OK, this Thread is just lost on me.
Aromatherapy for Parrots?
A little insight please.
OK, I did TONS of research before I decided to even try having essential oils in my home with Zilla. It started by wanting to use them for myself, but wanting to be sure they would be safe to use around her (in the same house)
I came into contact with a vet who uses essential oils in her practice with parrots (I am now in contact with several vets and on 2 facebook pages with people who use essential oils around their parrots). One vet even has a "stop plucking spray" she has had wonderful results with (she does advocate getting a qualified avian vet and getting all physical causes ruled out before using the spray)
The statement she makes in one of her books goes something like this (not a direct quote, but I will try to make the same points she makes)....
Where do parrots come from? what do they eat? how do they live in the wild? They live in rain forests and jungles mostly. They eat fruits, berries, flowers, seeds, chew bark, sit on tree limbs and vines. In the wild they come into contact with all manner of living flowers, trees, vines, fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of other things. They are exposed to all sorts of smells from flowers, leaves, trees, barks, dirt, etc...
Where do essential oils come from...trees, barks, flowers, leaves, plants from all over the world.
Now if you think about it this way...we took parrots out of the wild where they come into contact with all this stuff, and we put them in cages in our homes and keep everything with a smell away from them. Most (not all) captive parrots NEVER come into contact with live trees, flowers, vines, leaves or anything outside of their one or two rooms inside a house. We wonder why they pluck, why they sit around like perch potatoes, why they scream all day, why they get sick so easy... well in my opinion these things are part of the problem. We want to keep them as safe as we can, but I feel they need some of these essential oils they are not getting in their lives.
Please keep in mind this is only my OPINION, and it's not meant to start an argument. Everyone has to make their own choices about their own families and pets. I'm not saying anyone is doing anything wrong, or that I am doing anything right.
Also, if anyone decides to try using some essential oils around their parrots, please do some research and only buy pure therapeutic grade oils, don't run to the drug store or health food store and buy something off the shelf, those oils are NOT pure and are NOT safe for you or your parrots. (in my research I found 3 companies who have pure enough oils I would feel comfortable using around Zilla) but if anyone wants more information feel free to PM me and we can exchange contact information and I will help as much as I can.
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