# Found a juvenile feral not flying, help!



## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi,

I saw a juvenile pigeon hidden under a bench in a park and after walking back next to the bench 30 min later and seeing him(her) in the same spot, I decided to take her home (I tend to think it's a girl since its moves are gentle and soft x) )
Anyway, she wasn't flying or really running away (which is a bit weird since they are usually scared of people in my country) and she doesn't stand on one foot at all.
I took her to the vet, and the vet said that leg is cold and the pigeon doesn't react to pain or pressure on it.. She said it will probably become dry and fall off but that she can live without it. :/ She gave me some vitamin B to add to her water and said it's still young and that i should just wait until it flies away.
I still have some crazy wish to somehow wake up that leg.. The leg still looks fully normal like this happened recently, so i'm wondering can I help somehow? I'm thinking the vet was thinking like - it's a common street pigeon, it's not worth the bother. :/
And she didn't mention anything about her skin, I notice it's pink-red and very dry looking. I'm not sure is that ok? Is this because it's still young? It also has a bit of bare skin on her neck, is she sick? or something pulled out her feathers there?
And the last question - I bought her some corn, sunflower seeds etc. and she kind of just spits that out. But she's crazy for bread which i read they rather avoid. Popcorn too if i make it soft.. I don't know what's that about xD?
I can put up pictures if needed, at the moment i'm waiting for her to wake up to get better ones x)

Sorry for the long message,
I will be very grateful for any answer!

Thanks!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Please do post some pictures, and thank you so very much for assisting this needy pigeon.

If you can offer a wild bird seed mix or pigeon mix of seed, that would be best, but if the bird is already a scavenger and will only eat bread, then feed it what will eat but try to get it on a better diet.

Let's please see the pictures before we start trying to give you advice.

Terry


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you so much for replaying! Yeah she's starting to eat other things a bit, but still bread is her favorite.. She's not eating so much from this morning, I'm a bit worried why.. Yesterday she ate a lot (I brought her yesterday tho), is it normal?

Here is Paolina the pigeon X) :
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums... Jan Feb 2011/Paolina the pigeon/IMG_9035.jpg

the leg that doesn't react.. :
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums... Jan Feb 2011/Paolina the pigeon/IMG_9033.jpg

dry skin, maybe i could make a better one, just felt sad to bother her so much:
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums... Jan Feb 2011/Paolina the pigeon/IMG_9043.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums... Jan Feb 2011/Paolina the pigeon/IMG_9029.jpg

this is just a werid but cute pose, just looks prettyto me x) kinda like a dragon on it's gold pile  :
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums... Jan Feb 2011/Paolina the pigeon/IMG_9034.jpg


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

OK, you have done well so far. If you can answer these questions that would help:

1) Can you wrap her in a towel so only the head sticks out, and gently pry open her mouth and look inside ? Is there any sign of phlegm or white or yellow spots or growths, or does her breath smell sour or bad ?

2) When you put your finger between the curled toes, do they grip or move at all ? In other words, is there any sign that there is feeling in her foot ? Also, look at the good leg and the bad one. Does the bad one look broken ? Can you extend it back and forth the same way the good leg moves ?

(It might be possible that you can make a little 'boot' to put the foot on and make the toes extend correctly again, but we want to get an answer to this question first).

3) Dip the tip of her beak in a shallow bowl of water....does she drink ?

4) Where you live, can you quickly get any antibiotic medications (either pet or human) such as penicillin, trimeth sulphate, amoxycillin (also called Clavamox or Augmentin), Baytril (Cipro/Enroflaxin), Ceclor, Cephalexin, Ampicillin...any of those ? Either from a pharmacy or friends or family ?

5) Is there a vet near you who sees birds ?

Thank you for caring.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Ok, I did it:

1) I don't see anything weird in her throat, it's pink and clean looking, didn't smell anything bad.

2) I can move her toes easily (they are not stiff) on the curled foot but she doesn't react if I put my fingers between. When i took her to the vet, she said the leg is not broken but for whatever the reason, there is no feeling in it. She didn't react when the vet pinched the leg a bit.. I haven't checked the legs again for injury since the vet checked her I think pretty detailed and said there is just no reaction in the foot for she doesn't know what reason..

3) i put a small bucket of water under her beak and and a less then half of the beak was inside and she didn't drink.. But she does take a drink after eating normally. Maybe I didn't put the beak inside enough, i just felt sad enough already chasing and scaring her around her box even like this..

4)Yeah, the vet mentioned the antibiotics but in the end decided i didn't need them, but i guess i could get them from her if needed. There is also a pharmacy nearby.

5)Yeah, but I got the impression that this vet expected I wouldn't want to do much for the pigeon, since it's just a common street bird and gave me the minimum things needed. I could be wrong, I just got that personal impression.. But I think it's a healthy bird, she clapped her wings today fully for the first time and has a good appetite.

P.S. I'm sorry for this stupid question in advance, but I never took care of a bird and never looked them up really close, so I am wondering are juveniles ears showing? Because I can kinda see her ears, is this because the feathers haven't grown over them yet? Or something is wrong?
I have many questions but no one I could ask (not even google can tell me everything!), so forgive me if I'm asking something basic or weird..!


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Does she have any scratches where the feathers are missing?
Feather missing either was attached by a car or some other predator or she could have Canker ( reason you were asked to look inside the beak)- though it could be internal.
Do you have Amoxicillin ( human antibiotic?- come back to us for dosage) and vet could give you Metronidazole.
Do not deep the beak too far in the water ( over the nostrils) as she can aspirate and die.

Give the vitamins the vet gave you, Are very important for her bones. Also you can try some physiotherapy, but putting her in a bowel with warm water and Epsom Salt ( or sea salt) for 10-15 min, afterwards put a towel on you lap and the pigeon on her back, but very important to cover her head; then massage gently the leg and gently exercise it pulling it up and pushing it down , like walking., same with toes..do it every day and hopefully she gets the feeling in her foot back. This only in the case the ankle was not broken, which the vet didn't mention ( only that foot is cold and has no feeling)

Thank you for caring so much for your Paolina rescue.

