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Yes it works - Home Remedies for sick birds

Alicia B

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Hi all!!

I recently healed my sick Lorikeet. It took a little more than a week.

I healed him with Manuka Honey, Bee Pollin, Coconut Flower Nectar, a high quality, low sugar Lorikeet feed, and a meticulously clean cage/water.

My story below:


I first noticed him not vocalising, sitting fluffed up on his branch and closing his eyes. He wasn’t eating. Slowly he got worse, I found his sitting on flatter serface, he had laboured breathing when he moved too much, with his chest heaving up and down after mild exertion. Finally, he started loosing his balance, having unsure steps, what I suspected was the onset ataxia. He had a black poo, which another bird owner told me may be caused by the bird essentially starving. Which seemed likey, as he wasn’t eating at all.

I picked some bottle brush for him, and held it up to him, and he did eat that. So there was still hope.

Lorikeets are nectar and pollin eaters primarily, so that’s where I focused for healing. My main goal was to get him to eat. He is an aviary bird, not an inside bird, so catching was not an option. And he has a mate, who is well, and if I wasn’t careful, would eat everything before he had a chance.

I bought the highest grade Manuka honey I could find (MGO 263, NPA 10+, higher exists, they just don’t sell it where I live). I figured I could make a nectar and it would be antimicrobial/antibacterial—essentially a natural antibiotic. Since he would only eat from flowers at first, I mixed a dollop of honey to a small amount of filtered water to make a nectar. I then droppered it into the flowers. I didn’t do this until day three or four (he had been in decline up until this point). He hungrily ate the flowers I fed to him. I put them in three or four places in the cage, so he could at least get 1 before the other bird ate the rest.

The next day, he looked more alert. I then decided to cut up apple and pear—1/2 a fruit between two birds, cut into 4 pieces. I then scored all sides of the pear (and left on the skin—this helps me wedge it into the cage and hold t in place), I then rubbed the Manuka honey over the score marks and pushed it into the cuts in the fruit. I used a very scant bit of honey on each piece, and used a butter knife/my finger to rub it in.

I noticed my sick bird wasn’t eating the apple, he was just brushing his tongue over all the fruit—but I didn’t care, because at least he was getting calories and started rapidly improving, becoming more alert and steady on his feet. I placed the apple/pear in four places throughout the cage. He would hop around and lick all the honey and the other bird would hop around eating the fruit after him.

I did this two times a day. Morning and late afternoon.

I would leave the food for an hour or two, before sweeping it ALL up and hosing down the cage, and changing all the water. I also did this two to three times a day.

After three days of this he was nearly back to his full self. I finally introduced the Bee Pollin (which I had to drive to another town to get). I have heard good things about Bee Pollin for honeyeaters—and that it helps their feathers be brightly coloured.

I also purchased some Coconut Flower Nectar—they went CRAZY for this!

I did the same thing, I scored the fruit, and then I stuffed 5-8 granules into each apple. The Pollin is soft, so no need to worry about beak breakage. I then used a butter knife to get a TINY bit of the nectar and rubbed it over the fruit. They went crazy for it. He was already looking about 70%. Still resting, but not as much. He had started to vocalise again too.

The first feed of the Bee Pollin and nectar was a PM feed. The next morning he was bouncing around chatterin calling for me to hurry up with his food!!! At the front of the cage, chatting loudly and FLYING!!! I was blown away.

Like all medicine, I will continue to feed him the honey in the AM and the nectar in the PM, both with the Pollin. Gradually, I will limit the fruit to one time daily, and reintroduce the fresh greens & veggies back, as he wasn’t eating them when he was sick.

The Bee Pollin will be a perminant addition to their diet. As will the nectar. I will save the Manuka Honey as an antibiotic, should I need it in the future.

The Coconut Flower Nectar is naturally high in vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Bee Pollin is a wholefood meaning it contains everything necessary to sustain life. It is the best multi-vitamin and mineral supplements. Animals that are recovering from an illness or suffering from a stressful situation often benefit from the addition of Bee Pollen in their diet.

It is also highly beneficial to birds that are prone to feather plucking (which both my rescue birds were before me). They are both now starting to grow back feathers!!! Win!
 

