# sickly looking pigeon isn't eating properly



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hello. I was visited by a sickly pigeon this morning on my balcony. It kept trying to eat, but would quickly spit the food out by shaking it's head quickly. This happened for a few hours (flew away, flew back, etc..), and it eventually gave up and sat at my balcony. Other symptoms were that it has a 'wheeze' when it breathes, and there is a small amount of white filmy discharge from it's beak. I was able to capture it when next to it, and it is now in a cage in a spare room. I'm having trouble verifying if it has yellow chancre like things in it's beak, because i saw what looked like one but could have been a seed.

It doesn't seem to have any obvious injuries from what I can tell, and it can fly with no problems. haven't seen it poop yet.

In the cage with it are yellow corn/barley/buckwheat mix in one bowl and bread in the other. It tried to eat all unsuccessfully. there's also a deep dish bowl of water, which it drank a little bit of.

I do not want to keep this bird in the cage if it will get better on it's own, so given that it can fly (but seemingly not eat properly), should I just release it? I was thinking that since I already captured it, it's better to find out what it's issue is first. 

Thanks


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi, It sounds like this pigeon possibly has canker from the description.

You will be able to tell if you can hold it and gently open it's beak and check it's throat to see if there's any yellowy growths inside.

If so it will certainly die from starvation or suffocation if you don't treat it.

It needs a medication like Flagyl but it depends where you are as to what's it's called and it's availablity. There are other meds you can get but if you can say where you're located then maybe someone can say what's avalaible to you.

Thanks for helping.

Janet


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

pictures: http://imgur.com/3nEKY


Notice the one of the beak. There seems to be a yellowish bump on the bottom part of it. I didn't want to handle the pigeon again so i didn't take one of the inside of the mouth yet.


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

sorry, correct link: http://imgur.com/3nEKY,sjFf5#0


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

i'm in new york city


----------



## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

spid101 said:


> Hello. I was visited by a sickly pigeon this morning on my balcony. It kept trying to eat, but would quickly spit the food out by shaking it's head quickly. This happened for a few hours (flew away, flew back, etc..), and it eventually gave up and sat at my balcony. Other symptoms were that it has a 'wheeze' when it breathes, and there is a small amount of white filmy discharge from it's beak. I was able to capture it when next to it, and it is now in a cage in a spare room. I'm having trouble verifying if it has yellow chancre like things in it's beak, because i saw what looked like one but could have been a seed.
> 
> It doesn't seem to have any obvious injuries from what I can tell, and it can fly with no problems. haven't seen it poop yet.
> 
> ...


If he/she can not eat on his/her own and you can not feed due to the danger of choke the chance of survival I think is little. try to give him mineral water without carbonic to keep him/her hydrated. some people say a lithe sugar and salt in the water would also help.

I think you will have to try to hand feed, try to post a video or pictures of the pigeon and his beak and if you can of the throat that helps people to give you more accurate advice about the possible illness.


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

ok. I will try to get a picture inside of it's throat and upload


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

poop and inside beak http://imgur.com/GjXWG,Lrz4x


poop is reddish, not sure if blood. there is a chancre like cyst inside it's beak.

So if it's chancre, then i will need to get that flagyl medication. Can I get that from any avian vet?


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Another possibility is the yellow on the beak might be pox lesions.

Not so easy to treat as it has to take it's course but whatever it is please don't release it. It will have a miserable death whereas it has a chance with you.

Janet


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Is that one spot the only thing in the mouth or is the whole throat blocked?

Yes Metronidazole/Flagyl can be got from a vet. Don't know your situation but a lot of vets wouldn't treat a pigeon with pox or canker so unless you can say it's your pet, they may want to euthanize it if you leave it with them.
Do you have access to a good vet?

There are good folks based in New York on here I'm sure that will be able to point you in the right direction for help. Just need to locate someone.

Keep in touch and we can try and find more help.

The bird stands a good chance of recovery if you're able to get the right meds etc.

