# pigeon pox



## intrepidwe3 (Mar 19, 2012)

hi i have racing homers with me and one of which have pox in its legs alone. it multiplies like anything and now suddenly its breaking and started bleeding . . .
i have had birds with pox earlier but it will come all over the body in the skin and go off in some time but this seems to be different it is only in the leg . . . 

this bird is eating well and its droppings are also good only thing is it is not able to stand properly and it stands in one leg or sitting completely . . . 

kindly let me know what is the problem with this bird as it is not pox according to mee. . . 
thanks and regards

Sunil


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Could you post a pic of the leg? It could be pox or an injury, hard to tell if not seeing it.

Reti


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

If the sores are bleeding you may want to consider the introduction of an antibiotic such as amoxyclav or the like .


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Hi Sunil,

I've been caring for pigeons who are sick with pox all year, and thankfully most of them recovered, even the ones in the wild that I couldn't take inside because I was out of room. My heart is finally beating at normal pace again, now that the virus seems to be mostly over , and my birds(wild and pets) all recovered.

The pigeons at my place usually get the pox on the bare skin around the feet and on the face, beak, and around the eyes.

I had one really bad case, though, where the first sign of the pox was some weakness and breathing problems. She was a young wild pigeon and I took her in to treat her for respiratory illness, but soon after she showed the signs of the pox on her feet & legs. 

Unfortuneately, unlike the other pigeons, her pox lesions multiplied and multiplied until her legs looked like the elephant man. She sat down a lot, and her breathing problems never got completely better, though they seemed to stabilise after treating her for canker (twice) and with antibiotics (amoxicillin). She lived for around 3 months, but then her droppings suddenly deteriorated and she died of what looked like an internal blockage or organ failure. I hope she was happy for some of that time. 

I concluded that she had internal pox in her lungs and probably elsewhere too, which seems to significantly change the course of the illness....ie instead of the pox lesions blackening and falling off, they multiply and worsen.

Anyway I hope this story helps, and good luck with her. A photo would help, like Reti said!


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## intrepidwe3 (Mar 19, 2012)

*Re:check out the pic*

just check it out


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Ouch..it does look like pox, a bad case. I hope it gets better

An antibiotic for the bleeding wounds would help, but there's not much else you can do except give it good food, warmth, and reduce stress etc. 

There's a lovely lady here `NYCpigeon' who says Vitamin A capsules will help a lot with the pox lesions. This advice came from a very experienced pigeon rehabber she knows, who gives excellent advice- I trust her. She said that giving 2-3 Vitamin A capsules down the throat (just once) will cause them to dry up quickly and fall off.

PS. Do the leg bands cause aggravation?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

This could be a bad scaley leg mite infection, where it is only on the feet. Some of the nodules look like it. Hope you have separated him from others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1hBmUyw44s


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## Shadowringneck23 (Jul 5, 2012)

*Antibiotics*

You should be using antibiotics for the pain, and try to keep your bird calm and happy until this heals. In my opinion, it seems to be a terrible case of the pox. Odd that it is only around the legs.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Shadowringneck23 said:


> You should be using antibiotics for the pain, and try to keep your bird calm and happy until this heals. In my opinion, it seems to be a terrible case of the pox. Odd that it is only around the legs.


Appart from the fact that this is an old thread, and the poster has hardly replied since posting, 
Antibiotics are NOT painkillers & have no effect on Pox & should not be used unless there are other symptoms of other illnesses they will be suitable for.
Use of antibiotics when unnessessary can build up an immunity to it making it harder to treat illness at a later date.


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