Bird Self Medication
by William Astor
edited by Christine Kumar
Winter 2003
There are just 7 questions.
Question 1
Why do birds flying about in the countryside always seem to be tight feathered and active whereas birds kept in cages more often than not end up becoming fluffed and less active ?
Answer 1
One answer to this is that sick birds in the wild are eliminated by predators or simply die. However there is increasing evidence to indicate that animals in the wild make use of substances that we do not class as food, yet are vital for their health and well-being. I call them self-medicating substances or SMS's for short. I will explain more about them later.
Question 2
Why is it then that Grandma's canary which used to be kept in a cage and fed just seed, water and lettuce, lived for years in good health WITHOUT any self-medicating substances ?
Answer 2
The answer is domestication. After hundreds of years of selective breeding, the canary's immune system is thoroughly adapted to the germs in a human environment. If you released captive bred canaries in the wild again, where food and water for them will be abundant, it is likely some at least will die due to the germs in the wild environment being different to the ones they have been used to.
The same thing happens when people travel. Even if they immunize themselves with injections before travelling, they could still end up with stomach upsets for the same reason that I mentioned above.
BUT even after having adapted to the germs in their environment, wild animals still make use of self medicating substances. Without these substances, the many pathogens that wild birds consume daily will overwhelm their immune system in no time. This is a very important point. Next time you go for a walk in the country, observe how birds are constantly browsing amidst "dirt" (soil) and drinking "dirty" water and yet looking the picture of health!
Question 3
What is animal self-medication?
Answer 3
According to Dr. Cindy Engel, animal self-medication is the way "many species (birds, insects, and mammals) use plants, soils, insects, and fungi as 'medicines' in ways that guard against future illness (preventive medicine) and/or relieve unpleasant symptoms (curative or therapeutic medicine)."
Question 4
How did I apply this idea to my captive birds ?
Answer 4
After a lot of trial and error, the breakthrough came when I e-mailed an Arizona Gouldian woman breeder called Debbie Myers and inquired about grapefruit seed extract dosages. She told me of how she cured a plump fluffed Gouldian hen by giving her two drinks. One with GSE in it and one of plain water, and the hen preferred to drink the GSE solution to plain water. She advised me to do the same with my sick finches. I supplied GSE solution of various concentrations and found what concentration the birds preferred. I did the same with apple cider vinegar solution as well. I also supplied a wide range of herbs, certain seeds and certain inorganic substances that the birds seem to use by instinct to medicate themselves with.
| I group all these herbs, seeds, inorganic substances under one name, which is self-medicating substances or SMS's for short |
I group all these herbs, seeds, inorganic substances under one name, which is self-medicating substances or SMS's for short. I always supply each SMS in its own clean plastic container. For cages, I use 4 ml plastic finger drawers, narrow enough to be fitted in between cage bars. For my free flying bird room, I use 40 ml plastic D-cups that I hook onto a wire rack. Occasionally I also use plastic ice boxes which I place on shelves, each compartment filled with a different item.
Examples of herbs are garlic and sage.
Examples of seeds are milk thistle seeds and perilla.
Examples of inorganic SMS's are diatomaceous earth and clay.
The effect of SMS's is to prevent pathogenic micro organisms, worms or protozoa in the finches' gut from thriving. SMS’s also relieve unpleasant conditions in finches whether internally (e.g. diarrhea) OR externally (e.g. itches caused by mites). I am of the opinion that it is SMS's that enables the immune system of birds in the wild to maintain their continued good health. Otherwise the many pathogens constantly ingested by wild birds will overwhelm their immune system in no time at all.
Birds tend to hide sickness until it is too late for us to save them in most cases. The beauty of SMS's is that this late stage is not likely to come about because the birds will be able to do something about it themselves by consuming the medicine they need before it becomes a crisis. You may laugh at what I am saying, but there is increasing evidence to indicate that this is precisely what happens in the wild.
