# Drooping wings



## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

Well here's the story. One of my birds that I have had for a year started drooping his wings 6 months ago. He was always an upright standing bird with wings neatly folded over tail etc. A few months before I first noticed this he had lost one squab out of a pair for two clutches. I suspected paratyphoid and treated. Is it possible that this bird had joint damage from the illness. He is now lively, eats well, drinks well and droppings look totally normal. Everything seems fine but he has drooping wings. I have treated all my birds for PMV, canker and worms. Thanks for any help.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

it may be E-Coli or paratyphoid(Salmonella) as these illnesses will result birds to be cripple(dropped wing) or worst death. 

To avoid such sickness to your birds, your loft need the following: clean loft, dust free, fresh air need to vent inside loft, no overcrowding and most importantly rodent proof.

A dirty, dusty and smelly loft is a no-no. Birds will get sick easily from it. 

A overcrowding loft is no good as break-out disease get spread easily and birds get stress.

*Mice carries salmonella and birds are vulnerable to catch from it easily which will result to illness. *

Is your loft rodent proof? Can he fly? Is he light weight? Is he physically active with other birds?

I suggest separate him from the rest of your birds and dont let him breed anymore until he is cured. Keep on medicating him until his wing goes back to normal before letting him back with the other birds. Symptom like these will take weeks or even months to get cured.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

Hi thanks for your response. Yes he is active, flys fine, eats normally, not light. My loft is dry and immaculately kept, and not at all over crowded. Scraped 3 times weekly, water changed daily etc. I treated him with amoxicillin when I first suspected it for 30 days by water, there was no change in the wings. I have read of bay trial as an effective cure for these bacterial infections but thought I heard it was no longer available. Any idea of a replacement remedy?


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

humm treated for 30 days is good enough and if paratyphoid was the cause, it should have been cured. 

If he is active and have no sign of sickness other than the dropped wing, i assumes he should be okay now. Dropped wing do take some times to get back to normal. If he is flying, that is a good sign.

At this point, I suggest to stop medicating him because it wont do any good, instead it would harm the bird. 

Just supply the birds with vitamins and mineral and it would get back to normal soon.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

Hi thanks again for your help. The treatment I gave him was 6 months ago now. The odd thing is he never acted sick other than the wings. He's feisty and a fighter. The thing that gets me is he was what I called my best bird when I got him and he has bred some beautiful babies ( one recently won 1st in class and best in breed). His posture, tight feathering etc was perfect now a year later the wings have dropped and he looks diminished.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

humm if its 6 months ago..that's quite a long time and he should have heal up..but the wing still hanging... 
I'm very sorry but maybe you should take him to a bird veterinarian to check what is really going on inside him internally. Anyway, take care and hope the best for you and your bird.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Zippy- I have no idea if your bird still has Salmonella but I will say a couple years back we picked up Paratyphoid (Salmonella) from a show. Terrible but we got Baytril and completely cured the birds. Baytril is available from one of the online bird supply places...I think it is called "All Bird Products"......they cater to cage birds as well as pigeons. At the Lancaster show I saw Foy's selling Enroflox or Enrofloxil (?) which I think is the generic form of Baytril. Good luck! From your other posts I know you have a FANTASTIC loft and well tended pigeons!


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hi zippy,
Without a diagnosis, one can never be sure of the ailment because streptococci/staphylococci can also cause secondary bacterial infections which can show salmonella like symptoms. 
When you treated your bird for salmonella,did you treat all others as well at the same time???
If not, salmonella wont go away.
Even after the salmonella infection is over,symptoms may not go completely.

30 days! Wow!
How much medicine did you use?
I mean there's a lot that can be discussed but I think getting the droppings tested would be best choice.

Salmonella and other bacteria like e.coli are ever present in most pigeons. Best thing you can do is, give your birds probiotics and supplements to build immunity that will keep such harmful bacterium in check. And vaccination helps to prevent salmonella.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

Hi Brocky, yes I treated the whole loft. Just checked my records and it was 27 days in the water, recommended to me by the instructions on the amoxicillin bottle. I do regularly and especially after antibiotics provide probiotics. Thanks for the info.


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