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Tea Tree Oil

keikoasmom

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I love this stuff, it's true, Melaleuca is an amazing plant. (tree)

I have used Tea Tree Oil for many things, and the Melaleuca Company has some good products. I like
their Clear Power for cleaning cages, but do not buy from a rep or have an account, so its sometimes
hard to get.

Tea Tree Oil has disinfectant properties, but healing too. Antimicrobial and antifungal~

For instance, a few drops of pure Tea Tree Oil in a spray bottle is a deterrent to spiders. I use it around the corners of rooms, window sills, door frames and where there are gaps in the house (where cables or pipes come in). Spiders don't like it.

I had a bad sunburn this summer, and my son (45) reminded me that Tea Tree Oil is good for burns!
He had pulled a pan of lasagne out of his oven once, and didn't have it all the way on the counter,
reached out to grab it, and stuck his hand in the hot lasagne! OUCH! He put melaleuca on the burn and it never blistered, and healed fairly quickly.
I had been using aloe for my sunburn, but my neck and back were terrible, more purple than red, and after using melaleuca, it gradually turned tan and I have to say that the pain and itching was relieved right away!

Many other uses. Our BF Amazon, Keikoa, has a nasal discharge. Clear, it looks like a bit of a cold.
The vet suggested Benedryl and saline drops until we can get her in. Her behavior is normal, and they also said to use a humidifier. I wondered if tea tree oil in the humidifier might help?
Just a couple of drops.

Tea Tree Oil Benefits
 

Ankou

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In my understanding, NO!
It's extremely toxic to all animals and I'm told even it's fumes can be fatally dangerous to parrots. I do know it can be fatal as an aerosol or when ingested. It's always a good idea to do some research on things like this, because it sounds like what you've been doing is pretty unsafe for your birdies at times.

Ask your vet if you really want to use it around your birds, if she's qualified I'm sure she knows more about the subject than I do from a few online searches years back, but I've heard enough that I would never recommend it's use around birds at all.
You have a recommendation from an AV, she gave you that recommendation for a good reason. Please ask her directly before you do anything differently.
 
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cupoftea

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Wow, I had no idea tea tree oil is toxic. My mom uses it all the time.
 

Ankou

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I guess maybe I was more sensitive to the fact it may not be the greatest thing since the smell/fumes give me a migraine every single time. I need to remember just because the strong odor of something makes me feel like it isn't safe and read into it more that isn't going to be true for most people, especially people who enjoy sents. :)
So sorry if I sounded judgmental, that wasn't my intention.

Anything that's bad for me is almost certainly bad for birds, I figure, so I read into it more and it sure sounds bad based on the internet... but the collective ramblings of a group of strangers is hardly a scholarly source, which is also why I suggest asking an AV. Maybe the fumes just have a bad reputation and it's only ingesting/inhaling it that's unsafe?

Even if it didn't effect me though, having read what I've found, I would still never use it around Peanut.
 

webchirp

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OMG...please don't use tea tree oil anywhere around your birds. Cleaning or otherwise. It is toxic. I have a foster parrotlet that was nearly killed from it and it still struggling from getting it all out of her system. She got so bad that she almost could not walk and has had seizures.
 

rocky'smom

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that would be HUGE NO!!!!!!!!!! it is very toxic to birds and also other animals.
 

Milo

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OMG...please don't use tea tree oil anywhere around your birds. Cleaning or otherwise. It is toxic. I have a foster parrotlet that was nearly killed from it and it still struggling from getting it all out of her system. She got so bad that she almost could not walk and has had seizures.
I was going to cite this very instance. Please DO NOT use it!!!!
 

webchirp

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Correction, I have a foster parrotlet that just passed from the toxicity. I just lost little Pea this morning. Not only did the toxicity cause her liver to enlarge, it affected her kidney and she had several areas of gout. Gout is terribly painful so she was suffering as well. Please do not use tea tree oil on or anywhere near your birds.
 

Karen

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Chandra, I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for the warning that Tea Tree Oil should not be used.
 

Ankou

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I'm so sorry for your loss and that poor little babies suffering Chandra. Thank you for trying to save her.
:sadhug2:
 

Birdiemarie

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Chandra, I just read your thread and I'm so sorry for your loss. Yes, Tea Tree Oil is very toxic.
 

rocky'smom

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^@keikoasmom please read This is what Tea Tree Oil does to birds.
 

rocky'smom

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i don't use it even on me. i get a rash
 

Sadieladie1994

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keikoasmom

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Chandra, I am so sorry.
And thank you all for the information, I did use a drop in the vaporizer, I couldn't
get back online, but I ended up giving that vaporizer to my son, who has no birds.

I don't love the smell, but to me it is no worse than turpentine, and I use it for many things
but now keep it away from the birds.
 

keikoasmom

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Thank you all, and I apologize for not getting back to this thread. I need to figure out how to set notifications.
I can, can't I?

I did not use it on or around my birds, although I did use very diluted (4 drops to a 1.5 pint or more of water)
to spray the outdoor aviary following winter, when small birds get in there, and I saw squirrels on top of it.
I was hoping that after the TTO dried, it was non-toxic, but is this not true?

We are fostering two cats who have taken up more time than I could ever have imagined (I have now learned how to say, "NO!" haha)
trying to get our 7 year old kitties and the birds used to them and them used to the rules and the house.
So I haven't had the birds outside. Maybe I will clean the aviary again with vinegar (diluted) to hopefully remove the TTO.

But as far as using TeaTree Oil topically, I have used it as an anti-fungal on my toe nails after catching a fungus from a pedicure,
and on cuts on fingers as well as for the sunburn previously mentioned. I mean, imagine how hot the lasagne was, right from the oven!
I was doubtful initially, putting smelly TTO on my shoulders, which had blistered. The sun at Pike's Peak (6000+ feet above sea level)
was very intense, and my sun block failed me.
The full-strength Desert Essence brand TTO, was immediately soothing and where aloe had only been minimally effective,
the TTO reduced the redness over night.

But I would never take the chance of using TTO or any other essential oil on or around birds without research and/or
the advice of my avian vet.
 

Doctress

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Tea Tree Oil can be irritating to humans also! I don’t recommend using it unless very dilute (1-2 drops in 10-20 mL of carrier oil). It has a strong fragrance, which can be irritating to humans with breathing problems. If you MUST use these, the safest way is to use the smallest dose in a well-ventilated area.
 

finchly

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^^ This. ALWAY dilute any EO in a carrier oil. There are many - you can look them up. I use coconut, jojoba for most oils.

Even if a company tells you their oil can be used neat, don’t buy into it. Always dilute.

I am probably the most pro-oil member of this board and even I wouldn’t recommend tea tree oil for birds! LOL please don’t use it on yourself if you are going to be around birds, either.
 
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