It is important to realize that these substances are not a cure-all but serve merely as a first line of defence against internal pathogens or parasites that the birds ingest or against external parasites.
I give all my finches self medicating substances AT ALL TIMES separately in a clean plastic container, whether the finches are sick or healthy.
Question 5
Could you tell me more about herbs ?
Answer 5
Herbs are the leaves or roots of plants that have been used as medicine since time immemorial. Plants are capable of synthesizing secondary metabolites that rival the capabilities of any other organism on earth. It is believed that many of these substances have evolved because plants are sessile organisms and therefore cannot flee from danger like most animals can. Therefore, they have acquired the ability to synthesize a mind boggling plethora of biosynthetic compounds in order to help ward off attacks from browsing herbivores and diseases from some microorganisms.
You can either buy the herbs in dried form from health food shops or you can pick your own and dry them yourself. Always pick them up when they are dry and not wet, otherwise they will go mouldy. Let them dry, then place in a paper bag and use metal paper clips to keep it shut. Then I usually pick up the leaves and put them in a coffee mill to grind. Never attempt to mix any herbs in with the normal egg food. I have tried doing this with several antibacterial herbs and finches died for me as a result. Herbs must be supplied separately, in individual containers and kept well away from water sources. I go through the herb containers every week with a clean knife in order to remove the odd dried dropping from the herb containers and replenish where necessary. If however, the herb in the container is utterly fouled by droppings which only happens rarely, I replace the whole lot.
It is important to supply each herb on its own and not serve it as a herb mix because each herb has a particular effect on the bird. You have to let the bird choose what herb it needs at the time. If you supply an herb mix, you are robbing the birds of making their own choice.
Do not buy the tablets or capsules or tinctures because you pay much much more. The only exception I will make here is Grapefruit Seed Extract which is itself a tincture that is made of GSE dissolved in Glycerin. I last got my GSE from Swedish dealer Petter Ho...E-mail: ole@cintamani.com which I found to be of superior quality to the GSE that is sold in health food shops in the UK. Shop around until you find an outlet that sells dried herbs. These are normally kept in large transparent plastic bottles with a wide diameter lid. Dried herbs are very cheap when purchased this way.
Question 6
What is the difference between antibiotics and antibacterial herbs ?
Answer 6
Antibacterial herbs are like antibiotics in that they kill bacteria. The difference between the two seems to be this:
Both antibiotics and antibacterial herbs are absorbed through the intestinal tract. The key in understanding the difference between the two lies in understanding what happens to the antibacterial agent once it is absorbed into the body. Antibiotics are not broken down or metabolised at all and are excreted unchanged in the urine or feces. Therefore because antibiotics are not metabolized, they are much more effective in reaching other organs in the body outside of the gastro-intestinal tract.
On the other hand, antibacterial herbs will contain the active antibacterial chemical in a relatively diluted form which in turn is combined with other compounds. This ultimately leads to its being metabolized after absorption into the blood stream. Therefore once it is absorbed into the blood stream, the antibacterial effect is gone.
Question 7
What are the various types of SMS's that can be made available optionally?
Answer 7
Antibacterial SMS's
Antibacterial SMS's are mostly herbs that destroy or suppress the growth of bacteria, whether they are pathogenic or otherwise. Some can kill fungi, yeasts and viruses as well. The best seem to be grapefruit seed extract, [GSE for short, NOT grape seed extract], apple cider vinegar [ACV for short], garlic, sage, marigold, echinacea and wormwood. These are followed by acacia, aloe, cryptolepsis, eucalyptus, ginger, goldenseal, honey, juniper, licorice, myrrh, thyme, thuja, usnea and wild indigo.
ALWAYS REMEMBER that antibacterial herbs are to be given optionally in their own separate plastic container, i.e. with plain fresh water in a separate drinker available at all times and NEVER mixed in with egg food; otherwise dead finches will be the result. This at least was my experience with sick finches. Healthy finches tend to cope somehow but not sick ones.
