# Pigeon with Injured Wing - Vet is not an option



## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Hello everyone,

I am Mina and new in this Forum!

I hope someone with experience can help me! I found a pigeon in my garden two days ago and I am determined to nurse him back to health. I live in Thailand and - as far as I know - there are no rescue centers I could turn him into... so I'd be very happy if you could help.

This little guy, I call him snowflake now, just sat in my garden and didn't fly away when I approached, so I knew he was in trouble. I managed to put him in a plastic picnic basket, that's where he has been staying the last two days. I put in some water and a few oats and left him by himself for the most part.

I gave him water and a few oats and he started eating (oats and sunflower seeds) today, at least 30 of them, so I guess that's a good sign. I bought antibiotics (Amoxycyllin) and sprinkled it over his food and in his water, not sure about the dosage and not sure if he even ingested enough or any.

Today I got a bit over my fear of touching him (I'm a bit scared of wild animals... I don't want to touch them and I'm sure they don't want me touching them) and examined his injury. I put Betadine on it too and took pictures (see attached... hope it worked). Not sure if you can see it... but at his "wrist" there are some of the bigger feathers missing and there is a big black spot. Not sure if that's bone or dried blood or what? I tried to clean it a bit but it wouldn't come off and I didn't want to hurt him. 

Other than that he didn't seem to be injured... there were some feathers under the wing missing (like "bald spots") but no injury as far as I could see.

Should I do something with the injury on his wing? Will he be able to fly again? Should I keep giving antibiotics... how and how many mg? I have 500mg capsules with powder inside. Do the big feathers on the wing grow back? Will he become tame or remain scared of me? How long will it take to heal up? Is it ok to handle him or does that stress him too much? 

Obviously today, when I put Betadine on his wing, I had to hold him tightly and he sure didn't like it. Felt bad about that and I hope I didn't hurt him, but I wanted to have a better look. 

For the most part he seems alert, hates me, wants to get away from me or tries to hit me with his (healthy) wing when I reach for him. I guess that's a good sign?

I am happy for any kind of advice... I've been searching for basic how to handle/care for pigeons but didn't find too much info yet... total newbie and never really handled a bird before.

Thank you,
Mina


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Looks like he might have been shot through the wing. You have the right antibiotics. You will have to weigh him to work out the dosage. I always give 0.12 mg of amoxy per gram bird weight. So if he weighs 300 gram, you will be giving him 36 mg of amoxy twice daily.

You can dissolve the powder inside the capsule in 5 ml of water, so 1 ml equals 100 mg of amoxy. So you will be giving him 0.36 ml twice daily. Best way to give the meds, will be to soak a small piece of bread with the meds, roll it up in a small ball and put this deep down inside his mouth to swallow. Give the meds twice daily for 7-10 days.

You can rinse the wound with saline water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of boiled water, cool down and clean the wound with that. Then some betadine on the wound. 

It's a good sign that he's eating and wing slapping you. Hopefully he might be able to fly again once the wound is completely healed up.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Try to get him a good pigeon/dove mix food from a petshop. He will also need grit, helps to digest the seed. Apple cider vinegar in the drinking water will also do him good: 5 ml to 1 l of water.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Where do you live? There may be a local rehabber near you who can help you nurse him back to health. Cute little guy!


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Thank you for your suggestions!

I cleaned the injury today with saline water and put more Betadine on it. The main injury is the black spot as seen in the picture. It's pretty hard and can't be rubbed of... any guess what it could be? Bone, old blood or maybe already healing somewhat?

I also fed it antibiotics with a syringe, which was easier than expected, but my husband helped. I don't think I could do it alone, as Snowflake is struggling lots when I pick him up so I need to hold him in two hands. He "complained" (made a pigeon noise) today when I tried to grab him.

I got a dove mix from the store (SmartHeart Dove Bird Mix). They didn't have grit and other shops were closed due to a holiday. I've never seen grit (have never looked for it though ) and not sure I can get it. Is it really important to feed them grit? Should I not be able to find it here, are there alternatives?

