# Spine injury in Pigeon?



## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

I found a wild pigeon yesterday. It seems like the wings are ok. He can't walk, one of the legs seems to be paralized and when he tries to move his head shakes. He's very spastic. I was watching him for a while and I noticed that he can't aim very well to get the grains I am feeding him with. He drinks water fine, but today I had to physically put oatmeal in his beak. I am not sure if the lack of coordination is due to spine injury. I don't know much about birds, so may be someon can help me.

ilona


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi ilona.

Thank you for helping this pigeon.

Where do you live? Let's see if we can get you some help.

There could be a number of things wrong with this bird, including disease, injury, poisoning, etc.


Please check out this thread for stabilizing a bird, it is very important to follow this first:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi,

Thanks for rescuing this pigeon.

He may have an injury, spinal or internal head injury, or he may have some nervous system problems associated with a virus, Paramyxovirus (PMV), amongst other possibilities.

The head shaking and the lack of co-ordination picking up food could indicate the second option. Partial paralysis could indicate various things.

In either case, he is best kept in a warm, quiet place out of bright sunshine. A cardboard box or a cage, with something soft under him is good. If he is able to drink, that's good. Wild bird seed, mixed corn, dove mix are all good and could be provided in a deep pot so he can lunge at it with a good chance of getting some. But feeding him by hand is definitely the right thing if he is unable to pick anything up. If feeding, you could try some frozen peas & corm, thawed in warm water.

These are the common symptoms of PMV - if it rings bells, we have a link to a page for care of birds with this.

Thin broken solid droppings in a pool of liquid 
Fine tremor of eyes or head 
Staggering 
Somersaulting in flight 
Crash landing 
Difficulty picking up seed, pecking and missing. 
Tossing seed backwards 
Twisting neck, head upside down (torticollis, star gazing) - see photo. 
Paralysis of legs or wings 
Spiralling in flight 
Flying backwards 
Turning in circles 
Having fits 

Does he seem to be an adult (white 'cere' at top of beak)?

John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi ilona,


Yahhhh, as Tressa mentions above, could be any of several things.

Some illnesses effecting the kidneys can cause their Legs to have problems...

The PMV Virus ( not the one everyone is all excited about in the media, but one we do see sometimes) might do this also, since it can effect individual Birds a little differently)...

Salmonella can do it...

Is the Bird pooping? (It may not be if it was unable to eat on it's won for a while)...

But anyway, yes, figure out a way to keep them warm, such as an electric heating pad in a cage (or some safe place if no cage is available) so that there is still some area of the cage bottom with no heating pad, and you can lightly roll a hand towell and form it into a "U" shape for the Bird to rest in. set the heating pad to 'low' and have the Bird set up on that. Keep tham out of any drafts or interferences from children or other pets.

See if you can check in it's throat, just for good measure, for any sign of little yellow things down there, 'Canker' is a common illness they can get and the 'yellow' cheezy things in their throats is one form of it showing itself.

Check their little butt for any soiled Feathers there...

Does the Bird have any odor at all? If you bury your nose into it's Feathers?

Might have had a bad landing or been hit by a Car, and sprained/strained or even broken it's thighs, for that matter, as well as maybe injuring it's neck and itself generally...

Offer tepid water to his Beak...you can dissolve a pinch of Salt and a pinch of Sugar into a small glass full or teacup full, and that may help him also as an electrolyte...see if he will drink...

Keep all your movements s-l-o-w and positive...

Let us know?

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

The combination of symtoms: paralysis of one leg, "spasticity" of the head, ability to drink water but not to pick up food all suggest PMV to me.

THis thread covers the symptoms and treatment:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=12250&referrerid=560

I have nursed several pigeons through PMV as have other members on this board. However, please be very wary of handing a pigeon with suspected PMV over to a vet or a snactuary, they are all too often unnecessarily euthanased.

Cynthia


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

Thank you everyone for your prompt response. Thats awesome. It really seems like he may have the virus. He does poop and it is some solid with clear viscous liquid (I am not really an expert on bird poop  ) He has some poo stuck to his feathers. Poor bird he has to use his wings to walk. I have him on a balcony since I live in TX (Fort Worth) it is still warm. I tried to put him in a blanket but after I put him down he tries to fly and he moves. Anyway, I have some tomato branches that broke of the plant and he situated himself on them. He looks pretty comfortable. So if this is a virus, I guess I can't really help him much as far as medication. Is there any chance he will get better and get his corination back? I know that human virouses if infect nervous system may leave person paraized for months  
Is this virus attack only brids? (I have two cats and a dog I don't want them to get sick....I keep them away from the bird anyway).


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

cyro51 said:


> The combination of symtoms: paralysis of one leg, "spasticity" of the head, ability to drink water but not to pick up food all suggest PMV to me.
> 
> THis thread covers the symptoms and treatment:
> 
> ...


I am going to try to take care of him myself....


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Ilona,

The virus is pigeon specific so it won't affect cats and dogs. It has been injected into chickens and in them it causes the mildest form of Newcastle Disease (symptoms are subclinical).

When I first started rescuing pigeons with PMV I didn't have a clue about caring for them, so I put three in the shed in mid winter...not ideal conditions, I am in the UK and the water in the shed froze at night but they all made a full recovery and are still healthy five years later!

Cynthia


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

I just tried to feed him a green peas he is just freaking out and flopping all over the balcony. I don't know if I can force feed him like that??? 
It seem strange that his legs are paralized but not his wings. How lond does it take for them to get better?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Alona,

If it is PMV then they can recover within 6 weeks but some take up to 17 weeks or longer to recover.