Antibacterial SMS's that I found to be excellent are GSE and ACV. Sick finches drink several times more of these drinks than healthy ones do.
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE). I found that healthy birds seem to prefer 0.4 mls GSE nutribiotic grade and sick birds prefer either 0.4 mls or 0.7 mls GSE nutribiotic grade per 100 mls of water depending on the species.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). I found that healthy birds seem to prefer 0.6 mls ACV and sick birds prefer 12 mls ACV per 100 mls of water.
For the record, so far I have used GSE, ACV, garlic, sage, marigold, echinacea, wormwood [Artemisia pontica], thyme and licorice.
Anthelmintic SMS's
Anthelmintic SMS's are mostly herbs that kill or suppress the growth of worms but they are not as effective as chemical wormers e.g. Ronidazole, praziquantel, moxidectin etc.
Examples of anthelmintic SMS's are Diatomaceous Earth, Wormwood [Artemisia annua], Pumpkin Seed, Garlic, Thyme and Quassia.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a fine powder made from the shells of sea creatures called diatoms. It can only kill by contact with the bug and so cannot kill air sac mites which are in the lungs. It cannot kill gizzard worm which is deeply embedded in the gut tissue. It cannot kill tapeworm because tapeworms bury their heads into the intestinal walls and feed directly off the tissues - therefore, their mouth parts are never exposed.
Only use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Do not use the Diatomaceous Earth manufactured as a swimming pool filtration material on your pets. Diatomaceous Earth is a very powdery kind of dust, so make sure that you do not create any dust clouds when using it, otherwise it could cause eye and lung irritation. Remember that even whole wheat flour dust can cause eye and lung irritation if you breathe enough of it.
Pumpkin seed that is ground up is much liked by finches. It acts against tapeworm and roundworm.
Wormwood [Artemisia annua] is a powerful herb for parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract. Test tube studies suggest artemisinin, the active ingredient of the herb, can kill malarial and other parasites [protozoa and worms] and bacteria.
Garlic and Thyme are good at expelling ascarids and hookworms.
Quassia can be made into a tea and then left to cool. You can use it externally on your birds using a cotton swab to treat the mite infested areas.
For the record, so far I have tried Diatomaceous Earth, Artemisia pontica, [I have not been able to buy Artemisia annua as a dried herb et], Pumpkin Seed, Garlic.
Antiprotozoan SMS's
Antiprotozoan SMS's are herbs which kill or suppress the growth of parasitic protozoa. Examples are Wormwood [Artemsia annua] and maybe Diatomaceous Earth. I am sure that there are loads of these antiprotozoals in nature. I just do not know what these are yet. (Bear in mind that some parasitic protozoa embed themselves deep inside the gut tissue so Wormwood and DE may not be able to kill them.)
Bitter SMS's
Bitter SMS's are herbs that taste bitter and contain bitter compounds in the leaves and or root which help stimulate digestion and are mild laxatives. These bitter substances also increase bile production in the gallbladder and bile flow from the liver. For this reason bitter herbs are recommended for those with sluggish liver function due to poor diet. The increase in bile flow may help improve fat metabolism in the body as well.
Examples of bitter herbs are Barberry, Blessed Thistle, Buckthorn, Chamomile, Dandelion, Golden Seal, Osha, Quassia and Wormwood.
For the record, so far I have tried barberry, chamomile, dandelion, Wormwood [Artemisia pontica].
Demulcent SMS's
Demulcent SMS's are herbs that fight diarrhea and soothe irritated mucus membranes. Examples are Marshmallow Leaf, Slippery Elm, Burdock, Licorice, Linseed, Saw Palmetto, Comfrey, Thyme and Mullein.
For the record, so far I have tried Slippery Elm, marshmallow leaf, licorice, thyme.
Hepatic SMS's
Hepatic SMS's are herbs that strengthen and tone the liver as well as stimulate the flow of bile. Many birds suffer from liver problems because their diet is often inadequate when compared to what they enjoy in the wild.
