# Feral Juvie with broken wing not eating?



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

Hello everyone,

First off I'm brand new to this site, so hello!
I've rescued/rehabbed a few feral pigeons before but this is my first with a serious injury...and my first juvie. So here's her story and a couple questions for you folks.

I picked her (guessing at the gender!) up yesterday evening in a mall parking lot. My guess is that she'd been hit by a car. She was dragging one wing but otherwise seemed healthy, she could run and hop just fine. I finally caught her, wrapped her in a towel, and brought her home. She currently lives in an old flight cage that I've used for feral rescues before (and it is clean, don't worry).

Anyways I took her to the vet first thing this morning, got some x-rays done, and sure enough her wing is busted pretty badly right after the elbow. The vet gave her a dose of pain meds and set/taped her wing, but because of the severity and location of the break isn't sure she'll ever fly again. I'll know more at her next checkup in four weeks.
She has one week's worth of pain meds now, a daily injection of Metacam.


I am concerned about one thing though: she has not eaten a single bite since I brought her home yesterday! I figured she was old enough to know how to forage, since she is fully plumed, of adult size, and was flapping so well with her good wing that I was under the impression she could have probably flown prior to the accident. Is it likely just pain/stress? Is it something she'll overcome once the drugs kick in and she calms down? Or is she young enough that I should be feeding/weaning her? Our vet has some limited experience with birds but none with doves.


She is young. Full sized and has all adult plumage, no fuzz, but dark brown eyes and a gray (but not totally deflated) cere. She also squeaks, no coos yet. My guess is 6-8 weeks old? I will post pics when she calms down enough that a camera near her won't make her hyperventilate.


Thanks for your time, I just really don't want to lose this poor little critter


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

You have done EXCELLENT, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for actually being willing to spend money on a vet, because I feel anything serious (like an orthopoedic injury) really needs more than home treatment.

OK, so, one question: did the vet also prescribe any antibiotic ? You may wanna call back and ask about that because it might not be a bad idea to put your pal on a course of antibiotic.

Next, to your Q:

Handfeed her thawed peas. All of this is probably freaking her out...not that unusual that she would not be eating. Also, as a Feral, perhaps she doesn't recognize what you have been giving her as food, yet.

I would immediately go to the thawed peas feeding. Great one-two punch because besides being nutritious and a weight-gainer, they also provide all the hydration needed.

Quick skinny on it (no pun intended):

Frozen peas, thawed under hot tap water. Make sure the insides are not still frozen. Feed them at lukewarm temperature. gently pry beak open with one hand while toweling her in your lap with the other. Put the pea in the middle of the mouth (not in the back of the mouth/throat) and close beak. She should swallow. If she shakes her head violently, open beak and pull it out and try again (although this almost never happens). Before you begin feeding, check the mouth for canker (although I assume the vet did this already).

Start first feeding with around 10-12. Up next feeding to 15-18. By third or fourth feeding, try to get it up to around 25 or so. The first day she may only get around 60-70 in her. That's OK for day #1. By the end of the second day, try to get that up to between 100-140. Try 4 feedings/day.

Remember to make sure the crop is emptying between feedings. Check her poops to make her digestive tract is working all the way through.

Other than that, keep her warm and secure and keep up the meds as prescribed... 

Thanks for caring.


----------



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

Thank you for the reply! I really appreciate it (and she probably will too!)

I do not have a prescribed antibiotic. The vet gave her one dose at the visit. I don't remember the name of the drug offhand, sorry...the Metacam is sitting on my desk so it's easy enough to name...lol! But since there were no puncture wounds anywhere and her mouth and feet looked clean I think it was just as a "just in case". Would it be a good idea to bring her back and ask for some? Or to go to the local feed store and grab a poultry antibiotic?


She pooped several times overnight. They look fairly healthy, so she'd obviously had something to eat recently.

Anyways the peas are a great idea. I'll go get some thawing right away. Thanks again.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Just call the vet and ask the vet (not the receptionist) if a daily oral antibiotic is a good idea/precaution. Probably wouldn't require bringing her back in again if he deems it's not a bad idea.


----------



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

Alright, will do.

I will keep everyone posted on how she is doing, too.

UPDATE: I managed to get 7 peas into her crop before she started to really fight with me. Even toweled it was hard to keep her still (as I actually only have one hand, this can be difficult!!). Is there an easier way to go about this?


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

It will be considerable easier for both you and the pigeon if you put the pea at the back of mouth and over the throat. When you put the pea in the center of the mouth, the pigeons reaction is to spit it out.
Keep in mind that a growing pigeon needs about 150-175 calories a day. Each pea has between 3/4 and 1 calorie per pea.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a picture of the bird? It sounds younger than 6 to 8 weeks, and may not even know how to eat on it's own yet.
It would also be a good idea to pick up a powder calcium at a pet store, and sprinkle a bit over the peas.


----------



## jafacanyan (Jul 17, 2013)

Can you post update pictures, iss always great to her about people doing the right think. I would like to tank you for spending time and money on the poor guy


----------



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

I will get some pictures next time I feed her. She ate quite a few more later yesterday (did not have time to post) and early today. I think we are both getting the hang of it.

And I actually already do have a calcium powder, forgot to mention it earlier...I also raise reptiles so I always have calcium (and other vita-supplements) on hand.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Great that you have the calcium. Looking forward to the pictures.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

She'll get used to the peas. Keep it up. Once she gets used to 'em as food, after a few days, you can see if she will just peck at them in her cage by herself. Sorta depends on how old she is, but sometimes they start doing that.

Good work so far.


----------



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

Here she is!
Sorry for the dark pics but you can see her face and little grey cere.
She is doing very well, by the way. She ate a whole bunch, is pecking curiously at her cage, and is no longer confining herself to the corner. I think she'll be alright. Thanks again everyone


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I don't see a pic (?)

Go to 'advanced' button beneath repy window, and on following page scroll down to 'attachments' button. Try that....


----------



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

Since my pics did not show, I'll try again...!

The two dark ones are the ones I tried to upload before of the broken-wing pigeon (who is now named Zim). The big, handsome dude is just another feral I'd rescued a few months ago who is now flying free 

The fish bowl is empty, btw.


----------



## Crocuta (Jul 31, 2013)

Oh and she has started to peck at food in a bowl. She does not eat a whole lot that way, but certainly does a lot of mess-making. I am still hand-feeding her, she seems to be starting to trust me and no longer fights when she realizes I have food. She is getting stronger and more active every day.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

When wrapping the wing, make sure you go under the good wing, not over it. Good that she is pecking at the seed a little.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I think the wing was wrapped by the vet, yes ? If it gets unwrapped, bring the Pigeon back.

She (he, perhaps) does look pretty good now. Nice work.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You can't just keep bringing the bird back everytime it gets itself undone. Not always at a convenient time, and it could get expensive. Also, some people do work, so it would have to go all day without a wrap. Better to learn the correct way to do it yourself. You can also google it, and find lots of good advice on how to wrap a wing.


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

It's very important to watch how the vet wraps the wing because very often the bird will get out of the wrap....often by the time you get home.


----------