Stress can cause those fits (Feefo the Beautiful whose photos appear in my avatar and in the PMV thread used to have a fit if a human approached her).

Try putting pigeon mix, popping corn or dried peas in a deep dish (lots of food, so that it can be picked up easily) and leaving her for a while. If she can control her head to drink she will probably be able to pick up some seed on her own. She is unlikely to do that while you are watching, but if she tries to eat she will probably scatter a lot of it around which will give her activities away.

Watch those poops...I can usually tell how much a pigeon has eaten by the number, color and size of the poops.

One way to tell whether a pigeon is suffering from PMV is that their symptoms increase with stress...clapping your hands loudly can precipitate a fit. I prefer to test them by watching them through a crack in the door to see if their symptoms subside during my absence rather than testing whether my precence aggravates the symptoms.

Cynthia


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

I did what you said as far as food. I have her (him?) situated on the balcony so I can look at her thru the window (as I am typing ) I put her in a cage so that she doesn't flop around. I also put few grains and pea in her mouth. How much do pigeons need to eat a day?
Thanks for all the help


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I have read that pigeons eat on average 30gms of seed a day, by my calculations that is a fist full (?). I have never put this to the test, but I put down 2 kilos of food for my 50+ pigeons each morning and there is about half a kilo left over (that is recycled for the wild birds), so I assume that is about right.

You could also offer it some raw, unroasted peanuts. Most pigeons love them and they are a good source of energy although they should be given in moderation. On very cold days I feel that if I give a street pigeon even a single peanut I will have given it a well needed boost.

Cynthia


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

It doesn't seem like she is eating.  I went to check on her and the water was spilled and the food was tipped over. When she moves around she uses her wings so she spills everything. I put some more pea in her beak (which she hated). I hate when live things suffer  So if she doesn't eat (watched her and she is pathetic when she is trying to eat) how often should I put food in her beak? It seems like it is so much stress for he when I try to feed her.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Sorry John, 

Your excellent post must have appeared while I was in 'edit' mode...!


ilona...

Maybe this IS 'PVM' and maybe not.

This 'use of the wings' to get around does not sound per-se like anything other than injured/sprained/broken legs/thighs/hip injury, collision damage from a bad landing or Car-hit.

Regardless, please, if you do with to care for this Bird, bring them "in" from your balcony and set them up in a box or something then, on a loosely rolled hand towell bent into a "U" shape, and...

Does the Bird lift it's head and pull it way WAY 'back' like it is 'Star Gazeing'???

Birds with both legs injured will 'flop' and so on, and wild adults when injured or not do not per-se wish to be handled or 'fed' easily by strangers anyway...! Lol...

Lets see if we can get this narrowed down if possible...

So, does he 'Star Gaze'?

If you can bring him TO an experienced rehabber or Avian Vet for an examination, it might be very valuable for this Bird and you..if there can be a determination on whether there is an actual thighs/legs sprain/injury, or a neurological involvement from either a 'flu or some bacterial infection or what.

Best wishes...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

she does look back sometimes but most of the time she is asleep with her head down. 
I am not sure if I can get her inside... I have one bedroom apartment with two cats and a dog... May be I can bring her in for the night and put her in the closet... Can she be in total darkness for the night?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi ilona,


Sorry, somehow when I replied earlier I did not see the posts I now see above mine!

Anyway, Bathroom maybe or closet "by night" should be fine, and if weather is nice, in cage, 'balcony' by day should be allright.

There may be 'leg' problems independant of possible PMV, the Bird might have PMV and also have had a very bad landing...so...see if you can get those legs looked at by someone with experience...

If PMV, (s)he might recover just fine, or might have some limitiations, time would tell...

Anyway, for now, keep tham safe and see if you can get someone to look at those Legs...


Now, does the Bird's lower breast feel 'sharp'? They have what is called a 'Keel' there, and when emaciated, their muscles diminish and their Keel will feel sharp instead of nice and firm-muscled there and blunt.

If this is a PMV Bird, he may not have eaten much of anything for a while now and be in effect, starving, so, this also might be a consideration which will need to be dealt with, and if you can do 'Seed-Pops' then that will be a good thing.

I and others here will be happy to advise you on that if you like.

Might also be salmonella and one bad landing, too, which you are confronting there...so...if you have any recourse to an experienced rehabber or avian Vet, there is this 'reason' also for a timely and important exam by an experienced person.

If salmonella, the Bird might not have long to live if not treated with the right meds pronto.

Salmonella in situations like this is no more nevermind to you than if you were gathering Chicken Eggs from the Hen house, so, no big deal there, but possibly very important to this Bird.

Now, if the feathers on his little butt are soiled, is it yellowish at all?

Any images you can make of him and link us to, as well as if you have the use of a scale weighing him in grammes, to tell us his weight, do so if you can...

Best wishes..!

Good luck..!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

thanks...
I will try to get the bird to the vet... sometime soon... i am in my frist year of med school, so I am gone most of the time. Except in the moring and night. So till I get her to the vet, should I try to hand feed or just put food in the cage and hope for the best? I just want this brid to get better


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## ilona (Oct 30, 2005)

She died  I fed her by hand and yesterday she even atempted to eat by herself. Today she looked like she was gasping for air... and then she died.  I am really sad


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi ilona,


Ohhhhh...I am so sorry to hear this...

Good try...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so sorry Ilona.

Thank you for caring for her.

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

ilona,

I'm so sorry to hear about the bird.

Thank you for all you did for her, and for letting us know.


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