# HELP!!! Baby Pigeon-Very swollen leg



## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

I am looking after my grandfathers pigeons while he is away and i have noticed that one of the babies (about 20 days) has got a really swollen leg- too swollen even to determine whether it is broken or not. 
He moved out of the nest and was on a flat ground for a few days-could it be splay legs?
He has got a few missing feathers all over and specks of blood, could have he been attacked and it got infected?
I have taken him home and am trying to feed him but he will only drink water.

Any help would be much appreciated as I don't know anything about pigeons.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Mah and welcome to Pigeon-Talk. Can you post some pictures of the young pigeon for us? That would be very helpful.

I'm guessing that the leg is broken and/or infected if it is really swollen. Splayed legs wouldn't be swollen but rather at odd angles to the body.
If the leg is infected, you will need some antibiotics for the bird. Do you happen to have any pigeon medicines on hand or perhaps your grandfather
does?

If you could tell us where you are located, that will help us try to direct you to resources that may be needed.

It's good you have brought this one in. At 20 days of age, it may not know how to eat on its own. Have you offered any seed and tried to get the youngster to peck at it by "pecking" at it with your finger?

If the little one is not eating on its own, you will have to hand feed it. There are many threads and posts here on Pigeon-Talk regarding how to do this.

Please get back to us as soon as you can.

Terry


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

Thanks for the quick reply
Here is an attachment of the leg, it's orange because i have put some betadine on it, but it is really red.
It only half heartedly nibbles at food and seems to be really tired. I give it water by letting water drip down it beak then it drinks it, but feeding it is harder.
I live on the central coast, NSW, Australia


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Oh, red. Well, is there any seeming fever where it seems redder? Is there any especial feather loss?

Can you post a picture of the entire bird? And/or maybe one that shows both legs dangling somewhat together?

Pidgey


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

It is red but I put on betadine (an antiseptic) on the leg that gave it that colour.
There is a loss of feathers, all over the body, and specks of blood here and there as well


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

In answer to your query, yes, it can be splay leg. It's sometimes a little hard to resolve a diagnosis from descriptions.

Do you have any or can you get any antibiotics, in case that starts looking necessary?

Can you feed him the hard way with the larger types of seeds from their regular feed? When it becomes necessary, it's possible to plop a pigeon down on your lap and, holding under the jaws with the left hand and working the beak open with the right, you can roll peas down one at a time (let him swallow) and then put another in, followed by a corn kernel and like that. People have used puppy chow bits as well, if you have those.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yeah, I re-read, or more fully read, what you'd said and changed my post accordingly. Anyhow, it's very possible that he was attacked by his parents or any of many other birds in the loft for being sick, weak, in somebody else's territory... hard to say. They can get pretty beat up and lose a lot of feathers that way. We see that a lot and sometimes it's REALLY bad, trust me.

That's not really the big worry here, though.

Pidgey


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

That leg does look really bad. Others will advise you about what you should do for that. In the meantime, it is critical that you get food into the poor little thing.
One of the foods you can give the baby would be dry puppy food soaked in water until it is soft and sponge like. Pry the birds beak open and put small amount of food at the back of the bird's throat. He/she will swallow. You need to feed until the crop is full and balloons out a bit. Feed again when the crop is empty. Never add food if there is already food in the crop. Discard any unused food and make new food each time. You must get food in the bird now.


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

Pidgey said:


> Yeah, I re-read, or more fully read, what you'd said and changed my post accordingly. Anyhow, it's very possible that he was attacked by his parents or any of many other birds in the loft for being sick, weak, in somebody else's territory... hard to say. They can get pretty beat up and lose a lot of feathers that way. We see that a lot and sometimes it's REALLY bad, trust me.
> 
> That's not really the big worry here, though.
> 
> Pidgey


Yeah I was thinking along the same lines, because he and his sibling both left the nest, and as there are about 15 pigeons, any of them might have attacked him...But on the injury what do you think, and what can I do


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

here is the picture of the pigeon


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, they're not as likely to get skin infections as you'd think. I've seen some squabs (nestlings) that have gotten some pretty horrible lacerations and just pull through real well. There's a lot of times that we put an antibiotic ointment on that we probably don't need to. Anyhow, it's a lot easier to make an assessment based on a picture.

Pidgey


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

Charis said:


> That leg does look really bad. Others will advise you about what you should do for that. In the meantime, it is critical that you get food into the poor little thing.
> One of the foods you can give the baby would be dry puppy food soaked in water until it is soft and sponge like. Pry the birds beak open and put small amount of food at the back of the bird's throat. He/she will swallow. You need to feed until the crop is full and balloons out a bit. Feed again when the crop is empty. Never add food if there is already food in the crop. Discard any unused food and make new food each time. You must get food in the bird now.


Sorry, but I dont know what a crop is, can you please clarify?
Also I have several types of seeds, should I mash them and add water, or stick with your method?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I don't see a picture this time. Do you?

