# Bleeding head advice please UK



## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Hi All, I found a baby pidgeon on the floor on Friday afternoon in a busy pub garden, there was no way to put it back anywhere and it was flapping around miserably, so I have been looking after it since then, but today I picked it up to try and give it some more peas (it had quite a few this morning and seemed quite perky) and noticed the back of it's head was bleeding. the blood has since run down the chest so it seems quite bad. I have covered it up in it's box for now. It has been in the box the whole time since I fed it this morn so it has either scratched itself, pecked it's own feathers out or banged itself on the box somehow. What shall I do? I reckon its about 10 days or two weeks old, but I know nothing about birds


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for taking care of this baby.

Please check the following link for rescue help:

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/rescuecentres.htm

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=652129&postcount=1


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

If there is bleeding from a fairly small cut or scrape, corn flour dabbed on can help stem it. In this case, if it has now stopped, I would advise washing the wound with a little warm water plus pinch of salt, and applying a MILD antiseptic gel (our US friends recommend Neosporin, but I don't think we have that brand).


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Thanks, it has stopped now and I've washed it a bit. Will Sudocrem do!?
I've covered it up with a towel so hopefully it won't peck itself.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

I don't know it, but looks like it is more for skin irritation. Personally, I would not. Needs more of a gel for use on wounds to form a barrier. If it is now washed, that ought to be sufficient. They usually heal fast.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Thanks, it's had some more peas and is sleeping, as long as it stays that way for a while I'm hoping it will be ok. 

The Sudocrem was the only thing in my cupboard so I'll go and get something else later to be on the safe side if it looks like it needs it.

It's a bit scrawny and mal-coordinated, I hope they're meant to be like that!

Thanks

Alice


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Could you post a pic, Alice?

Give us an idea how old it is and what it may need.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

*Still not quite right*

It seems to loll towards the right side all the time, and rests it's head on the floor facing towards the left. If I put it on a towel with no support it will edge back over to something to lean on, always on the right. I thought this was temporary when I took it home on Friday but it is still happening even though it eats and cheaps and sleeps. Perhaps it injured something when it fell, it must have been from quite high up. I have taken some pictures which hopefully show the way it leans and how it puts it's head upside down towards the left






























sometimes.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Alice, where are you located? It does look like it needs some checking over and diagnosis.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Bristol UK


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Poor baby. Thanks for taking care of it. 
The head is hanging because he may be weak or had some injury on the neck or spine. I wouldn't move it too much. And i would make a cone or cylinder out of a sponge around the neck so it stays upright. Obviously it's not a comfortable position for the head to hang this way. I don't think he could scratch itself or bang the head in the box. 

The baby needs not only peas to eat at this moment. Please buy some Kaytee Exact if possible or anything similar to Kaytee available in Bristol.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

His head is straight when he's sleeping, he just seems to like putting it down as it is in the pictures quite a lot. I'll get some formula tomorrow, my local pet shop didn't have it so I'll have to hunt...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Could be an injury or something like PMV or something else. I would get him checked by a vet who knows birds. Putting a cone on wouldn't be a good idea. That wouldn't keep it up and would only irratate him.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Unfortunately the nearest pigeon friendly rescue we know of is not very near:

Secret World Wildlife Rescue
New Road
East Huntspill
Highbridge
Somerset
TA9 3PZ

Telephone: (01278) 783250

Could well be from falling. Keeping him cosy and quiet seems best for now, certainly. I think you could have a problem finding Kaytee - it does not seem to readily available in pet stores any more.

The link Skyeking gave is to a site which also has a lot on baby/young pigeons' care

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/caringforababypigeon.htm

for starters.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Its a young woodie, so prob has fell from quite high up in a tree, maybe hittng several branches on way down possibly injuring its back.
Make it a "donut" out of some soft towels & try and get it to sit comfortably in the centre of it.
This will give it some support where it may be able to rest its head either nornmally, or just slightly on its wing.
Heres another idea I've used successfully with a couple of rescues in a similar situation. 








(Do not use the water holder if his head is really floppy as he may well drown, although you could fill it with some seeds instead)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I just love that bed.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Thanks!

yes I know of secret world but there's no public transport to it so it's a last/emergency resort for me. I am going to try 'pets at home' which is a big shop and should have something. On the first day I had it (before i read about the peas) I gave it porridge with green raisins and linseeds, and some beefburger. 

The milk bottle looks good I'll fix one up!..it's in an arrangement somewhat like that at the moment - a narrowish deepish plastic tray wrapped in a towel - after yesterday's head incident where I think it had put it's head down and sctratched itself with it's left foot, as it did a similar action when I was looking later on.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

This lunchtime I gave it "Quiko Bird Wellness" rusk and vitamin supplement mixed with porridge and molasses sugar. I couldn't find the Kaytee anywhere.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It doesn't have to be Kaytee. Any baby bird formula they may sell in pet shops. Pigeons don't eat beef or meat. They are grain eaters.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Yes I realised that afterwards! I didn't expect it to last the first night really, as I only gave it sugar water then went to work for 14 hrs, returning the next morning. I had just wanted to make it more comfortable than it was splatted on a concrete floor in the rain. But it's still hanging in there, and hopefully I'm feeding it the right stuff now.


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## GooseGirl (Jun 7, 2012)

That "sick bed" is so clever!!!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

AliceE said:


> Yes I realised that afterwards! I didn't expect it to last the first night really, as I only gave it sugar water then went to work for 14 hrs, returning the next morning. I had just wanted to make it more comfortable than it was splatted on a concrete floor in the rain. But it's still hanging in there, and hopefully I'm feeding it the right stuff now.



