any good conscience but alas science is science]... Data could come from vets and bird centers, but they would be concentrating on reporting overexposure and toxicity incidents?
 

Shezbug

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I think a lot of the issues and stories about them not being safe come from those who do not know how to identify the true pure oils (so they buy inferior products that often have other ingredients in the oil), do not know how to properly dilute the oils or which application the oil needs to be used in. A lot of people using them use them completely wrong and do not know enough about dosing so they get bad results.
I fully believe that if you do not know much about Essential oils then you should not be using them. They can be as dangerous as any other medication if you do not know when, how, where and how much/often to apply them.
There has been quite a few different studies on the effects and use of essential oils and quite a few doctors do offer different remedies using them from time to time. My doctor has a qualified practicing nurse who administers medication/needles as well as filling scripts for naturopathy and in times aromatherapy.
If all these are used in the correct manner and at appropriate times as well as for appropriate reasons they can be wonderful remedies.
So generally we hear of the horror stories from people who basically stuffed up. Yes there are some oils that should not be used on certain animals for various reasons, this is why oils should not be used unless you know what you are doing.
There are also quite a few pet products out there that have essential oils in them, for skin conditions, flea control, anxieties and travel sickness to name a few.
 

Lady Jane

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I find most people i the medical profession to be incredibly closed-minded to even the idea of maybe using an alternative treatment. Even if their way isn’t working.

I agree
 
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