# Found Pigeon - Monroe WA



## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

A beautiful pigeon hit my husband's work today at 6pm. It hit the glass wall very hard... it is alive, possibly in shock. I don't know yet how bad it is injured. I did get it to drink a little water and I have it in a small bird cage in a quiet room. 



I can keep the bird as long as necessary if I don't find the owner. I suppose I will know better in the morning if it looks like it will make it. 

Any other advice besides keeping it warm, quiet and hydrated? I don't know how to check for injuries that are not obvious such as broken legs, internal injury... ect. It will kick its legs when held and it did grip my husband's finger with it's feet, but when I put it in the cage, it kept falling on it's side with it's legs straight back like he didn't want to move them. I propped him up a little better. He doesn't seem to be afraid of people, but he was knocked senseless..... The poor thing left an outline of it's body and wings on the window when it hit.

Thanks for any help!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Thanks for rescuing this little guy and your concern for him. I am just about to call it a day, but I thought I would make a quick post for you. Here are a few links to get you started:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/basic-life-saving-steps-9457.html

And see if he will let you get him set up in a donut towel, like below, also cover the top and sides of the cage with a towel so he feels secure in his "cave" as you're right probably in some shock and doing this will help with his stress:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=467722&postcount=6

You can place a water dish within easy beak reach for this evening. Hold off with any food for just a bit to make sure things are coming out his back end OK. You can pick him up a small bag of wild bird seed at Walmart, just take out any peanuts, white stripe sunflower seeds and whole corn that may be in it.

Good luck with him,

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

*Thank you*

Thank you for the post and quick reply Karyn. 

I do have finches and have some finch / canary food which is mostly millet I believe. I will wait to feed that. Nothing has come out the other end yet. I will try the donut. That looks a like it would be a lot more comfortable for him and will cover the cage to give him some privacy.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, the Finch/Canary mix will do to start, but do pick him up a larger seeds mix, I mentioned the wild bird seeds because that's pretty easy to find, but if you could pick him up a bag of Pigeon/Dove mix, this would be even better. Yes, wait until he is hydrated and we see something come out the back end before offering the seeds, keep a water dish close enough so it's in easy beak reach and you may even want to see if he will let you guide his beak into some tepid water and have a drink, here's how:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=522565&postcount=11 

Once he settles in a bit, we'll try and figure out just how injured he is.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks... If I don't find the owners tomorrow, I will go get some Dove/ Pigeon food. I raised doves a long time ago when I was in high school, but never had one injured like this. I have gotten him to drink again.. so that is good. I will get back on here and update in the morning.

He looks a lot more comfortable on the donut.


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

*Doing a little better*

This morning the bird is doing a bit better. Still not using it's legs, but I brought it out of the cage for water, and it tried to fly across the floor and it also pruned itself this morning. It is more alert.

Contacted the club on the ID tag, the person who owns the bird has no contact info available...the person marked the tag private so I have no way of contacting them, so I guess unless someone here recognizes it I would love to take care of her myself. I've been wanting a pigeon/dove for a while, I was just going to wait a bit longer to get one. 

No poop yet  but I did get some pigeon food this morning and I have some chick grit left over from when my chickens were babies.

Keeping my fingers crossed that she will be ok.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, glad he is a little brighter. Do you think you could post up a photo of this bird and the position of the legs? Has nothing at all come out the back end as yet, or do you mean no meaningful, solid looking droppings, IE bile droppings. Hold off on the food still for a bit until this is clarified, but you can replace the plain water with hydration fluid (8oz water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda).

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

*She pooped!*

She /he pooped. Mostly water so I put in some food. The bird moved around the cage to get to it, so I think it may be hungry. Here is an image of it. He keeps moving off the donut today.


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Is there any way of knowing what kind of pigeon this is?


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Here is a better one that shows the feet


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, thanks for the photos. I want you to play with the donut a bit, perhaps rolling two towels inside each other to make it thicker, or perhaps a lager one, when you feel you have a good configuration, tape the donut together so it stays the same size and can't be pushed apart.