What are you feeding him?


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

"Quiko Bird Wellness" rusk and vitamin supplement sometimes with porridge and peas, will that do?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Isn't that a supplement, not meant to be the whole diet? You can buy baby food peas which are creamed, and mix it in. They also have carrots and corn which could also be mixed in.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Good idea! I'll go shopping for baby food  I had thought of mushy peas before (the processed kind) but the sugar and salt content might be a bit high in those. T


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Also can I bath it? It's covered in porridge and poop.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

You could try gently washing down the bird's front with warm salt water.

Readybrek made with water works. Peas and sweet corn should be the frozen kind, softened in hot water for a short time. They don't lose too much of the nutrients.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Yep I've got frozen petit pois, sweetcorn mixed with porridge with linseeds and alfalfa seeds in it. It's eating much better today anyway, although it doesn't seem to have grown at all since I've had it. It's started to try and preen itself and turn its head to the right, which it didn't like doing before, so I take these as signs of improvement even though it's still very unsteady on its feet. I'd better give it a name instead of 'it' so now it's 'Twiglet', cos it's still kinda knobbly.


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## pigeonlover2k11 (Jul 6, 2011)

by the pix it well looks like PMV,my pigeon has it too.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

mmm...I read about that but it doesn't have fits and is today starting to preen itself in both directions, so it could a;so be some damage sustained on the way down - it must have fallen 10 or 12 feet at least, on to concrete. The fact that it's movements are different today lead me to hope that it is an injury which will heal...

If it is a virus will it sort itself out?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

AliceE said:


> mmm...I read about that but it doesn't have fits and is today starting to preen itself in both directions, so it could a;so be some damage sustained on the way down - it must have fallen 10 or 12 feet at least, on to concrete. The fact that it's movements are different today lead me to hope that it is an injury which will heal...
> 
> If it is a virus will it sort itself out?


IF it has PMV, and in the absence of several symptoms it's doubtful, then yes it would be free of it after 6 weeks. Some symptoms can still be present then, however, due to long term neurological problems. Doesn't always happen, though.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

I think it may have the virus, it still falls over, flaps about and puts its head upside down a lot, even though it is capable of normal head movements now. I've had it a week, and looking at pictures of other birds think it should be more coordinated by now. It is growing though, and eats nicely if messily. I hope having whatever it has so young doesn't affect its long-term well being as it seems destined to stick around for a while.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

AliceE said:


> I think it may have the virus, it still falls over, flaps about and puts its head upside down a lot, even though it is capable of normal head movements now. I've had it a week, and looking at pictures of other birds think it should be more coordinated by now. It is growing though, and eats nicely if messily. I hope having whatever it has so young doesn't affect its long-term well being as it seems destined to stick around for a while.


Alice, as John says, due to absence of other symptoms, PMV is doubtful.
The neck twisting & falling over is normally caused by nerve damage (which PMV also causes) and this can take some time to heal. Even a slight pressure on the damaged nerves from excitement or stress can cause the bird to act this way. It is better to keep the bird confined in a calm situation, where it can rest & not flap around too much, but at the same time see what is going on so it can adjust to any ongoings around it.
I have a rescued feral at the moment who is now going through a soft release routine, who had similar neck twisting problems after being hit by a car. Took amost a month for everything to get back to normal.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

OK well I'm keeping it wrapped loosely in a towel on a bed of hay. It seems cosy and can still see around, then it just sleeps after it's eaten.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

*What next for Twiglet?*

Twiglet is still with us, what shall I do with it? Will it be ok being a pet?


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

AliceE said:


> Twiglet is still with us, what shall I do with it? Will it be ok being a pet?


I think it's only one answer: What do the girls say?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

AliceE said:


> Twiglet is still with us, what shall I do with it? Will it be ok being a pet?





Dima said:


> I think it's only one answer: What do the girls say?


Normally for an ordinary feral pigeon then yes, it would be ok and ideal as a pet, but from the eye colour, white on edge of the wings, and its stance I really think this is a baby woodpigeon. (As I mentioned earlier) 
When they get older they can be very skittish even when hand raised, and I wouldnt recomend keeping it as a pet.
Also, Woodies cannot really be released successfully via a soft release regimen like feral pigeons can, so it would be best for him to go to a rescue centre where he could be released with others of his own kind.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Quazar said:


> *Normally for an ordinary feral pigeon then yes, it would be ok and ideal as a pet, but from the eye colour, white on edge of the wings, and its stance I really think this is a baby woodpigeon.
> When they get older they can be very skittish even when hand raised, and I wouldnt recomend keeping it as a pet.*
> Also, Woodies cannot really be released successfully via a soft release regimen like feral pigeons can, so it would be best for him to go to a rescue centre where he could be released with others of his own kind.



That's what I was thinking just from the different threads I've read on them here. Too bad, but I guess they just don't normally do very well in captivity. He is a cutie though.


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Thanks, I'd better try and find it a home. It's certainly better looking than when we found it!


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## AliceE (Aug 5, 2012)

Or I was thinking I could make it a bird house in the garden so it could choose whether it came inside or flew around, but I don't know how to teach it to be afraid of cats and cars. Our cat just sniffs it and walks off (amazingly enough) but other cats would have it in an instant.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

Hello you could make an aviary big enough for the pigeon to fly around in. I would not let the pigeon go free outside as it might not survive if it gets lost because it has become tame.

If you are going to keep the Woodpigeon it would be a good idea to get it banded with your telephone number on the band.

A Wildlife rescue centre that also has other unreleasble Woodies would be good if you could find one that is not full up.

Thanks for caring for this Pigeon.


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