# Help!!! Found injured bird with possible broken leg!



## gimpy01

We found a beautiful white and brown pigeon, injured leg foot. We located the owner of the bird we call Gimpy and he is about 90 miles from us. Said we could keep it as a pet. Read every thing i could find on pigeons and my daughter the aspiring zoologist is determined to fix him or her? Of course i've also fallin in love with Gimpy. I took him to our local vet and got some really terrible advise. Put him back where we found him/her and he/she will find its way home. If Gimpy could fly away im sure he/she wouldnt have let my daughter pick he/she up. Gimpys wing seem find but will put no pressure on his left foot. This probably sounds like a stupid question but could he still fly with a broken foot? He is also only about 6 months old per the owner, could this be psychological that he is not flying away? I'll take any advise i can get. I want whats best for this little guy or girl.


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## Lovebirds

gimpy01 said:


> We found a beautiful white and brown pigeon, injured leg foot. We located the owner of the bird we call Gimpy and he is about 90 miles from us. Said we could keep it as a pet. Read every thing i could find on pigeons and my daughter the aspiring zoologist is determined to fix him or her? Of course i've also fallin in love with Gimpy. I took him to our local vet and got some really terrible advise. Put him back where we found him/her and he/she will find its way home. If Gimpy could fly away im sure he/she wouldnt have let my daughter pick he/she up. Gimpys wing seem find but will put no pressure on his left foot. This probably sounds like a stupid question but could he still fly with a broken foot? He is also only about 6 months old per the owner, could this be psychological that he is not flying away? I'll take any advise i can get. I want whats best for this little guy or girl.


Gimpy, first of all, keep the bird confined. If it can fly, it will and you'll loose it and there's no telling where it will wind up. The fact that your daughter picked it up tells me the bird is injured or weak from hunger or both. In any case, keep the bird confined. Whoever said to "put it back where you found it" is an idiot. Sorry, but that's true. Your vet needs a quick "pigeon" lesson. The owner said you could keep it? Then do so and love it and it will love you back. Everyone here will help you as much as we can. I assume the bird is banded. Do you mind telling us what the band says? Any other questions......just ask. Oh, by the way, welcome.


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## gimpy01

Thanks so much for the reply, Gimpy is already fast becoming my buddy. He is actually watching me type this to you now. He has really latched onto me and is now i believe preening my arm. His band says au i 13726 2006. Any advise on the leg? I went to the local feed store and purchased some dove feed and set him up in a cardboard box. Do you have any quick tips on how to interact with him? Petting,bathing, and so forth...any advise would be greatly appreciated. He seems to be interested in the keyboard he is pecking at the keys everytime i pause, he is adorable and so so sweet.


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## Lovebirds

Do you think the leg is broken or just injured? What did you vet say. Did the vet examine Gimpy at all? If you're going to keep Gimpy, you're going to need a cage of some sort to at least let him/her have a "space of his own". As far as interaction, just keep doing what you are doing. It sounds like the previous owner may have spent time with the bird, because trust me, they usually aren't real tame unless they are super hungry. You can offer the bird some bath water. Most of us use a cat litter pan from the dollar store. Put about 2 gallons of water in it and what him go to town.


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## Skyeking

Hi gimpy01,

Hello and welcome.

Thank you for helping this bird.

You have been given a truly wonderful gift, as pigeons are such wonderful pets.

We appreciate all your supportive care and trying to do the right thing for this bird.

Does the leg look swollen or bruised? Perhaps you can look at both legs, and make an assesment or/and comparison and let us know.

Perhaps you can find a rehabber who can help you determine if the leg is broke, swollen, or sprained.

Please check this list:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA.htm#il

or perhaps this will help you find an avian vet:

http://aav.org/vet-lookup/


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## Lovebirds

Just curious as to where you are? I'm in VA. We've actually got a race going on today and I'm expecting birds in about 30 minutes so I've got to get off of here and go get their feed and water ready. I'll check back in here in a little while. Oh, by the way, I used to have a bird named Gimpy. I'll have to tell you about her sometime.