Pidgey


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

Pidgey said:


> Well, they're not as likely to get skin infections as you'd think. I've seen some squabs (nestlings) that have gotten some pretty horrible lacerations and just pull through real well. There's a lot of times that we put an antibiotic ointment on that we probably don't need to. Anyhow, it's a lot easier to make an assessment based on a picture.
> 
> Pidgey


Should I just make sure he is eating and just wait to see what happens?
Thanks


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

A crop is a wide spot in the esophagus that would be a protrusion from the neck on us. It holds food (dried seeds) while it's hydrating from the saliva-like secretions inside. In other words, it's a sack with a small drain hole in the bottom of it.

Don't smash the seeds--just put them down him whole. If you can get a full teaspoon to a tablespoon's worth down him depending on his size, you'll be doing pretty good. How big is he? Can you weigh him or describe how big he is?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

mah1 said:


> Should I just make sure he is eating and just wait to see what happens?
> Thanks


He might not know how to eat solid food yet. And being sleepy isn't a real good sign, either. We have to worry about his energy level and keep it from getting too low.

Pidgey


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## horsesgot6 (May 30, 2007)

Do You Have Pigeon Seed Or Pigeon Pellets. That May Help With The Food Part.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I can see the picture now an I'm leaning towards Paratyphoid (another name: Salmonellosis). You might be needing some Baytril (Enrofloxacin) or Bactrim (a Trimethoprim/Sulfa combination). The Baytril is the veterinary equivalent of the Ciprofloxacin that is used on us. Is there any way you can get any of that (even Cipro)?

Pidgey


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

yeah I have corn a few others seeds and grit
Ill try to feed them to him whole again


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

Pidgey said:


> I can see the picture now an I'm leaning towards Paratyphoid (another name: Salmonellosis). You might be needing some Baytril (Enrofloxacin) or Bactrim (a Trimethoprim/Sulfa combination). The Baytril is the veterinary equivalent of the Ciprofloxacin that is used on us. Is there any way you can get any of that (even Cipro)?
> 
> Pidgey


How do I get it and what do I do in the meantime?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Wish I knew, but I'm not familiar with Australia and your pharmacy practices. Cipro is a drug that's easy enough to find, just more difficult to get a prescription for unless your chemist (pharmacist) is a friend or caring soul. Otherwise, you'd have to get one of those drugs from a vet. Is that possible?

Pidgey


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

so just go to the vet and they'll sort it out?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, it's not the most normal presentation for articular Paratyphoid but it's within the normal parameters. What I mean by that is that Paratyphoid often hits pigeons in a wing joint that swells up and makes the wing not want to move. However, it really does sometimes hit a leg instead. Paratyphoid comes primarily from mouse droppings (they carry it). And you're not going to get him over it very easily without medications, especially in time to keep that joint working very well.

In any case, it's not the easiest thing to completely diagnose over the Internet. So, if you don't keep medications like that around (and most don't) then I'm afraid that you are going to need a vet.

I gotta' gota' bed so I'll have to leave you to other folks now. Good luck!

Pidgey


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## mah1 (Jan 8, 2008)

Pidgey said:


> Well, it's not the most normal presentation for articular Paratyphoid but it's within the normal parameters. What I mean by that is that Paratyphoid often hits pigeons in a wing joint that swells up and makes the wing not want to move. However, it really does sometimes hit a leg instead. Paratyphoid comes primarily from mouse droppings (they carry it). And you're not going to get him over it very easily without medications, especially in time to keep that joint working very well.
> 
> In any case, it's not the easiest thing to completely diagnose over the Internet. So, if you don't keep medications like that around (and most don't) then I'm afraid that you are going to need a vet.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all your help


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Mah,

If you can get the young pigeon to a vet that knows what s/he is doing with pigeons, that would be great. There is definitely something very wrong with that leg that needs attention.

Terry


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Can you post a picture of the nestling's head and face? Kind of a close-up?

Pidgey


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

mah1 said:


> Should I just make sure he is eating and just wait to see what happens?
> Thanks


You are going to have to gently open the beak with your finger, and put some dried seed down the back of the throat-behind the tongue, one seed at a time and with each allow him to swallow. Make sure the seed goes behind the tongue as you don't want him to choke on it. Give him about a tablespoon or less. Then MAKE sure he drinks when he has done. Hopefully he will start to eat on his own, but if he is not feeling good you will need to feed him at least 4 times a day.

It might be easier to feed him small pieces of soaked puppy chow that is completely drained of excess water, at this point. He won't have to drink after this.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Just got a PM from mah1 that the vet prescribed Baytril for this one. The vet doesn't specialize in birds and she might even have prescribed Baytril at mah1's behest due to the discussions here, don't know. Anyhow, the bird's doing a little better, probably because it's getting fed better now because of the suggestions here. There was some more commentary in the PM about some neck twisting and possibly more swelling in a wing joint. In short, it does look more like Paratyphoid could be the prime suspect. Don't know why a PM instead of a post here but I suspect that mah1 couldn't find the thread again.

So, this story is probably heading upward but I guess you'd say the prognosis is "guarded" at this point.

Pidgey


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks for the update Pidgey. I, too, hope things are looking up for the bird!

Terry


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I also received a PM earlier today with question/s, which I answered but mentioned to mah1 to post on the forum so others can respond as well.


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