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Lady Jane

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@Goodegg the link to herb salad you posted shows a different product.
 

Tiel Feathers

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I’m glad your bird is feeling better!
 

Love My Zons

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If your bird is bleeding, you can use flour or cornstarch in stead of styptic powder to stop the bleeding! Just make sure if you're using flour that it's unbleached white flour! Press some on the spot that's bleeding, and put pressure on it for a few seconds. Should work like a charm!
Cayenne Pepper will do the same with medicinal antibacterial properties as well as pain relief!
 

Rain Bow

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I read something not to long ago about keeping old school (little green btl) of campho-phenique in a bird first aid kit.

I don't know why tho!

:bluhug: Rain
 

finchly

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I read something not to long ago about keeping old school (little green btl) of campho-phenique in a bird first aid kit.

I don't know why tho!

:bluhug: Rain
Yikes, it has eucalyptus. There are many different kinds and you have to know which one you're using - not all are safe.
 

Farlie

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Can somebody recommend something for a sick conure? He has a BAD cold. Respiratory issues. Wet Sneezing. Gurgling when breathing. This baby is really congested. His lungs are full of crap and it's hard for him to breath. He bobs up and down on his perch and grumbles when he breaths.
I've seen the vet X-Rays and she showed my the issue. He's been on meds for close to a month now and I'm looking for other possible home remedies for a sick bird with a really BAD cold.
Many :thanks:
 

rocky'smom

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@Farlie please contact your vet have them do sensitivity study. Some antibiotics are better then others for infections.
 

finchly

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Can somebody recommend something for a sick conure? He has a BAD cold. Respiratory issues. Wet Sneezing. Gurgling when breathing. This baby is really congested. His lungs are full of crap and it's hard for him to breath. He bobs up and down on his perch and grumbles when he breaths.
I've seen the vet X-Rays and she showed my the issue. He's been on meds for close to a month now and I'm looking for other possible home remedies for a sick bird with a really BAD cold.
Many :thanks:
How is he doing? Was he on baytril for a month? Hopefully they've changed to another antibiotic?

The only thing I can offer without knowing more about the diagnosis is neem tea. You steep tea leaves for about an hour, then offer it as a drink. Make it the only water he drinks....but be sure he is drinking - it's bitter so some won't. With one that sick, I would use it daily for a week. Neem is antimicrobial, antifungal, and more.
 

Farlie

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How is he doing? Was he on baytril for a month? Hopefully they've changed to another antibiotic?

The only thing I can offer without knowing more about the diagnosis is neem tea. You steep tea leaves for about an hour, then offer it as a drink. Make it the only water he drinks....but be sure he is drinking - it's bitter so some won't. With one that sick, I would use it daily for a week. Neem is antimicrobial, antifungal, and more.
He's been on, Doxycycline, 10mgs twice a day for 10 days.

Farlie is doing well. He's pretty close to being all better. He jumped up this morning and waddled down to breakfast which is something he hasn't been doing since he's been sick. He doesn't usually eat till after noons but today I'm very happy to see him eat so early.
He's also being his old quite self again. He's always been a quiet sun. A chirp or two to say hi to me in the mornings then goes about his playing and foraging throughout his cage.
:thanks: Tanya.
 
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Lovebudgie

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Any natural remedies for kidney problems? does apple cider vinegar help?
 

Heather K

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My 25 year old cockatiel has squamous cell carcinoma of his uropygial gland. Surgery isn't an option as the anesthesia will likely kill him. Best I can do is keep the area clean as the biggest threat to him is bacterial infection. Does anyone know if goldenseal is safe for birds?
 

Aviphile

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My 25 year old cockatiel has squamous cell carcinoma of his uropygial gland. Surgery isn't an option as the anesthesia will likely kill him. Best I can do is keep the area clean as the biggest threat to him is bacterial infection. Does anyone know if goldenseal is safe for birds?
Hi Heather, sorry about your baby.

I found this online

Let me check a couple of books and see what I can find.
 

Aviphile

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Herbs to the Rescue for Birds back.jpg

I found this but I want to check something else.
 
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