# Homer with Broken Wing



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Help! I may be a moderator and I have over 80 pigeons, but I don't consider myself a rehabber. I'm not good with severely injured birds--it really upsets me.  But I consider all pigeons that cross my path my responsibility. A friend of mine who rehabs ducks and wild birds called yesterday to say she was given a lost homer with a broken wing. Apparently a friend of a friend of hers saw it on the side of a busy freeway and risked her life to save it!

My friend took the pigeon to our mutual avian vet, who examined it free of charge, wrapped the wing and sent the bird home. My friend is overwhelmed with other responsibilities and doesn't have pigeons, so I offered to take the bird. I figured he would recover better within sight and sound of other pigeons.

But this bird is in bad shape. I was surprised he made it through the night. I did get him to drink a lot by holding him over the water dish (water + electrolytes.) He was much more alert today, stood up and drank on his own. He picked at the food but didn't seem successful picking it up. I called the vet and he recommended tubing him. I had to go to the vet's to get a new feeding tube. When I got home I discovered the pigeon had slipped off the wrap and his injured wing was hanging again. I tubed him and tried to re-wrap the wing, but I can't get the darn wrap to stay on. If I get it tight enough to stay, then he can't walk, and if I put it far enough back so that he can walk, it won't stay. Even the wrap the vet did lasted less than 24 hours.

In the course of doing all this, a wound at the bird's shoulder opened and started bleeding, and now the poor thing looks completely miserable again. I feel so bad.  I did give him some Ibuprofen I had from another rescue I got in a couple weeks ago (that pigeon had a gash in its upper leg and is now doing fine.) Suggestions?

-Cathy


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Birdmom4ever said:


> Help! I may be a moderator but I don't consider myself a rehabber.
> 
> -Cathy



Hi Cathy,

Same problem here...... 

Hopefully someone with hands-on experience will be along shortly to give you some ideas.

In the meantime, you're probably aware of this anyway, but just in case, this link looks pretty informative in reference to setting a broken wing...it's in our Resource section:

BROKEN WING;
http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/Pi...rokenwing.html

Good luck,
Linda


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Linda, I tried the link but it didn't work. That's the one I was thinking of, but I didn't find it when I searched.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Cathy, thanks for helping this pij out and thanks to your friend for risking
her life to get the bird.

Here's a link for wing wrapping:

http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/brokenwing.html

Sometimes it's easier to have an extra set of hands holding the bird. You can put a 4x4 over the open wound with some antibiotic cream on the gauze pad then wrap it in place w/the wing wrap. Hopefully you have some vet wrap on hand, it's the wrap that sticks to itself. Did the vet mention giving antibiotics for the wound? If not Baytril should probably be given to the bird. You know the drill on the heating pad, low and wrapped w/the option of getting off if he doesn't like it. Also, for food, you might consider soaking puppy chow and pushing to the back of the throat as this will also ensure getting some fluids in him once you are certain he is stabilized. He's in the
right place and you're gonna be just what he needs.

fp


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Great link, feral pigeon.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Thanks, Charis. Cathy, I forgot to mention that you should be able to stick
your finger under the wrap comfortably as a way of assessing if the wrap is
too tight or not. 

fp


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

feralpigeon said:


> Hi Cathy, thanks for helping this pij out and thanks to your friend for risking
> her life to get the bird.
> 
> Here's a link for wing wrapping:
> ...


My son helped me hold him and can again. My rehabber friend is actually coming over to help because she watched the vet do it the first time and can advise me. 

The vet didn't put him on antibiotics, but it seemed a good idea to me because of the open wound. I put antibiotic powder on it and I also put him on oral Enroxil for possible infection. And of course the Ibuprofin for pain. I think that once he gains a little strength he'll be able to eat on his own. (I hate tubing them.) He sure tried today. He's just very, very weak and worn out. 

Also, in case anyone wondered, I traced the band and also posted on 911 pigeon alert or whatever it's called. The club president has not yet called me back. The club is in Sylmar, near LA! Must have been a long race unless the bird was sold to someone up here. It's a 2006 bird. 

Thanks for the encouragement. I shouldn't be such a baby, but I get really emotional and upset when they are badly injured. It breaks my heart. They try so hard to get home.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

I hate force feeding them too, just seems to add to the indignity of it all, 
but between being in pain and on antibiotics and in pretty bad shape when
first arriving in your care, he may just need that extra help until he gets up
to speed. Is he self drinking yet? Poor baby must be very freaked out. 

fp


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Honestly, I haven't had that much luck with the standard wraps either. After that problem occurred a few times, I finally said to heck with it and started using the real masking tape. A bird who's really otherwise healthy and feeling good will even worry that stuff off in a few days but it lasts a lot better (for me, at least) than the vet-wraps. I guess it was one of my vets that put me onto masking tape for broken legs and I ended up trying it for wings.

