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Disease list

Aspergillosis - fungus infection of the respiratory system. 

Bacteria - some bacteria cause disease (pathogenic) but most are harmless. When a strain of bacteria is strong enough to change the normal balance then it becomes a disease.

Bleeding - Birds have little blood volume. It is important to stop bleeding quickly. Yunnan Paiyao is a chinese herb that stops bleeding. Flour or conrstarch work well, too. You can use kwik stop on toenails, but not on beaks, eyes, or open wounds. Apply pressure to the follicles of blood feathers.

Burns - Aloe Vera, St John's Wort

Broken Bones - herb: comfrey homeopathic: symphytum

Brown's Hypertrophy - indicated by a change in budgie's cere color

Cataracts -

If the cataract doesn't clear completely you may consider the following: Homoeopathic Calc. fluor. has a reputation for clearing cataracts (or you could use the tissue salt Calc. fluor. 6x instead). Calc. fluor. is useful for any situation where there is hardening of tissues, breakdown of tissue, or unnatural bony growth (arthritis, bone spurs, etc.). It could be given in the water (therefore no trauma) and would need to be given over a long period - remembering to reduce the FREQUENCY of dosing as the condition improves.

Perhaps your bird's better overall nutrition (Vits A, D, E would be especially important I think) is the real answer. Keep doing more of the same! Carole Bryant (Naturopath)

Choanal Atresia -  missing or malfunctioning choanal slit

Circulation - ginger, hawthorn, garlic

Colloidal Silver - natural antibiotic. use internally or externally. Poor quality will cause skin to turn grey.

Crop Problems - Air in Crop,  Slow Crop

Diabetes - Nopal, Chromium

Digestive tract  injury - Slippery Elm, marshmallow, aloe, 

Digestion, poor - food enzymes (lactase, cellulase, protease, lipase) probiotics, cayenne

Droppings - diagnostic tool for health problems

Egg Laying - prolapse, fertility, antifertility

Fatty tumors - psyllium hulls, milk thistle, garlic, chickweedFeather plucking Feather-Plucking /Zinc Poisoning

Feather picking - different causes require different treatments.  (Causes: nutrition, metal poisoning, parasites, stress etc)

Feather/skin - milk thistle, burdock, red clover, horsetail, dulse, trace minerals, red african palm oil. MSM Thyroid related: bladderwrack or kelp

Female stimulant - dong quoi, red raspberry, black cohosh, soy

Fluid retention - dandelion

Foot Stomping - Cockatiels Cockatiel's - foot stomping

Fungus/yeast - Garlic, pau d'arco, pro-biotics, GSE

Gentian Violet - purple stain for treating yeast topically.

Giardia - Protozoan organism contracted by drinking contaminated water. This organism is found in birds, humans, dogs, and cats. read more See. GSE remedy

Gout - Cherries, strawberries, celery juice and seed

GSE Remedy - Grapefruit Seed Extract. antibiotic, antifungal. Acts as a broad-spectrum antibiotic so must use probiotics during and after use. Considered useful for Giardia.

Heart - Hawthorn berry, CoQ10, Vitamin E

Inflammation - Bromelein, boswellia, white willow (like aspirin)

Insect Bites - Homeopathic: apis

Iron Storage / Overload Disease

Kidneys - Dandelion helps to flush and detoxify kidneys. Bladder infections can be treated with cranberry.

Lactulose - Amazon-1/2cc in 8 0z., tiels 1/4cc, babies (being medicated, slow crop,etc) 1 drop per feeding./ precaution- loose droppings - reduce the amount of Lactulose. "We routinely use a milk thistle extract added to chronulac (lactulose) for almost any sick bird we think has some type of liver disease. Scott McD D.V.M.

Liver / fatty liver- Milk thistle, Natureade's Aloe Detox, Lactulose, Dandelion, diet changes.

Male stimulant - yohimbe, saw palmetto

Metal Toxicity -

Mites - external parasites

Nerve damage - Brewer's yeast, soy lecithin, St. John's wort,

Newcastle Disease - VVND (Velogenic Viscerotropic Newcastle Disease. Caused by a virus. Nearly 100% mortality. Can be transmitted to all species of birds so has grave implications for the poultry industry. This disease is reportable to the State Department of Agriculture. In order to prevent the spread of this disease, all birds within a determined area of contagion are euthanized.

Pacheco's virus - affects liver and spleen. Amazons and Conures can be resistant carriers. It is rapidly fatal in most other parrots. There is a vaccine. Exposed bird may be saved if treated prior to showing symptoms.

