# Young pigeon, eyes closed, wobbly, sleeping found at side of road



## Ejt2109 (Aug 27, 2018)

I saw a pigeon in Leeds city centre it was sat on the ground, in between a car and the pavement and was sat asleep (6:30pm). It seemed an odd place to be asleep, so I went over and it didn’t move (unusual for a city pigeon). I moved my hand towards it and it came over to me, and snuggled into my hand and tried to hide under my coat. Rightly or wrongly I decided to move it as it was next to the inner city ring road in the middle of town. I couldn’t see where it came from, no nests etc as it’s a built up area, no other birds. The strange thing was that it’s eyes were closed, it didn’t / couldn’t open them (not sure) it was that friendly that I was able to carry it home in my hands, didn’t wriggle at all but seemed lethargic. 

I have it in a box with seed, fresh water, sugar water, hot water bottle and when I put it in the box, it was wobbly on its feet when I put it down, didn’t walk much, and it just seemed to want to just go to sleep. It hasn’t eaten but has been sleeping since (it’s now 9:10pm). No injury signs, wings hanging normally etc. I have posted some pictures but as it’s asleep it was hard, didn’t want to wake it. It does look headless in one of them!

Does anyone have any ideas what might it be? I read possibly coccidiosis - happy to get some medication etc. Or is it just young, the facts it’s eyes won’t open seem strange? It may have been fine to have left it, but idiots in town kick pigeons and the road/pavement was not safe and the fact it was so friendly made me worry and step in.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Please google pigeon protection uk. They have a facebook group who could likely help.


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## rudyard (Aug 9, 2016)

thanks for the rescue. That pus looks like avian pox, can you post better pics? IF.... that's the case, it's a virus so you can give supportive care until it recovers. If it's canker it's treatable. If you hold the bill straight up and in good light open its mouth and look for yellow or whitish growths or nodules.

Before feeding or watering, the bird must be =warm= (critical).

Here's the instructions from Jay3 and Marina B

Best will be to forcefed defrosted peas, 40 peas 3 times daily.

Defrost the peas in lukewarm water until soft. Put him on your lap facing to the right (if you are righthanded). Reach with your lefthand over his head and body and open the beak with those fingers. Have a pea ready in your righthand and put deep inside the beak over the tongue. If he spits it out, then you are not putting it inside deep enough. Give him time to swallow and proceed with the next one. Get him to drink water by dipping the tip of the beak (not over the nostrils) in a small bowl of water.​======

The only change I make is we have had so many problems with e. coli and salmonella I pour boiling water over them, then strain them, and eat one to make sure it's warm not hot.

Then to see if it will drink (pigeons suck up water like a straw) dip the bill in lukewarm water that is only deep enough so that it -won't- reach the nostrils. 

This will get it though the day, I'm sure others will chime in.

good luck

Rudy


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## Ejt2109 (Aug 27, 2018)

Thanks for advice. Here are some more pictures. It’s mouth is pink no yellow or white spots inside. One eye won’t opwn but I gently used a wet cotton wool stick to clean and it can open both now, there was some white discharge from its eye?

It’s a little resistant to opening its mouth for food. Don’t have peas but have some wild bird seed and picked out the peas, corn and also sun flower seeds. Seems to like sunflower seed the best, but only would take 17 in total. Drank some of the sugar water mix and is having a rest now. How do I treat pox (if that’s what it is?)


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He does not have pox, must be something else wrong with him. Feeding him the peas will be the best option now and the easiest. Frozen peas defrosted in lukewarm water till soft. You can also put down a good seedmix for him and he might start eating now that both eyes are open.


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## Ejt2109 (Aug 27, 2018)

Took it to the vets, apparently it had a bruised chest and they treated his eyes. They said he was good to release but i erred on the side of caution and kept him in. This morning both his eyes wouldn’t open until I bathed them and they had white discharge. What can I buy to treat this please?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I'm glad you did not release him. He may have ornithosis, which can be treated with Doxycycline. Colloidal silver drops can also be used in his eyes to help with the infection. I've never used these products before, so can't give a dosage. I will pm Jay3, maybe she will have answers.


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## Ejt2109 (Aug 27, 2018)

I got some eye treatment from the vet (Isathal) which I administered fine/ but he seems to have taken a turn for the worst. I have left food all day but I think he’s not eating. He drank a lot of sugar water when j came home, but now won’t swallow food. I am not sure he’s been eating himself at all really, and he is really lethargic just wants to sleep/rest. I’ve also tried a syringe but he won’t gulp anymore. The seeds are just sat in his tongue when I put them in normally he’ll eat them or shakes his head but he’s stopped fighting the feed. Think I might loose him. He’s on a hot water bottle and i am just leaving him to rest as I don’t know what else to do.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He is probably starving to death. You don't know how long he has been without food when you found him. Why don't you feed him the peas? It's so easy once you get the hang of it and might just save his life. He is still young and probably does not know how to eat by himself. If his droppings are small, green and creamy then he is producing starvation droppings. Plse try to get food into him, letting him sleep is not going to save his life.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would have said just what Marina has said. Also that if he is sick then he isn't going to eat. The hard peas,corn, and sunflower seed isn't the right thing to give him. You need to get FROZEN peas. You warm them in warm water till they are defrosted and warm. These are soft and easy to digest, and that is why you use the frozen peas, not the hard dry ones. 
Your vet knows nothing about birds, or just doesn't care about pigeons. He must not be an avian vet. Something to treat the eye can help to make it feel better, but if he has Chlamydia (ornithosis) or canker then the drops won't help much. That won't treat the bird for the illness causing it. If it were me, I would treat for canker with Metronidazole, and for Chlamydia, with Doxycycline. Either get these from the vet, or you can get them online. But you need to get food into him. The peas would really be the best thing, or he is just going to get weaker and die. Can you please get the frozen peas? This is how you would feed them, as he isn't just going to open his beak for you to feed him. You need to open it and put them in. Really not difficult once you get the hang of it.

If you need to feed peas to a pigeon, hold the bird on your lap and against your body. This gives you more control. Reach from behind his head with one hand and grasp his beak on either side. Now use your free hand to open the beak, and put a pea in, then push it to the back of his throat and over his tongue. Let him close his beak and swallow. Then do another. It gets easier with practice, and the bird also gets more used to it, and won't fight as much. If you can't handle the bird, then use the sleeve cut off a t-shirt, slip it over his head and onto his body, with his head sticking out. This will stop him from being able to fight you so much. Just don't make it tight around his crop area. It helps if you have him facing your right side if you are right handed.


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

That's a great idea.

What about feeding the bird baby food via a syringe? I do agree you need to hand feed him ASAP.


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