Dear Parrots magazine,
Chocolate warning
I read with interest the letter by David Vickery about the dangers of chocolate in last month’s issue. There has always been lots of publicity about the health issues chocolate can cause, but we have to get it all in perspective.
I have an Orange-winged Amazon and he has been eating chocolate for the past 22 years with no ill effects. He loves a milk chocolate digestive biscuit and takes great care to remove some of the chocolate before discarding the biscuit part. He gets these about four to five days a week and has never shown any disturbing effects.
My understanding is that the theobromine, which is the potentially harmful ingredient, should be avoided when in dark chocolate, but in milk chocolate, it is in much lower concentrations, which do not have a harmful effect. If that is true, my Orange-wing would have departed this earth many years ago.
I have heard avian vets state categorically that: “Chocolate will kill your parrot.” and conversely, others that say only the dark version can be a problem. I do know of another owner who also feeds her parrot with milk chocolate Hobnobs with no adverse effect.
Jack Boniface, by email