You see ears because she doesn't have enough feathers, again a reason to be treated for Canker.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Aww, she's a cutie. If she drinks on her own after eating, then you don't have to bother about dipping her beak into the water. She know how to drink. Just make water available to her all the time in a small dish or crock. She also needs more than just millet and bread to eat. As was mentioned, a mix seed for wild birds would be okay, and you could add some dried split peas and lentils to it. Yes, she may have been attacked by another animal, and could be injured. It would be good to get her started on antibiotics as Jaye has mentioned. Predator attacks can cause a bad infection. So just in case. And Metronidazole would be good to start. You may be able to improve that leg and foot with time and a bit of TLC.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you all for answering!

I went to the vet again and i got an antibiotic Zivomicin, I asked and they said it is against bacterial infections that could have appeared if she was bitten or injured. Names of medications are different in Serbia and in the US, so I think this is good. She said to put "on the tip of the spoon" as we say here (as in very little) powder in water. Change the water every day and use it for 5 days.
I am going to try the leg massage today, with the towel over her head, I just hope she will stay on her back relaxed while I do it.
I'll write back how it went!
And thank you again for writing back and helping out!


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

What is the ingredient of the antibiotic? Does it say on it? and how many mg.
This is not the way is suppose to be done, dissolving in water so the pigeon drinks. The pigeon may not drink as much as the intake medicine is needed. Make sure is dissolving well in the water.
I wished vet gave you antibiotic in pill form..that way you could give exactly the mg needed.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I got it in a small plastic bag, poured out from the original package.. I just asked for the name, so I unfortunately don't know the ingredients :/


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

As Dima has already said, giving antibiotics that way isn't a good idea. With antibiotics to work, the bird has to consume the right amount. When you put it in the drinking water, you have no idea of how much they are getting, and no way to control it. When sick, often a bird won't drink much, so then he wouldn't be receiving enough medicine to help anything. A tablet that you hand feed the bird is what is needed. Your vet probably doesn't know very much about birds.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Oh.. :/ I don't know another veterinarian I could go to.. Should I not use this antibiotic then?
I gave her the massage, I think I stressed her out a lot, she doesn't attempt to fly much generally, but while she was in the water she tried to fly 2x so i had to put something over the plastic box so she stays in there.. I could make her lay still for maybe only about 2min when she finally struggled away and wanted to fly. Now she's asleep, poor thing


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, it sounds like the Pigeon is at least stable.

I also cannot find what Zivomicin is using a websearch.

*Perhaps you can simply call the vet* and ask him/her if they have Ciproflaxin (also called Baytril and almost the same thing as Enroflaxin), Amoxycillin (also known as Clavamox or Augmentin), or Trimethoprim Sulfa (also called Triple Sulfa or Bactrim).

These would be more appropriate choices. Then have the vet provide the medicine in a form which can be given with a 1ml plastic syringe or an eyedropper.

If the have some, some typical bird-strength mixtures are:

Amoxycillin = 125 mg/ml

Baytril/Cipro = 50mg/ml

It is good he/she continues to eat. The ears may be visible because the feathers are dirty. But I would not bathe him quite yet...maybe in a couple of days.

Good that he/she is flapping, too. I would be inclined to make a boot for his foot...to put it in the 'proper position' and keep it splinted there for around 10 days. It could be that the muscles are atrophying thus the foot is curling. I have had my avian vet do this before and it worked. I do not know if your vet has any ideas for that, or if you or someone you know can make one out of cardboard and bandages yourself....

It is hard to describe in words but if you email me I can send a drawing.....


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I shall email you about the boot, thank you Jaye. The leg, actually the toes, feel relaxed and easy to move and put straight, I understand they will get dry and stiff in time, but it's not the case yet.. when she walks the toes are in random positions, sometimes fully straight, sometimes curled, sometimes some are straight and some curled, but overall, she's not controlling the toes and they are cold..

I shall try to find and ask another vet for the antibiotics..!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

SaiMino said:


> Oh.. :/ I don't know another veterinarian I could go to.. Should I not use this antibiotic then?
> I gave her the massage, I think I stressed her out a lot, she doesn't attempt to fly much generally,* but while she was in the water she tried to fly 2x so i had to put something over the plastic box so she stays in there..* I could make her lay still for maybe only about 2min when she finally struggled away and wanted to fly. Now she's asleep, poor thing



Why are you you putting her in water?


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> Why are you you putting her in water?


You have to put just the feet in the water, if you would like to do the physiotherapy . It easy if it's a small bowl, shallow warm water with Epsom Salt , cover the pigeon with a towel. It won't move in the dark.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes only the feet were in the water..


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Just hold the bird in your hands with his feet in the warm water. It isn't hard.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Don't see a major difference between the two.. Ok i'll be doing one of them, thanks.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well I just think it's better than closing him up with a cover on a plastic box of water. I think it might make a difference to the bird.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I have happy and a bit worrying news.
The good thing is - I might be imagining things but I think her leg is opening! When I massaged it today it twitched a bit and when walking, her fingers are more open! I'm going to be persistent, maybe we'll save the leg! It will be at least better then how it was! Thank you so much for the massage advice, I think it might actually work!
But we got one new problem now - I noticed she's not drinking water much lately. I think she has problems pooping, how can I make her drink it? Poop is in a kind of long worm-like shape, not round with white and brown. It's also a bit green, I don't know is that ok.
I gave her bread crumbs one day and since that day she won't eat anything else, she makes cute baby-like screams and moves her wings from excitement when she sees me expecting those crumbs. She REALLY likes them. Now she denies any other nicer food I offer her ( I thought maybe she drank water when I wasn't looking, but today she looked like she had problems pooping. I put her beak in water and she just splashes it off. Help  (she did drink on her own before, sometimes I would dip my finger in the water, then she would kind of lick it off my finger and drink from the bowl after)


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I soaked the some bread in water and managed to get some fluids in. Not much fluids and she seems to like it a lot less wet of course..


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, well bread crumbs is not a good food at all, really. 

You should really feed birdseed and maybe veggies; peas have lots of water in them.