This bird looks to be what they call wedding Dove, but is really a white homing pigeon used at ceremonies and wedding releases, We get a fair amount of them showing up here in need of help. This bird may have injured area of the lower back where the nerves are that control function to the legs and hopefully will improve with rest and time. We may want to start this little one on an anti-inflammatory and if you can pick up some children's Motrin/Ibuprofen suspension we can use that. The labels should say 100mg in each 5mL (teaspoon). I want you to give this guy 2 drops (2mg) every 12 hours. It must be only children's Motrin/Ibuprofen, at the concentration mentioned and nothing else (ie: Tylenol, Aspirin etc...).

You may want to also spread some seeds around as well in case he has an easier time getting them this way, as well as keeping the dish full near the brim. If that is grit in the other container you can pull that out for now, seeds only and remove, for now, the sunflower seeds.

Please post up whatever is coming out the back end.

Karyn


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well... there's probably some swelling that's affecting the spinal cord between the shoulders and where the actual motor nerves exit to go to the legs. Those kinds of injuries usually heal fairly well in a few days. Since the bird has some motion and response in the legs, I'd lean towards it making a full recovery. It sometimes happens that there are multiple things going on but I'm going to stay with the KISS principle here.

If the bird does make a full recovery, then if he or she ever gets outside, it's very likely that he or she's just going to take off and you'll never see him or her again. He or she might find his or her way back home... or not. So... we'll just have to see how it goes in the short term and discuss options as the situation progresses. One thing's for certain: that bird doesn't stand much of a chance out in the outside world--it must either find its way home or be adopted.

Pidgey


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Pidgey - I am going to hope for the best and go with your thoughts on a full recovery. That would make us all very happy since she has found a home if the owner doesn't claim her.

(Starting to lean towards a girl since she has a flatter head... with nothing to compare it to at the moment  )


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She pooped again.. this time it was still very watery, but dark green... not really any solid. 

Do you need pics?

I tried making a bigger donut and taping it... but she did not like it at all... she keeps flapping her wings and wiggling off it. I am afraid she may hurt herself more. She doesn't mind leaning up against the smaller rolled towel for support... I will keep experimenting to find something she likes.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> She pooped again.. this time it was still very watery, but dark green... not really any solid.
> 
> Do you need pics?
> 
> I tried making a bigger donut and taping it... but she did not like it at all... she keeps flapping her wings and wiggling off it. I am afraid she may hurt herself more. She doesn't mind leaning up against the smaller rolled towel for support... I will keep experimenting to find something she likes.


OK, best we go with what the patient is telling us she likes better, make it as it was before, but as she regains more control of her legs, she may appreciate a little more support, your there, you now know your options, so you can decide what's best, as she indicates is working for her.

This is to be expected, as she has not had much food, if any, these are called bile droppings digestive waste, without any food waste. As she gets some food into her this will change. If we find she is not getting enough food on her own, we may have to hand feed her for a bit to help supplement her. I'll give you some instructions on this later if needed.

Glad she found you,

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks - Glad I found you!

I will keep you posted with any updates.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, the only other suggestion I may have for the moment may be to change out the newspaper lining on the bottom of the cage for an old terry cloth towel, This will help her by giving her body some "grip", where the newspaper will be slippery. You can also tack a sheet of double folded paper towels under where she lays most of the time, you can use a small piece of tape at each corner, this will make for easy clean up of her droppings/waste, and also not be so slippery for her as well.

Karyn


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## birdkeeper (Jun 24, 2009)

I don't know if you have located the owner of the bird but there's a few club around your area and here are their contact number: 

STILLY CLUB IN ARLINGTON 360 652 5792

EVERETT CLUB IN EVERETT 425 745 1071


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She pooped today, nice solid one... YEAH! She is still laying on her side but seems to be a little happier.

I called the place where the tag was registered and the people who own the pigeon are unlisted.... I will try calling the local clubs. Thanks for the tip birdkeeper.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> She pooped today, nice solid one... YEAH! She is still laying on her side but seems to be a little happier.
> 
> I called the place where the tag was registered and the people who own the pigeon are unlisted.... I will try calling the local clubs. Thanks for the tip birdkeeper.


We like to hear about good droppings around here , so happy to hear things are picking up in that department.

You may just end up with an unexpected, permanent guest .

Please keep us updated.

Karyn


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

They're not all 100% spoilable, but Lin and I sure have messed a bunch of 'em up, lo, these past many years. It's always worth a try. Petting, especially skritching around the ears, can work wonders towards turning them into incredibly lazy, lay-around-the-house-expecting-to-be-waited-on-wing-and-beak brats!

