Aloe Vera plant, edible?

[Mango121913]

I'm sorry if this has been asked. I did search Eclectus parrot forums, and seems to be, that in fact, aloe vera plant stalks CAN be fed to parrots. But the plant I have says on the back of the tag not for consumption? Does this mean just humans?
Can anyone point me in the right direction? I want to use the plant in its purest form, rather than commercially available products. Just trying to keep my baby's skin, liver, and feathers in great shape!

 

[Phlox]

Its edible, but in plant form it will pretty much give anything that eats it a digestive issue. Why do you want to feed it to your bird? There's a lot of better food options. Though it has anecdotal evidence that aloe detox (with milk thistle) helps birds liver function, I think that's the milk thistle, not the aloe that does the job.

 

[Allee]

If the plant has a tag that says not for consumption it wouldn't be safe for parrots.

The aloe Vera plant is on some toxic lists because of a fine layer of sap between the aloe gel and the leaf. It is said to cause an intestinal irritation. That said, the irritation is very mild and the plant does have health benefits.

I've seen aloe leaves sold in the produce department of some supermarkets and those are safe for consumption. Aloe Juice is pretty close to pure. Aloe plants are easy to grow so that could be an option.

 

[Allee]

Phlox, the aloe itself is beneficial too, for humans and parrots. While my dad was undergoing chemotherapy treatments his oncologist prescribed aloe juice for his digestive system. It don't taste that great but it's very soothing.

 

[Mango121913]

Thanks for the responses, I have done some more research on this too. Seems that the whole leaf CAN be eaten. I was reading about the added benefit of feeding this as a immune system booster as well. Also found that spider plants, jade, roses, and impatients can also be eaten by parrots. Providing they haven't been treated with pesticides and such.

 

[Matt_95]

Perhaps the tag says not for consumption because it has been treated with a pesticide or a fertilizer? Not that I can imagine aloe needing either of those. They're near bulletproof.

 

[Phlox]

Phlox, the aloe itself is beneficial too, for humans and parrots. While my dad was undergoing chemotherapy treatments his oncologist prescribed aloe juice for his digestive system. It don't taste that great but it's very soothing.

I think my opinion comes from the super violent reaction I had to taking it as a food supplement years ago. It was unpleasant, so I think I assume other people could experience the same thing (and birds) and ...yeah, you don't want that.

I use aloe topically every day...but not internally.

 

[Allee]

I think my opinion comes from the super violent reaction I had to taking it as a food supplement years ago. It was unpleasant, so I think I assume other people could experience the same thing (and birds) and ...yeah, you don't want that.

Thank you for posting this, Phlox. I've never heard of an internal reaction. I do know of one parrot that had a skin reaction to aloe mist. Maybe that's why it shows up on some toxic lists.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Chia seeds are a great continual detox for the liver, to use instead.
I use both for myself.
But only use chia for the birds. If I was to use it for my birds I would add bought juice to their water, probably.

 

[RainbowRose]

It seems that you found a lot of mixed reviews. That would make me weary. I would only want to feed my parrot foods that are definitely safe. If you do decide to go ahead and feed him the aloe vera, I would suggest feeding him a small piece first. That way if it does in fact make him upset, at least it would be from a small piece rather then the whole leaf.

I too have heard mixed reviews. Although I once read a small bit of aloe vera in their bath water is good for helping pain from molting.

Read this: aloevera