So is there NO white in the poop now ? Is it stringy in a clear liquid ?

Awesome news on the foot...keep it up.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

The white and brown color sounds good. A pic would tell better. The color of poop is given by the the food you provide.
You can cut lettuce in tiny pieces, carrots...may take a while to peck at it until she discovers its good.

Glad to her the massage works. Don't forget not only the toes, go on cushion of the foot gently and on the muscle higher. All should be done gently. You're doing a Good job !

If she splashes the water, may be she wants to take a bath. Put a long plate not to deep with water, splash your hands in it and she will come to bathe, if that's what she wants.

Drinking too much water also it's not good sign. But less its not good. You can tell if she is constipated. 

Give sunflower seeds ( no salt) without the shell on. That's going to fatten her up , if she's skinny.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes, the poo is stringy in water... She had brown and white before. With the trick of soaked bread she got a bit of white now (I know bread is bad but since she is denying water and loves bread so much, I just used it to put something that is not fully dry in her). Will add carrots and lettuce! I read I shouldn't keep food available for her at all times because then she will be picky and eat only 1 kind of food she likes and not eat a variety of foods or try new things. Should I feed her like this?
I am still not sure why she doesn't want to drink..  I found one vet that a friend recommended so I could take her tomorrow if she is sick.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

SaiMino said:


> Yes, the poo is stringy in water... She had brown and white before. With the trick of soaked bread she got a bit of white now (I know bread is bad but since she is denying water and loves bread so much, I just used it to put something that is not fully dry in her). Will add carrots and lettuce!* I read I shouldn't keep food available for her at all times because then she will be picky and eat only 1 kind of food she likes and not eat a variety of foods or try new things. Should I feed her like this?*
> I am still not sure why she doesn't want to drink..  I found one vet that a friend recommended so I could take her tomorrow if she is sick.



You should be keeping food available to her at all times. You are trying to get her to eat. Those posts were not referring to a situation like this.
Feeding her bread isn't giving her nutrition, which is what she needs. And she needs water. Stop the bread and hand feed her frozen peas which have been defrosted and warmed under warm running water. Warm but not hot. The peas are good as they also contain moisture.
Hold the bird on your lap and against your body. This gives you a good hold. Then come from behind her head with one hand and gently clasp her beak. Now using the other hand also, gently pry her beak open. Put in a defrosted pea and push it to the back of her throat and over the tongue. Now let her close her beak and she will swallow. If she throws it out, then it wasn't put back far enough.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

If the stringy poos keep happening regularly, she may have developed coccidiosis...not serious or life-threatening, but requiring medication. But it is hard to say because of the diet change. Let's get the diet back to something of better variety.

Go back to seed and peas. If she likes bread, you can feed her a little of that too, but buy whole-grain bread; the kind with a lot of seeds and grains visible in each slice.

As Jay3 says, food dish (and water dish) should be available at all times.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Ok, the food is always available. She ate carrot today, but doesn't consider peas as food. Will have to try to put inside her beak, but she's scared when i pick her up or hold on my lap. She wants to clap wings and run away, so I didn't succeed the first time.. but she drank a bit of water today! Maybe bread caused the whole fuss. Hope it will be back to normal now!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It isn't hard to feed the peas. You just need to hold her, open the beak and put it in. Push it to the back, and let her close her beak. Just hold onto her so that she can't get away.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi again,
I think she has diarrhea (stringy poo with water?). She started drinking again, and she's eating a dove seeds mix and the poo is becoming brown. I wanted to take her to the veterinary university specialised in birds that have an ambulance for birds, but it seems to not be working because of the holidays. One more suggested vet said he doesn't see birds. I could still go to the one that gave me that antibiotics in powder, but I'm not confident she'll really solve things right.
Other then the poo she seems energetic, eats a lot and seems healthy. She claps her wings a lot but can't fly yet.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Help ( How dangerous is this is not treated? What if not on time?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

She could probably use some probiotics. Hard to tell if it is anything as their droppings change all the time, and depending on many things.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I just got another worry.. My plan was to take care of this pigeon and after it's good and well to release it. Will she be accepted in a flock that she didn't originate from? I wanted to release her near my building, I picked her up far away from there. Should I come back to where I found her? :/


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The old flock isn't going to know her now. If I were to release, I would want it to be the safest place that I knew of, where there was a flock. Even then, her chances aren't 100% at making it work. The young ones are taught by the parents and flock many things that they need to know. She is missing all that. You would have to do a soft release, and hope for the best. A soft release is where you slowly introduce her to a flock, by keeping her in a cage, while the flock is fed and feeds around her. You would do this several times, and let them get used to seeing each other, and hopefully accepting each other. One of the things they must learn, and you can watch for, is that she sees the others and learns that when they are startled, they all take off on a moments notice, and quickly. This is how they stay safe from hawks and other predators. In a flock there are more eyes to watch for danger. When she learns it, and the birds are startled and fly up, your bird will see this and try to do the same, only she will be in a cage and unable to. But she needs to know to try to take off with them. It takes a little time on your part, but not all that hard. That's why it's nice when you know of a rehabber with several young, that they can release together. They can learn together, and are company for each other. I think their chances for survival are increased that way. First though, she needs to be able to fly, and well, and become a strong flyer. That you would need to practice inside the house, garage, or some other enclosure where she could fly, but be safe at the same time.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Oh my.. Will start searching for a shelter that could take her in. I planned to go on a vacation soon, but I just couldn't leave her here after all this.. Btw, foot felt really warm in today's massage. She's reacting to it with twitching and resisting more now, I think it is maybe starting to hurt her because the blood flow is awakening again..


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Well, you can take her with you  on Vacation

If the foot is swollen then she may be in pain.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Is this a broken toe?? I didn't think much of it before and she didn't complain when I massaged her there. Now after she seems to have gotten some feeling back shows pain if I touch it. I am sure this was smaller before or I would have noticed and asked about it. I noticed it this morning..