Examples of hepatic herbs are Artichoke, Barberry, Blue Flag, Buckthorn, Celery, Cleavers, Culver's root, Dandelion root, Fennel, Fringetree, Golden Seal, Milk Thistle, Motherwort, Oregon Grape, Poke Root, Prickly Ash, Wahoo, Wild Indigo, Wild Yam, Wormwood and Yarrow.
Milk Thistle is by far the most effective and scientifically proven to help regenerate the liver and much more. I buy milk thistle seeds which I grind up in a coffee mill and the waxbills love it. I also love the nutty taste of milk thistle seed. For the record, so far I have tried milk thistle, barberry, wormwood [Artemisia pontica], yarrow.
Immune boosting SMS's
Immune boosting SMS's are mostly everyday vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and turnips. They also include herbs such as astragalus, barberry, red clover, echinacea, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, Ginkgo biloba, panax and Siberian ginseng, rishi mushrooms, milk thistle, pine bark.
Shred the raw fresh vegetables in a blender until they are thoroughly shredded. You can then mix them with stuff that you know your finches like e.g. mealworms, mashed hard boiled egg or soaked seed. Christine Kumar told me to present soaked seed as flat as possible on a clean plate. Laying soaked seed or mashed hard boiled egg AS THINLY AS POSSIBLE on a clean plate stops the food from going off. It simply dries up. Whereas if you pile it up deep inside a food cup, you are going to have that food smell bad in no time due to bacterial activity.
Elderberries also boost the immune system and are specially recommended by Frank Woolham, a British expert who told me that of all wild berries in England, it is elderberries which cage birds love most of all. He has kept scores of bird species in his life. I buy dried elderberries and grind them up in my coffee mill.
Spirulina is an edible blue green alga and looks like a dry blue green powder. It deepens feather color. Charlie Loukeris told me that since he has fed spirulina to his European Goldfinches, they have produced proper red masks where normally they would have an orange mask when kept indoors. Many scientific studies show that Spirulina seems to have immune enhancing and liver protecting properties.
For the record, so far I have tried elderberries, spirulina, kale, garlic, echinacea, red clover.
Inorganic SMS's
Inorganic SMS's supply trace minerals which have proved to have extraordinary importance according to some sources. Avian Medicine Chest who specialize in bird herbal remedies "swear by the necessity of having trace minerals in our birds' daily diet. Now after doing lots and lots of research on trace minerals and why they are so essential, we agree with natural nutritionists throughout the world--not just the U.S.- of the importance of trace minerals in one's diet. "
Some inorganic SMS's also have a detoxifying effect. One aspect of disease is the toxins that pathogenic bacteria and viruses produce. The toxins give rise to pain, e.g. the pain you feel when you have a stomachache. Clay and charcoal bind the toxins to themselves and thereby lessen the toxic effects on the bird.
Oddly enough, a major irritant of pathogenic bacteria isn’t the toxins they excrete or the fact that they are growing in us, i.e. absorbing food and parasitising us. It is their FLAGELLA [ tentacles ]. The flagella on a bacterium are what MOSTLY brings about an immune response and if the immune response is huge, you get very sick making all the stuff responsible for the immune response in the first place. In other words, if you have too many pathogenic bacteria, you have a huge immune response - your body goes on hyper-overload and you get sick. Viruses without any flagella on the other hand, tend to force the cells to break up. Too many broken cells for the body to deal with have a toxic effect.
Clay is an effective binding agent as its chemical structure allows other chemicals to bond with it and so lose their reactivity. Clay is an effective deactivator of toxins contained in ingested food or toxins produced by pathogenic bacteria inside the gut.
Charcoal deactivates toxins contained in food or toxins produced by pathogenic bacteria inside the gut. I grind it up in a coffee mill and many birds love eating this. In an odd way, I found that when I supplied charcoal granules, the birds did not seem to touch it. In powdered form, they were very keen in sampling it !
Sand serves as grit I think.
