# Injured wild pigeon, dont know what to do?



## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

I have a bit of a reputation around my area for taking in injured pigeons, which is fine as long as they are domestic pigeons but my sister in laws mother found a cat with a pigeon in its mouth. So she has gave it to me except it is a wild pigeon and i'm worried it is too scared to eat or drink. I don't even know what kind of pigeon it is, its a grey with no other markings, I don't know whether its a collared dove or a wood pigeon. 

It has no obvious wounds but its wing is weak but it can still flap it and carry it fairly normal but cant fly. We have it in a cat box with a bowl of water and some fancy pigeon mix, it has been with us for about 3 days but i've never seen it eat or drink but i cant really tell as it spills stuff all over. I micro waved some small peas and have been force feeding them and have used a small syringe with water and some salt and sugar in it, just dripping it on its beak and it takes it quite well. To start with its poop was a mixture of white and brown with some greenish parts but now they are turning a greenish/yellow/brown. Is this because of the peas or would it be something else? Would a wild pigeon rather starve than eat from a bowl like a domestic pigeon or is it probably just eating when i'm not there?


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

Has the pigeon got any white markings along the edge of it's wings?
If so it could be a Woodie.
A Collared Dove is much more browny and smaller.

I assume you're in the UK if you think it might be a Wood Pigeon. You're right, if it is a Woodie then it might be tto frightened to eat while you're around, so watch the poops, they'll tell you a lot more as to whether it's eating.

Have you checked it over for any puncture wounds that the cat may have inflicted?
Birds will quite often die from Salmonella poisoning quite quickly if the cat's saliva has got into the blood stream. It will need anit-biotics asap if so.
I'm surprised it's still ok after three days if it has been bitten.

Let us know where abouts you're located in case there's somewhere near that can help you out with this.

For now, if you keep it warm and hydrated as you've been doing so far is good. If it's self feeding, what you're providing is fine, and also giving it warm peas is at least getting some nutrition into it.
It may be that it's a youngster and not able to fly yet. It's a litle late for finding fledgling woodies but as it's been a mild autumn, it might still be a young bird.

Are you able to post a photo, that would help identify it better.

Janet


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

3 days w/not much eating is pretty bad. lf he/she is still alive you MUST start feeding him by hand lMMEDlATELY . Get some frozen peas and corn warm it with hot water until soft (the kernels should only be lukewarm - not hot - cut them in half f necessary) open her beak and pop the pea or corn one at a time into the back of her mouth past her tongue. l use a toothpick to help maneuver the morsel. lf he shakes his head or starts open-mouth breathing - the morsel is lodged and you need to get it out - but probably he'll just swallow easily . She needs about 10-20 of these per day (divide into 3 feedings) to start then increase to 25-30 per day once she has the drill down after a couple days. Also - it would only take a small scratch on the skin to infect this bird from a cat - she needs antibiotics ASAP. Do you (or anyone you know) have any human antibiotics - Penicillin, Amoxycillin, Ciproflaxin, Baytril, Ceclor, etc ?? There really is no time to lose here, this fella needs this attention _immediately_. And *thanks* for helping !


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## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

i've took some photos of it but i'm not very tech minded and cant figure out how took get them on the site, anyway the more i look at it i think its a wood pigeon but it doesnt have the white bit on its neck just its wings.

I have been force feeding it about 15-20 peas a day for the last 2 days split into 2 sittings and i have been giving it water out of a syringe with a little sugar and salt twice a day but i have no idea how much i should give it, i've been currently giving it 1.5 ml afer i have fed it , my mother checked its water bowl and she thought it had gone down some so it could be helping itself to water as well. 

Would the peas cause its poop to go a bit lighter? they started off sort of brown/green/white colour but yesterday and today they had a bit of a yellow tinge and tonight after i fed it it did a watery poop that was cream/green. 
I'm in Gateshead so i would appreciate if there was anyone in the north east who has more experience with wild pigeons than me to take it.

I might have some baytril left over from one of my other pigeons, if i have how much do i give, for how long and how do i administer it?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

It is either a juvenile or a fledgeling woodie, please keep trying to upload a photo!

It will need to eat at least 100 peas a day, if you defrost them in a cup of warm water and give them to him warm he might start eating on his own. You could also offer him wild bird seed or sunflower hearts, he might eat those on his own when everything is quiet.