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## gimpy01

Thanks for all your replies, its so nice to see people willing to help us. The vet didnt even take Gimpy from me to look at him said something about looking like the same one that had been here before as he was walking away from us. Told us to put him back where we found him and he will find his way home. I may not know much about pigeons but i knew that was a "Stop wasting my time with a pigeon" response from him. So, that brings us to you all wonderful people with great advise and support. I dont know about the leg he just lets it hang, it looks just like the other one both bright red in color and both warm to the touch, but i can touch the lame leg and he doesn't react at all. It literally just hangs there. I would love to put him in a bath but ive noticed a couple of sneezes from him yesterday and then again today. His owner says he had only been trained to fly home from 7 miles away and thinks he might have gotten caught up with the recent race out of chicago. Once he is better could he find his way back home?


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## Reti

Hi Gimpy,

I would not let the bird go back home if the owner said you can keep it. It is obvious he doesn't want it back and might not care about the bird.
Some racers do not keep lost and injured birds, so my advice is to keep him/her.

Reti


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## gimpy01

Hi, 
This is her daughter Nicole. 
we have a little problem..i think the bird is sick. He is shaking, sneezing, and closng his eyes. I dont know, is he just tired or sick? We would really aprreciate any advise we could get. Me, my mom and Gimpy..
Thank you for your time, 
Nicole 

and the answer to a previous ? We reside in Illinois


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## gimpy01

we dont have a very warm enviroment..we live in an apartment thats not really well heated. well not for a bird that is. do u think it has something to do wit us letting him take a bath, ive read in other threads that u should use a heated wrap but we dont have that so we tried to get him an a towel as fast as possible, the bathrooms a warm place but we had to take him out of there becuase people kept coming in an out and we have a cat so we didnt want any bigger problems ..hes quite a young pigeon 4 months...we intenn to keep him so is there any other advise you have it would be greatly aprretiated..also i was readin a thread and it said something about garlic..i was wondering what is the reason behind it...is it something i should do??...and hes injured any advise behind that ..in another thread  it said somthing about a vet putting a pin in the birds leg because it was broken?..well thank you for your time 
nicole


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## Maggie-NC

Hi Gimpy/Nicole

He can be shaking because he is cold from the bath or from his leg hurting. What I would do:

If you have a hair dryer, set it on low and hold it about 2 feet over him and dry him that way.

Do you have a heating pad or, if not, can you borrow one? If you can get one, put the heating pad on medium heat to begin with and place it ON ONE HALF OF THE BOX. That way if he gets too warm being on the pad he can move off it.

I usually put a large towel under the pad to protect furniture, then the pad, then another towel ON TOP of the pad. Place the cardboard box on the towel (I hope you have removed the top to the box) then take another towel and roll it up like a doughnut looks and place the bird in the center of the doughnut. This will help relieve the stress on his leg. Put another towel over about half the TOP of the box and use clothespins to hold it securely to the top of the box. This way the warmth will stay in the box but he'll still get air. You don't want the box falling in on him and possibly smothering him. If you're worried about him getting out you can lay an oven rack on the top which will still allow air to get to him.

Put a bowl of seed and some water at the end of the box opposite where he is and keep things pretty quiet around him for the rest of the day and night.

Has he been eating and drinking water? Has he been pooping and what do the poops look like? You will need to keep an eye on him and if he soils the towel replace it so he stays dry.


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## Victor

Hi Gimpie and daughter~

That is a disgrace the way the vet is handling your pigeons with his "I don't care" attitude. Many veterinarians unfortunately do not wish to be bothered with pigeons. But Let us focus on Gimpie for now.