Pidgey the Ever Helpful


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Pidgey said:


> They're not all 100% spoilable, but Lin and I sure have messed a bunch of 'em up, lo, these past many years.


GUILTY....also!


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She is already spoiled... napes wrapped in a blanket on the couch, hand fed water every couple of hours since she can't reach into the bird water dish... having her ears rubbed... 

Update:

She is still doing about the same as this morning. She just spent two hours cuddling up in a blanket and dozing on the couch on my lap. I think she was finally in a comfy position. I can't seen to get the donut right or anything else. She refused to sit on it or lean up against a towel... she keeps moving away from it in the cage.

When she moves around, she uses her wings and her right banded leg to push herself sideways . I think her other leg is worse off.. She doesn't seem to use it and she always lays on it on her left side. It doesn't look broken??? 

She hasn't gripped my fingers since my husband found her and we brought her home. But she can seem to move the right leg when she wants to move around and I have seen her make a fist with her right foot in the process.

Hopefully she is just bruised on the other side.

She did poop again this evening it was a little softer than the last one. Both were very dark green. She is still eating and drinking well.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, when you get a chance, please post up a photo of her droppings and count about how many she does in a day. It may take a bit of time yet for her to start to get a reduction in any swelling that could be compressing her nerve centers, so we'll have to be patient and give her time. Also, if you have a kitchen scale around the house, I wouldn't mind checking her weight (if you don't, perhaps family, friends or a neighbor has one you could borrow).

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She seems to be pooping like clockwork, once in the early morning, and again in late afternoon. Should it be more than that?

Here is an image, she keeps moving around and smooshing it before I can get a good shot. Most of it ended up on her feet.

I have been picking out most of the sunflower seeds, as you can see, not all make it out but all striped ones do I hope that is ok for now. I got lazy on the last feeding. Can you tell me why she shouldn't have them yet? Are they too rich or too hard to breakdown?

I haven't weighed her yet. I need to go search the garage for my small scale. I will post weight once I find it.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Right now because we don't know what going on inside her, we want to try and have smaller food items available for her that will be easier for her to process. Typically a pigeon, under normal circumstances, will produce a few dozen droppings in a 24h period, but there are a number of things that can change this. Because she is not able to move around, is injured, and is a new environment, this may be affecting her, making her hold her droppings longer, or like I mentioned, things could not be functioning optimally inside so she is processing things slower. Her producing once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and perhaps once later at night is something to keep an eye on. Part of how we do this is when sick or injured and where are uncertain a bird is getting adequate nutrition, it's important that their weight be closely monitored in case they need to be supported for a period of time with some hand feeding.

If you can't find your scale, most times Walmart has inexpensive digital kitchen scales, at a reasonable price. 

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

I found my scale.... she weighs about 400kg or almost 1 lb. Should I weigh her once a day or more often?

She looks like she still has pin feathers at the top of her beak and by her ears but full feathered everywhere else. Is there a way to tell how old she may be? Do you know how much she should weigh?

Still just the two poops so far today. She does seem to squirm around the cage first, I am sure she is holding it for a bit. She seems to squirm around first because she can't get into a good position to let it fly since she is on the ground. Hopefully it isn't because it causes her pain.

She is eating the seed I put on the cage floor, but I don't know how much she needs and how much she is actually eating. She is still in pretty good spirits. 

She has found recently that she can push herself up and sit on her bum like a dog with her feet out in front of her proped up on her right wing and she seems to be a bit more comfortable that way.

-------UPDATE: POO # 3 - soft, but not runny. That's one more so far than yesterday.. we are building up!

She is grooming herself quite a bit also... I am telling myself that is a good sign


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Do you think you are satisfied that your scale is accurate. I have a white homer, who looks just like her, who consistently weighs in at 410g, so, if your scale is accurate, her weight is good. I want you to weight her first thing each morning at the same time and record her weight for the next little while, to see if she holds steady, or goes up, or down. Glad she is working things out for herself and preening is always a good sign to hear about.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

I just tested my scale, it is accurate... it is the person reading the scale that is off - i mean 400g, not 400kg


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> I just tested my scale, it is accurate... it is the person reading the scale that is off - i mean 400g, not 400kg


Glad to hear your scale is accurate. Yeah, I kinda' figured you meant 400g, and not 400kg, as that would be one big bird .

