In order for your bird to live a long, healthy life it is essential that the bird eats a varied diet full of different types of fruit and vegetables. This in turn will give a wide range of nutrients each bringing their own benefits. Aloe Vera is one such plant that is used by humans for all sorts of problems ranging from sun burn all the way to detox diets and has been used by humans for thousands of years. However, the real question is whether Aloe Vera can be ingested by parrots and whether it is in fact safe for the birds.
In short, Aloe Vera is a perfectly safe option for parrots to eat and is completely non-toxic. Aloe Vera does come in a number of different forms- such as solid plant form, as a gel or even as a drink, your parrot will still receive all of the benefits of Aloe Vera no matter how it is ingested.
This article will delve into the benefits of Aloe Vera, the common treatments that use Aloe Vera and the best ways for your parrot to ingest Aloe Vera.
What Does Aloe Vera Have in it?
There are many different active components of Aloe Vera- some 75 to be exact. All of which bring different benefits to your bird, some of them are listed here.
Aloe Vera has a number of vitamins such as vitamin A, C and E. All of these are antioxidants and will help stop cells becoming cancerous in a parrot’s body- something that older parrots are particularly susceptible to. Alongside this, these vitamins will help with their immune systems, eyesight and general health.
Aloe Vera also has sugars in it and so makes for a great source of energy for your bird and is probably a better option that what many owners would feed their parrot on a daily basis. Amino acids are also present in Aloe Vera. They are the building blocks of proteins and will contribute to the healing ability of your bird and are particularly important for younger birds who will be growing.
What Benefits Does Aloe Vera Bring For Parrots?
Aloe Vera brings many benefits to parrots, most of which focus on the health of the skin and feathers of your bird.
Much like humans, Aloe Vera can be administered as a natural remedy to many different types of skin conditions brought about by a variety of behaviors.
One common ailment treated with Aloe Vera is a condition that causes the skin to itch and thus the parrot to overly pluck their feathers. Over time, this leads to severe damage to the bird’s feathers and the skin as well.
This has the potential to lead to infection of the skin and a general worsening of the parrot’s condition.
Aloe Vera is renowned in the world of humans for its ability to heal the skin. In the wold of parrots it is much the same and Aloe Vera will help to, first of all, stop the skin irritation in the first place- this will stop the problem at its core.
However, if the problem is in progress and you need something to alleviate it then ingestion of Aloe Vera in liquid form or via solid form will work to heal the skin and stop such flare ups in the future.
Another popular way to stop your parrot from unnecessarily plucking its own feathers is to spray the feathers with an Aloe Vera liquid.
You can buy this from trusted suppliers or make it yourself using one-part Aloe Vera juice and three parts distilled water. Simply spray this on the affected area and this will stop the plucking and work to heal the area.
What Are Some Common Treatments?
As briefly mentioned above, Aloe Vera can be used in a number of different treatments. The majority of these treatments are for skin conditions such as skin irritation.
However, there are different ways to administer Aloe Vera and it does depend on the severity of the condition as well.
Firstly, a good way to administer Aloe Vera to your parrot is simple as a part of a healthy diet.
Now, as mentioned earlier, Aloe Vera is a plant and therefore comes in solid form but it can also come in a juice.
This means that you have some freedom as to how you give your parrot the Aloe Vera.
One option is in with their normal food such as fruit and the other option would be as a drink, just mix one-part Aloe Vera juice with three parts water and this will be an appropriate dosage for your parrot.
You can also find ready-made dosages from trusted sellers if you do not want to do that.
Also note that your parrot does not need to have any pre-existing health or skin conditions to benefit from the addition of Aloe Vera.
If your bird does have a condition that would benefit from the use of Aloe Vera, then there are a couple of treatments you can give your bird to help it. If you have not already then doing the above and adding Aloe Vera to your bird’s diet will give your birds the nutrients they need to heal.
Another treatment used to stop birds from plucking feathers from patches of skin that are irritated is to spray an Aloe Vera solution onto the affected area. The liquid will stop the bird from plucking the feathers and the Aloe Vera will work to heal the skin causing the irritation.
Can Aloe Vera go Bad and Hurt Your Parrot?
Aloe Vera in general is a hardy food item and whether it is in a solid form or a gel form, Aloe Vera does not become mouldy regardless of where you store the Aloe Vera. The only time where Aloe Vera can become “bad” is if it is in gel form and it is left out and it dries up. This will mean that the Aloe Vera loses many of its active ingredients and will not bring your parrot the benefits that t would normally receive. However, it should be noted that Aloe Vera gel that does dry up is not dangerous and will not risk your parrot’s health in any way.
The way to store Aloe Vera in gel or liquid form is to store it in a cool, dark place and make sure that the Aloe Vera is covered as this will stop it drying out. The easiest and best way to keep your Aloe Vera from drying out is to actually have an Aloe Vera plant growing in your house. Even for small homes this is not an issue as Aloe Vera plants are small and do not require a large amount of water. From this plant you can take small cuttings of Aloe Vera and mix them into a parrot’s food- this will bring all of the benefits of Aloe Vera and is just as good as any other form of Aloe Vera.
Parrots and Aloe Vera
To sum up, Aloe Vera and parrots are very compatible and Aloe Vera is a useful food stuff to keep your parrot happy and healthy.
In particular, Aloe Vera is very useful for treating skin conditions- a common issue with parrots is skin irritation which leads to the parrot plucking its feathers and further irritating the skin. If given as a part of a parrot’s diet or as an additional supplement, then the Aloe Vera will effectively work to heal the skin and to stop any future breakout.
However, Aloe Vera does not just heal the skin, it has a huge range of vitamins and minerals that will assist the digestive health of your parrot and prevent the formation of cancers- something especially prevalent in older birds.
Aloe Vera also keeps very well and even in gel or liquid form, if kept in a cool and dark place, it will not go bad and has a very long shelf life.
Even if your Aloe Vera gel does dry out and go bad, it will cause zero negative health effects with the only minor negative being that some of the active ingredients will have been lost. The best way to avoid this is to keep an Aloe Vera plant in your home and take snippets from that plant to feed your parrot.