# sick pigeon



## Vibrissa (Feb 5, 2006)

On my way home from work today, I got 2 blocks from home and the whole street was blocked for a parade --so I had to go to the side street and park. There I saw a pigeon all alone walking slowly--I called my college son and had him bring the bird net (for rescues) out the back door and through the alley to where I was. We caught the pigeon fairly easily. It looks bright-eyed but obviously wasn't going to try to fly (not tame either)--I picked him up and he/she is very light with her middle breast bone (don't know what it is called) --I could feel that well--and his crop is bulged but doesn't feel full of food. I have him in a small cage outside at the moment (I have a dove and don't want it to catch whatever this pigeon might have). My friend is coming to get him and take him to his house. He pooped and it is total dark green liquid. Do pigeons carry bird flu? What antibiotic would you suggest I try for him (as we are taking three rats to the vet tomorrow and he would give us whatever we asked for for the pigeon). Ideas and suggestions from those of you who have lots of experience? I work tomorrow and can't take him to a vet (Plus most vets in my area won't see a "wild" bird including pigeons --and partly because of bird flu I guess). Please answer me at [email protected] or [email protected] Thank you for any help asap (tonight?).


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

What do you mean that his crop feels bulged? Does it feel like an inflated balloon?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Pigeons don't carry bird flu, by the way. Do you have any medications?

Pidgey


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## Vibrissa (Feb 5, 2006)

Usually I have trouble getting back to where I posted to get the answers is why I gave the email addresses (either I am computer illiterate at that--or it was more difficult in the past as I found my way here again). 
I would give my number except that it is already after 8, I work in the morning, and I still have to clean two small rat cages for my husband to take three rats for surgeries of different types in the morning--and I also still have to go talk to people and set up a cat trap to try to catch the mother of 5 kittens that were rescued this weekend (by us, too--I am on the board of an animal rescue--but we don't do pigeons--well, they don't--I rescue just about anything lol). Glad to know about the bird flu --that pigeons don't carry it--never stops me--just worry about putting others at risk--now I am not worried. My husband is going to ask the vet tomorrow morning --and see if he could bring the pigeon in or not.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

If the crop feels kind of inflated and leathery, there might be a yeast infection. I got one in my yard once that couldn't take off but had a crop that felt like it was a balloon. You could put pressure on it with your finger and realize that there wasn't much in here but nothing was pushing back with a solid feeling as though it was full of seed. I kept that bird for over a week, treating it with Nystatin every day as well as several other things like Baytril and Metronidazole. Whatever and whichever it was, one of them helped it and he was released a couple of weeks later. 

Nystatin is a drug that is not absorbed in the body but it prevents fungi from growing. It's given in such a way as to make contact with all inner surfaces of the throat, esophagus, crop and on into the rest of the GI to inhibit the growth of fungals. If a bird has a serious systemic infection (and you kinda' hafta' worry about that sometimes) then your vet might consider going with something more systemic like Itraconazole, Ketoconazole or Fluconazole (that family or something like it) besides giving Nystatin. You might ask the vet to do a crop swab, looking for that and trichomonads.

Pidgey


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## Rockie (Jan 18, 2005)

Vibrissa said:


> He pooped and it is total dark green liquid.


Is he eating anything on his own? Can you feed him seeds by hand or tube feed? Aside from whatever is wrong w/him it sounds like he is in desparate need for food. Hopefully he can process it. You can check his crop between feedings to see if it is passing properly. Good luck and thank you for all your many rescues.


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## Vibrissa (Feb 5, 2006)

Nevermind--poor baby was dead by morning. He was either too far gone (and is why he was so docile and able to give him his meds in water with an eye dropper so easily) OR I should have not assumed he would drink and eat (or I guess he would not have been so thin) and should have taken time to hydrate him and feed him as Rockie had suggested (unfortunately I didn't get that msg until today at work BECAUSE my stupid computer decided to totally shut down never to be revived--only in emergencies it seems and I could no longer communicate with anyone  ).
At least I found him in time to keep him from wandering aimlessly on the street and perhaps from being tortured by people or animals. He was safe and protected and we had tried meds--did what we could. Poor little creature. Thank you for all of your immediate help--that is important! Thanks. Sherry


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm so sorry to hear the baby died.

Thank you for helping.

In the future, this link will give you instructions for a new rescue pigeon, it should be followed first, then the other issues such as inflated crop would be addressed. It is pretty "iffy" having a bird who is starving-with a stopped up crop, and who knows how long, but this is the first step:

Vital basic steps to saving the life of a pigeon:

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


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Hi Vibrissa, and welcome to the forum. Thanks for taking in this pigeon, and giving him a safe, warm and loving place to pass on. Thank you too for all the other rescuing you do, it sounds as if you have your hands full! I hope the ratties are feeling better after their surgeries, and good luck in catching Mama cat and in bottle-feeding. I do rat rescue as well as ferals too, we are kindred spirits.  Keep up the great work.


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## Vibrissa (Feb 5, 2006)

Thank you. I copied and printed out the info on what to do for a sick rescued pigeon--so I will have that to refer to first. That would have been helpful, and I will have it for the next time.
I just rescued a baby pigeon (2 weeks ago) that had been running around an inner city apartment building with no parents around for four days. He is now with David and Celia in Staunton, IL, with their pigeons who adopted him--and is very happy. They are going to keep us updated. He is also with Pigeon John whom I rescued several years ago--with a bee bee in his wing--that caused enough damage that he has now learned to fly just a little again--but caused blindness in one eye! HOWEVER, he made friends and got married and is still married to his mate and they are having their second batch of babies soon! I got to visit him and watch him building their nest when we took the baby there .
The ratties all made it through today--two had two tumors removed--and none ended up being malignant--all just mammary tumors--and the third had her front bottom teeth ground down, but this time the "wonderful" vet put braces on them (wire) to make them grow straight. He was going to pull them so she wouldn't have to go through monthly trauma of having them ground down (they just started growing all crooked about 4 months ago, and she just turned two years old)--but he was afraid he may break her jaw bone--so he ground them while she was anesthetized and decided to do "braces" and see how this goes. She said she would be hurting a bit and definitely all soft foods for now--but all three are fine tonight and back home with me. Neat to know you rescue ratties and ferrets! Animals are just so wonderful. Thank you to all of you for what you do!


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