Paolina standing on two feet! (she stands and walks a bit with two feet after a massage then curls it again and uses only one fully..) Notice the middle finger of the closer foot:
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums... 2011/Paolina the pigeon/2013-07-10113322.jpg
(she sleeps in that bowl in front of her (likes to sleep on food lol), food is in another bowl)

Foot while I was massaging :
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums...b 2011/Paolina the pigeon/20130710_231237.jpg

P.S. I am so sorry for writing and asking you guys for everything, but believe me when I say it, I have no one else to ask. Thank you so much for answering and supporting me and Paolina still! You rock!


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Ok..do not massage her anymore..may be massaging helped and you corrected the joints or helped the tendons since she is standing. She should be fine without massage. Was she bruised like that before? May be she was stepping on her toe knuckle?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That could be broken. I wouldn't massage it. It looks as though it hurts. Also she may have canker. The feather loss around her face is a symptom of that, and stress brings it on. She should be treated with Metronidazole or another canker treatment.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> The old flock isn't going to know her now. If I were to release, I would want it to be the safest place that I knew of, where there was a flock.


The first part of that, respectfully, is not an observation I agree with. I have had Pigeon rescues for months and months then went ahead and released them back to their Flock...they clearly knew who the absent Pigeons were and gave them no hard time at all.

I agree with the rest of the advice. Better to release to a Flock which is closer to you and one where you can keep an eye on your Pal as opposed to one further away from you.



Jay3 said:


> That could be broken. I wouldn't massage it. .





Dima said:


> Ok..do not massage her anymore..may be massaging helped and you corrected the joints or helped the tendons since she is standing. She should be fine without massage.


First off, you have done an amazing job, SaiMino ! To see her standing on both so quickly after coming into your care is really impressive. I would agree you can probably reduce or stop the massaging now and see how it goes. If she begins reverting back to one-leggedness, start the physical massages again.

Do you have any Metacam/Meloxicam ? If indeed feeling and movement has returned to the foot, I agree that she probably had injured it once and that is how she stopped using it; and that is how it began to atrophy. Metacam is a good painkiller.....usually in instances like this I will give the Pigeon some for around 3 days, 2 doses daily, then reduce to 1/2 dose twice daily for another 2 days, then 1 dose once daily for a couple of days. Sorta ease them off of the pain meds as they begin to regain use of the limb.

I agree with Jay3, something still looks up with her, health-wise. A little ill, still. If you have Metronidazole or Ronidazole or can get some (pet supply store or online), I would agree it is a good idea to treat her for canker.

Really...quite an amazing recovery so far !!!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Jaye said:


> The first part of that, respectfully, is not an observation I agree with. I have had Pigeon rescues for months and months then went ahead and released them back to their Flock...they clearly knew who the absent Pigeons were and gave them no hard time at all.



Well that would depend on the age of the bird, and on how long he was gone. An adult would be recognized, of course. But a juvenile, not so much. They have often just started joining the flock with their parents, and haven't really become established into the flock yet. And if they are even younger when taken, then even his parents wouldn't know him as theirs.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Ok, I'm taking her to an a bit expensive vet but specialised in birds.
Must make it clear - she doesn't really walk with two legs open like that.. After a massage, she would stand like this and walk a bit and soon bend her fingers again and walk like before.. but a bit less curled and toes can move a bit. And yeah, when walking, she bends all the fingers and steps on the toe knuckles.. On this one too. I remember seeing it a bit enlarged before too, but it wasn't this big and clear. Looked like a ball of skin, I'm stupid I didn't think much of it.. I will report how to vet check went!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You're not stupid. You're very kind in caring for this little one. Good luck with the vet visit. Be waiting to hear. Just be sure to bring him back home with you.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Ok! Went to the vet and here's what he thinks (maybe I will say something incorrect, I don't know very much about medicine and bird heath, but this is what I understood. You probably know these things already tho):
The toe is most probably not broken but has Salmonella infection on that joint. 80% of feral pigeons in the city have it somewhere on their body - it can only be bad if she had it on her wings because then she wouldn't be able to fly ever again. If it was inside lungs for example, it could be treated, but on her toe, not so. He suggested to continue massaging the foot but not press on the swollen part. She won't die from it, but she will always have it inside her and can spread to other birds and humans, so we should wash hands after touching her (can get diarrhea from it, nothing too serious). It is like this most probably, to be fully sure we would have to do testing that are expensive (I couldn't afford it ;P).
About the feathers, he says she didn't get enough proteins and fat that she would have gotten from her parents milk to get the feathers to finish growing. So he suggested buying and baking soya (not raw because is bad for her) and a bit of a Serbian kids biscuit that already has proteins and fat in it.
So that's it! He said to take care of her till she can fly good and if she can fly, a flock should accept her!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi.

Glad you took her to a vet.

Protein and fat is also present in high amounts in safflower seed, so if you can find any of that it may be easier than actually giving her baked soy and biscuits.

I find the analysis of salmonella and the suggestion there is nothing to be done about it a bit strange; am wondering why it cannot be treated 'on the toe'. Foot infections (whether aerobic or anaerobic) usually respond quite well to antibiotic....I would certainly think this is worth a try.

Also curious as to why he said that the salmonella can spread to other birds yet he still suggests you may be able to release her (?)

Again, just my impressions of what you wrote. 

IMHO, I would treat for salmonella with either Triple Sulfa (Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole Suspension) or Gentamycin and see if the foot shows any improvement, as opposed to just leaving it be.

