Bird · Psittacus erithacus · typical adult weight 0.40–0.65 kg
Colchicine is dosed at 0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h; start q24h, titrate to q12h in african grey parrots, per 767. Ritchie BW, Harrison GJ. Formulary. In: Ritchie BW, Harrison GJ, Harrison LR, eds. Avian Medicine: Principles and Application; Wingers Publishing, Lake Worth, FL; 1994:457-478. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.490 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 [w3r2 2026-08-14] REFERENCE BELONGS TO A DIFFERENT ROW. The served 0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h is printed at Carpenter 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds) as "0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h408 | Most species/gradually increase to q12h" and carries superscript 408 = Hoefer H, IME-hepatic fibrosis and colchicine therapy, J Assoc Avian Vet 1991, 5:193. The reference currently named, ref 767 = Ritchie BW and Harrison GJ, Formulary, in Avian Medicine Principles and Application, Wingers Publishing, Lake Worth FL, 1994:457-478, is attached to a DIFFERENT row of the same block, "0.2 mg/kg PO q12h767 | Psittacines" - the 5x higher figure a prior adjudication explicitly rejected. The number was corrected but the citation was never moved with it. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B printed p.86 independently prints "Birds: 0.04 mg/kg p.o. q12h" citing the same Hoefer 1991 paper, and warns "Overdoses can be fatal." — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.490 — "0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h(408) — Most species/gradually increase to q12h". The same block prints two other rows for different scopes: "0.01 mg/kg PO q12h(171) — Juvenile macaws/gout" and "0.2 mg/kg PO q12h(767) — Psittacines". The drug-level comment on that page reads "Unique antiinflammatory used in the treatment of gout or hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis", which is this rule's indication, and ref 408 is Hoefer's hepatic-fibrosis colchicine report.. Colchicine is used in african grey parrots for Gout; hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis. Routes documented in african grey parrots: PO. A typical adult african grey parrot weighs 0.40–0.65 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Colchicine in african grey parrots, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Colcrys
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.04 mg/kg | q12-24h; start q24h, titrate to q12h | Gout; hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis | Weak | 767. Ritchie BW, Harrison GJ. Formulary. In: Ritchie BW, Harrison GJ, Harrison LR, eds. Avian Medicine: Principles and Application; Wingers Publishing, Lake Worth, FL; 1994:457-478. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.490 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 [w3r2 2026-08-14] REFERENCE BELONGS TO A DIFFERENT ROW. The served 0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h is printed at Carpenter 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds) as "0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h408 | Most species/gradually increase to q12h" and carries superscript 408 = Hoefer H, IME-hepatic fibrosis and colchicine therapy, J Assoc Avian Vet 1991, 5:193. The reference currently named, ref 767 = Ritchie BW and Harrison GJ, Formulary, in Avian Medicine Principles and Application, Wingers Publishing, Lake Worth FL, 1994:457-478, is attached to a DIFFERENT row of the same block, "0.2 mg/kg PO q12h767 | Psittacines" - the 5x higher figure a prior adjudication explicitly rejected. The number was corrected but the citation was never moved with it. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B printed p.86 independently prints "Birds: 0.04 mg/kg p.o. q12h" citing the same Hoefer 1991 paper, and warns "Overdoses can be fatal." — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.490 — "0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h(408) — Most species/gradually increase to q12h". The same block prints two other rows for different scopes: "0.01 mg/kg PO q12h(171) — Juvenile macaws/gout" and "0.2 mg/kg PO q12h(767) — Psittacines". The drug-level comment on that page reads "Unique antiinflammatory used in the treatment of gout or hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis", which is this rule's indication, and ref 408 is Hoefer's hepatic-fibrosis colchicine report. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.04 | PO | BSAVA Manual of Psittacine Birds, 2nd edp.315 | .04 mg/kg orally q12h | For gout, hepatic cirrhosis/fibrosis |
| 0.04 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.100 | 0.04 mg/kg p.o. q12h 1,2 |
| 0.04 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 5.18 | 0.04 mg/kg PO q12-24h |
| 0.2 | PO |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your african grey parrot's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Binds tubulin disrupting microtubule formation. Inhibits neutrophil migration and reduces inflammation. Anti-fibrotic properties in hepatic fibrosis.
Narrow therapeutic index. GI toxicity (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) common. Used for hepatic fibrosis and amyloidosis in Shar Peis. Bone marrow suppression at toxic doses.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for african grey parrots may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Colchicine dose range in african grey parrots, with cited source references: PO 0.04 mg/kg q12-24h; start q24h, titrate to q12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Colchicine in african grey parrots: PO.
Colchicine is indicated in african grey parrots for: Gout; hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis.
These are general warnings for Colchicine across species; consult the african grey parrot dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Narrow therapeutic index. GI toxicity (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) common. Used for hepatic fibrosis and amyloidosis in Shar Peis. Bone marrow suppression at toxic doses.
Why a species-specific page? Colchicine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in african grey parrots — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| 0.2 mg/kg PO q12h |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.