You have been given some very good advice, and if you have not read this in the resource section, here is the link.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11265


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## Reti

Have you checked him out for any open wounds?
Also check the bad leg carefully and compare it with the healthy one.
Open his beak and see if you notice any slime, abnormal growths or anything that doesn't look right.
How are the droppings?

Reti


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## gimpy01

his poop is dark geen. He seems to be eating fine and drinking after he eats. He sleeps a lot and when he is awake he is very alert. He likes laying on my chest with a light blanket over the top of him. We will put him in the bathroom where it is the warmest place with no drafts and turn up the heat. Another thing we thought pigeons dont mind the cold because they live outside in hutches....we've got a lot to learn. Thanks for all the advise we are doing everything as instructed. 
I really cant see a difference between the two legs except of course he refuses to use it at all. There are no visible wounds that we can see. Im not sure i feel comfortable opening up his mouth yet. I did see the inside of his mouth when he yawned while sitting on my chest.


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## Victor

Hi again~

A healthy poop will be green or brown with white (urates) in the center. It should not be runny, but rather firm...the shape of a swirl, like cookie dough.


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## Victor

gimpy01 said:


> Another thing we thought pigeons don't mind the cold because they live outside in hutches.....


Yes, pigeons are very hearty creatures but cold drafts and direct moisture is not good for them. This is especially true of pigeons whose immunities are down due to illness or injury, such as yours. Unfortunately, wild feral pigeons will only live 5 or 6 years in the wild due to predators, and adverse weather, thus leading to illness.A pigeon kept in ideal conditions, such as in a well kept loft or coop, or even indoors as a pet can live 20 or so years.


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## Skyeking

gimpy01 said:


> Another thing we thought pigeons dont mind the cold because they live outside in hutches....we've got a lot to learn. Thanks for all the advise we are doing everything as instructed.


Healthy pigeons can handle the cold, sick pigeons need help staying warm as they don't have the fuel and energy needed to keep warm, it takes all they have to maintain and heal.

Please try the link I posted to get some help for this bird. 

Sometimes if the leg just hangs, it can be broke, and it needs to be looked at.

Garlic is one of the best herbs for pigeons. it builds their immune system, and purifies the blood, and is a natural antibiotic. Every bird I rehab gets a capsule a day.


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## Pidgey

I rather doubt that the environment in the house is the proverbial "cold, wet and drafty" that will actually make a pigeon sick. The biggest reason that pigeons need to be kept in dry environments is so that bacterial won't proliferate in the area as well as coccidial oocysts and worms. Dry is necessary. 

It's more likely in this case that he is feeling bad due to an illness. He may or may not get over it on his own so we ought to take some precautions. It's a fact that racing pigeons are usually kept extraordinarily free of many of the normal diseases by way of routine preventative medications. This means that they're often "immuno-naive", which is like saying that their immune systems usually haven't had the challenges that make them stronger and more acquainted with their normal job. As such, it's just one of those things that means that we may need to get you some drugs to have in case things get worse. It's a good sign when they're eating and drinking plenty on their own and that's promising here but he certainly might have picked up something between when he got hurt and now that's causing a battle inside.

As to the leg, we can easily splint it with a very simple technique and I'm going looking for a link to illustrations for that.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey

Okay, here's one to acquaint you with the actual bones and how they're arranged:

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/skeleton.html

And here's a link to an illustration of how to use 2" wide masking tape and a popsickle stick to splint the leg:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=108665&postcount=14

You would need to use scissors and carefully trim the feathers around the upper leg so that the tape will stick properly. About the time that the tape is ready to come off on its own is when it should come off. This method is often used in wild birds and they're literally released as soon as it's obvious that they're getting around okay--they just let them go with the tape on, believe it or not.

