# New little guest



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Got a call yesterday from a young lady at a store in a small shopping center. There was a pigeon in front of the store that couldn't fly and appeared to have a broken wing. We were already committed to go to friends' house for dinner and I asked her to take it to our after hours clinic and let them know we'd pick him up today.

It was a broken leg rather than a wing. Lovely, sweet adult but we think this year's because of the gentleness. We tried her out first in a nest box but switched to a donut towel which is working like a treat. She is on Baytril and Meloxicam for 7 days. It is difficult for her to eat with the towel and although she did eat a few seed from my hand, we decided to give her formula to just make things a little easier on her. When I cupped her head in my hand and rubbed her head, she nibbled my fingers and leaned into my hand. That just makes it all worthwhile plus knowing she is not suffering as much nor out in the cold. It was about 25 degrees this morning. 

I am so grateful this lady was compassionate and wanted to help her. This is a shopping center where we have picked up sooooo many over the years and they do everything they can to get rid of pigeons.


----------



## jazaroo (Jan 1, 2006)

Hi Maggie,

Glad to hear your new little guest made it safely to your hands, she sounds like a very nice bird. I am also glad she is out of the cold, comfortable and on the mend.

Please keep us updated and good luck with her.

Ron


----------



## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

Maggie,

What a lucky pigeon. Its nice that the lady at the store called you. I am sure that you will be able to assist this little birdy and she sounds very sweet!! 

Tania x


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Excellent stuff, Maggie.

An injured bird sure does not need to cope with low temperatures too - warmth and comfort is bound to work wonders.

John


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Maggie,


Good going...!


I just tried a new one recently - I cut off and rounded the edge of a few inches of plastic 'to-go' Spoon Handle, bent it over a Zippo, and made a Leg Splint...taped it on with 'micropore tape' ( I think it is called...does not stick to Feathers, yet sticks well enough for binding Wings or Splints and so on ) just removed it this morning and he seems really excellent, tentatively walking on it already...everything alined nicelt and everything.

It had been broken clean across in the upper third portion of the Tarsometatarsis.


Good luck with yours!

What do you like for Splints?


Phil
Las Vegas


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That is a nice Easter story.

The lady was compassionate enough to call and take the bird out of the cold to the clinic to be treated and the bird showed you instant love and kindness in return for your wonderful supportive care and room and board. This is a great rescue all around.

Happy snuggles little one, you are home.


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Thanks everyone

She is resting very well and is still so gentle. I thought yesterday I may have heard a squeak but can't be sure. I am not sure where the break is. The clinic was so busy yesterday that Lewis had to wait over an hour for the vet to draw up the Meloxicam (they drew up 7 syringes for us - pretty nice of them) and he never got a chance to find out where the break is. Of course, we keep Baytril on hand at home but not the Meloxicam. 

This is a remarkable place. They are open from 5 pm until 8 am every day and on weekends they stay open around the clock. They have a team of vets who rotate. They are self-supporting for the most part but do take donations for caring for wildlife. They do not charge for any part of the care of wildlife - x-rays, medicine, splinting, binding, etc. Some of the vets there fill in for our regular vet when she is off so I know several of them pretty well. Of course, we're the ones they call when they have a pigeon to rehab. They have been here many years. I remember we had to take our dog Missy (a min-pin) over there a few times and once I know they saved her life. It is a shame there are not more places like this and we are very fortunate to have them.

Phil, I don't do much splinting simply because we have this place as well as 2-3 vets that we go to for help. We have done a few splints using popsickle sticks and microfiber tape (I like that stuff because it doesn't stick to them) but for the most part I am more comfortable taking them to any of these places.

Treesa, I think you may have named our little one for us - Easter. I had not thought of that.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

What an UPLIFTING EASTER STORY, Maggie!!

I will certainly watch for updates on Easter! And, of course, goes without saying that h/she has found the BESTEST home! You are, indeed, MOST fortunate to have that type of help! Sure wish we could "clone" 'em and place around the world!!!

Well done, PHIL ("Dr. D.")! Then, again, I am not surprised and would have expected nothing less. Bless your heart!

HUGS and SCRITCHES to ALL on BOTH sides of the U.S.!!


