# I think my baby is dying



## nadewdd (Nov 27, 2003)

We adopted a baby pigeon which my husband founf at one of his accounts. It was dehydrated and starving. We fed it the baby formula that I read about on here and gave him the water he needed. He now has most of his feathers and was doing really very well. But the last couple of days have had me in tears. He has stopped walking and acts as though his legs don't work anymore. He has been eating seeds for about a week now and we had no problems before now. He doesn't churp anymore and his crop is full of undigested seeds. He also stopped having bowel movements without our help. We have been massaging him to make him go. Now he can't move atall and I am at my wits end. The thought of him passing is killing us. We have grown quite attached to the little fella that we named Ford ( for where he was found-the Ford truck plant. Can anyone help me?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

So sorry to learn of your problems with young Ford. It sounds like the crop has become impacted. This can easily happen when a youngster discovers seed as food .. they gorge.

The condition can be fatal if not dealt with. Basically the crop needs to be emptied and the bird needs to be rehydrated. Can you get the bird to an avian vet to have this done? If not, we can describe what you need to do, but there is a risk of aspirating the bird if you make a mistake. 

For now, remove all seeds and grit but keep fresh water available to the bird and start syringing a small amount of water. Massage the crop to try to break up the mass of food so it can pass through. Also, be keeping the bird very warm as it is now stressed and quite ill.

Keep trying to get water in and keep massaging the crop to help things pass. Don't, however, just keep pumping water in unless you know the crop is starting to empty.

Please keep us posted.

Terry Whatley


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## nadewdd (Nov 27, 2003)

Thanks Terry,

could you tell me how to empty his crop? I am making sure that he is in a nice warm spot, we have him in a cat carrier with an electric heating pad on low on the outside and it seems to be keeping him nice and warm. I am making sure that he is getting some water but not too much and I have been maggaging his crop every half hour or so. The bowel movements that he is having(with help) are green and runny with no sign of full seed but with little sign that he is digesting anything. He is a ferral from what we have been told and a friend thinks that it might be a latent disease from when he is born???? I have no idea. He is sleeping and breathing normally for the most part. If empting the crop doesn't work, would it be better for him to put him down. I really don't want to think of that but I also don't want him in a lot of pain. I hope to hear from you soon


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## ddpowell (May 16, 2003)

No, please don't put him down. One way of emptying the crop is to hold them upside down and push the contents out. You don't want any going down the lungs (wrong pipe as in people), so be careful. 

I've not ever done this method, so wait until others post for more specifics. meantime, keep massaging.

[This message has been edited by ddpowell (edited November 27, 2003).]


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

These are Katie's instructions for slow crop that I copied for an emergency:

1. Empty the crop contents by holding the body of the pigeon downwards and pushing the contents back up the throat.

2. Allow the pigeon to digest 1 oz of water with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

3. Treat for canker (1/2 tablet Spartrix)

4. She also said to refrain from feeding for a couple of days but put water bowl in cage but don't start feeding till third day 1oz am, 1oz pm. But I have a note that for weaker birds follow the first three steps and allow to rest.

If its legs are weak it might be short of calcium also, I think Tums are used in the US for calcium supplement.

Good luck.

Cynthia


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Hi,
I had 2 babies with impacted crop and I learned on this side what to do.
If you emptied the crop already (you do it only once), you can give her Pedialyte (if you don't have Gatorade will do) and in 4oz of Pedialyte you dissolve one Tums, if she does not drink by herself give it to her with an eardropper or siringe. Give her like one eyedropper every hour. No food for a few days.
Also baking soda is good, you can mix a little in the Pedialyte and Tums.
Keep her warm and give antibiotic.
I wish you good luck.
Keep us posted.
Reti

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## nadewdd (Nov 27, 2003)

Than ks for all the advice. We tried to empty the crop and we are having problems doing it. We tried 3 times and nothing would come up. How much force should we be using to get this seed up? We are so scared of hurting him but at the same time we know what will happen if we don't. Thanks for the tip about the calcium for his legs. I am going to get the Tums ASAP!!! if anyone could let us know that would be great.