Pidgey


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## gimpy01

Gimpy is doing well this morning, he is eating well, drinking well and seems to be in good spirits. He tried to peck me this morning when i reached for his water bowl but that was my fault i startled him, once i started talking to him he seem to calm down. You guys are all so wonderful, im so amazed at the dedication and caring you all show..i know im about the millionth person asking for help and you guys treat me like i was the very first person to ever find an injured pigeon. Thanks so much!!!
Rita


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## gimpy01

*Our Evil Cat Got Ahold Of Him!!!!!*

hi this is her daughter again,
Our dad left the door open to Gimpy's room, our nasty cat Gus Gus got into the room and grabed the bird..(right after he left a slit under my eye may i add ) we cleaned out the wound and theres only two small punture wounds and a couple wing feathers missing!!!
he was in shock but we let him soak in some warm water and dried him immeditaly and have been holding him in a dry towel to keep him warm. he seems to have calmed down but we dont know what to do about the bite and we dont know if he is still in shock..the wound has stopped bleeding. we have triple anti-biotic ointment? (neomycin,polymyxin and bacitracin ointment). should we use this on the wound?..the wound is under the wing and we also have gauz?..we are afraid to take him to the vet because as we stated before the vet isnt so interested. we are afraid he will put him down or turn him away!!!! we have no avatry vets here and we've been reasearching all we can but so far you guys have helped us the most and have givin us the most helpful advise..please someone help!!!!


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## Reti

I am sorry to hear about the accident. 
Have you examined the bird thoroughly for wounds and bruises?
You can apply the triple antibiotic on the wound, twice a day and it would be good if you had some Clavamox or Augmentin to give him orally, cats carry many germs in their mouths which can give easily an infection to a bird.
For now, keep him warm and let him recover from the shock.

Reti


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## gimpy01

yes he has two small punture wounds..would it be ok to use peroxide?...were can u find Clavamox and Augmentin?? thank you for your help!


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## Victor

Call area vets or if you have a place called Tractor Supply Company, they may have it. Some feed stores carry it as well.

Time is important here...cat saliva fatal.

One of us can ship it but it may be too late.


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## gimpy01

*:'(*

we have triple anti-biotics and a feed store..we dont have a aviary vet anywere nearby and our local vet will not have nething to do wit him. do u have anyother advise to help take this bird outta shock or how to tell if he is in shock at all!!!..we cleaned at the puntures with water but water here isnt very sterile..we are wondering if peroxide is any way of a use??....should we bandage it or let it get air??..thank your for your help!!!..


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## gimpy01

we are also scared to try and warm him up with a hairdryer only because we dont want hm to get scared and get wrrose shock or if hes not in shock go into shock...we are going to go try and get a heatingpad but this is an emergency situation so nething household..could anything help??..b/c our house isnt very warm...for Gimpy....and with the added scare of him being already hurt is really concerning us..ive read something about his lungs being flat and close to the ribs and theres nothing protecting there ..do you think it could have puntured his lungs in anyway hes breathing fine but i just want to take extra-precuasions...


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## Skyeking

I'm so sorry to hear about the additional injury. 

If he isn't having difficulty breathing then his lungs should be fine.

You will need to get the clavamox/Augmentin for the cat bites.

The heating pad, placed under a towel should be fine. If your house is cold I would also, keep the bird in a box , to keep it out of air drafts and cold. Keep the box up high or inside a cage, where he will be safe and feel safe. You might want to put a towel or light wool blanket over him, not covering the head to help further keep him warm.


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## Reti

Do not use peroxide. It does no good on open wounds, actually it can do more harm. Cleaning the wound with warm water and soap is enough. The water doesn't have to be sterile.
For keeping him warm you can use a heating pad or a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel. You will have to keep him warm for at least 24 hours, then we take it from there.
Call the feed stores and see if they have Clavamox and let us know, please.
Also do apply the triple antibiotic on the wound.

Reti


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## gimpy01

we are applying the triple anti-biotic and have warmed water but when we set himon top of the bottle tharts is wrapped he seems to get to hott and starts to breath out of his mouth sorta like a dog does when there hott. so we have him wrapped loosely so when he gets to hott he can get up and out..we have taken him away from the bottle and hes began to breath normaly..should we put him back on the bottle..??..also the feed stores are all closed on sunday but tomorrow we are deffinatly going there..and i have a ? about grit...we've gotten some ..should we mix it with his food??.


