What do you know about Bene Bac for parrots?

[Saemma]

I saw these 2 items and am not sure I understand whether it's a good to have in my first aid kit/health kit for my parrots. Would someone elaborate please? I also don't understand why one is in tube form and one in powder.

Bene Bac Plus Gel Single Dose 4 pk

Bene Bac Plus - 2 choix

 

[DQTimnehs]

I use it after antibiotics, anti-fungal or apple cider vinegar as it replenishes the good bacteria in the gut. Quack loves the gel; Darwin will eat it from a spoon with encouragement. I haven't had to give it to Tiki. Itsy doesn't like spoons but would probably eat it on a bit of biscuit (bread). I haven't tried the powder but I guess you can mix it in wet foods or sprinkle it on toast, etc.

 

[sodakat]

This is a good question. I'm not sure why a manufactured probiotic would be given instead of say, papaya, unless a vet recommended it after a course of antibiotics. The powered is for larger animals, to sprinkle on their food, I think.

I'm interested to hear of people give manufactured probiotics like bene bac on a regular basis. I also am curious how parrot digestive systems treat probiotics. Do they stay in the parrots' intestines a while, like in people?

 

[Mizzely]

I've heard that unless a probiotic is species specific, it doesn't offer much healthwise. Here is one good conversation with Dr. Scott Echols about them: https://www.facebook.com/groups/139357782824396/permalink/222907894469384/

Emily Strong
Ok, question, Scott Echols: since we've already established that probiotics made for humans, dogs, and cats aren't really effective for birds since each species has their own specific gut flora, how do you recommend helping a bird restore their gut flora after it's been wiped out by illness or antibiotics?

Pamela Clark
One product that can be useful in normalizing gut flora is apple cider vinegar (ACV). At our clinic, it is not uncommon to see elevated numbers of gram negative bacteria or budding yeast on a fecal gram stain of an otherwise apparently healthy parrot. Dr. Richard Hillmer, the avian vet I work for, recommends treating with ACV in the drinking water. It is important to use organic, unpasteurized ACV that contains the "mother" culture. It will appear cloudy, as opposed to the Heinz version of the product. We recommend using this at the rate of one teaspoon per pint of drinking water for a period of two weeks. In "Avian Medicine: Principles and Application," the authors recommend the same "for asymptomatic birds with gram negative rods and/or yeast detected in cytology sample from the mouth or cloaca." The rate given in this reference is 15ml (3 teaspoons) per quart of drinking water, which is slightly higher. Some owners report that their birds won't drink the water with the ACV, but this is easily overcome by reducing the amount of ACV included initially, and then increasing it up to the therapeutic recommended amount after a few days. I believe it's a valuable practice to use ACV in the drinking water for the first week of every month, even in the absence of an abnormal test result.

Emily Strong
Thanks, Pamela. I'm already familiar with and using ACV and have had great success with it in the past, but was wondering what other recommendations Dr. Echols (or anyone) might have, since the use of ACV is somewhat controversial. However, I personally use it prophylactically for my birds and cat, and it has been extremely helpful.

Scott Echols
Emily Strong, good question! Pamela Clark offers one suggestion. honestly, I quit using probiotics in birds (but do use specific ones in dogs and humans) even with antibiotic use. So did I notice a difference with or without probiotics and other substances to hep 'restore' gut flora....No. So now, I don't add any additional medications.

Emily Strong
Ok, so you are saying that a bird whose gut flora has been upset / wiped out will just normalized on their own? We don't need to do anything?

Scott Echols
Yes. That is exactly what I am saying! The few studies on probiotics in pet birds have not been very helpful. I am not saying these products have no value. At the same time, we have no proof they do help and may experience has been the same.

Scott Echols
One thing we have to be careful about is taking data from one animal and saying that because X works to treat Y disease in species Z, the same will be true for Species A. In the world of cats, dogs and humans, we are dealing with 3 species. There are several hundred species of commonly kept birds that have evolved along very different paths and utilize food and nutrients sometimes very differently.

Emily Strong
Ok. So about how long would you say is a reasonable period of time for a bird's gut to stabilize after antibiotics? And are there any foods you would specifically recommend against feeding while the stools are still watery?

Scott Echols
Emily Strong, you are askiing the right question. However there is no answer that I know of. At least with the antibiotics I use, I don't commonly see diarrhea in pet birds. Antibiotics that can more commonly cause GI upset include TMP sulfa (in some species) and Baytril (of the commonly prescribed antibiotics).

Emily Strong
Yes, he was on Baytril after a sinus infection from inhaling dirty water while we was bathing. His stools were pretty watery during and after the course of antibiotics. Sinus infection went away; watery stools remained. But after a few days of ACV in the water and some cinnamon sprinkled over the food, the stools finally returned to normal. Whew! Thanks again for your help!

 

[Bokkapooh]

When I was 16 I worked at a petstore that sold puppies and other animals. New shipment of puppies who were on antibiotics they got bene bec. Never knew it was given to birds.

 

[Bailey]

I give it to new birds, sick birds, birds after antibiotic, and if they get seedy poops I also give them benebac to try to clear it up before deciding on a vet visit.

 

[Mizzely]

They do make bird probiotics: Avi-culture, The Finest, Live, Avian-Specific Probiotic

But again, it is for ALL birds, and not specific species, and so there is little evidence to prove if they do work/help or not.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I like my avi-bios and Harrisons Avian Enzymes!

 

[sodakat]

Thanks for that great information from Dr Echols, Shawna. It makes sense that different species have different needs.

 

[Saemma]

Thanks guys. Don't think I'll be purchasing any Bene-Bac for now.

 

[tozie12]

i have used bene-bac, the one marketed for birds (they actually market different formulas for different species of animals), on a few occasions. the first time was when i first got skittles. his gram stain showed a high yeast count. so the vet prescribed benebac daily for 2 weeks. his follow up gram stain showed normal bacteria. did it work? was it that i'd changed his environment and diet so much from his previous owner? if it was the change rather than the benebac, why did it suddenly work when the first 2 months of this change did nothing? the vet who prescribed it was the awful one. so my confidence in his choice of treatment is LOW, to say the least. my 'good' vet says there's no clinical evidence that it helps, but she's seen anecdotal evidence that it does. i've tried it for caleb once to see if it helped him with his feather destructive behaviors.. it didnt.

 

[roxynoodle]

The only vet I've had prescribe a probiotic was the non avian one I used for a few years when between avian vets in the area. My current CAV who I have much trust and faith in never has. I will ask her at Merlin's next follow up what her opinion is.

 

[Macawnutz]

I keep Korbel on Aviculture. When he was young he had infection after infection. Everytime we went in he had some form of budding yeast. After the attack of AGY and many many meds I put him on aviculture and we have not had an imperfect yeast count since. It's obvious to me that he has a poor immune system. I don't give it daily anymore but I do add it once a week to keep it in his system.