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

I've been weighing her every day around 10 am. Yesterday she was still around 400g, today she is about 375-385g (it isn't a digital scale so it is hard to read exactly) I should have a digital one by tomorrow.

She pooped twice yesterday. Once early morning, once around 3pm--- the last one was very large - large chicken sized. She did again early this morning.

She seems to be doing about the same otherwise.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> I've been weighing her every day around 10 am. Yesterday she was still around 400g, today she is about 375-385g (it isn't a digital scale so it is hard to read exactly) I should have a digital one by tomorrow.
> 
> She pooped twice yesterday. Once early morning, once around 3pm--- the last one was very large - large chicken sized. She did again early this morning.
> 
> She seems to be doing about the same otherwise.


Alanna, is she still getting the children's Motrin? I had another suggestion for you and that is we could try supplementing her with both calcium and vitamin D3, as both are known for helping birds that are having motor control issues. We can do this with an over-the-counter supplement called Caltrate 600 (with vitamin D) where we would cut up one of the tablets into 6 pieces and "pop" a piece down her every day for 6 days. If you do get these tablets make sure it's the Caltrate with only calcium and vitamin d, not some others with a number of other supplements added.

How you would "pop" a piece of Caltrate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU1SO0ZJoow

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She is still getting the Motrin. I will go look for the Caltrate 600 for her today. It is work a try.

Thanks!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Yes, exactly, it's worth a try. I forgot to mention that we may get some bouncing around in her weight numbers, so don't be too alarmed at this, although a digital scale will help us be a little more accurate, as water, food and her either holding in some waste or just having voided, can affect her numbers. The good thing is that she started this with a good body mass, which gives us some leeway we sometimes don't have with birds in poorer condition for worrying about the immediate need to perhaps be supplementing by hand.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Got the Caltrate 600 + Vit D3- nothing else in it. Cut it into 6 pieces and gave her one. I will keep you updated on any changes.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> Got the Caltrate 600 + Vit D3- nothing else in it. Cut it into 6 pieces and gave her one. I will keep you updated on any changes.


Sounds good, keep us updated.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Here is an update, I got my digital scale yesterday. She weighed in at 370g

She pooped 4 times yesterday. Nice and solid.

She is starting to move her left leg a "little" bit more. I put her on the floor in my family room so she could stretch her wings a little, she flew into the kitchen. 

She fly/walks to move in the family room. I don't want her to do to much and hurt herself again, but she does enjoy being out of her cage. She loves cuddling with me on the couch and takes a lot of naps in my lap.

Here are some updated pics:

In the last one, you can see how she sits most of the day with her legs out in front leaning on her wing.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, thanks for the update, and report there seems to be a bit more movement in the left leg. If it would not cause her any distress in any way, I wouldn't mind you arranging her legs under her in a normal posture, inside a tight donut, and seeing if she can push up at all with her legs, or finds any comfort in this position. Here is a photo, although of a baby, of how a pigeons legs would be positioned when normally laying/squatting down. http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=600168&postcount=17

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She looks so much more comfortable. I don't know why she fought me to get off the donut before... I feel so much better seeing her on the towels.

UPDATE:

1 hour later, I went to give her medicine, now she won't go back in it... UGH!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> She looks so much more comfortable. I don't know why she fought me to get off the donut before... I feel so much better seeing her on the towels.
> 
> UPDATE:
> 
> 1 hour later, I went to give her medicine, now she won't go back in it... UGH!


Alanna, she does look much more comfortable, it's not so much the donut, it's the handling that she is still not used to, once they figure out the donut is pretty comfortable, they mind less getting back into it. You can place seed and water dishes, filled almost to the brim, right up next to it so she just has to stretch a bit to eat or drink. You can place a double folded paper towel under the donut for easy clean up of her droppings.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She is super friendly and likes to be held. She doesn't seem to be afraid of anything here. (2 kids & a dog) I tried the donut in her cage and out. It is almost as if certain positions in it hurt her leg and I can't quite get it right. Do think she may have a break or something else going on or maybe she is just taking her time healing.

Her other leg is doing fine. She will push against my hand with it. She can move her bad leg when I hold her up in the air with her legs dangling below her, but she won't put in under her when sitting (or put weight on it) even when snuggled in a towel on my lap sort of nest like.