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## Reti

If he gets overheated give him enough room so he can get away from the heat. Panting is not good, it means he is too hot.

The grit you give in a separate bowl and he eats it whenever he feels like it.

Reti


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## Pidgey

Sounds like your panicking. Stop that! What's done is done and the bird's not going to die of shock. As to the bite, what everyone is referring to is that cats sometimes carry a bacteria in their mouths that can be lethal to birds--it's called Pasteurella multocida. A small bird like a robin can die within 12 hours. Pigeons are far and away more hardy and so the antibiotics typically used are more preventative than anything else. The penicillins are the ones normally used and Amoxicillin is pretty common. The two mentioned already (Clavamox and Augmentin) are actually Amoxicillin plus Clavulanic Acid. You don't have to have that higher grade so it's a "whatever you can find that's available" kind of thing. Many pigeons that have been reported to this forum with cat bites ended up living without getting any antibiotics, probably most in fact. It's a good idea for you to try and get the stuff so, by all means, search for it wholeheartedly. I just want you to know that if you can't find anything like that it's not a death sentence in less than an hour.

It may be possible that you can find a pigeon racer in your area that would have some antibiotics to loan, sell or give you. You're not going to need much. Since you were able to find this guy's owner, you might try those channels that you've already explored to find someone who keeps that kind of stuff. Just about all of them do so give that a try when all else fails.

Pidgey


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## Maggie-NC

Please don't let him get so hot that he is panting. You could place the hot water bottle at the other end of his box but it is going to lose heat pretty rapidly so he is probably better off without it. If you keep his box away from a draft and cover part of it like I described in my earlier post he may be ok without a heat source under him.


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## gimpy01

hes doing fine now..but im still a little worried because i've read others threads about people thinking there pigeons are fine after an attack and then soon after they pass away..but for now hes fine and tomorrow we're getting the medicine that is needed..and about the garlic is it a capsule or like a clove??..and also we've taken the heat source away and left him with some warm blankets 
nicole


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## Pidgey

Do you have any idea how hard the cat might have bitten and if so, where on the bird he grabbed him? Cats and birds can mix as long as there is a long acquaintance period and the cat's not too rotten. It sounds like this one might be, though, to ever be able to trust him.

Incidentally, if you get either the Amoxicillin or the Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid combo then give the bird 100 milligrams per kilogram once to twice daily. Your bird is probably about one-half of a kilogram, by the way. So, check the pill, capsule or whatever form you get it in and do the math, then dose.

Pidgey


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## gimpy01

*okay*

yea hes pretty rotten..earlier today he left a nice slice under my eye..lol...Gimpy has 2 puncture wounds on the side of his stomach under his wing....and he also has a puncture on his beak..and i think its swelling..should i be concerned..im a little worried it will close up his breathing hole...but so far no troubles with breathing..and i will be sure to remind my mom tomorrow to get those medications. thank you for all your help
Nicole[/I]


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## Feather

Nicole, I'm putting your post back on the frontline!

Good Luck,
Feather


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## gimpy01

what does that mean lol?


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## TAWhatley

It means that you've been "bumped up" to assure that your situation gets noticed and responded to. 

The swelling is not a good sign at this point. I guess the good news is that the "breathing hole" is actually inside the mouth/throat .. it's the opening to the trachea. You are probably seeing swelling near the nares .. nostrils .. yes?? That is not good but won't stop the bird from breathing .. if his nares get clogged, he will open mouth breathe.

If you can get the meds tomorrow, that will be great. Please do keep us posted. I think you are OK for now but holler if things start getting worse.