No, I am not a vet...but it seems odd to just leave it be particularly when he says she is still contagious to other Pigeons.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hmm what he meant is - salmonella is very present in city birds (in my country anyway, one of the reason they call them rats with wings), 80% of the birds alreadt have it in some form. It won't kill them, but they spread them from one another and live with it like that.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

have to agree that salmonella is usually treated. If not treated birds die of it. And often Baytril is the drug of choice, but without testing to see what is most effective in the particular strain, it's hard to say for sure. Baytril for 2 weeks is supposed to cure the carrier state.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Here is a great link i recently received it from a friend regarding Paratyphoid. It can be treated 10 days with Baytril ,as Jay3 said and as it states on the page of this link:

http://pigeonsatbp.com/Paratyphoid.html


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

But what if it's not salmonella? He said he thinks it is salmonella most probably (70-80% sure), he isn't sure without real testing, which is expensive. Will those antibiotics do harm if it's not salmonella? I don't know why did he say we shouldn't treat it, he said it's not fatal most of the time.. I don't know what to think now uh.. She is also getting more and more scared of us for some reason, before she wouldn't mind being pet, but now she around her box runs all scared. She also is getting better at flying, she is flying out of the box now, can't reach too high but she's better and better every day. She runs around the room after she ends up on the floor after flying and we have to chase her, maybe that's why she's more scared now. I don't know... But the cool thing is - she's running on two open feet more and more!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Pigeons don't like to be petted, and she is probably getting stronger. If you chase her, you will make her afraid of you. Can you confine her in a large cage or dog crate or something, that she can't jump out of, so you won't have to chase her? Not very safe place if she can jump out.
Don't think your vet is very knowledgeable.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Pigeons like to go on high places..you will find out where is her favorite place. Cover where they perch with plastic sheets and on the floor right below where they perch, as they will always poop outside the place they perch and that will be your floor.
You should allow her a few hrs a day to fly and walk.
I am glad that she is making more use of her legs.
How is her poop? Better now?


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Yeah, I wouldn't be keeping a bird in a box if I had a cage or similar.. so yeah, I will have to use the sheets and news papers..! And she's growing feathers on her face from the proteins added!  Poop is better, it's brown and getting white now and it's not stringy but it has water sometimes still, I think it will get good eventually. Will send you a picture when she's all feathery and pretty x)

Edit: Will salmonella medicine harm her if it's not salmonella? I searched for it and found Baytril is called Enrocin 10% or Enrofloxin here and i found where i could buy it, so I could go tomorrow and take it! I think she really does have salmonella, I read it off a Serbian text too and her symptoms fit. It also said Amoxicilin, Ampicilin, Sulfadimidin are good, but US names are different and that for example sulfadimidin is called like this only in Serbia and near.. 
She started sneezing yesterday and sneezed a bit more today. I thought it is because I gave her that crushed biscuit, and a bit of the biscuit powder went to her nose, but she sneezed a lot today when she was not so close to the biscuit. (could be there was some around, but not easily visible). She did start sneezing when I got her the biscuit, so I still think it's most probably the powder from it, but gotta ask to be sure..!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Bought the medicine (baytril), starting to give her. She's still sneezing though.. She wasn't near the biscuit today and still sneezing.. I checked her throat again, and it's still pink healthy looking. She also scratches her head (beak) sometimes, I read it could be related to sneezing? I don't see any discharge from the nose, but when she sneezes it sounds 'wet'. It a bit less often then yesterday, but still present.. I notice she sneezes more when it's night (maybe it's a coincidence)? She made scratches on her beak  Could it be because she was in water for the massage? I haven't massaged her regularly these days (because her foot is open but not fully functional tho), did one 2 days ago.. It is not cold here in this time of the year and I haven't dried her after the massage.. and only her feet get wet, maybe tail a bit, but body stays dry.. Please help, I read a pigeon died a few days after starting to sneeze (


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

SaiMino said:


> Yeah, I wouldn't be keeping a bird in a box if I had a cage or similar.. so yeah, I will have to use the sheets and news papers..! And she's growing feathers on her face from the proteins added!  Poop is better, it's brown and getting white now and it's not stringy but it has water sometimes still, I think it will get good eventually. Will send you a picture when she's all feathery and pretty x)
> 
> Edit: Will salmonella medicine harm her if it's not salmonella? I searched for it and found Baytril is called Enrocin 10% or Enrofloxin here and i found where i could buy it, so I could go tomorrow and take it! I think she really does have salmonella, I read it off a Serbian text too and her symptoms fit. It also said Amoxicilin, Ampicilin, Sulfadimidin are good, but US names are different and that for example sulfadimidin is called like this only in Serbia and near..
> *She started sneezing yesterday and sneezed a bit more today. I thought it is because I gave her that crushed biscuit, and a bit of the biscuit powder went to her nose, *but she sneezed a lot today when she was not so close to the biscuit. (could be there was some around, but not easily visible). She did start sneezing when I got her the biscuit, so I still think it's most probably the powder from it, but gotta ask to be sure..!




What crushed biscuit do you mean?


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

It's Plazma, a Serbian biscuit for children that has lots of protein and fat that the vet suggested to add a bit to get her feathers to grow again. I gave her that and sunflower seeds before I found where to buy soya. But could it be that she's maybe sneezing from the dust that's on her? She didn't take a bathy, I haven't offered her one, maybe I should..? She's cleaning herself a lot lately, and sometimes a bit suddenly and energetic like something is itchy? :/


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

They generally do not sneeze due to their own dander. I would not particularly bathe her now, given her still-not-right condition.

If the Baytril seems to be doing nothing either for the foot or sneezing after around 5 days, stop it at 7 days.

You could open all windows (with her secure of course) and ventilate the rooms really well, to get out any dust etc. which might be bothering her. It certainly wouldn't hurt. Also, old poops need to be cleaned up regularly and not left to sit and dry. Just general maintenance stuff.

Also think back to anything else which might have changed right before the sneezing began. Did it start after you started dosing Baytril ? What dosage are you giving. Is it using a syringe ? Is it possible some of the liquid medication went down her wind pipe and not throat ?

The sneezing all by itself is nothing to panic about, if her energy is good. But if airing out the room and cleaning up does not help it, and the sneezing seems to be getting worse, then there is yet another underlying problem going on....


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If bugs are making her itch, and even when they moult, when they scratch their head and face, they do often sneeze. If she is scratching a lot, I would treat for mites and such.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes, I think saw, long ago though, a few days after she just arrived, some small bugs in her feathers. But I saw it only once and and like one small bug.. could it be mites? I will clean up and ventilate the room.She started sneezing before Baytril, after I started giving her a crushed biscuit (like 4 days ago). I stopped since yesterday but she is still sneezing.
(By the way, I have drops of baytril, they sell it only that way. I'm calculating how much water she is taking in 24h and according to how much she takes and how much she weights, I will dose the medicine by a table I have. Since the last calculation didn't go well, I'm going to start giving her tomorrow at 12, when I have calculated again after 24h.)


