# having hard time swallowing the formula



## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

I found this baby 2 days ago, still covered in yellow fuz..
nice weight on him, nice lil feathers, active, preenin and all that good stuff.
problem;
when i feed him it seems as when the formula going down his throat something pops, i can hear it.. it doesnt make a big sound just a lil pop.
I really dont like to feed with the formula, cause i think it dries quickly either in the mouth or the throat. but i have no other ideas..
after he swallows he stretches his mouth..every third bite and he gotta stretch..it looks like every bite creates small air bubble.. im able to get up to 18 cc in him, but it takes looooong time
any suggestions as to what this pop might be/??

and im posting a picture of him.. he has a little lump right under his beak, hard lil lump/????


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

you can add some baby food apple sauce to the formula and make sure your adding enough water, make it a bit thin and it should not get thick and dry, make sure you do not have air in the syringe, try using the baby bottle method and see it that is easier for you and him.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> you can add some baby food apple sauce to the formula and make sure your adding enough water, make it a bit thin and it should not get thick and dry, make sure you do not have air in the syringe, try using the baby bottle method and see it that is easier for you and him.


i have some baby food...my guine pig likes it.. good thing i have it on hand


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

goga82 said:


> i have some baby food...my guine pig likes it.. good thing i have it on hand


haa ha, I use to buy carrot baby food for my rabbit for a treat, she would lick it off a spoon...LOL.. use the apple for the pigeon though, apple tends to balance out digestion and moves things through, and adds extra moisture.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hi goga. Does his throat look clear all the way down? Stretching out his neck like that to swallow, sounds as though he could possibly have something blocking the food from going down.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> Hi goga. Does his throat look clear all the way down? Stretching out his neck like that to swallow, sounds as though he could possibly have something blocking the food from going down.


i checked inside i see nothing.. it must be deeper than my eye can see..he almost did choke to death cause i had lil seed in the cage the first day. i flipped him upside down. whatever was choking him fell out....when u panick u dont even know what to do.. so i just flipped and i opened his mouth..

he is fine , he eats its just that when the food starts coming down it looks as if some type of air bubble expands with every bite..
i cant explain it...

could it be canker?? i still have those meds u sent..sould i put him on the meds? i'l desolve it in the water tho


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Do you actually SEE a bubble? Or it just seems like that.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

goga, not sure what that bump is. Could be canker, or it could be pox or something else. He could have more than one thing going on also. I'm sure someone else who has an idea will come in, but the way he's swallowing could be canker. You could start him on the Metronidazole. I'd try popping the pill first, and if it can't go down that way, then try mixing it. How much do you have left?


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> goga, not sure what that bump is. Could be canker, or it could be pox or something else. He could have more than one thing going on also. I'm sure someone else who has an idea will come in, but the way he's swallowing could be canker. You could start him on the Metronidazole. I'd try popping the pill first, and if it can't go down that way, then try mixing it. How much do you have left?


enough for 7 days..i see a bubble expand and i also hear the food passing that are


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

UPDATE

baby has no problems at all. i just changed what i feed him with and guess what now i have all the wing flapping, squeeking.. and all the good stuff, and no problems swallowing.. what i did i cooked him 2 eggs, i mixed it with just lil bit of water, and he loveeeeeeeeeeed it.. he was eating till he couldnt eat no more..
never will i use the formula.. i knew something stinks with it.. ugghh never.. from now on they eat what usually mom and dad would eat in wild or they eat what i eat..till they weaned.... i'll just make it so it can fit the surringe
thanks guys ...