He's def. been eating, not sure if he is drinking, but I think so.

@cwebster: I live in Bangkok, Thailand. I don't think they have local rehabbers here and rescue organisations are usually over capacity with the stray dogs/cats (there are many). But I'll try my best to nurse him back to health... even though he hates me 

He's a feisty little pigeon and def. a cute one. I like the color... is it unusual?It's weird he would turn up in my garden. There are not so many pigeons in the outskirts where I live and the ones I see in the city have the "normal" gray color pattern.


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Oh and another question: I still keep him in the plastic picnic box. Should I put some kind of bedding to make him more comfortable? I put a small towel the other day, but he just poops on it and that's a bit nasty


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

I use newspaper in our cages. Or you could use paper towels?


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

Hello Mina, welcome to PT  !!!

Snowflake is really cute  

I use to give to my birds a block for pigeons like the one in the picture; I don't know if you can't find it somewhere. It contains minerals (like iron, etc); insoluble (or flint) grit: these are the small stones which go into the gizzard and help to grind up the seed. So they help with digestion.
It also contains oyster shells; this is the soluble grit, it dissolves in the digestive system giving bird calcium. Talking about calcium, as alternative, you can give cuttlebone: I use to cut it in small pieces with scissors (you don't have to break it up with fingers) and put it in a separate bowl. I leave both of them (cuttlebone and crumbled block) always available to my pigeons: they regulate by themselves the ingestion according to their necessity. If he doesn't like cuttlebone, you can buy a calcium complement for drinking water. 

You have to give him also vitamins: vit D3 is really important because without it he can't absorb the calcium he gets (in the wild he takes vit D3 from the sun). You can find vitamins for drinking water or some mixture enriched with vitamins.

I use to put in my pigeons' nests paper. Geordi, my blind pigeons, sleeps on a pillow covered by a puppy trainer like the one in the picture. When it is too dirty you can throw it away. I use to put one of them also under the bath bowl water.

I use too Betadine, it's a good product. Do you have a powder which stops the bleeding? It also helps to heal the wounds. When I was treating my pigeon Fabio (he was attacked by a predator: he was badly injured and had a broken leg) my vet (in add to antibiotics and pain med) suggested me to apply a small amount of honey as it works as a natural antibacterial and disinfectant and helps to heal the wounds.

Here in France and in Italy too there are many pigeons: they have many different colors  !!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would cover the wound with an antibiotic cream if you have them there. In the top right corner of a post, it tells where the person is posting from. Why does yours say that you are in the United States?
The wing looks broken, and if so then the bird may never be able to really fly again. Will you be able to keep him if that is the case?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Just be careful when you give the meds with a syringe, you might aspirate him (fluid going down the windpipe). I found it easier and safer to give meds soaked in a small piece of bread.

The black spot is probably old blood. 

He will need grit if you're planning on keeping him long term. If you can't get any from petshops, maybe they will know of someone keeping pigeons that will sell you some.


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Hello again 

I changed my location now... I think I put US because the first time I tried to register, It didn't work.

Thanks and all good advice!  

I'll stop the syringe, didn't know :/ I hope I didn't hurt him. I just didn't have bread at the time.

I have cuttlefishbone and calcium powder, because of my tortoise... so I'll try to offer him some of that first, until I can find grit. They must have it somewhere, it's just a bit of a longer drive to find and get it.

Jay3, do you know what the name of the antibiotic cream would be or which ingredient would be inside? I can get most (human) meds cheaply and over the counter.

He is moving his wing (to try to slap me or flap away from me) and the wing doesn't hang loose from his body, but there's def. an injury on the tip of the wing. Does that still mean he won't be able to fly again? I wouldn't mind keeping him, but he hates me and is really scared (can't blame him) and I hope I can release him... but if not, sure, I'll have a new pet. I just can't keep him inside, but I could buy a bigger cage or build something in our garden. 