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, liquid Baytril comes in a specific dilution. Does it say what that is on thebottle ? It should read something like 50mg/ml or 125mg/ml or something like that. What does it read ?


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

It contains: 100mg of Enrofloxacin; 100 mg/ml


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

She's not fully healthy yet but she's showing signs she'd like to leave. Everyone in my house encourages me to do it soon. She's flying around and wants to be around us less and less. I think she'd like to leave too. Maybe I'll release her these days.. She's scratching more and sneezing less..


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If she is not yet well, then releasing her will just cause her to go down hill again. She may be showing signs of wanting to leave, but she doesn't understand what is best for her. I would keep her till well again.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi everyone,
Paolina is still with me, she's taking medicine and looking healthy  I took her out yesterday to meet her nearby flock but it didn't go that well.. This flock is more feral and won't come near people feeding them so we put the cage a bit away from us. She got really scared and wanted to escape and the pigeons didn't want to come near the cage even though there was a lot of food around it. I am thinking of releasing her at a bit further away place, a park that is a popular tourist spot with lots of people feeding the pigeons. Those pigeons are less scared and they get food all the time. The flock near me also has cats around, so that's also the reason why I would rather not release her here.. 

Here are the latest photos! Standing on two legs (yes, now she always uses two, she can't fully use her toes but she can hold on to things and she always stands on two!! Thank you so much again for the massage advice, you saved this pigeons leg <3 )

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_0374.jpg

Leg up close (a bit in poop lol) but the bump is much better! :
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_0376.jpg

Feathers growing back:
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_9828.jpg

An arty one:
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_9831.jpg

Hi from me and Paolina to you pigeon lovers! <3 Thank you!

Edit: P.S. She doesn't sneeze and scratch anymore, was probably the dust I guess x)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

5 days ago you were talking about starting her on Baytril. What happened? Did you start Baytril treatment? It should be given for 10 days. If she isn't totally well, she will not make it.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes....I agree. Your enthusiasm is nice, but if you started Baytril and it has not been at least 7 days (as Jay3 suggests, 10 is even better)...then you *should not* release her.

This is the point where people, to put it bluntly, *mess up*. You have done so well and put in so much time and love and care for your friend....when they seem to be getting better people often lose all of the focus they have had; oftentimes, they release too soon, and say things much like what you have said "it looked like he really wanted to go out, so I let him" or "he was going crazy inside the cage and it was tearing at my heart, so I let him out", or 'he was becoming a real hassle to keep inside, my family had had enough, so I opened the door".

These stories end badly. 

Remember this ~* once your friend is OUT of the cage, that's it. *YOU are no longer in control of the situation, you can no longer influence what happens next.

You owe it both to your Pigeon pal and yourself to do all you can to get her to an appropriate stage for release. She will already be slightly handicapped out there given the leg.....so you have to get her as robust as possible.
If not, as Jay3 says, she is just gonna decline and end up in a similar predicament as to when you found her. Only next time, she might not be as fortunate to cross paths with a human like you.

She isn't there yet....don't rush it. Also, the Soft Release acclimation is gonna take at least 4 sessions...not one or two.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

On another subject ...she looks really good. The toe doesn't look bad, would you say it has improved since you first noticed the swelling ?

She looks healthy, but like most adolescents, she is no Brick House, eh ? All the more reason to take the release slowly....

Soft Release: I know, like you say, some Flocks are very distrustful of humans, often for good reason. How is the Flock you went to ? Do they seem healthy ? Would you say there are good food and water sources for them in their 'neighborhood' ?

Sometimes when I encounter a situation like yours, I will leave the cage with the food spread around it and walk away, maybe 20 or 30 meters. Sometimes if it is near a car or parking lot, I will just sit in the car and watch. You have to be careful that some idiot doesn't walk by and decide to open the cage, so I am always on the lookout for that, as I learned the hard way once 

Leave it at that for the first session, do not try to approach until you are ready to leave...and when you approach, stop a few times to see how close you can get to the cage without them spooking and taking off.

Next session, do the same thing but this time stand a bit closer, maybe even if it is just 5 meters closer. Each session,try to do that a bit more until you can get maybe within 10 meters of the cage and not have the Ferals spook.

That will be close enough to do the handclaps and foot stomps a few times per session to get them to alert and flee, and hopefully return.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

The idea was that that day was the first session of the soft release, I didn't plan on releasing her that day..
Thank you for saying this, I started the sessions a bit early because of all the nagging around me that I am a heartless person that wants to keep a pigeon locked with me forever - "How would you feel being stuck in the house?" "it's a pigeon, it's suffering because you are selfish" and similar. When she was struggling in the cage (I was with a few friends), they were all nagging at me to let her go, that I'm evil etc.. I'm glad I didn't let her go.
Yeah, I'd say that bump on the foot looks better. That flock seems healthy, there are parks around, people trow bread leftovers trough their windows to them sometimes, and water, I guess what they run into, they don't have a nice fresh source of water around.. but what worries me more is that those buildings are full of cats in the basements and I see them often feeding really close to those buildings.. I think the more ideal is that far away park, there are fountains for water and a lot of people always feeding them. And no cats around x)
I missed the hand clapping part - I would hand clap to get them to take away together and get her to learn like that? Should I do only that or is there something else?

Someone suggested to me to get some kind of bird leash and go out like that? I don't like the idea personally, but I'll ask for your opinion.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

So glad your bird's leg is better after the massages! I am continuing the massages for mine, your story is giving me good hope. Thanks.
You are certainly not selfish. You are a wonderful person who cared to take this bird, and treated her with patience. Though Paolina is dying to be let free, she has no idea of what would happen next, once she is free. You are being a responsible human and giving her the best chances at survival, by doing a soft release. So don't succumb to the nagging around you!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thanks Kunju, how is Ricky doing? Just keep on doing it, Paolina has really recovered, she's much harder to catch now for the massages with her leg working haha  Yeah, with your support I can manage to ignore them. Another problem is that I should be leaving for a vacation soon, where I can't take her to. My plans have been altered because of all this, and people I'm supposed to travel with are not too happy about it  I can't leave her alone here, my parents will just set her loose anywhere as soon as I leave.. So I'm hoping I'll set her free in a week..