The only time she looks comfortable is when I hold her. I am going to go out and buy some more towels and see if I can come up with some sort of donut / nest for her cage that she likes.

I don't want her leg to heal funny if she is holding it wrong.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Might be an idea to gently probe the hurt leg with the tips of you fingers, to do the use you thumb, index and middle finger drawn together the so in unison you move them up and down the leg, feeling for anything that does not feel right. Any break in the lower parts of the leg should be able to be felt and if you feel something "out of place" just feel the other leg for comparison. If there happens to be a break in the femur (thigh bone) you will very likely not be able to feel this as it's too busied in muscle tissue to make things out well and would require an x-ray to diagnose. There is there was a break in the lower leg this could bet set, but there is not practical way to set a femur for lay people, so this requires that they are forced rested, hopefully confined to a donut, as much as possible, so things are lined up well and in time the bone will heal.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

I checked her leg as per your directions. Everything feels fine..... I can't feel anything broken. 

I weighed her again today - 360g... she hadn't eaten much of her food today. After I weighed her she started eating. I don't know how much she ate. When should I start to worry. 

She has been puffing up her feathers today when she sleeps. Other than that no other change. She keeps trying to fly when out of the cage, so she has some energy. I am trying to keep her still but she seems to want to test out her wings.

No luck with the donut yet. Still trying. I tried lowering her down super slow with my hands supporting her - I got her down for about 10 seconds. She pushes herself up onto her rump and leans back, then tries to get off it. I made a smaller box that fits inside the cage that I put the donut in and her food so she doesn't have anywhere else to go, but no luck with that yet either.


I'll keep trying. Sleeping on my lap again


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Good to hear you could find no obvious breaks/injuries in her leg. Can you post up a photo, of her droppings. I am a little concerned about the feather fluffing and although a 360g body weight is by no means in a dangerous area, we may have to consider starting to hand feed her. Would you happen to have any antibiotics around the house, could be for yourself, other family members, or perhaps friends and extended family members as well could be asked, even neighbors.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

She just did this one - image below.

I will see what I can find as far as antibiotics. I will let you know. I have Sulmet- sulfamethazine sodium, Tylan 50, Duramycin-10 for chickens. I don't know if any of those will help. I will see what else I can find.

I still haven't given her any grit. I just bought her some pigeon food yesterday. Are the large corn pieces ok? It is Pigeon Gold pigeon mix. Should I switch to something else? The picture is a mix of the new and old food.


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

I just found 3 pills of sulfamethoxazole.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, myself, I would pull out the large food items; the corm, whole peas and so on for now you can add a bit more safflower and raw sunflower hearts to make up for this and yes, no grit as of yet. Is the Sulmet you have 12.5%?

Are the pills a combo of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim, or Sulfamethoxazole alone, how many mg?

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

yes the sulmet is 12.5% - drinking water solution

sulfamethoxazole-tmp ds tablet. mfg- Interpharm Inc -The pills are generic for Bactrim ds I don't see any other info on the label as far as mg.

on the pill is- ip | 272

Found this on this website: http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/formulary/formulary.html
Name: Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim, many others)
Description: Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim is a synthetic antibacterial combination product that is bateriostatic against a broad range of gram + and gram - bacteria.
Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to the drug.
Adverse reactions: None that are common.
Dosage: 30 mg/bird twice daily for 7 days. 1800-3600 mg/gallon for 7 days.
Comments: A good drug in many cases of gram negative bacterial infections. Some preparations dissolve poorly in water.

You would have to decode it for me if that is what you are looking for


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> yes the sulmet is 12.5% - drinking water solution
> 
> sulfamethoxazole-tmp ds tablet. mfg- Interpharm Inc -The pills are generic for Bactrim ds I don't see any other info on the label as far as mg.
> 
> on the pill is- ip | 272


Alanna the ds, stands for double strength and this means the pills are 800mg of Sulfamethoxazole and 160mg of Trimethoprim, instead of the usual 400mg/80mg, just what if I could chosen for a med, you have . Give me a minute and I'll put up some instructions, I am familiar with this medicine.

Karyn


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, I am suggesting starting a course of antibiotic treatment because, it may be prudent to cover ourselves for the unknown, in terms of anything brewing in her. It may not sound like much to you, but her fluffing today set of a bit of a read flag. There is also the the fact that certain infections can hamper motor ability.