Terry


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## gimpy01

oo ok ... we will deffinatly get him the meds tomorrow ... ya he was doing thay earlier so i was juss alil worried but my mom dissclogged it by taking a q-tip with water and gently running it over it to get all the blood away...but thank you guys for all your help u have been really helpful!!!!!!
nicole


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## TAWhatley

That's good and fine that you cleared the nostrils. Mom did a great job! Please keep us posted on how things are going. I'm a bit concerned though .. where is the blood coming from that your Mom cleared?

Terry


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## gimpy01

The cat bit him on his beak and near those 2 large soft spots above the nostrils.


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## gimpy01

*Yeaa!!!!*

Gimpy is doing Great..hes starting to move around his limp leg and trying to walk on it...im pretty sure its broekn but we will just see when we go to get him checked up...hes eating alot and has his own space now!!! the cat has no way to reach him..bout the cuts ...there healing fine..not that its been long but there not bleeding and he doesnt seem botehred by the..we are still appyling the ointment and sure to get some amoxicillan soon!!!...thank you guys for all your help i know me and my mom would not have been able to do it without ur help!!!!


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## TerriB

Glad that you've got him set up in a cat-proof space. In answer to your previous question, give garlic in a capsule. For future reference, the two large soft spots above his nostrils are called the cere. Sounds like your mom is experienced at taking care of minor emergencies. Good deal! Hope Gimpy continues to improve!


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## gimpy01

yep...thnksfor your help..were could u get garlic..my mom has like garlic but like vitamins kinda....thank you


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## Skyeking

gimpy01 said:


> were could u get garlic..my mom has like garlic but like vitamins kinda....thank you



I use the Now Brand garlic small gel caps. They are easy to give (one a day) and the birds respond very well on them. It has a tremendous supportive product that I use routinely. You can purchase them at your local health food store. They have another one with parsley in it so it is odorless.

http://store.thecatalog.com/1790.html


Just open the beak with thumb and forefinger, gently, put a garlic gel cap (slick it down with a tiny bit of olive or wheat germ oil) over and behind the tongue. Push it back gently with your finger as far as it will go, allow the bird to swallow and rub his neck in downward motion. First time is a little tricky, but after a few it gets easier.


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## gimpy01

alright..got it..thank you...so what if he has never had it?...and gets sick or something ....??? stupid ? i know lol


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## TerriB

You mean if he vomits up the garlic?


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## Skyeking

gimpy01 said:


> alright..got it..thank you...so what if he has never had it?...and gets sick or something ....??? stupid ? i know lol



In all the times I have used garlic, I have never seen my birds throw up the garlic caps. It is a possibility, but that is very rare. 

However, if the bird has any signs of upset stomach, or is under 8 weeks of age, it should NOT be given. Other then that the benefits far outway any risks.

If the capsule is not swallowed, like anything, then he will try to work it out of the beak and will look like he is upchucking it, but that is not actually throwing it up. You really won't see the capsule come up after it is actually swallowed, as it disolves quickly.


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## Jennifer777

*Please help! Hurt pigeon.*

Please help... We haven't had a pigeon here since we lived here.. and about a month ago, a white one w/ brown markings showed up.. and he lives in the trusses of the garage.. and hasn't left since. I never seen a white one.. I looked it up and it says white ones are domesticated.. It might be the reason it is SO FRIENDLY! It comes right up to you, eats out of your hand, hangs out by you when your outside.. and today it was following my husband around everywhere while he worked... But it just got attacked by a dog... We stopped it in time, and it only looks like one leg is broken. Anyways, my question is, has anyone ever nursed a bird back to health and then let it go again? Do I have to bandage the leg or let it heal on it's own.. and just feed it and keep it out of harms way until it's healed? Or do I have to take it somewhere? It is so cute and I love it's personality.. I never seen a bird act the way it does.. It's like a pet! Also, I live in Phoenix, AZ.. It has been living outside in the heat.. So, should I leave the cage outside, or will it do well inside w/ the AC as well? Thanks in advance


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