Janet


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

that looks to be the only spot inside the mouth, but there's a yellowish cyst on the bottom part of the beak too (see earlier picture post). I might know of a vet who will give the medication/make a determination. I will send them an email to see if they can treat it.

i'll post an update soon


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

I've sent a PM to a member who's in NY, just to see if she's able to offer advice on where to get more help or meds if you're not able.
It would be better to get a firm diagnosis obviously as the Flagyl will treat if canker but not if pox.

For now can you place a dish of water nearby and see if it will drink to help keep it hydrated for now.
What you need to establish is if there's a clear way for food to go down or if it's throat is blocked.
Hopefully someone may be able to offer more advice.

Keep us posted

Janet


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

That would be good if you can get it diagnosed.

Good luck

Janet


----------



## nycpigeonlady (Jan 22, 2012)

Hi Spid101,

I'm in NYC too. There are good pigeon rehabbers in Manhattan that I know of, and I recommend that you take the bird there immediately. There's a place called Animal General (558 Columbus Avenue on the corner of W 87th Street) it's where the Wlid Bird Fund is located - they are very helpful rehabbers and will see the bird and give you meds without you having to turn it over to them. Essentially, it's like seeing a vet for free (voluntary donation). Obviously, they have more limited diagnostic capabilities but can check for yeast, and a few other things. And with canker, yeast is always likely, and from your pictures looks like he has a combo of pox and canker. 
Proper protocol is to call this number and leave a message: 646-306-2862
then a guy called Chris will call you back and set up an appointment. But I don't think you have time to wait for the back and forth, so just put the pigeon in a box and take it there now. I wish I'd seen this earlier. 
Good luck and please keep us updated.

Eva


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Thank you so much Eva for replying.


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

I'm home bound working until late tonight, so won't be able to leave the house till tomorrow (or optionally tonight if they're open late, around 10pm). I will call Chris now and leave a message


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

on second thought, going to head up there now. will post an update when i come back


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Brilliant, I'm so pleased. Best of luck.xx


----------



## nycpigeonlady (Jan 22, 2012)

No, I think they wrap up around five, but Chris should call you back tonight.

The rehabber that I have been seeing there is Gloria and she is very good, I think she's there only Tuesdays and Thursdays thought. I haven't had experience with any of the others, but all should be fine because they see tons of pigeons. They all have different approaches: I have heard from Gloria who uses canker meds in more conservative dosages that Rita, the other rehabber favors higher dosages. A member on here who had brought a pigeon to Rita thought she tended to over-medicate. It would be great if after you see them you can share what treatment they recommended. Also, (and I don't know that they do such things, but I have only worked with one of them), please don't let them talk you into euthanizing without checking back with us on the forum, as a life can often be saved even when knowledgeable and experienced people advise you otherwise.

Just for your information if you are a bird owner, right next door to them is the Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine where they have a couple of excellent avian vets. 

BTW, what part of New York are you in?

Eva


----------



## nycpigeonlady (Jan 22, 2012)

Oh, didn't see you post. Great!


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Looks to me like classic canker, actually...pretty advanced, I am glad you all connected and the Pigeon will be going to a proper healer.

It would likely be relatively easy to cure if canker....he/she doesn't look to be in the "almost gone" stages yet.

Thanks for caring and saving the Pigeon, Spid. Hopefully, upon him/her being healed you can get him back and release him on the balcony again...since yours is his 'hood.


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

the pigeon ('chancre') has been taken to animal general in nyc and will be getting meds. they have my contact info so they will call when it's ready to be released. i may just ask them to release it when ready, since their homing instinct will bring it back to my balcony. kind of amazes the hell out of me how they can do that.

i wasn't able to get the medication/diagnosis information as the caretaker for the bird is at home, but i will update if/when i get the info.

thanks so much for all your help!


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

regarding the euthanization, i don't see why they would need to do that as it's healthy aside from the chancre/pox, but i will check back on here if that's what they say


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

one last thing re pigeons and disease, is chancre transferrable to humans? I do the common sense thing like was my hands after handling pigeon, and i've never gotten sick from a bird, but just thought i'd ask.


