# Apple Cider Vinegar



## BabyMoo (Dec 19, 2012)

Hello everyone,

I have a health question. BabyMoo was recommended Apple Cider Vinegar by her avian Vet. Have any of you been recommended the same thing? Her vet told us that it was to avoid yeast in her digestive system. I'm a little bit scared about giving it to her. Has anyone tried this? How did your cockatiel do on it? Anyway, BabyMoo is doing fine, just molting at the moment but other than that she is fine but I'm trying to find out information about this new recommendation from the vet. I might start her on the vinegar water today or tomorrow. 

Thank you for your comments and advice.

Caro


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## RiverSong (Apr 13, 2013)

I've never done this but I know members of Talk Budgies do it. 


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It's fairly common to add a small amount of ACV to the drinking water to help prevent yeast. It's not something that you'd want to do every single day for a long period of time, because too much vinegar consumption can cause health problems. But there's nothing wrong with adding a sensible amount to the water once a week, or for several days in a row followed by a longer period with no vinegar.

Personally I'm convinced that there's nothing special about ACV and that all claims to the contrary are unfounded hype. ACV does contain some nutrients that aren't found in distilled white vinegar, but the amounts are miniscule and you'd have to drink gallons of the stuff to get a significant amount of these nutrients. My opinion is that any kind of vinegar would work just as well as ACV.


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## BabyMoo (Dec 19, 2012)

Thank you for your replies RiverSong and Tielfan. 

The vet recommended 1ml in 8 oz. I put 0.5ml in 4 oz today. She took two sips. Her vet recommended this for 2 wks every 3 months. I don't think I will give it to her for the whole 2 wks. I'm afraid of it making her sick. She was sick enough earlier this year. She is molting though and has been very tired lately. She is still eating and doing her normal stuff but is sleeping a lot ... on one foot  Anyway, thank you for your comments and words of advice.

Carol


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

I give Ollie ACV once a week and it seems to prevent her yeast infection from returning. It is not a treatment though. It's a preventative.


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## bobobubu (Dec 12, 2011)

The only type that you want to use is the vinegar that has the "mother", that thing that makes the vinegar a bit murky. Babymoo, I know you are in the US so it will be very easy for you to get the real deal, like the Bragg. It contains the mother and that makes it active. If you want to know more about it, this is a link that explains why other vinegars are not beneficial in the same way.
http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/02/health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar-acv/
Using the normal distilled type is definitely not the same thing.
If you google "apple cider vinegar with mother" you will find a lot of information, why it's the good one, and stuff like the risks of drinking too much of it (really LOADS of it lol).
I take 1 tablespoon of it every morning, diluted in a generous half pint of water, and it has done miracles for my intestine. I swear by it! My vet told me about it too, but at the time I thought it was unnecessary to give it to my flock I might reconsider now.
I will follow BabyMoo's progress with much interest.
I know there is no scientific proof (medical trials) but does that surprise you? There is not much money to be made on it, so you will be more likely to find doctors who will discourage you from using it and instead giving you expensive medications. Same goes for our pets.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Don't take that article too seriously because they haven't got their facts straight. I've seen pro-ACV sources acknowledge that "the mother" is just debris from the vinegar-making process, and its only value is that its presence proves that the vinegar hasn't been filtered. Which seems to be the most accurate description of "the mother" that I've seen.

Many of the claims there aren't supported by anything but wishful thinking, but they were right when they said that it was rich in acetic acid - that's the only thing that's found in any vinegar in any appreciable quantity. I could go on, but I won't lol. It looks like there may be some actual health benefits to vinegar consumption, but any site that suggests that it could be a cure for cancer is out of touch with reality. Here are some links for anyone who's interested in the skeptic's view of the situation and/or a more balanced viewpoint:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/04/houston-we-have-problem-apple-cider.html
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/the-health-benefits-of-vinegar2.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/applecidervinegardiet/a/applecidervineg.htm


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## bobobubu (Dec 12, 2011)

There are thousands of claims about foods, herbs etc having possible qualities to cure cancer. I don't take them seriously and I don't take them non-seriously either. There is not much we know about that, but dismissing them all seems to me as silly as taking them too seriously. I know people who got into remission after practicing strict dietary regimes ie. macrobiotic. 
Nobody is saying that vinegar cures cancer; but there are many things we can add to our diets that can help in staying healthy, and can help in getting better. Exactly in the same way tomatoes don't cure cancer, but have great antioxidant properties which makes them amazing helpers.
This particular article I linked explains briefly what the mother is and that's why I used it. 
Your opinion that any type of vinegar has the same effects is misleading to say the least.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

When my birds were having kidney issues my vet advised that i make their water slightly acidic to help them out. I used ACV and my birds did fine. I eventually took them off of it. But she also said cranberry juice would work just as well.

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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I'm not really sure how the increased acid is supposed to help. The usual claim is that it changes the pH of the body, but it doesn't actually do this (your natural stomach acid is WAY more acidic than vinegar) and it would be disastrous if it did change your pH. There are reasonable-looking sources who say there may be some real benefits to an appropriate amount of vinegar consumption (and other reasonable-looking sources who say that there might not be). Either way, there's no harm in it if you don't go overboard. 

If there's any health benefit from vinegar consumption it has to be from the acetic acid. There's plenty of that in all vinegars, and there's nothing else that's plentiful enough in any vinegar for you to get any benefit from it without drinking way too much of the stuff. The bacteria that make vinegar ferment are everywhere (including in the air we breathe) and you'll pick them up whether you consume vinegar or not. 

I personally consume most of my vinegar in the form where it's mixed with other stuff to form SALAD DRESSING. OMG is it good. I haven't noticed any health benefits but it makes me cheerful.


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