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## Fred (May 10, 2003)

Syringe 3 CC's of mineral oil or vegetable oil down. It may be enough to force the system to begin to empty. If it works, the bird needs to be placed on an antibiotic to prevent sour crop. Also, if it works, feed only formula for a week. This is about all you can do on your own.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Hi,
you don't have to use any force. If you have trouble give her first an eyedropper of water to dissolve the mass of seeds a bit. Then you hold her upside down and gently you squeeze the crop. If nothing comes out let it be, just give her electrolytes with Tums and a bit of backing soda and antibiotic



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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm sorry you are having difficulties in emptying the crop. Unless the crop is really almost totally solid and hard as concrete it shouldn't be too difficult though as I posted, you can aspirate the bird. If the crop is as hard as I was describing, you are going to have to get this mass broken up and softened up or get an avian vet to help you with this and quickly.

Assuming you are right handed ..

Your right hand is under the bird and surrounding the crop. Your left hand is holding the bird, tipping it forward and down, and also holding the beak open. Tip the bird down and forward and at the same time firmly massage and push the contents of the crop up towards the mouth and out. This really does have to be done pretty quickly and smoothly or you will end up getting food and/or fluid into the respiratory system which will either kill the bird almost immediately or will result in pneumonia in fairly short order.

Try getting a little warm vegetable or mineral oil into the crop and massaging for a bit before we go any further. Hopefully this will get the stuff moving out. Please keep us posted.

Terry Whatley


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## Marian (Feb 17, 2001)

This is a very serious problem that you are describing and emptying a crop is scary for even experienced people, but let's try.

A few examination things first.
l. Hold his mouth open gently so that you can see a full view of his throat. Have a penlight or small flashlight ready.

See if there are any whitish-yellowish clumps in the mouth or throat. 
If there are, this will require medications started immediately, so let us know right away about this. If it is extensive, he might not be saveable.

Take a sniff and note if you detect a sour smell or a yeasty smell or nothing. Include what you find in your e mail.

Note if he does open-mouthed or labored breathing after you handle him. He should be breathing close-mouthed.

2. Gently feel around the vent (rectal area). Feel for any lumps that might indicate that there is a fecal impaction. If there is an impaction lump there, he will need to see a vet who can do a tiny enema procedure. If no lump, then can try next:

3. Emptying the crop
This can be either through digestive process with your help (giving him 4 cc of water at a time, massaging the crop to loosen the solids, and seeing if his poop starts having more than the liquidy green material.)

If you see any evidence in the poop that he is digesting the food in his crop, then keep giving him warmish water, 3 cc at a time, massage, let poop and crop empty enough to give him more water, and repeat this til crop is empty. You will know if he can digest the crop food within about an hour of giving him water and massage. 

If you do this and all he continues to pass is the green liquid, then the crop has to be emptied via a crop flush.

This is if there are no white-yellow clumps in throat.

I don't know how you were feeding him at first. Was it with a syringe, or a syringe with a feeding tube attached? If you were tube feeding him, then you would use that method to tube water into his crop.

If it was a l cc syringe only that you used, then you can use that to give him about 4-7 cc (depending on how full the crop already is) of warmish water (not real warm, just skin temp.). If you only have a l cc syringe, go slowly giving him the amount of water above, sliding a wet syringe gently down his right side of the throat til the syringe is about halfway inserted.
Push l/3 of the syringe contents in at first, remove the syringe and see if he can handle that without regurgitating any back up. If he regurgitates, that can result in the water coming up and going down his trachea and can choke him. 
So you'll need to give him smaller amounts, til the crop is almost full with water.
When you have the 4-7 cc of water in him, then gently massage the crop so that you feel the solid stuff broken up in the water.

This takes perhaps 30 seconds. 
The next step is a very fast maneuver and is the scary part as it might result in the bird choking and dying. 

