Parrot Pharmacy In A leaf
By Carolyn Swicegood

Aloe Vera is a thick-leafed perennial succulent belonging to the lily family and resembling a cactus plant. It is perhaps the best-known medicinal plant in North America and is also known as the burn plant. It has been used fin over four thousand years all over the world for a great variety of human and animal ailments. If you apply the gel from the inner leaf to an itchy insect bite or a painful sunburn, you will get instant relief Even cuts and bruises are instantly soothed by the application of the gel. due to the pain-killing action of Lupeol, Salicylic Acid, and Magnesium. A poultice made from this inner-leaf gel is highly effective on burns, bites, cuts, blisters, bruises and blemishes. As a first aid-treatment, it can stop pain and reduce the chance of infection and scarring while greatly enhancing the healing process. Although skin cancer is a serious medical problem requiring medical attention, there are many reports of total cures by applying Aloe Vera gel two to four times a day for several months. Cold pressed Aloe Vera gel is hypoallergenic, has anti-itch properties. is a superior skin penetrant, and is an effective skin moisturizer. It's renewed popularity has not been lost on the cosmetics industry Just read the labels of such products as moisturizers, cleansers, deodorants, lotions, suntan preparations. Shampoos and conditioners for hair and quite often you will find Aloe Vera listed among the ingredients, sometimes as the main ingredient. Even "baby wipes" now contain Aloe Vera!

Many of us use this natural healing agent to treat the skin problems of our parrots. Whereas chemical ointments may have toxic side effects in our birds, Aloe can he used to soothe and heal minor cuts, bruises, abrasions, and rashes with complete safety. There is preliminary evidence that Aloe gel spray is effective with some feather plucking in parrots. It is thought that this effect is due to the "anti-itch" properties of Aloe. The sooner treatment is begun. the better the chances of cessation of this frustrating problem. as the long-term habitual plucker is more difficult to treat. Try filling a spray bottle with four parts pure water and one part Aloe Vera. (Do not use cold spray on the bare skin of a feather-plucked bird). It can he made stronger or weaker as needed.

From the experiences I personally know of with Aloe Detox. it probably should he a part of every parrot owner's first aid arsenal. Aloe Detox is a detoxifying formula available from better health food stores. It contains double-strength Aloe Vera Gel (200:1) with pure Aloe Vera pulp and a natural herbal blend of Milk Thistle, Burdock, Dandelion, Echinacea, Green Lea, Red Clover and Blue Cohosh.. There are several brands available but the cases that I know of personally were successfully treated with a brand called "Natureade" which uses all organic ingredients and has been around since I926. At this writing, it costs less than fifteen dollars for thirty- two fluid ounces. It is recommended at the ratio of one part formula to two parts water for HUMAN consumption. Because it is non-toxic, one can adjust the amount given a parrot according to the severity of its medical condition. One case was that of an Amazon baby, which a practicing veterinarian had given up for dead because of a very stubborn and serious crop problem. The bird had been treated with spinach. BeneBac. Nystatin and even Tylosine with some improvement, but after two feedings with Aloe Detox. the bird made a dramatic recovery and the problem has never recurred. In another case, two veterinarians had been unable to diagnose or successfully treat an adult female Eclectus which was extremely ill. Both had tried everything at their disposal to save her but finally sent her home to he kept comfortable until the inevitable end. In desperation, the owner started the bird on Aloe Detox and for the first time in six weeks, the Eclectus resumed eating, gained weight, and within weeks had perfectly normal values on a CBC. One of the veterinarians commented that had he not drawn the blood himself, he would have sworn that it came from a different bird which had never been ill! These are documented cases, although no formal tests with controls have been run on this product as far as I know. At the very least, when our veterinarians give up on seriously ill birds or other pets, there is nothing to lose by trying this all-natural and non-toxic product. Although it has been used in the United States mainly as a treatment for surface skin injuries and problems. Aloe is used primarily as a beverage in the rest of the world. Aloe is effective for many inflammatory conditions of the digestive system and other organs. It has been shown in lab tests to prevent stomach lesions and to cure gastric and peptic ulcers. There have been many reports that it is effective in cases of colitis and other inflammations of the digestive tract. Just as in humans, many health conditions in parrots and other animals begin with digestive problems. Many parrot owners now seek to prevent these problems by the regular addition of Aloe Vera to their water or food supply. In the wild, our birds could seek out natural clays and plants to detoxify the foods they consume which may have toxic properties. Few of us provide our birds an effective substitute for this valuable component of their diet. In Russia, tests were conducted on rabbits to see if Aloe increased the body's ability to handle harmful substances. Of the rabbits given Aloe Vera for thirty days, a third of them were able to survive deadly doses of Strychnine. Whereas, no rabbits without the Aloe Vera were able to survive. This could indicate that the natural protective functions of the body are stimulated by this remedy. Considering the fact that the fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the seeds and grains that we feed to our birds are usually contaminated by varying amounts of pesticides and other chemicals. The addition of a detoxifying agent could prevent many illnesses and discomforts as well as prolong their life spans, which all too often are not what they could and should be. Perhaps the addition of Aloe to the diet of parrots could be considered the next best thing to feeding all organic foods, which sometimes are expensive and difficult to obtain. The polysaccharides found in Aloe Vera gel exhibit antiviral activity and enhance immune cell function. Aids patients have been able to obtain relict from many of their symptoms such as night sweats and fever without the toxic side effects of prescription drugs. If this enhanced immunity translates into less illness for our birds, it's definitely worth trying. Many arthritis sufferers have found that their aches and pains respond to an oral regimen of four tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel daily. At that rate, a gallon of gel or juice will last one person for two months. When the dosage is titrated down to the small amount needed for a parrot, Aloe Vera may he the least expensive supplement on the market. It is obvious in older parrots that they too have arthritic changes causing aches and pains. It certainly would seem possible that they too may be helped by the addition of Aloe to their diet. There are many claims by dog owners that the addition of Aloe to the diet made remarkable improvements in their dogs crippling arthritis. Many people swear by stabilized Aloe Vera juice as a nasal irrigant to prevent and eliminate the discomfort of sinus conditions. Many of our birds too suffer with this malady and the use of an Aloe Vera and saline solution to flush congested sinuses may prove to he a useful remedy. In addition to all of the aforementioned benefits to our birds. the following conditions also have been improved by the use of Aloe Vera: abscesses, cysts. E.Coli., Fungus. Mycohacterium, Strep and Staph infections, Salmonella, Respiratory infections, Yeast infections. and parasites! And best of all, even if Aloe Vera does not improve all of these conditions. How many other remedies can make the claim that they do no harm? At the very least, in non-emergency situations, Aloe Vera can be tried before other products which may have detrimental side effects. Perhaps preventative use of this wonderful natural remedy will restore some of the components missing from the diets of our parrots and prevent some of the associated problems.   


Also a parrot liver detoxifying agent: Aloe Detox by Nature Aid may be of help.
 
 
I have seen lately two parrotlets with leg paralasys recover after 4 weeks of treatment.  Good luck and prayers for your little parakeet.