Tea Tree Oil - Safety Alert - Parrot Articles

Tea Tree Oil - Safety Alert - Parrot Articles:

Tea Tree Oil - Safety Alert
by Marilu Anderson, Bird Nutrition and Behavior Consultant
Phone: (503) 771-BIRD

I'm obviously a big fan of alternative health care, herbal therapies, and natural remedies - for both myself and my birds. I started learning about these things some 25 years ago, living in the San Francisco Bay Area and visiting herbalists, reflexologists, iridologists, and various natural health practitioners. So, when my birds need treatment, I generally look first to alternative treatments. Fortunately, I also check first to ensure the safety for birds of whatever I'm considering using. It's important to remember that just because something is 'natural', that doesn't always mean it's 100% safe or appropriate for birds.

Recent case in point - Valentino, my lovebird, had an 'owie' on his back, very raw skin spot - and I needed to clean and treat it. Usually I use Aloe Vera and/or Cayenne tincture, but I had just been given a bottle of Tea Tree Oil for a skin ailment of my own, so thought it might be good for 'Tino. THANK GOD I checked out it's safety for birds FIRST before applying it to my little guy.

Upon research, I found that Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil) is similar in structure and action to turpentine. Often used for its antibacterial and antifungal properties in both humans and animals, it can cause toxicity if ingested. We all know anything put on our bird's skin can, and will, be ingested to some degree during preening. It can also be absorbed through the skin, causing systemic toxicity.

There are reports of deaths in birds from poisoning from Tea Tree Oil, as well as some who were able to be saved by immediate emergency treatment. Although many cases occurred from using overly high dosages, one case involved only one drop of oil applied to a bleeding blood feather. So, I decided NOT to treat my lovebird's skin injury with Tea Tree Oil. Use your own judgment, but keep this tox

Teflon Kills Birds

Never EVER use non-stick pans if you have a parrot or other birds. There are other non-stick items that could be deadly that you may have never thought of. For example, a teflon-coated element in a space heater. Please take a look at this website.

EWG Report || Canaries in the Kitchen || Teflon Toxicosis: Teflon kills birds

Avian veterinarians have known for decades that Teflon-coated and other non-stick cookware can produce fumes that are highly toxic to birds. As early as 1986, a Chicago-area expert on “Teflon toxicosis” called the phenomenon a “leading cause of death among birds,” and estimated that hundreds of birds are killed by the fumes and particles emitted from Teflon-coated products each year [1][2]. Although an accurate national accounting of deaths is not available, in a single year this Chicago veterinarian documented 296 bird deaths in 105 cases involving non-stick cookware.

Under ordinary cooking scenarios, Teflon kills birds. A review of the literature and bird owners’ accounts of personal experience with Teflon toxicosis shows that Teflon can be lethal at normal cooking temperatures, with no human lapses in judgment or wakefulness.

Bird deaths have been documented during or immediately after the following normal cooking scenarios:

• New Teflon-lined Amana oven was used to bake biscuits at 325�F; all the owner’s baby parrots died [3] [4].
• Four stovetop burners, underlined with Teflon-coated drip pans, were preheated in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner; 14 birds died within 15 minutes [2] [5].
• Nonstick cookie sheet was placed under oven broiler to catch the drippings; 107 chicks died [2].
• Self-cleaning feature on the oven was used; a $2,000 bird died [5].
• Set of Teflon pans, including egg poaching pan, were attributed to seven bird deaths over seven years [6].
• Water burned off a hot pan; more than 55 birds died [7].
• Electric skillet at 300�F and space heater were used simultaneously; pet bird died [8].
• Toaster oven with a non-stick coating was used to prepare food at a normal temperature; bird survived but suffered respiratory distress [9].
• Water being heated for hot cocoa boiled off completely; pet bird died [10].
  

You may think that it's a pain to clean stainless steel pots, but it really isn't. Even my dishwasher can handle it, no matter what I've been cooking. Even if it was a pain, would it be worth letting your bird die?

Bean (glad I won't be home), Veggie & Fruit Mix

I'll have to rate this one later because I haven't made it yet. But here's the deal. I bought a huge bag of organic beans. There are about 13 types of beans in the package. I'd love to eat that for myself in a nice vegetable based soup, but fine! The bird gets everything. I know.

• 13-bean mix (organic)
• brown rice
• vegetables and fruits
• chili peppers or whatever hot stuff your bird likes most
  

Okay, here's the trick with the beans. You have to rinse them off, then let them sit in water for 6 hours (overnight). When ya get up, rinse them again, then start boling those beans! They're going to take about 3 hours depending on the variety you get. Or if you're smart, you'll soak the beans before you go to work so you can make them when you get home!

I personally would do the brown rice separately, but I'm sure you can toss it in during the last hour or so. If you used white rice, it would be a last 20-minutes endeavour

Take care of the mixed vegetables and fruits while this other stuff is in the last 10 minutes or so. Whether you're just leaving the veggies fresh, or heating up mixed veggies. My bird tends to like cooked veggies more, but we'll see.

Once you're all done with the beans, rice, veggies and fruits: If your parrot hates pellets like mine does, throw a few into the finished mixture and pray they don't notice. Little bit of revenge for the fact that they make you slave away and cook for them.

Peanut Apple Surprise

Even the fussiest eaters will like this one, if they like peanut butter and apples.

Ingredients:

• Cooked rotelle pasta
  
• Cooked mixed vegetables
• Organic peanut butter (don't use freshly ground peanut butter) *
  
• Chopped apples
• Pellets (whatever the usual is)
• Mixed human-grade organic seeds/nuts *

Cook the pasta and mixed vegetables as you would for yourself. If you happen to like soggy pasta, stop cooking it when it's al dente and give it a rinse. Birds tend not to like mushy food. If you also happen to be lazy and want to cook both items in the same bowl, add the vegetables in the last couple of minutes. Mix the peanut butter in with the pasta and vegetables while they are still warm. Wash and chop up some apple and toss it into the mixture once it has cooled down a little. Add pellets and seeds/nuts. Try not to use bird seed mix that contains peanuts. Use human grade to lower the risk of mold. (Yuck!)

* Whenever possible, don't give your parrot commercial seed mixes. They often contain fungi, mold, bacteria, insects and sometimes even aflatoxins which can cause cancer and liver disease in birds. Like the bugs aren't bad enough. Human grade organic seeds are safest. It may sound great, but don't go buying freshly ground peanut butter for your bird. They don't monitor that stuff for aflatoxins. Dried fruits can also get moldy and contain preservatives like sulphites. I also find them to be way too sugary, even for me to eat.