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

goga82 said:


> UPDATE
> 
> baby has no problems at all. i just changed what i feed him with and guess what now i have all the wing flapping, squeeking.. and all the good stuff, and no problems swallowing.. what i did i cooked him 2 eggs, i mixed it with just lil bit of water, and he loveeeeeeeeeeed it.. he was eating till he couldnt eat no more..
> never will i use the formula.. i knew something stinks with it.. ugghh never.. from now on they eat what usually mom and dad would eat in wild or they eat what i eat..till they weaned.... i'll just make it so it can fit the surringe
> thanks guys ...


pigeons eat eggs in the wild?.. new one on me. you know he is going to need more nutrition than just eggs, that is why the formula is important, esp with the probiotics and digestive enzymes. but if you can raise and wean a squab on eggs sure would make it alot easier on everyone raising babies, then they all would be doing it.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> pigeons eat eggs in the wild?.. new one on me. you know he is going to need more nutrition than just eggs, that is why the formula is important, esp with the probiotics and digestive enzymes. but if you can raise and wean a squab on eggs sure would make it alot easier on everyone raising babies, then they all would be doing it.


not just the cooked eggs...and yeah i fed some pigeons eggs before when i had nothing.. fries, rice.. u name it they ate it...this is the first time i wont use the formula... 
u should have seen the baby when i offered eggs.. he went crazy , like he never eat before...
reason to it might be cause there was some whole food in it... not jst a liquidy sticky formula..
i dont know .i might stick to regular food desolved in water. mixed with lil bit of formula.apple sauce..etc.. even the formulas ingredients have whole eggs in it..soy protein .. and all that good stuff

here is a site for nutritional value of just one egg

http://www.incredibleegg.org/health-and-nutrition/egg-nutrients/nutrient-chart


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

goga82 said:


> not just the cooked eggs...and yeah i fed some pigeons eggs before when i had nothing.. fries, rice.. u name it they ate it...this is the first time i wont use the formula...
> u should have seen the baby when i offered eggs.. he went crazy , like he never eat before...
> reason to it might be cause there was some whole food in it... not jst a liquidy sticky formula..
> i dont know .i might stick to regular food desolved in water. mixed with lil bit of formula.apple sauce..etc.. even the formulas ingredients have whole eggs in it..soy protein .. and all that good stuff
> ...


I think eggs are wonderful! I eat them myself! so if you CAN raise a squab on eggs then keep us posted, not sure how many cc's of formula your giving him everyday, but from what you described he did seem hungry.. perhaps he is not getting enough with the problems you were describing. sometimes you have to play around with stuff and think outside of the box., but I do know they need those probios and digestive enzymes.


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

Add yogart and baby applesauce to the baby's mix....should aide with probios and digestive enzyms.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> I think eggs are wonderful! I eat them myself! so if you CAN raise a squab on eggs then keep us posted, not sure how many cc's of formula your giving him everyday, but from what you described he did seem hungry.. perhaps he is not getting enough with the problems you were describing. sometimes you have to play around with stuff and think outside of the box., but I do know they need those probios and digestive enzymes.


it was around 7 pm when i offered hmi eggs yesterday but before that i fed him formula 3 times .18-20 cc...but it would take hour maybe more to get those cc in him, cause he just wouldnt swallow..
so when he had a taste of eggs he went nuts.. i was laughing the whole way thry..cause he sure looked like he was hungry..like dude i been feeding you the wholeeee day cant believe he that excited over som eggs .. haaha he fell a sleep like a baby..
i'll keep ya'll posted tho.. about the receipts i come up with. 
this morning i mixed the fomula with eggs. and same problem.. he wouldnt make a sound . no wing flapping nothing he wouldnt swallow.. soo for now im stickin to the real food .. till he is weaned


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

lwerden said:


> Add yogart and baby applesauce to the baby's mix....should aide with probios and digestive enzyms.


will do


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It is so easy to feed him thawed out frozen peas and corn, which is more what he should be eating. They usually learn to pick these up by themselves after a few feedings. Just warm them under warm running water.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> It is so easy to feed him thawed out frozen peas and corn, which is more what he should be eating. They usually learn to pick these up by themselves after a few feedings. Just warm them under warm running water.


 i usually do feed all my babies with corn but corn wont fit in the surringe.. an he still need to be suringe fed for at least few more days


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2010)

I would treat for canker reguardless just to cover that base , why not just be safe in the long run


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LokotaLoft said:


> I would treat for canker reguardless just to cover that base , why not just be safe in the long run


I would too. Little light on the feathering around the face and throat. How's that little bump looking?


