Amphotericin B for African Grey Parrots: Uses, Dosing & Side Effects

This information is for educational purposes only. Never give your pet any medication without your veterinarian's guidance. Dosing, frequency, and safety depend on your pet's specific health profile.

Amphotericin B is a prescription antifungal medication in the polyene class. In birds, your vet may use it as an oral suspension, by nebulization, by intratracheal administration, or in hospital by IV depending on the infection site and how sick the bird is. In companion birds, it is most often discussed for serious fungal disease, especially respiratory aspergillosis, and in some cases for avian gastric yeast treatment plans.

African Grey parrots deserve especially careful planning because they can be prone to fungal respiratory disease, and antifungal treatment often needs to be balanced with hydration, nutrition, and close monitoring. Amphotericin B is powerful, but it is also a medication that can cause meaningful side effects, especially when absorbed systemically.

This drug is often used extra-label in birds, which is common in avian medicine. That means the exact formulation, route, and schedule should come from your vet rather than from a label meant for another species. If your African Grey has trouble breathing, is weak, or is losing weight, medication should never be started or adjusted at home without veterinary guidance.

In African Grey parrots, amphotericin B is most commonly used when your vet is concerned about a fungal infection. A major example is aspergillosis, a fungal disease that often affects the respiratory tract. Merck notes that African Grey parrots are among the species with a predilection for aspergillosis, so this medication may be part of a treatment plan when there are breathing changes, weight loss, voice changes, or imaging findings that support fungal disease.

Your vet may also consider amphotericin B for yeast-type infections in the mouth, crop, or gastrointestinal tract, depending on test results and the exact organism involved. In birds more broadly, oral amphotericin B suspension is commonly referenced for Macrorhabdus ornithogaster treatment protocols, while topical amphotericin B may be used for some oral or cutaneous candidiasis situations.

Amphotericin B is rarely a stand-alone answer. Many parrots also need supportive care such as heat support, fluids, nutrition help, environmental cleanup, and follow-up testing. In some cases your vet may pair or sequence amphotericin B with other antifungals, but that decision depends on the diagnosis, the route being used, and how your bird is tolerating treatment.

Do not dose this medication without your vet. Amphotericin B dosing in birds varies a lot by route, formulation, and disease location. Merck lists avian reference doses including amphotericin B suspension 100 mg/kg by mouth twice daily for 30 days, 1 mg/kg intratracheally every 8 to 12 hours, 0.25 to 1 mg/mL for nebulization, and 1.5 mg/kg IV every 8 hours for 3 to 5 days in birds. Those are reference ranges, not a safe at-home recipe.

For African Grey parrots, your vet will usually calculate the dose from your bird's current body weight in grams, then match it to the exact compounded concentration. That matters because even a small measuring error can become significant in a parrot. If your bird spits out medication, vomits, or seems stressed during dosing, tell your vet before giving extra. Double-dosing can be dangerous.

Many birds on amphotericin B need rechecks, weight checks, hydration assessment, and sometimes bloodwork to watch kidney values and electrolytes. If your vet prescribes an oral suspension, ask whether it should be given directly into the beak, how to avoid aspiration, whether it needs refrigeration, and what to do if a dose is missed. Never change the route on your own. A nebulized plan and an oral plan are not interchangeable.

Side effects depend on how much of the drug is absorbed into the body and which route is used. The biggest concern with amphotericin B is kidney toxicity. Merck also lists adverse effects such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity reactions, drug fever, anemia, cardiac arrhythmias, hepatic dysfunction, and neurologic signs. In a parrot, these may show up as reduced appetite, fluffed posture, weakness, increased sleepiness, vomiting or regurgitation, or worsening dehydration.

Call your vet promptly if your African Grey is eating less, losing weight, vomiting, acting weak, breathing harder, or producing much less droppings. Birds can decline quickly, and subtle changes matter. If your bird collapses, has severe breathing effort, or cannot perch, see your vet immediately.

Some birds tolerate oral or localized treatment better than systemic treatment, but no route is risk-free. Your vet may recommend extra monitoring if your parrot is already dehydrated, underweight, older, or taking other medications that can affect the kidneys or electrolytes.

Amphotericin B can interact with other medications, especially drugs that increase the risk of kidney injury or electrolyte imbalance. Merck advises avoiding concurrent use with aminoglycosides because of nephrotoxicity risk. It also lists concerns with digitalis drugs due to increased toxicity, curarizing agents because of neuromuscular blockade risk, mineralocorticoids and thiazide diuretics because they can worsen hypokalemia, antineoplastic drugs because of cytotoxicity, and cyclosporine because of nephrotoxicity.

In practical terms, your vet should know about every medication and supplement your bird receives, including compounded drugs, over-the-counter products, nebulized medications, and electrolyte or vitamin supplements. Even if a product seems mild, it can matter when a bird is on a potentially nephrotoxic antifungal.

Do not stop or combine medications on your own. If your African Grey is on another antifungal, an antibiotic, pain medication, or diuretic, ask your vet whether extra bloodwork, hydration support, or a different treatment route would make the plan safer.