Karen Shaw Becker, DVM, NMD

Holistic avian medicine is a comprehensive approach to medicine that diagnoses and treats disease in the context of the whole patient. The techniques used are gentle, minimally invasive and incorporate the goal of patient well-being and stress reduction. Current health status, genetics, diet, family relationships, prior illnesses and the bird’s unique disease pattern should all be taken into account when assessing the health problem or concern at hand. Addressing how and why disease was allowed to occur is also important. By identifying subtle physical changes as well as health risks that predispose birds to disease, holistic practitioners can reduce the incidence of avian illness and degenerative conditions.

Whether you are treating a finch with a wing fracture or an umbrella cockatoo with a traumatic eye injury, there are several alternative approaches that may be successful. Deciding exactly what healing modality to use depends on the injury, the bird and the doctor. Many holistic avian veterinarians begin by combining traditional allopathic protocols with herbs or supplements that may benefit the bird’s condition. In non-emergency situations, many holistic practitioners will offer alternative treatment options first. Birds are highly emotional, intelligent and sensitive creatures that respond well to many forms of natural therapy. Many of the adverse side effects of drugs, invasive procedures and conventional therapies can be avoided by first trying to encourage the bird’s body to heal itself.

“Let your food be your medicine…” Hippocrates

In the last decade, psittacine nutritional research has advanced significantly. Most avian practitioners now recommend a pellet-based diet for their patients. Weaning hand fed juvenile parrots onto pellets means many birds are avoiding the nutritional deficiencies of their seed-eating predecessors. However, despite claims of being “100% nutritionally complete,” many exotic animal practitioners are finding 3rd or 4th generation pellet parrots are just surviving, not thriving. Sure, we are seeing less obesity in pellet fed birds, but plumage is not brilliant, eyes are not sharp, beaks still flake. Compare your companion birds in your living room to the wild birds at your feeder. Wild birds have smooth beaks, sleek feathers and bright, feisty eyes. They have a strong vitality. Ever wonder why our pets don’t look as good? What’s missing? Fresh, living, whole foods! Fresh foods are vital for all animals. Birds are no exception.

A window to the inside

There are some terrific external markers of nutrition and good health.

1. The beak

Thriving: shiny (except cockatoos), smooth and strong
Surviving: cracked, commonly overgrown or flaky

2. Plumage and skin

Thriving: smooth feathers, no retained sheaths, bright pigments
Surviving: tattered, dull feathers, flaky skin, body odor, loss of pigment or stress bars

3. The feet

Thriving: scales are smooth yet tough, nails are shiny and strong
Surviving: flaky scales with keratin build up, brittle nails

Nutrition is the foundation of good health. By feeding your bird correctly your bird will be healthier and more capable of fighting disease and warding off degenerative changes.

Additives and Preservatives

Additives are usually added to please the customer. Some people base their bird food choice on what appeals to them visually. If the food does not have several pleasant colors, shapes, textures and odors sometimes sales do not occur. Emulsifiers, surfactants, colors and anti-microbial agents are added to almost all commercial foods to extend shelf life and enhance customer satisfaction.

All pet foods contain preservatives. Of the more than 8000 food additives, no toxicity reports are available for 46% of them. Cancer causing agents are sometimes allowed if they are used in low enough levels. Cumulative effects have not been studied, but synergistic effects have been found to occur when several preservatives are used together. If the preservatives have been added to the ingredients before the pet food companies blend or manufacture the products it does not have to be listed on the label. Herbicides, pesticides and fungicides added at the grainery or holding facilities therefore, are not listed on the label. In addition to the chemicals applied during the plant’s growth and processing, most finished products (bagged seed and pellets) are also sprayed with anti-microbials to inhibit fungal and bacterial growth and to extend shelf life.

Ever open a bag of pellets and have a blast of fruit flavor bowl you over? Ever wonder how food manufacturers can make food so vibrantly green, yellow, orange and red? Artificial ingredients are used to entice you to re-purchase the good smelling food and to entice your bird into eating the food. Artificial colors often include these coal-tar derivatives; FD&C red #40 (carcinogen), yellow #5 (not tested) and sodium nitrite, a red coloring that produces the carcinogen nitrosamine. Ingested on a daily basis these colorings could cause your bird’s immune system to malfunction, leading to a variety of symptoms, lack of health and eventual disease. Birds are very sensitive to all chemicals, including the harsh chemicals in their foods. Sweeteners are also added to almost all bird pellets to mask the poor quality ingredients and potentially undesirable taste. All forms of processed sugar foster yeast overgrowth, which causes gastro-intestinal upset, diarrhea, malabsorption and digestion. Excessive sugars also over-tax the pancreas.

Unlike people, who can splurge one day and choose to eat healthfully the next, birds often get the same food everyday for life, which means in some cases, excessive chemicals and preservatives and poor quality nutrients. Birds are extreme creatures of habit. Much like feeding toddlers, they do not always choose healthy foods once addicted to “junk food.” They also choose their food by what it looks like, much like people at a buffet. Gentle but consistent weaning techniques must be employed to slowly wean birds off of poor quality, addictive diets and on to healthier foods.

Only high quality pellets and seeds (preferable organic) should be offered to your bird. Despite the “100% nutritionally complete” label, your bird requires more than just processed food from a bag or can for health. In addition to a healthy pellet or seed, offer a variety of unprocessed foods. Living foods (vegetables, fruits and raw nuts) supply unaltered enzymes, amino acids, vitamins and minerals in their natural form. Enzymes help repair damaged tissues, reduce inflammatory responses and aid in the overall healing process (Baumullar, 1990). Papain, a protease enzyme from papaya, has been demonstrated to be as effective an analgesic as aspirin (Emele, Shanaman, Winbury, 1966). Enzymes also have immune-modulating properties and may be beneficial in treating birds with Neuropathic Gastric Dilatation (i.e.PDD). Voluminous stools and undigested seeds/foods in the stool are signs that a bird is lacking digestive enzymes. A birds’ pancreas is responsible for producing digestive enzymes necessary for processing food. The avian pancreas relies on external sources enzymes (found in foods) to aid in the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Birds consuming an entirely dead, overprocessed, inorganic diet cannot thrive.

Amino acids found in fresh foods are necessary for the production of immunoglobulins, neurotransmitters and hormones, not to mention healthy feathers and skin. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are vital for normal biological function. The proteins in bird foods are commonly processed multiple times at high temperatures, causing the proteins to denature and lose bioavailability. How do I offer good quality, unprocessed protein? Raw, unsalted nuts. Nuts are also high in fat, so feed only small amounts. Also offer a variety of legumes. Feed everything in moderation and feed a wide variety of foods to assure a balanced ingestion of many different trace minerals and vitamins. Push the dark green leafies and yellow veggies: consider starting with squash, endive, escarole, parsley, broccoli, sweet potato, and lima beans. Start out knowing you will waste the majority of what you offer. Be patient. It will take your bird several months to remodel his or her eating habits. Work closely with an avian veterinarian.

In addition to good food

Water and air quality is essential. Well water may contain soil run-off (pesticides, herbicides etc), toxins and heavy metals. City water contains excessive chorine and other chemicals. Any kind of water filtration is better than nothing. From Britta© to Reverse Osmosis, do something to try and remove the contaminants from the water. Know your source of bottled water.

Although you may be used to stagnant, dusty, smoke filled air your birds will never adjust. Chronic conjunctivitis, sinusitis and bronchitis from cigarette smoke, old furnace filters and filthy ducts means immune system over-time work for most birds. Reducing environmental contaminants not only improves your bird’s ability to circulate oxygen but also reduces the likelihood of respiratory disease..