Aloe Vera Juice

[ajlinva]

I was just wondering if anyone used Aloe Vera Juice to bathe their cockateils - I use this on my Grey and just wanted to make sure it was OK for my cockateil too.

[siobha9]

I can't see why it wouldnt be ok... obviously you'd use a lot less than you would with a grey I dont bathe my cockatiels as they do it themselves in a dish. So I've never used the juice on them.

[judygram]

I use it on my sun conure, and it makes hers soft too.

[Tari]

I have been using it on a teil at work. She was plucking. Almost all the feathers are back now.

Make sure it is pure.

[birdhouse]

I recently read an article that said that aloe vera is great for all sorts of bird remedies EXCEPT THE POISONOUS PART. You will find that it's listed as a poisonous plant on some sites. I wish I could remember where I read this. But, this article said that it is the bitters of the aloe that are poisonous. The plant needs to be processed without the grey slimey part under the outer flesh, which is poisonous to birds. The article said the rest of the plant can be very beneficial.

[Tari]

Those sites must be wrong. I have sprayed my birds with it. I have added it to their drinking water and I have cut some from my plant and feed it to them from time to time and no one has gotten sick or died.

I have even stuck it in a blender and added it to the food.

[Marlow]

Quote from Yourparrotplace.com (articles)

 

On "poisonous plant lists" on the Internet and elsewhere, you might find that Aloe vera is listed among the poisonous plants on several lists. Authors of such lists attempt to be thorough and accurate by including every plant that has any part with any toxic properties, no matter how mild.

 

In the case of Aloe vera, the toxic component of the plant is not what most of us would consider "poisonous". It is actually an irritant that can cause skin rashes and upset stomachs. The yellow sap just under the skin of the Aloe vera stalk is the problem. It is this yellow-green sap or "Aloe bitters" that is used as a purgative. It should be avoided for all other purposes. Since it is actually marketed as a remedy, it can hardly be considered a true poison.

 

 

If you use the fresh Aloe vera stalk, peel away the tough outer skin and remove all remaining yellow-green sap with a paper towel, running water or both. Many prefer to used prepared Aloe which is widely available in health food stores, pharmacies, department stores, and other places to avoid the problem of the Aloin or Aloe "bitters". Typical comments from poisonous plant lists are:

 

"Ingestion of the latex just under the skin of the Aloe stalk can cause a cathartic (purging) reaction by irritating the large intestine."

 

By purchasing prepared Aloe gel or juice, you can avoid the "mildly toxic" properties. Since the bitters are actually sold as a remedy or purgative, I don't think it can be considered a true toxin. Many vets, including Avian vets, recommend Aloe vera for their feathered patients but since parrots are exquisitely sensitive to toxins, (mainly to inhalants rather than ingested toxins) it is understandable that anyone who is unfamiliar with the "low degree" of toxicity of Aloe vera, and perhaps unaware of how widely it is currently used in the treatment of parrots, would hesitate to recommend it. I have used both fresh and prepared Aloe products for well over ten years with my birds and have never had one Avian case of even an upset stomach, in spite of the fact that I also feed them fresh slices of Aloe leaves without peeling away the skin. Parrots would "peel water" if they could and they instinctively peel away the problematic yellow sap just under the skin before eating it. I also have never experienced the contact dermatitis which is included in the warnings, nor have any of my parrots.

 

http://www.yourparrotplace.com/pages.php?pageid=26

[M2MM]

I give my boys diluted aloe (organic) juice for "dipping" their pellets in. They seem to really enjoy it.