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Ricky is yet to show noticeable improvement. Recently I noticed his wings are stiff too, so they are also massaged. He doesn't like being laid on his back for the leg exercises though!

I totally understand about not being able to leave for vacation, but I guess you will have many more vacations in future, but Paolina has just this one chance. 
I have also turned down a trip recently, and I can't stay overnight at my relatives' place, because I have 2 pigeons which require hand-feeding. 
Let's hope you are able to release her in a week. .Thanks for taking such good care of her!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

SaiMino said:


> I missed the hand clapping part - I would hand clap to get them to take away together and get her to learn like that? Should I do only that or is there something else?
> 
> Someone suggested to me to get some kind of bird leash and go out like that? I don't like the idea personally, but I'll ask for your opinion.


1) Flight leash - NO

2) How is she flying indoors ? Does she have good ability to take off and land and turn and things like that ?

3) Yes, hand clap, or cough, or sudden movement like swinging your arms quickly. You want to make the flock jump and flee....but not so much that they do not return. Things such as this...clapping, coughing, etc. usually makes them do that and they will return quickly. Do this maybe 4 times per session, space it out maybe 3-5 minutes apart.

WHEN Paolina reacts to their taking off by throwing herself at the cage, as if to fly off with them, then she is showing good signs. Since you found her when she was already an adolescent, she should be doing this behaviour very fast. It should only take one or two sessions of that.

So, when she is doing that, and when the course of Baytril is complete, and when she is showing she can fly indoors well....then that would be a good time to actually release. BUt even in your latest photographs she still looks pretty young, so if you can manage to keep her another week, while still doing the soft release sessions, that would benefit her to be a week older.

Yes, your story sounds very familiar...people do not understand, though, that what you are doing is systematic and needs to be completed properly. Good job


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

She flies good indoors I think, she changes direction in flight and can go on high places. She doesn't usually start flying on her own though, I get her to practice.. She usually likes to sit on one spot she likes all day long, drink and eat. Every morning she claps her wings a lot and move around while doing it, but she doesn't fly off from there. Maybe it's because there are people sleeping close by.. She used to fly off before when I was alone with her in the room..!
But should I release her close by with cats and feral flock or further far away one with better conditions and friendlier flock?


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi, I took her today and yesterday outside to the flock near me. The flock is actually a lot less scared, it seems we just arrived at a bad time first time we took her. They were eating around the cage and she with them. She would put her head out and eat from the ground too (I have an improvised home made cage haha.. she can put her head between the bars). Today she would try and bite the pigeons that would want to eat the food in front of her.. Is this ok or should I worry?
Thanks!


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Yes, anything that can get closer her to pigeons and see their interactions is welcome. When she will be ready she may jump on the bars and show anxiety , trying to come out.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes! I didn't write it because I wrote it in the previous posts, she still wants to go out badly, trying to go trough the bars and similar.. Ok, thank you!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That doesn't necessarily mean that she is ready for release. Most birds would act that way, if put outside in a cage.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Took her out today but we didn't meet any pigeons.. Like in a horror movie, in the middle of the field we feed the pigeons there was a freshly killed pigeon and a crow next to it that quickly flew away when we arrived.. We waited 30 minutes, the pigeons were on the trees around but no one came down to take the food.. I guess they still were on alert for danger.. The crow didn't eat it, just killed it, I don't understand why


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

It may have been a hawk kill ....and the crow just came by to get a free meal, too....crow scared hawk away....and you scared the crow away. A single crow will not usually try to kill an adult, healthy Pigeon. They might attack an injured or sick one, but usually would do that in a group.

Yes, that is very sad . After a kill, the Pigeons will not come back down for several hours or more. Did you bury the poor Pigeon's body ?

Have you been going there around the same time every day to feed them ? If you have, try to change the times you go. It could be a predator has figured out when the Pigeons eat there and has been waiting.

Something to consider, as far as flock safety....keep an eye out for that again, maybe a hawk hiding in a tree or something (they are sometimes pretty obvious, actually....being predators they do not always do a good job of remaining hidden since they do not have to).



Jay3 said:


> That doesn't necessarily mean that she is ready for release. Most birds would act that way, if put outside in a cage.


Exactly...this is what I was getting at in a previous post. Any healed Pigeon is going to throw themselves at the cage bars to 'get out'. People get soft and mistake this for 'it's time to release'. But you want to see the Pigeon throw themselves at the bars, regularly and repeatedly, _*when the Flock startles and takes flight*....as if your Pigeon is trying to follow them into the air._ Not just when the flock is foraging on the ground.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Jaye said:


> Exactly...this is what I was getting at in a previous post. Any healed Pigeon is going to throw themselves at the cage bars to 'get out'. People get soft and mistake this for 'it's time to release'. But you want to see the Pigeon throw themselves at the bars, regularly and repeatedly, _*when the Flock startles and takes flight....as if your Pigeon is trying to follow them into the air.*_* Not just when the flock is foraging on the ground.*



This is what you are looking for.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes, we were arriving around the same time.. will have to change that :/ I will look out for the predator, I know there are hawks in my city but I haven't really ever seen one. But yesterday too, I saw a killed pigeon without a head, but near the cat lair.. I was aware of that threat and knew I could run into that but this hawk/crow attack was a very unpleasant surprise.. Maybe I should have chosen the far away place... (the reason I haven't took her there is the transport and very hot weather that is here at the moment which I thought would maybe stress her out too much..)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well you are going to have to make several trips to do this, so I myself wouldn't want to have to travel very far if not needed.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Well yeah, that's what I was thinking too.. Ok, staying here, thanks!
She got a pigeon flirting with her today! So she really is a she haha <3
Edit: she throws herself at the bars to get out when the pigeons fly in the air from the claps! Think she learned it!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Tomorrow is The day!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

This will be my last question I promise..!
In yesterdays massage (that I haven't done for some time) I saw this:
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/20130728_194019.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/20130729_145531.jpg

These white skin grown-outs.. Not sure when it appeared, should be recently.. Maybe I overdosed her with baytril? I gave it more then 10 days, I understood 14 is also good? Her swollen joint is much better but not completely gone.. so I continued giving it to her.. She has those things on both legs and beak.. Could they be feathers?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Those are feathers coming out.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you!!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Just to address the grim stuff first: a headless corpse is a hawk attack.