I want you to take one of the Trimethoprim/Sulfa tablets and cut it evenly in half, and put 1/2 away. The other 1/2 I want you to grind into as very fine a powder as you can, I use a shot-glass and the end of a kitchen knife the has a round end on it. After it is finely ground/powdered, I want you to add into this powder 10mL of either pancake syrup of honey (10mL = 2 teaspoons, but you must use measuring spoon used for baking, scape spoon out well). Stir the powdered Trimethoprim/Sulfa and syrup together well, cover and let sit 20 minutes, stir well again and you will have a 4.8% TMS suspension to dose this little one with.

I want you to dose her 0.25cc (12mg), this is to the middle of the first and second lines on the 1cc syringe and for reference will be about 5 drops of medicine, you will do this every 12 hours. This amount is not what I would consider aggressive dosing for this med, for her weight, but most certainly will be therapeutic against a pretty broad range of possible infections. I want you to stop the Motrin today as well.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks! I will give that a try. Still give her the Caltrate correct?

I will keep you updated. She still refuses the donut.


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

How many days should I do this? or until it is gone?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> How many days should I do this? or until it is gone?


You can stop the Caltrate today as well, for the time being, and we will keep her on the TMS for 7-10 days.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

I got the Kaytee formula and gave her 5 balls of it around 1pm. She still hasn't pooped at all today. She is still drinking. 

I found some dove food at the store which has more sunflower seeds and safflower among other smaller seed and a very few pieces of small cracked corn. Hopefully that will be better. She is still only barely picking at her food today, but seems in to be in good spirits and stretching out her wings and grooming.


UPDATE: as soon as I posted she pooped 3 large ones. She has been holding it for a while.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

alanna said:


> I got the Kaytee formula and gave her 5 balls of it around 1pm. She still hasn't pooped at all today. She is still drinking.
> 
> I found some dove food at the store which has more sunflower seeds and safflower among other smaller seed and a very few pieces of small cracked corn. Hopefully that will be better. She is still only barely picking at her food today, but seems in to be in good spirits and stretching out her wings and grooming.
> 
> ...


Sounds good, just keep doing what you are doing and let's give her some more time and see how things shake out.

Karyn


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## alanna (Oct 29, 2010)

Yesterday her weight was 383g, today 388g... she is getting more frisky and wants to fly every time she is out of her cage. She still puffs up when sleeping especially. She is also not happy about me hand feeding her. I only fed her twice yesterday about 10 small balls since her weight seemed better and she was eating more by herself.

She can walk a little when out by flapping her wings and walking across the floor. But still keeps her legs out in front when out of her cage. When sitting properly with support, she will put her good foot under her and occasionally the other. 

I have seen her flex her toes on her bad foot too so that is an improvement.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, thanks for the update, I am glad to hear her weight has now seemed to have stabilized and in small fractions she continues to do better. This may take a while, could be weeks, to slowly try and bring her back, so I am happy with a little at a time, for now, as long as it's in the right direction . Just as a small heads up, we are probably going to keep her on the meds 10-14 days.

Karyn


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

wow,... what a terrific job both of you are doing. well wishes for her full recovery.

on a side note..why do people even bother with the band if they can't be found.. that so bugs me!..anyway.. she landed or should I say crashed into the right hands.. I think her owner has already been found


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, you have done a wonderful job of caring for this little one and helping her to find her way back home. I think would be wise if the owner continued the treatment you have started for her for 10 days (including in this number, the days you have given the meds) and perhaps you can pass on how to support her with hand feeding, with instructions on what and how, as well. 

The one other thing I should mention is that there is a chance if she does not look like she will eventually make a full recovery the owners may just PTS her (put her to sleep). Although not true with a good many pigeon hobbyists, there are some just will not feel it's worthwhile having to devote a lot of time and care to just one bird that will not perhaps fly well again and elect euthanasia. I think you should discuss this possibility with them and, although I don't want to make any commitments for you, perhaps you would be open to giving her a home if this scenario has a possibility of happening to her, and letting them know this.

Thanks for caring and your great efforts for her,

Karyn


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Alanna, I am glad to hear she continues to improve under your care, I knew you would have a place for her if needed, please keep us updated.

Karyn


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