The use of vinegar in birds

Vinegar has been used for various purposes for thousands of years. In addition to its traditional role as a condiment on food, it has served as a preservative and a medicine.

Its role as a medicine has a long and interesting history. The famous physician Hippocrates recommended it, for a variety of conditions, over 2000 years ago. During the times of the Roman Empire, vinegar was drunk with water as a means of keeping healthy, a habit that was much favoured by the Roman armies. Preparations  containing vinegar were also widely used in ancient Greece and ancient Rome as a drink. There are biblical references to the use of vinegar, including, probably the best-known, the offering of vinegar to Jesus when he was dying on the cross. In many cultures vinegar has been used to disinfect wounds and to treat bites and stings from animals. Some of these traditions persist today.

So has vinegar any place in the treatment of birds or in the prevention of their diseases?  In theory, yes. Vinegar consists of acetic acid and therefore it will kill, or suppress, some bacteria and fungi that are potentially harmful to birds. On the other hand, because it is an acid, vinegar can be irritant and destructive to tissues and painful to a living animal (or human).

For many years some, but not all, aviculturists have used vinegar to promote the health of their birds or to disinfect materials that come into contact with them.  Insofar as the former (treatment of birds) is concerned, there are two main ways in which vinegar has been employed:

A. To spray on the plumage to control parasites and, ostensibly, to improve the appearance of feathers.

B. In the drinking water or on food in order to control potentially pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms, especially bacteria and fungi.

Unfortunately, proper scientific studies on the efficacy and safety of vinegar do not appear to have been carried out. As a result, one has to do rely upon the reports, often anecdotal, of those who have used vinegar for their birds. An Internet search – for example, using the words “bird”, “vinegar” and “health” – will reveal a large number of (generally unsubstantiated) accounts of how vinegar appeared to help sick birds/apparently cure them. However, as is the case with most Internet searches, there are also a few dire warnings from others about the potential danger of using vinegar for birds!

Sufficient numbers of bird-keepers in North America believe in the value of vinegar for there to be specific products on the market for this purpose. One such is “Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar” which is certified to be organic, unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and to “contain 5% acidity”. In its literature (available on the Internet), the company goes on to say that “Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is full of zesty natural goodness”!

So, should bird keepers use vinegar? The answer to this question is that they should read the literature – in books and on the Internet – and discuss the matter with their veterinary surgeon. They should certainly not start treating sick birds with vinegar without professional advice.

And what about the use of vinegar by people who attract wild birds to their garden and provide food and water for them? Does vinegar have a role here, in order to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, including salmonellosis, that can result from large numbers of wild birds congregating repeatedly in one place?

The answers here are as follows:

A. If wild birds visiting a garden are believed to be ill – for example, because they appear sickly or have lesions such as swellings on their head (often a sign of avian pox), vinegar should NOT be used. Nor should other medicines be tried. The correct action under these circumstances is to consult a veterinary surgeon and/or those who are involved in studies on wild bird diseases in gardens – for example, the Zoological Society of London or the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).

B. Under normal circumstances, when wild birds appear healthy, vinegar added to drinking water may be beneficial because it is likely to suppress the multiplication of bacteria and, particularly, the fungus Candida. The latter can cause disease, affecting the mouth and throat, of most wild birds.

It is important, however, that the vinegar is properly diluted as it is dangerous if too concentrated. The usual recommended concentration is l (one) tablespoon of vinegar to l (one) gallon of water – in metric figures, this is 15 ml of vinegar to 4.5 (four and a half) litres of water.

The addition of vinegar to water is not a substitute for proper hygiene. Standard cleanliness must be maintained – that is, regular replenishment of the water in the bottle or any other utensil (preferably once a day) and cleaning of the bottle or any other utensil on a regular (at least once a week) basis. Vinegar is an additional measure, not an answer on its own.

Vinegar can also be used as a surface disinfectant – again, taking advantage of its acidic properties – but, as explained above, in high concentrations it can be irritant or dangerous to birds and this may be the case if it remains on surfaces after use. This means that it must be fully rinsed off after use. Probably it is better not to use vinegar but, instead, to rely on a standard, relatively safe, disinfectant (again with rinsing afterwards) and/or boiling water. Clean boiling water has the advantage that once cool, it presents no danger to wild birds or to humans.

It will be clear from these notes that the use of vinegar remains controversial. Nevertheless, many people – including myself – have used vinegar, appropriately diluted, in drinking water for captive and wild birds with apparent success and no evidence of ill effects. Those who keep captive birds or feed wild birds should be aware of the potential value of vinegar, but they are urged to read the literature, including that on the Internet, and to make up their own mind about it. Discussion with a knowledgeable veterinary surgeon may be helpful.

Professor John E Cooper DTVM, FRCPath, FSB,CBiol, FRCVS

RCVS  Specialist in Veterinary Pathology

Diplomate, European College of Veterinary Pathologists

European Veterinary Specialist, Zoological Medicine

6^th August 2011