Amphotericin B for Conures: 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 used by avian veterinarians for serious fungal infections. It belongs to the polyene class and works by binding to ergosterol in fungal cell membranes, which damages the fungus and helps stop it from spreading.

In conures, your vet may use amphotericin B when a fungal infection is affecting the respiratory tract, air sacs, or deeper tissues. It is not a routine at-home medication for every bird with breathing signs. In birds, it is most often reserved for cases where your vet is concerned about a significant fungal disease, especially aspergillosis.

This medication can be given in different ways depending on the case. Avian references describe intravenous, nebulized, and intratracheal use in birds. Because amphotericin B can be hard on the kidneys and can cause infusion reactions, treatment often requires close monitoring, repeat exams, and lab work directed by your vet.

In conures, amphotericin B is used mainly for serious fungal infections, especially when your vet suspects or confirms aspergillosis. Aspergillus fungi commonly affect the lungs, syrinx, and air sacs in birds, and sick birds may show voice changes, tail bobbing, open-mouth breathing, exercise intolerance, or weight loss. Amphotericin B may be part of treatment when the infection is severe, progressing quickly, or not responding well to other options.

Your vet may also consider amphotericin B for some yeast or systemic fungal infections, including selected cases of candidiasis, depending on where the infection is located and how sick your bird is. In practice, it is often one piece of a larger plan that may also include imaging, fungal testing, oxygen support, nebulization, environmental changes, nutritional support, and other antifungal drugs.

Because fungal disease in birds can look like bacterial infection, toxin exposure, or other respiratory problems, amphotericin B should only be used after your vet has evaluated your conure. The goal is not only to choose the right drug, but also to match the route, monitoring plan, and intensity of care to your bird's condition.

Amphotericin B dosing in birds is highly route-specific and should never be estimated at home. Merck Veterinary Manual tables list avian dosing examples including 1.5 mg/kg IV every 8 hours for 3 to 5 days, 1 mg/kg nebulized over about 15 minutes every 24 hours for 10 to 14 days, and respiratory therapy references also list 1 mg/mL nebulization for 15 minutes every 6 to 12 hours or 1 mg/kg intratracheally every 8 to 12 hours in avian patients. Those are reference doses, not a substitute for an individualized plan.

For a conure, the exact dose depends on the formulation used, body weight in grams, hydration status, kidney function, severity of disease, and route of administration. Small birds have very little margin for dosing error. Even a tiny measuring mistake can matter, which is why your vet may prefer hospital treatment, technician-administered doses, or carefully prepared compounded medication when appropriate.

If your conure is prescribed amphotericin B, ask your vet to show you exactly how the medication will be given, how long treatment is expected to last, and what monitoring is planned. Do not change the dose, skip ahead, double up, or stop early unless your vet tells you to. If a dose is missed, call your vet for instructions rather than guessing.

The biggest concern with amphotericin B is kidney toxicity. In veterinary references, nephrotoxicity is the primary toxicity associated with this drug. Your vet may recommend repeat bloodwork, weight checks, hydration support, and close observation during treatment, especially if your conure is receiving injectable therapy.

Other possible side effects include reduced appetite, nausea-like behavior, weakness, lethargy, vomiting or regurgitation, hypersensitivity reactions, fever, anemia, heart rhythm changes, liver-related abnormalities, and neurologic signs. With IV treatment, infusion-related reactions can happen, and tissue irritation is possible if the drug leaks outside the vein.

In birds, side effects can be subtle. Call your vet promptly if your conure becomes fluffed up, unusually quiet, weak, less interested in food, breathing harder, perching low, or producing less normal droppings. See your vet immediately if there is open-mouth breathing, collapse, severe weakness, or sudden worsening during treatment.

Amphotericin B should be used carefully with other medications that may also stress the kidneys or affect fluid and electrolyte balance. That can include some injectable antibiotics, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics, and other drugs your vet may use in a hospitalized bird. The risk is not always that the drugs can never be combined. It is that the combination may require a different monitoring plan.

Your vet will also think about how amphotericin B fits with other antifungals, nebulized medications, sedation, and supportive care. In some cases, combination therapy is intentional. In others, your vet may choose a different antifungal if your conure is dehydrated, already has kidney concerns, or is taking several medications at once.

Before treatment starts, give your vet a full list of all prescription drugs, compounded medications, supplements, probiotics, and over-the-counter products your bird receives. Include anything added to water or food. For birds, even products that seem minor can matter because dosing margins are small and illness can change quickly.