Cover at least half of the cage with a blanket.

I don't have any details of sanctuaries in your area but Becca199212 lives near you and did work experience at a sanctuary, if you e-mail her she might be able to help.

You could also contact First Vets, they might know of a safe place to take it:

371-375 Chillingham Rd
Newcastle upon Tyne, 
NE6 5SB

0191 276 1064‎


Cynthia


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Feefo said:


> You could also contact First Vets, they might know of a safe place to take it:
> 
> 371-375 Chillingham Rd
> Newcastle upon Tyne,
> ...


FirstVets treat if you say it's a pet... 
The widlife sanctuary is Washington wetland centre- do *not* take it there.

CREATURE CARE WILDLIFE AND ANIMAL SANCTUARY 
North Farm Cottage , Throckley , NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE , Tyne and Wear , NE15 9RE
Ph: 0191 264 2930 / 07944 535705 . 

There is also this place, I can't get in touch to ask if they take pigeons- too late on and it's Sunday, i'll try calling them tomorrow to check, if you call first then make sure they're not just going to put it down.


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## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=126594&id=559736024&saved#/photo.php?pid=3086692&id=559736024


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## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?a...hp?pid=3086693&id=559736024&fbid=195778491024

Ok i think i figured it out how to do photo's. The first one is of the pigeon, it was taken today, its eye isnt normally half shut i think it was just the flash on the camera.
The 2nd picture is of a poop it done today, very watery, that is the first very watery one it has done the rest have been fairly normal looking.
Does this mean it is starving ?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

She is a juvenile but looks very small. The poops don't look healthy, the cat probably caught her because she was ill.

Can you scatter small seeds all around her? That might tempt her to eat. A heat source could also help (lamp or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel)


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## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

shes got some fancy pigeon mix which are all quite small


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

She's a cutie ! Best bet would be a vet or rehabber. BUT, as has been mentioned above, you must be careful because often they just kill sick or injured pigeons. So, you have to really grill them on their euthanasia policy. If they give back any nebulous responses, just don't take her there. 

As has been suggested, taking to a vet and telling them she's your pet is usually a safe alternative. If anyone asks, just say a friend who has a loft gave her to you as a baby.

Barring all of that, she seems to be fairly "with it". You are doing a great job on feeding. As mentioned, get a nice heat source (maybe an electric pad underneath a towel in her box).

Is she alert ? Does she move around a lot ? Or is she still ? Do her eyes close a lot ? Does she fluff up a lot ? Any sign of laboured or open-mouth breathing ?

I would still suggest medication if you can't get her to a professional.....Find the Baytril and tell us what is the suspension ? (i.e. if liquid it would be noted in mg per ml (mg/ml). Or, if you say it was for another pigeon before, what dosage is listed on it for that prior bird ?


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## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

Just got in from night shift and poor thing died in the night. It was such a strong pigeon as well, really difficult to hold and was eating the peas i was putting in its beak and taking the water well last night, so i'm really suprised how sudden it happened. I found him flat on his back, i dont know if that means anything.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am very sorry, Carolyn!

Wood pigeon babies are easy to hand raise but sick wood pigeons are very difficult to pull back to health...they are a very successful species but I have found them to be particularly fragile both physically and mentally. But we have to keep trying! THank you for looking after this little one.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

I'm so sorry Carolyn, that must have been disappointing after you'd tried so hard.

You did a wonderful thing in trying to help this little one.
As Cynthia said, it may have had health issues that weren't obvious but you did your best and that's more than many would have done.
Thank you for that.

Wishing you all the best with any future rescues, wild or domestic,

Janet


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## carolynP (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks everyone for the advice and the nice messages. I'm so pleased this website is here because there aren't many people who give pigeons the time of day. On a happy note I was at work one day about 1 month ago and i rescued a very sick feral pigeon from the town centre where i work, i seen a cleaner lady actually sweeping this pigeon into the gutter like rubbish. I picked it up at let rip at the lady at her treatment of the poor thing, took it into work and gave it to one of my colleagues who keeps pigeons as he has all the medicines that it might have needed. I was'nt even expecting it to make the journey home as its head was just flopped down and it could only stand by leaning against something, i thought it was giving up. But he gave it all sorts of medicines, it made a full recovery and is now living with his racing pigeons.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

That is wonderful, Carolyn!

Feral pigeons have such a will to live.


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