Zygodactylous
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 6/6/19
- Messages
- 71
Birds do have cannabinoid receptors, just like dogs and humans, so it's possible it can be useful, but as others have said the research is pretty meager at this point. So far the only research I have seen specifically in birds is on cannabinoid-blocking drugs (which block endogenous cannabinoids, or the THC-like chemicals the body produces and responds to naturally) and their effect on memory. Basically the conclusion was that blocking cannabinoids improved the study birds' memory for where they'd stored food, but if that food was moved, they had more trouble imagining where it *could* be. So, what we can say for sure us that birds have cannabinoid receptors, and they are involved in memory and creative thinking/exploration/problem-solving type behavior. However, we don't really have any good information how cannabinoids of any kind are involved with pain, stress, or anxiety in birds. We also don't know how many receptors each species of bird has, and which kinds, which can greatly affect the dosage and efficacy of oils. Dogs, for example, have a LOT more receptors than humans, which is why they can end up completely dysphoric in the ER from an amount of THC that would be fairly gentle for a human. And dogs are all just one species, while we have 360+ species of parrot we know next to nothing about.
I would strongly suggest your macaw friend be seen by an avian vet, just to make sure nothing is physically wrong (unless you have done so already), and then consulting with a holistic vet if your regular vet isn't open to discussing medicinal hemp/cannabis use. And as others have mentioned, standards are mostly lacking in the new CBD/THC oil industry, so look for third-party testing and reviews from multiple unaffiliated sources. I wish you and your bird friend luck with this!
I would strongly suggest your macaw friend be seen by an avian vet, just to make sure nothing is physically wrong (unless you have done so already), and then consulting with a holistic vet if your regular vet isn't open to discussing medicinal hemp/cannabis use. And as others have mentioned, standards are mostly lacking in the new CBD/THC oil industry, so look for third-party testing and reviews from multiple unaffiliated sources. I wish you and your bird friend luck with this!