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> I would too. Little light on the feathering around the face and throat. How's that little bump looking?


babys an canker kind of go together so Like jay I would just get that base cpvered now


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## lindylou (Jul 25, 2009)

*Having a hard time swallowing the formula*

What you are saying about formula, well, I tend to agree. As a kid of 12 I had raised 2 newborn sparrows, on my own, by rising up at 5:00 and hunting for beetles and worms, and also gave them ground beef in tiny rolled up balls, on the end of a toothpick. I wouldnt recommend my next statement NOW, but also, at that time, since they would try and get moisture (water) from the inside of my lower lip I would take a sip of water and let them drink it from the inside of my lower lip. Both THEY AND ME DID JUST FINE and they lived with me for years. They picked up tiny stones from the ground to grind up the food in their crops.

I was rehabbing a baby pij that had been attacked by a seagull in front of me. I took him to the vet first and he gave him a clean bill of health. He told me he was very mal-nurished and underweight. I fed him a mixture of yogurt, 2 drops of orange-flaxseed oil (for omega 3 fatty acids) and porridge, all warmed up, and he loved it and ate with no problem. He slept at night with a heating pad with a towell over it on low. Then, I bought 19/8 Handfeed formula (sticky, messy, bird hated it) fed with syringe, and he died within 2 days on it. Next time I will go with the babyfood apple (to balance gut bacteria), egg and yogurt. Sometimes the older unfancy solutions worked and continue to work better. It may well be that the vet was wrong and he had an undetected injury or an untreated infection. But I will always wonder, did the formula make him sick and die??? Don't know the answer to that, but next time, as I say......


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

lindylou said:


> What you are saying about formula, well, I tend to agree. As a kid of 12 I had raised 2 newborn sparrows, on my own, by rising up at 5:00 and hunting for beetles and worms, and also gave them ground beef in tiny rolled up balls, on the end of a toothpick. I wouldnt recommend my next statement NOW, but also, at that time, since they would try and get moisture (water) from the inside of my lower lip I would take a sip of water and let them drink it from the inside of my lower lip. Both THEY AND ME DID JUST FINE and they lived with me for years. They picked up tiny stones from the ground to grind up the food in their crops.
> 
> I was rehabbing a baby pij that had been attacked by a seagull in front of me. I took him to the vet first and he gave him a clean bill of health. He told me he was very mal-nurished and underweight. I fed him a mixture of yogurt, 2 drops of orange-flaxseed oil (for omega 3 fatty acids) and porridge, all warmed up, and he loved it and ate with no problem. He slept at night with a heating pad with a towell over it on low. Then, I bought 19/8 Handfeed formula (sticky, messy, bird hated it) fed with syringe, and he died within 2 days on it. Next time I will go with the babyfood apple (to balance gut bacteria), egg and yogurt. Sometimes the older unfancy solutions worked and continue to work better. It may well be that the vet was wrong and he had an undetected injury or an untreated infection. But I will always wonder, did the formula make him sick and die??? Don't know the answer to that, but next time, as I say......


The hand rearing formula is for seed eating birds anyway not bug eaters, those can be raised on wet kitten food. people who hatch and raise parrot type birds for the pet industry use the kaytee exact hand rearing formula all the time, that is what it is meant for. we use it because it is the only thing sold retail wise and it is easy to mix and heat..just saves time. but if one can do something homemade and cover all the birds needs then go for it.. not sure why you would have to give water from your mouth, but your mouth is full of bacteria, that I would not recommend. a shot glass for a pigeon or dove works well as they suck their water not scoop it in the beak like sparrows. sometimes if all one has is dry cat or dog food it can be soaked and given and also the thawed peas and corn works great too if that is all one has on hand.


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