And you don't need near as much of it.

Pidgey


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

feralpigeon said:


> I hate force feeding them too, just seems to add to the indignity of it all,
> but between being in pain and on antibiotics and in pretty bad shape when
> first arriving in your care, he may just need that extra help until he gets up
> to speed. Is he self drinking yet? Poor baby must be very freaked out.
> ...


Yes, thank God, he is self-drinking. I located his owner and spoke to him on the phone tonight. Both the club president and the owner are very nice men. The owner was a gentle and kind man who said he normally puts them down if they are badly injured, but he did express gratitude to me for trying to save the pigeon. Turns out it was one of his best homers. It is a cock-bird with an excellent pedigree and was lost in a June 9th race from the _Oregon border!!_ The bird's home is in Glendale, CA, a very long way from here. The owner said he was sorry it was just too far for him to drive to retrieve the bird, though he normally always retrieves his lost birds.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Wow, a long ways from home....there was a recent adoption here in Oakland
for a broken wing... just wondering out loud if that one was a male or female,
lol. I imagine you'll hold onto the bird until a home can be found?

Here are another couple of links on wing wrapping, notice that there is another
additional wrap over the figure eight to hold the wing wrap in place securely.

http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/recovery/recovery.htm#FRACTURES

http://www.starlingtalk.com/fractures.htm#wingfracture

Guess you'll be having a wing wrap party tonight.

fp


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Any earthly idea, by the way, which bone(s) is(are) broken? And do you have the bird on any supplemental heat? Sometimes, that's really important.

Pidgey


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

None. The vet didn't x-ray it. To be honest, I don't think he expected the bird to survive. Yes, I do have the pigeon on supplemental heat.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

We did indeed have a wing wrap party. It took several tries, but my hubby finally came up with a wrap that seems to be working for now. The wing is immobilized and the pij can stand. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. 

The vet did say it's possible to put a pin in the wing and restore flight, depending on where the bone is broken. But the bird was too far down to survive the two hour surgery. I'm hoping that if he regains strength and gains weight he can have the surgery. He's a very well-bred homer and it would be nice if he could still have a life as a stock bird. 

Thanks for the extra links, fp. I didn't get to your post until after we re-wrapped the wing, but I'm going to look now.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

That would be wonderful if your vet could restore his flight ability, Cathy.
Guess you'll be his 'pumper' for a while, lol. The pigeoncote link pictures
won't open in three different browsers, but the description may still be helpful.
The Starling Talk works well....

fp


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Continued good luck with this one, Cathy, and thank you so much for taking it in and caring for it. 

Terry


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you, Terry. He needs all the good wishes he can get. Badly injured birds really upset me--I feel so grieved for them, especially when my attempts to help don't work. Steve was dismayed when he heard I'd taken this pigeon on because he knows it's hard on me, but he's completely into helping the bird, bless him. 

My last rescue, a cute little helmet, is doing great and I plan to keep him. So you get some good cases and some bad ones. I hope and pray this homer will survive after all he's been through. I'd hate for it to be for nothing. He has such a strong will to live. 

-Cathy


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## Jazicat (Oct 31, 2005)

I wish you the best of luck too. He's lucky to have someone take such good care of him.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I sure wish the best for your homer, Cathy!!

Your story reminds me so much of Squeaks! He too, had a badly broken wing. Dr. Burke thought he could just clean the wound and wrap but then found out he needed surgery. I always thought that if the wing had healed, Squeaks would fly again because he was so ornery and had ATTITUDE, even though the prognosis was against him. When he didn't heal as expected, he had to have half his wing amputated and the rest is history.

BEST HEALING THOUGHTS, HUGS and SCRITCHES!!

Shi & Squeaks


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

He's still with us this morning. We're committed to doing everything we can to rehab this pigeon. I'm going to call the vet today and see what he thinks about doing the surgery. I'm pretty sure the bird needs to gain weight first, but I don't know how long we can wait before doing the surgery.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

*Update*

Just wanted to update you guys. The pigeon is stronger and more alert today and still drinking, though not yet eating, on his own, so I tubed him again. Food is being processed fine and his droppings look better. But try as we might, Steve and I cannot wrap the wing in such a way that it will stay on. I was unable to reach my vet who, it turns out, left today on a week long vacation! He works hard; he deserves it. But absent a referral from him, I don't know who to take the bird to. It's complicated. There is a rescue organization willing to pay for whatever needs to be done, but they only have an account with this particular vet. And he's the best avian vet in our area. Anyway, we still don't think the pigeon is strong enough to survive surgery at this point. 