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

*Update on the Easter Bunny*

This one turned out to be a young fledgling, not an adult. She started squealing so we knew it was a young one, plus, she didn't know how to eat. We named her Easter Bunny but of course call her Bunny most of the time. She is still a really nice little bird. 

Seemed like it took forever to train her to eat but she is now on her own and doing very well.

We do have a problem though. When we took the splint off, she could neither stand nor move except on her tummy. The broken leg was oddly shaped and the good leg seemed to give out on her. We were pretty upset because at the time it seemed like she'd be badly handicapped. For about 3 weeks we have been working with her, manipulating both legs and she can now stand almost fully erect but the original broken leg is still oddly shaped. She spends at least half a day in the aviary and is doing really well, moving around, flying and perching. At first the other pigeons picked on her but that has stopped now.

I don't know if the leg was not set right at the clinic or what happened but in any event she has a home. This is how she looked tonight when we brought her in from the aviary. The leg you see in the picture is the one that was broken.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

That leg sure is odd, Maggie! Thank goodness Bunny has a forever home! If she IS a hen, I'm sure she will have NO problem finding a mate!  She is a beauty!

You and Lewis are the BEST!!

Love, Hugs and Scritches to all!!

Shi
& Mr. Squeaks

   :


----------



## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I have to agree, the leg doesn't look right. As long as she is ambulating and has a home it's ok.
In time it might get better. My Krames had surgery for a hip fracture, when we first took the pins out, the leg was all rotated and he had a terrible limp, he was even falling over. Within a year he learned to walk almost normal.

Are her leg feathers plucked?

Reti


----------



## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

You're right Maggie, that leg doesn't look right does it? I was noticing the
toes on that same leg and they seem not to 'spread' the way they should.
I wonder if fashioning a shoe from a small piece of cardboard and taping the toes out into their natural position might be of therapeutic help for her?

fp


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Reti, I believe the vet plucked the feathers when he did the splint.

fp - I think she just had that one toe under the other at that particular time. They spread pretty normally.

I think the leg was just set incorrectly but she has made such improvement in a few weeks you wouldn't believe it from the way she was when we took the splint off. Depending on how much more she progresses she may still be releasable.


----------



## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Wildcare in San Rafael will cut the foot off in it's entirety and still release the
pigeon back to the location where it was picked up at as long as the bird is
otherwise healthy. If your bird can still take off pretty quickly and fends for itself well otherwise, I guess I'd release it especially if it were into an area where I knew the flock was "supported". Too bad about the 'setting' but good
thing the pij is getting the follow up PT w/you guys  .

fp


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Lady Tarheel said:


> Thanks everyone
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hi Maggie, 


Yahhh...I do not do much splinting either, or, I have splinted every Broken Leg that came my way, and thankfully these are not frequent.


But the Zippo-flame-bent-plastic-Spoon-Handle-section worked out very nice.


His break was clean across, and right below his 'knee'...so, I feared that to use a straight splint would make for the muscles pulling the break into an angle...while the bent splint, I made to fit how he had it in a relaxed position.


Healed up perfectly, and you'd never know he'd ever broken it.


Phil
Las Vegas


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Lady Tarheel said:


> I don't know if the leg was not set right at the clinic or what happened but in any event she has a home. This is how she looked tonight when we brought her in from the aviary. The leg you see in the picture is the one that was broken.




This can happen of course if the Leg is not aligned right when 'set'...or, if is somehow moves in the splint, or if the splint is loose.


Not exactly easy TO get things right, especially if the break is next to a joint, or, up on the thigh somewhere where it is about impossible TO splint.


My first time splinting, he had broken both Legs and I felt really intimidated, but I invented a sling, splinted the legs with some bent pasteboard narrows or slit section of padded inside 'Slurpy Straw' or something, and all in all, everything went well, but he did come out a little bow legged and walked a little funny. I had not quite got the alignment as nice as I should have when I taped the splints on.


That was 1993 or '94, and I still see him off and on amid the ferals. So, those Legs are STRONG, feet grip well and everything...but,a little bow-legged.