Eggshells. Of all calcium sources, my finches voted this as Number One. Before I discovered eggshells, I used to give cuttlefish bone as a calcium source. One day I casually threw in an eggshell. The finches literally climbed on top of each other in order to eat it ! I stepped back and laughed my head off because I really was not expecting the birds to react like this over a mere eggshell! And there I was thinking that all that cuttlefish bone was such a rich source of calcium! These birds reacted like a really thirsty man in the desert would react to a glass of clean water! I never saw them do this with any other calcium source.
Oyster shell grit. All my finches love this.
Cattle mineral powder or any inorganic bird mineral powders having calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, manganese, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine and cobalt.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is extremely rich in trace minerals because it is made from the shells of sea creatures called diatoms. There are many reports of animals producing shinier feather or fur when given DE.
Soil is not strictly speaking inorganic because it contains organic humus but I list it here purely for convenience. Besides lots of trace minerals, soil contains antibacterial substances produced by micro-organisms in it, and clay. Laraine McGinnis of ladygouldians.com feeds soil to her superb Gouldians.
For the record, so far I have tried all these inorganic SMS's.
Many times the birds ignore or eat very little of most of the SMS's I have mentioned above but rather focus on only a few. However when the need arises, they will start consuming. It is best to record what you observe into a bird diary otherwise you will forget useful findings such as what herbs are eaten by different finch species, sick or healthy.
If you want to know what effect each herb has, type the name of the herb in a web search engine, and you should obtain plenty of info. Fortunately, the internet is rich in herb information. One link which will explain a lot of difficult words is the online medical dictionary.
http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?action=Home&query=
Remember I have only just scratched the surface here. There are many more herbs with different properties that can be made available to our birds.
I would also like to draw your attention to two facts from widely different cultures.
Quiko of Germany and Beyers of Belgum are both selling herbal products which seem to be very effective at keeping disease at bay. In fact I was told by Quiko staff at this year's National Bird Exhibition in Birmingham, England that Jo Mannes, budgerigar champion of Germany uses one expensive herbal product in particular all year round with his birds.
Centenarian data from Azerbaijan in Central Asia that I have read confirms to me the importance of supplying optional acidic or sour drinks, yogurt (probiotics) and herbs at all times to our finches. It is amazing that there are thousands of centenarians in Azerbaijan who remain fit till the end. They do not become bedridden invalids like we are used to seeing in geriatric wards in the West. And what they consume is sour yogurt and garlic on a DAILY BASIS. Sour yogurt of course contains probiotics and weak acids. Garlic is an all-round health boosting herb. Every day I supply yogurt from the supermarket and mix it with my soya complete nutrition baby powder and all my birds love it. I myself have incorporated this knowledge into my diet.
Conclusion
If you have a long lived parrot which is insured, it is fine going to see a vet that specializes in parrots. But this simply is not practical with finches for most people. I have found that when I bought finches, I did need antibiotics and wormers at the CORRECT DOSE for the first 6 months until the birds' bugs were brought down to a level that the immune system of the birds could cope with. I have found so far, [I am still learning] that if the birds end up with bugs outside their gastro intestinal tract, then the SMS's that I have used did not fully cure them. But after the first 6 months, the antibiotics and wormers should get most birds fighting fit. Once this happens, the self medicating substances will be sufficient for the most part to keep the birds healthy and happy. I must emphasize that in addition to SMS's I consider access to bathing as being essential to keeping finches in great shape.
Unfortunately I do not know how much what I am saying will apply to hookbills. I can only pass on what I have found out with finches of about 20 different species from all over the world, captive bred as well as wild caught. I just love finches. They are so cute :)
Special thanks to Debbie Myers, the Arizona Gouldian finch breeder who gave me the vital clue of giving GSE solution as an optional drink thereby letting the birds choose the amount of antibacterial solution to drink and medicate themselves. I later extended this idea to all other self medicating substances that I use now.
DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY. This article is based on my own personal experiences with sick finches. I am not liable for the use or misuse of any advice or information provided.
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