So...my rehabber friend took the pigeon back today because she has far more experience than I do with wrapping wings. She will keep trying. When and if she gets the wing immobilized and/or can make other arrangements for vet care, I will take the bird back for the rest of his recovery. I do think he will make it. He seems to have a very strong will to live. He certainly has a strong will to get out of being wrapped up!


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

*Now suspect head trauma, too*

My rehab friend still has the pigeon, named "Roadster" by the people who found him. She's gotten the wing wrap to stay on but is still having to tube him as he isn't yet eating on his own. Both she and another rehabber she works with believe he has some neurological issues in addition to his other injuries, probably head trauma. Not surprising since we're pretty sure he was hit by a car. Jennifer felt that steroids might have helped initially, but the vet didn't give him any when he saw him last Tues, probably because the bird's condition was so poor.

I read Maggie's thread about Kirby's recovery and that gave me hope. Anyone have additional thoughts or comments? Is it reasonable to hope that Roadster will recover to the point where he can eat on his own? He pecks at seed but doesn't pick it up. It's been almost a week since he was found. He is more alert and has no trouble drinking and walking and his poops are fairly normal. We'll consult our vet again, but he won't be back in the office until Thursday. 

Treesa, you mentioned arnica montana. Is is available at any health food store? What is the correct dosage? And is it too late for it to be effective?

Thanks,
-Cathy


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

*Update on Roadster*

Roadster is back! My rehabber friend had to tube him for over a week and kept re-wrapping his wing as needed. But he finally started eating again and the wing has mostly healed. He'll never fly again, but it's not hanging down as far as it was initially. They had to clip his flights so he wouldn't trip on them.

My friend gave Roadster back to me on Saturday, as I'd promised to give him a home once he recovered. For now I have him in a hutch with a little roller hen (Elizabeth) for company. At first he didn't take much notice of her, but after a day or so he began to coo to her. She flirted her heart out, twitching her wings and calling to him. Now they are billing and cooing and he's acting more like a normal male pigeon, circling and fanning his tail for her. He seems content to eat his fill and hang out with his pretty blond girlfriend. I hope to put him in my aviary during the day but I don't know if he can stay there full time. 

Roadster still seems a little neurologically abnormal, but his behavior seems to get more normal as time goes on. My heart goes out to him. There is something very noble and gentlemanly about this bird. Here are some pictures of both his good and bad sides. 

-Cathy


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks for the good news update, Cathy! I'm glad Roadster is home and has gotten a girlfriend!

Terry


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

He's beautiful, and so is his friend! I suspect he's found his new home with you


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cathy, honestly, I don't know how I missed your thread until just now. Needless to say, I am so happy he is doing well and from the pictures he is looking great with his cute little girlfriend.

If he did have any head trauma, it may take a while for things to clear up but he doesn't look like there are any residual effects. 

You mentioned little Kirby, our miracle baby, and I'm happy to report that he has blended in so well with the others we can't even pick him out any more.

I love Roadster's name and hope he continues his remarkable improvement.


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

Gosh fp awsomw site have anymore really good sites for us ?  I booked marked that one for sure. Thank You

Cindy


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Maggie, I'm so glad Kirby is doing well. Pigeons are remarkable birds, aren't they! 

I was at my vet's today with another pigeon and I told the vet how Roadster was doing. He's the one who examined Roadster the day after he was found and he told me that he didn't fully expect the bird to survive. I didn't either, and it's just amazing to me that he's doing so well. I guess that's what touched me about this bird--he's such a fighter and he has great dignity, too.


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Roadster and Elizabeth -- what a cute little couple they are. I hope Roadster continues to improve and that he and Elizabeth have a bit of a summer fling! (Isn't that what summer is about when you're young?  or even older)


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Hi Cathy,

After seeing a picture of Roadster, he will always have a place in my heart...he is a Blue Bar like my Squeaks, who, as mentioned, had a badly broken wing.

Roadster is so lucky to have such a beautiful mate (relationship does sound VERY promising)!  

I'm sure he will continue to improve and Squeaks and I are sending our VERY BEST CONGRATULATIONS, BEST WISHES, HUGS and SCRITCHES!!

Shi


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