You'll hold him over the sink. If you're right handed, hold his body with your left hand so your right hand is free to "milk" his crop.
When you are holding him, be sure not to compress his breast/chest area. Birds breathe by expanding their chests and if they are constricted they will suffocate.

When you have a comfortable hold on him turn him upside down. Do this very quickly but make is a smooth, small movement, not a jerky movement. 

Immediately begin massaging his crop in a smooth, down direction, milking the crop contents out, gently squeezing the crop in a gently rubbing motion like milking a cow, upper to lower, so that the contents spill out. 2-3 rubs. 
This should only take 3-4 seconds.

If there is any food in his mouth, quickly swipe that out so he doesn't aspirate it. (Have some Q tips ready.) If there are two of you, divide the procedure--one person holds the bird across the back and under the feet and overturns, and the other person milks the crop and swabs the mouth.

Turn him rightside up as soon as he's clear.

It will take a few or several times for this flushing. I've flushed baby pigeons up to 5 times, giving them 5-l5 minutes to rest inbetween.

If you can empty the crop, don't give any food. Just give water to rehydrate him as he is very dehydrated right now.

Give him 3-4 cc of water, about every hour, watching to see consistency of poops.
Don't use pedialyte as this will increase his dehydration. If you have access to a vet who will sell you some Lactated Ringers solution (cheap), that would be appropriate for hydration. Short of that, use water.
You can use unflavored Pedialyte if you dilute it perhaps by half, with water.

If his crop is emptying after 3-4 hours, then give him Beechnut or Gerber or whatever brand of baby food you have there--chicken and broth or turkey and broth. 

Get a product without starch added if you can. If not, then as close as you can get. The baby formulas are about 97% water and 3% chicken or turkey. To the baby food add half a cc of Plain lowfat yogurt with Live culture. This will provide him with beneficial bacteria for digestion. Avoid any yogurt with alot of additives, especially starch.

Just give that for the rest of the day. 3 cc at a time, let poop, feed again, etc. If he's processing, you'll be feeding him every l l/2 hours. If he's able to drink on his own without falling into the water, leave him a small bowl of water. 

Keep him on warmth (low heating pad wrapped in towel under him).

Re the inability to walk: that might be due to his discomfort now or because of another condition. He is likely vitamin deficient so if you can, get avian vitamin drops from a pet shop. Check the expiration date before buying. You can put 2 drops of this in his mouth each day til he's back on track.

Calcium should be calcium carbonate tablets.
Tums should not be used as they contain additives that are harmful for birds. 
Calcium comes in different forms. At the grocery store or drug store, you'll see calcium citrate and carbonate. Get the carbonate, l00 mg if you can find. His dose is 25 mg of calcium, so you can divide a tablet, crush and mix the estimated 25 mg of calcium powder with a drop of corn oil, then just paste it in the bird's mouth using the round end of a toothpick in one swipe. Can do this every day and if there is no other cause for the leg problem he should respond. 

Good luck to your little pijjie.

Marian


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## Marian (Feb 17, 2001)

Whoops, Terry--
I didn't see your post while I was writing mine.
Marian


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## katiedidittwo2 (Oct 17, 2002)

If this pigeon has sour crop you do not want to give it any food for 2 days. Give baking soda in the water as was suggested in the other post.You are basicly needing to restart the system and can only do this by water for 2 days. On the 3rd day give no more than an ounce of Kaytee Exact feeding formula or something simular to it. On the day you feed the squab its first meal do not feed again until the contents in the crop have emtied. If there is still feed in the crop after 12 hours give another 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and see if the feed crop will empty on its own. If you are going to give seed only give an ounce. 
Can you smell anything? Sour crop has a very putrid smell and if he is bad the crop will hang low. You can give the pigeon salt water and that will make him voluntarily vomit the seed up. Much safier for the pigeon than if you have to milk it all out.
Katie


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

How is Ford today?

Cynthia


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## pierre (Nov 11, 2002)

I really hope that he's O.K. I wish that I knew of a way to help, but you've got advice from the best people possible already! Good luck.
Nancy


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

How is Ford doing?
Hope everything is alright.
Reti

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