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi, well I'm pleased pigeon is getting some help. Did they say what the problem was?

I assume they always take the bird in for treatment as opposed to giving you the meds.
Obviously I don't know them like Eva does but I'm hoping they will discuss it first if they decide they want to euthanize and not just go ahead now it's in their hands.
I realise it's up to you but if they thought you'd be picking it up for release back at your balcony would they be more likely to let you know the outcome?
It would be nice to see it once it was healed and well and let it go where it was found on your patch!

Anyway do let us know if you get an update and thanks for putting yourelf out to help him. 

Janet


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

No...first off, Pigeons being 'diseased' is highly dramatized. They are not 'dirty' animals at all and their maladies are avian-specific (quite often even species-specific). Typical precautionary washing of hands is fine (humans cannot catch the typical Pigeon illnesses...they don't transmit to mammals).

How far is the facility from your place ? If it's more than a mile, I echo Janet ~ I would really consider bringing him back and just releasing him from the balcony.

On his own, released elsewhere... he may home back...or he may not. It isn't a foregone conclusion, and the poor guy/gal is probably already gonna be going thru enuff trauma-drama without being plopped down in an unfamiliar neighborhood once he is better, to boot.


----------



## pigeon-lover0 (Apr 1, 2012)

By the way it is spelled 'canker' not chancre. Sorry it bugs me when someone spells something wrong
Lucas


----------



## nycpigeonlady (Jan 22, 2012)

Great. Thanks for the update. I don't know how far you live from Animal General, but unless you're quite close, I still think it would be better to get the bird back and release it from your balcony into his neighborhood. Although trained homer can do amazing things, feral pigeons don't have that good of a homing instinct. Also, you could leave some food and water for him on your balcony, so that you can see how he's doing when he visits. Plus it's always nice to get a visit from a pigeon whose life you saved.



spid101 said:


> regarding the euthanization, i don't see why they would need to do that as it's healthy aside from the chancre/pox, but i will check back on here if that's what they say


Not saying they would do that, but different rehabbers have different standards as to what constitutes a birds in salvagable condition so to speak. And places that are full can be far too cavalier about it, so that was just a general warning.


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

oh, ok. i didn't realize a feral's homing instinct wasn't that good. I live in southern brooklyn, so about 20 miles away from animal general. i'll contact them tomorrow about getting it back when it's well enough to be released.

he's part of a small flock/group that comes by daily in the mornings, so it should be easy to reintroduce him.


----------



## nycpigeonlady (Jan 22, 2012)

amyable said:


> I assume they always take the bird in for treatment as opposed to giving you the meds.


In my experience it has been just the opposite. They've never wanted to keep a pigeon, but gave me medications instead. I actually wanted to get a bird admitted there once because I wanted them to give him nebulized treatments, but they said they only do it for really serious cases because they have limited space, and he didn't qualify. Whenever I've brought pigeons in they've told me they'd be better off with me and simply gave me meds. It sounds like the rehabber wasn't there, so that's why they took him in, and maybe they also felt in his state he'll be better off with them. 

In any case, I'm pretty confident he's in good hands. 

Thanks Spid101 for your caring and kindness, and thanks Amyable for everything you have done.


----------



## spid101 (Jul 19, 2011)

ah, canker. got it


----------



## pigeon-lover0 (Apr 1, 2012)

spid101 said:


> ah, canker. got it


 Much better.
Lucas


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Chancre wasn't necessarily a spelling error though...

It is the name given to sore or lesions related to certain contagious diseases....so spid101 might not have been spelling canker..

Anyway, I do hope all goes well with the poorly pigeon now and keeping fingers crossed he can rejoin his flock once again.
Whatever the outcome, he's not going to suffer alone out there as he would have done if he hadn't been rescued. So well done to spid101.
Maybe a good idea to keep an eye open in case some others have the same problem.

Thanks Eva for picking this up too.

Janet


----------