Phil
Las Vegas


----------



## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

Maggie, 

I am so late, but I just met Bunny and she is beautiful. I know she will have the best home ever.

Feather


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Feather, thank you. She is a little doll.

Just an update on Bunny - she is standing upright more but the broken leg is not perfectly straight. She goes into the aviary every morning with our Mr. Humphries and is doing really well there. She flies well, can perch well and seems to love it. We will continue to bring her in each night with Mr. Humphries because we don't want her having to fight for perch space or get tired. Too, we are not positive she eats out of the feeders so we make sure she is fed well in the mornings and evenings here in the house.


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Sounds kinda' like we treat Morty. He comes in every evening and, as a matter of ritual, stamps around on my shoulder until I offer him a fresh drink of water. Then, it's up to his perch on the door unless all the lights are on and it's too early, in which case he's got to be in the dead middle of whatever you're doing. I know he eats out there but I don't think he likes drinking with them.

Pidgey


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Pidgey said:


> Sounds kinda' like we treat Morty. He comes in every evening and, as a matter of ritual, stamps around on my shoulder until I offer him a fresh drink of water. Then, it's up to his perch on the door unless all the lights are on and it's too early, in which case he's got to be in the dead middle of whatever you're doing. *I know he eats out there but I don't think he likes drinking with them.*
> 
> Pidgey


Awwwww, that's great, Pidgey...HAPPY HOUR with/for Mort! What more could a spoiled pij want???   

Mort, you are ONE smart pijie! Squeaks and I SALUTE you!! Keep up the great work! Those humans don't know what hit 'em!!  

Shi 
& Mr. Squeaks


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

You know, Pidgey, that both of us are probably using their health conditions as an excuse to bring them in. We are not as attached (yet) to Bunny as we are to our Mr. Humphries but I can't imagine not having that snarly, cantankerous, ill natured, spoiled rotten pigeon in the house at night. When you walk by him (Lewis especially) he speaks - and I would love to know what he says!


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Lady Tarheel said:


> You know, Pidgey, that both of us are probably using their health conditions as an excuse to bring them in. We are not as attached (yet) to Bunny as we are to our Mr. Humphries but I can't imagine not having that snarly, cantankerous, ill natured, spoiled rotten pigeon in the house at night. When you walk by him (Lewis especially) he speaks - *and I would love to know what he says*!



"GIVE ME SOME ATTENTION....NOW!!!"

  

Shi


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Shi, I kinda think it is the opposite - "LEAVE ME ALONE"! Thing is, he is so beautiful that I frequently have to pick him up and smooch him and it makes him mad as fire. You should see him eat. The minute he gets in his cage, or anytime I put his seed in, he snarfs it down so fast you would think he never gets fed. I can't give him enough Zupreem pellets although he won't eat the green colored ones. They are just a "topping" because I don't want him to not eat his other seed.

One other thing about Mr. H. If I have been delayed in putting his seed bowl in his cage when he comes in from his day in the aviary, he puts up a fuss so loud you could hear him out in the yard. He can, and does, eat in the aviary but his majesty expects dinner waiting when he comes in.


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Maggie,


LOL...I have a few who are quite well aware that they own me not vice versa.

I have one hen, Whiskey, who fusses and pecks my fingers up and down when I bring her her food and water. She cannot fly anymore and is dependent on me. You would think she would be grateful, but no she will eat cause she is hungry then peck and eat some more....I guess she can't figure out what is more important. She is also mean and nasty to her half sister, Mieke, who is a sweet as pie. It is so funny and amuzing, she is that way with all birds who approach her, except her hubby, and extremely mean to Mieke. I think a psychiatrist for her is in order.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Mmmm, maybe he WANTS attention from Lewis??? If not, and he's nasty to you both...

...have you considered a pijie psychiatrist for him? Maybe he has PADD: *P*igeon *A*ttention *D*eficit *D*isorder or he's Pigeon BiPolar OR, he's just plain Schizophrenic!  

Whatever he is, one thing is for certain...HE'S a CHARACTER!!

Here's a thought: BUNNY may be able to "tame" him down... 

Never underestimate the power of a HEN... (hopefully, Bunny IS a hen!)

Shi


----------