Parasites - garlic, pumpkin seed, probiotics, GSE, black walnut 

PDD - Proventricular Dilatation Disease, also known as Macaw Wasting Disease and Proventricular Syndrome. Causative agent is like a virus and a virus may have been identified. It attacks the central nervous system and the nervous system of the digestive tract. Route of transmission is unknown. There are both chronic and acute forms. There is no vaccine, but a test for the disease is in development. read more PDD misdiagnosis? PDD / PDS  St. John's Wort, digestive enzymes, astragalus, probiotics, garlic, propulsid. Use together

PFBD - Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease. Caused by a virus. It is sometimes referred to as avian AIDS because it severely depresses the immune system. In one form, the virus attacks the organs of the immune system and in another form, there is extensive feather loss. Feathers that grow do so abnormally. The beak and nails overgrow and fracture. As far as I know, there is no vaccine. Some birds are known to sero-convert. There is a test for this disease. read more

Poisoning - Activated charcoal

Polyurea - increased water in droppings. can be caused by diabetes, increased water consumption, or consuming large amounts of juicy fruits.

Psittacosis - Caused by the chlamydia organism. It is transmissible to humans and is therefore reportable to the State Department of Health. It is easily treated with tetracycline drugs. There is a test for this disease.

Probiotics - lactobacillus, bifidus, etc. Bacteria found in yogurt or capsules that help to repopulate a digestive tract depleted of microflora by antibiotics or stress.

Prolapse - White oak bark externally, Homeopathic Calc. fluor

Polyoma virus - also known as papovavirus and budgarigar fledgeling disease. The disease can be rapidly fatal or chronic. Mortality is high among juvenile birds. There is a vaccine and a test for this disease. Eclectus and Caiques are susceptible even as adults. read more

Regurgitation - Vomiting. The symptom of regurgitation can be found in the following conditions/diseases:

Red Palm Oil - 1/4 tsp or 15 drops of Red African Palm oil daily for an African Grey sized (Congo) bird. It is rich in Vit. A, one of the richest sources of Beta Carotene and some Vit E. all necessary for supple smooth skin. Read more about Red Palm Oil under Essential Fatty Acids Discussion.

Reproduction - female: dong quai, black cohosh, red raspberry leaves male: saw palmetto, 

Respiratory - Numerous types...see below. 

Respiratory allergic - burdock, golden seal, capsicum

Respiratory fungal - see Aspergillosis

Respiratory  congesion / inflammation - Mullein, fenugreek, boneset, slippery elm

Respiratory bacerial  infection - echinacia, garlic, astragalus, 

Sarcocystis - Protozoan organism whose life-cycle involves opossums, birds (particularly grackles), and insects (cockroaches and flies). It mainly infects the lungs which fill with fluid, causing swift death. Old world parrots like cockatoos, african greys, and eclectus are especially susceptible.

Slow Crop - Main causes include

Cause must be determined prior to treatment. Bacteria and yeast responds well to garlic, echinacea, probiotics, and digestive enzymes added to formula, if caught early enough. Brooder temp must also be increased.

Seizures and strokes- nervous system disorder from a variety of causes including: antibiotic or antifungal drugs, head truauma, clots, bacterial toxins, viral disease.

Sinusitis - Upper Respiratory: use garlic and echinacea

Skin, dry - Red Palm Oil Aloe, pure juice

Toe-tapping - No conclusive cause. Speculation includes excess vitamin/mineral supplementation. Most likely related to diet.

Thyroid - Bladderwrack, Kelp 

Toxic system - One ounce Aloe Detox per 3 ounces of water, dandelion, milk thistle, burdock, 

Tumors (budgies) - fatty tumors: psyllium hulls, milk thistle, garlic, chickweed

Urinary system - marshmallow, horsetail, cornsilk, uva ursi,

Urine - normal is clear. volume depends on diet. increased in diabetes because of increased water consumption.

Uric acid (serum) Uric Acid - Vit C w/bioflavinoids

Urinary Tract infection - cranberry for acid tract 

Vaccinations - Controversial: may cause immune system and other health problems as long and short-term side-effects.

Virus - (cold) elderberry, cat's claw, (hot) echinacea & garlic

Wounds, bleeding - TOPICAL: calendula, capsicum, plantain, white oak, yarrow, yunan paio

Wounds, shallow - TOPICAL: aloe, arnica, calendula, comfrey, goldenseal, plantain, St. john's wort

Wounds, deep - TOPICAL:white oak, calendula, lobelia, yarrow*

Wound, infected - TOPICAL: lobelia, plantain, slippery elm

Wounds, venom - TOPICAL: arnica, lobelia, tea tree oil, white oak, yarrow

X-rays and vet visits - Bach rescue remedy for stress plus appropriate homeopathics and spirulina for radiation

Yeast - GSE, Garlic, probiotics, eliminate sugar from diet

Yellow - Cockatiel turning yellow (case studies)

Zinc Toxicity - EDTA drug reaction, homeopathics, charocoal, psillium, aloe detox