Now to the nicer stuff....the acclimation sounds good. If you feel that she is using the leg well, then you are correct, and the reaction to the Flock fleeing is definite and repeated, then I agree, it is time.

Besides you feeding that Flock, do they get food from other sources ?

Keep us posted on the release.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A headless corpse is often a rat attack.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I did a bit of reading, hawks do appear in my city but are very rare. I read they are more common in the US. 
Yeah, when I did the last massage she was squeezing my finger with the once dead foot, so I think she's good! She still could do maybe a bit better, but she can now hold on to things good, stand on a branch I made for her etc. 
I see people often throwing old bread leftovers trough the windows for them. I will also stop by and feed them from now on  (the only bad thing is that I will not be home for almost a month starting from friday now.. Hope she'll be ok.)


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

If the Flock seems healthy she will be fine. Remember, she was a juvenile already, so she had some previous experience out there. It is often heart-wrenching to release them, but you have given her a great gift !


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

She's off! Will post a video soon and show you how it looked like if you like, it will describe it best x) She looked a bit confused but was generally following where the flock goes and what it does. We lost sight of her when a crow came and they all went into the air and landed on random high places (she jumped and followed!). I went out the same day afternoon to check up on her but she wasn't with the pigeons that came to eat. (I noticed there are always a few new pigeons each time I come, and some from last the time are not there, so I'm hoping she was just out somewhere else and didn't see me come).. But all in all, she seemed okay, guys were flirting with her again and the flock was generally always around her. I can only still see she isn't that good at flying as the rest of them, but that is expected..! But I think she can keep up with them.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

SaiMino said:


> She's off! Will post a video soon and show you how it looked like if you like, it will describe it best x) *She looked a bit confused but was generally following where the flock goes and what it does.* We lost sight of her when a crow came and they all went into the air and landed on random high places (she jumped and followed!). I went out the same day afternoon to check up on her but she wasn't with the pigeons that came to eat. (I noticed there are always a few new pigeons each time I come, and some from last the time are not there, so I'm hoping she was just out somewhere else and didn't see me come).. But all in all, she seemed okay, guys were flirting with her again and the flock was generally always around her. I can only still see she isn't that good at flying as the rest of them, but that is expected..! But I think she can keep up with them.


 Sounds good. Very good. A vid would be cool.

You know, oftentimes Flocks break up into sub-flocks so she probably was just with a different subflock than when you returned. I am sure she's quite excited and a bit confused, but she was doing all the right things from your description. Also, having not flown in open air for weeks and weeks, it usually takes a bit to get their navigation skills back up to par. But again, she is an adolescent, so I agree it will not take long at all.

A great gift you have given her ! Not many beings get a second chance at life ! Well done, my friend !!!!


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

That's wonderful news, congrats to Paolina and you! Hope she will form a family for herself soon!
Looking forward to the video.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Found her yesterday afternoon in the flock! Now she blends in fully, does what everyone else does, runs to get food we throw etc! I think even her flying improved! She wasn't really acting differently to us compared to others, except from that she wasn't that scared to come close with the other bigger braver pigeons. So yeah! She's doing great!! Thank you so much guys (and girls), you were a wonderful support and gave me advices no one could around here! I hope this topic will help others that found pigeons and want to help 
Sorry that the video is taking so long, I had to learn how put it together so it took a bit of my time to learn how to do it.. Should be done soon!
Thank you again!!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxPhK-Lb3Aw

here it is!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Wow! Great video, and great job! You can be proud that you gave her a second chance to live her life as a free pigeon with a flock. I know you worked hard for her. Congratulations. Hope she is healthy and happy for a long, long, time. Good for you, and for her.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you! She was there again when I met the flock today and she is a fighter! She got strong, runs and flies fast now and knows how to get her food! She is also the least scared of us so she ate the most food for sure haha! I'll be away from tomorrow, I'm anxious to see how she's doing when I return in month..!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Do others feed them there?


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

I see people throw bread trough the windows and sometimes, and sometimes someone would come and feed them, but I can't say it's regular.


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## tboy (Mar 19, 2013)

*great video*

That was really something. You should be very proud. She will never forget you. The flock you released her to was that the flock she was born to?


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

What a wonderful video! And I'm surprised you could spot her in that crowd too 

She looks the most self-assured in the flock, probably because she isn't afraid of you. Congrats!


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

It almost made my cry...of happiness, of course.
Great work you did with her healing process and soft release. 

You're a wonderful person and you saved Paolina from death. 

Kunju is right, Paolina was confident for the release and that's because the caretaker was confident and determined to give the best to her.

Congratz !!!!!!!!!!!!! and thank you for the video.


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you everyone!! 
Tboy, no, she was born in a far away from there! Last few times I went to check up on them and feed them, she was doing great! Unfortunately, I am on a trip now and will be 1 month away from home.. so I can't check up on her now.. but that flock looks healthy and is getting by well, she blended in completely now with the flock and knows how to get what she wants  So I'm not worried about her


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi guys, I am back from my vacation!
I visited Paolina, she's at the same place I left her and seems to be doing good!
My dad went to visit her a few times while I was away, so I knew she was there and doing good before too. Now I checked myself and got some pictures for you!

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_2646.jpg

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_2650.jpg

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_2674.jpg

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/monomarija/IMG_2679.jpg

Thanks again! )


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

This is wonderful news!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

She's very pretty.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Lovely photos! There is something unferal about her which tells her apart from the others, like some human qualities have got mixed into her pigeon personality. Glad that she's got so many friends now!


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## SaiMino (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you I am very happy too! 
Her foot healed now so we can't recognize her now by that 100%! But she seems to be the only pigeon that adores soya, so every time we're not sure is that her, soya shows us


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