This is the story of Peterkin Migs, the prettiest lovebird ever hatched, and my dear friend. He hatched at Whitewings in the very first clutch of anything that EVER hatched at Whitewings. He spent a few years with my daughter Judy, but when she became employed she brought him home. He is a well socialized little guy, and was unhappy being alone all day. He is 11 years old now. Late last year when he was 10 something untoward happened; we came out one morning and found the side of his little face all bloody. Cleaned him up, looked high and low and could find NOTHING: he was as chipper as ever. Appetite good, poops good, so we figured freaky accident, maybe even a claw in the ear.

     6 weeks later it occurred again; 4 weeks following that, again and there seemed to be MORE blood each time. This was NOT ‘claw in ear’ and we went to the vet.

     She diagnosed a series of Tumors. He had a series of small tumors growing in his ear canal which would reach a certain point and then burst. She told me that there was really nothing that could be done and that one day it would happen and Peterkin would bleed out. And that I was blessed to have had him for so long as domestically bred 'fancies' as she called him, seldom lived past 6 to 8 years. 'The h--- you say," said I. "the book says 20 to 25; he has another 15 years coming."

     "I'm sorry", she said, " but that only pertains to wild-caught stock of the old-fashioned natural types. Peterkin is NOT going to be found wild; he's a fancy".  (Petey looks rather like a Monet painting; he is a gorgeous little DutchBlue Pied.....)

     WEll. I wasn't having it, and so my mentor, Shauna, and I put our heads together, started researching and reading, reading, reading, and came up with the Peterkin Migs Amazing Tumor Shrinking Diet.

     He has now been tumor free for 9 months the diet has been modified several times to adjust to Peterkin’s needs. At the time of this writing he receives his 'tumor specific' herbals at least three times a week ... ( I keep a watch for inflammation in his ear; for disturbance of the feathers around his ear which could signify an irritation he can feel…and on his weight. This indicates to me the necessity to increase his herbals or not.)

     This is NO guarantee of anything for anyone. This has worked, SO FAR, on the Peterkin Migs. He had one tiny bitty tumor, (and I do mean bitty; barely pin head size), eleven weeks after we began the diet.  I then started counting ‘clean weeks’,  again.

     I'm not promising this diet will work for anyone else; I'm just telling you what WE at the farm have done. Peterkin is still here and very much his old self.. The basis for this diet is keeping it low in sugars. It is primarily bitter herbs and veggies and various natural supplements to help spur on his immune system and to ‘starve’ the cells that create the tumor. In the end, all we can EVER do is try to provide the fuel to enable immune systems to fight against illness. I hope we continue successful with my Peterkin.

The Peterkin Migs Amazing Tumor Shrinking Diet

Grains: Barley, Quinoa (or amaranth) rye, millet and oats.

Veggies: Romaine, celery, radish leaf, turnip, all the cruciferous veggies ( in other words, the entire cabbage family) Kale. Dandelion.

Fruits: Papaya and citrus peel (papaya should be evenly divided between very ripe and very green and then put through the processor and blender and smushed into a papaya glop.)

Herbs: echinecea, pau d' arco, shitake mushroom, redclover tea combined 50/50 with papaya leaf tea, olive leaf, wheat grass, barley grass. (we used to have garlic on this list ... I have since learned that it is not advisable to use garlic when using Red Clover Tea.)

Supplement with: kelp, chorella, Flaxseed oil, pycnogenol (this is pine bark....and a really potent antioxident)

Dry Seed/grain mix: equal parts of Oat Groats, Quinoa (or amaranth) hulled yellow millet, rye berries, barley, Kasha combined. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons daily onto his wet food.

Preparation

     Every week I put an equal measure of each of the grains to soak overnight( 1/8 cup of each). In the morning I drain, rinse them well and cook them in an equal amount of the teas.( ¾ cup) Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover ... Cook until tea is absorbed but grains are NOT clumping and dry. Place in a container, cover and keep refrigerated.

     The green salad foods get put through the food processor, (my other birds get other things added AFTER I take out the amount I will need for Petey) and I combine 1 tablespoon of his cooked grains with 1 tablespoon of his fresh combined green salad. I stir in a little papaya ... both ripe and green, pulverized into a mushy pudding and kept refrigerated.(you can use the teas to help the blender get the papaya nice and smooth.) His teas are also kept in the fridge in a specially marked container.

     The teas are made with 1 tablespoon of dry tea leaves per 8oz. (1 cup) of water. I make 1/2 gallon at a time (8 cups) 4 cups red clover tea and 4 cups papaya leaf tea. The leaves are stirred into boiling water; turned off and allowed to steep covered for 3 hours. Strain and bottle. Keep refrigerated.

     On top of the grain/salad/papaya mix goes his 'seed' mix which is really not seed at all but equal parts of the five grains + Kasha that he may have, dry and mixed together. He receives 1 to 2 teaspoons of this mix on his wet food.  On top of this we add the herbs and supplements in this way:

     DAILY: a pinch of Pau d’ Arco, Olive Leaf, Astragalus, 1 drop of Barlean’s Flaxseed oil (keep flaxseed oil refrigerated) and either Wheat Grass or Barley Grass…alternating.  Echinacea was added daily for 10 days ... and then removed for two weeks ... then back to 10 days on in continuous sequence. Every third day we dusted a bit of Immuzyme to aid in digestion and give an extra immune system boost.

     The Chorella, Kelp, and Pycnogenol were used in rotation ... first one then the other ... to the next ...  back to the first.

     We kept a monthly schedule so I didn’t/don’t mess up the dosages or the sequences. This is IMPORTANT. You don’t want to overdose or underdose ... I have to admit to using primarily dry powdered ingredients….and for a bird as tiny as a lovebird, we use a 1/8 tsp measure ... and go to a scant HALF of that. These measures can be found at most kitchen supply stores.  This diet and sequence of herbs/supplements was continued UNBROKEN for a full 6 months. Peterkin now receives his herbals three times a week ... his tea every day ... and twice a week we feed him whatever the other birds are eating, which gives him, in my opinion, a much needed ‘taste’ break. These two days are two of the days he also has his anti-tumor herbals on the food.

     Peterkin  has NEVER refused to eat anything we have offered him. . He loves his red clover/papaya tea, and as I said we are into the 11th month since his diagnoses, and my Peterkin is still here, having so far, defeated the odds. He is as full of himself, cheeky, and loving as he has ever been. In April of 2003 he turned 11 years old. Not even halfway through his life; we have 14 years to go, Peterkin willin’.

So, if you have any questions, you ask. Just ask. Petey and I thank you.

Revised and updated: April 17, 2004