I might buy him a bigger cage this weekend.

I cleaned his wound again today and saw a bit new blood (just a drop) above the black spot. There's also some healing going on, above the black spot... but I really can't get the old blood off without hurting him. He eats and poops and complains when I pick him up. The sounds he makes "complaining" sounds more like a owl than a pigeon.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

He doesnt hate you. He is just scared and probably hurting. All our pigeons have wing slapped at first then have become very tame over time, even the formerly feral ones. Hope you decide to keep him.


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## bootface (Jun 29, 2017)

There is likely no need to remove the scab, it will probably heal better with it on. It will require a lot more care if you remove it.

There is a small hole at the base of the tongue: that’s the glottis. When giving anything by mouth you just have to go past that, into the esophagus. It’s not too easy to aspirate adult pigeons.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

To treat Fabio my vet gave me as antibiotic cream (I had to give him an oral antibiotic, a pain med, disinfect the wounds with Betadine, apply on them an antibiotic cream and honey) FRADEXAM cream (framycétine; dexaméthasone). This is an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory ophthalmic cream for dogs and cats that my vet suggested me to use for wounds; you have to apply just a small amount of it.
I also use Streptosil cream (neomicina; solfatiazolo): that's an antibiotic and anti-bacterial cream for human.

To stop a bleeding (as you saw a drop of new blood) you can use a powder if you have it; as I wrote, it also helps to heal the wounds. Just a question: does the wounds have (or had when you rescued him) a bad smell?

Of course cwebster is right: he doesn't hate you, he is just really scared and probably in pain.


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Ok, I'll try to find the cream!

I didn't notice a bad smell of the wound. Of course I didn't go very close to it with my nose... but it doesn't look rotten or wet. But not sure... I hope it's not infected under the dry/hard black spot.

I think the wound looks better, although it could be my imagination... but it's healing up on the top, above the black spot (where the drop of blood was). I bought him a cage, so he now has more space and can see me/his surroundings better. Not sure It'll help him to feel more comfortable, but I'd hope it would be better... in the box I would just pop up from above like a predator and grab him. I really understand why he'd be scared... so far all he knows from me is pain and fear (when I give him medicine and put betadine on) and the rest of the time I leave him be. 

I couldn't find grid this weekend but I sprinkled his food with a bit of Calcium + Vit D Powder (I have it for my tortoise). I'm out of cuttlefishbone though, the local pet shop didn't even have bird food.

I attached some pictures of his cage. I made a mosquito net cover for his cage, cause last time I brought him in for treatment at least 5 mosquitos were swirrelling around him (and then around me). I put a cardbox with tissue in there so he could hide but this morning I found him sitting on the box. His cage is also standing on a table, so more on eye level now. Hope he is a bit more comfortable now.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He's looking good! You can put a couple of layers of newspapers on the bottom of the cage, then just remove a layer every morning to keep it clean. Will be easier for him to walk on as well. Pigeons like to perch on flat surfaces, a brick on the bottom of the cage will also help.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, newspaper would be much better for the bottom of the cage. 
I love the mosquito screen! Great idea! Mosquitoes can give them pox, and you don't want that.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

I agree with Marina: he looks good 

Yes, great idea  the mosquito net!

When I found my broken wing pigeon, Apple, she had a beginning of gangrene: she had a bad smell. I felt it even if I didn't go very close to her with my nose. So if you didn't notice it, there is no bad smell  !

To offer him a larger variety of seed you could add to the pigeon/dove mix dry legumes as small lentils, split peas and mung beans. They are good and healthy for pigeons and you can find them at supermarket (as your local pet shop doesn't have bird food). Some of my pigeons really love lentils and mung beans!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Most of them love split peas, lentils, and mung beans.


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Here's an update on Snowflake. I stopped the Antibiotics because apart from his wound he seems to be fine and I don't want to stress him out. I left him alone for the most part. He mostly sits at the same spot and doesn't move much, sometimes resting on one leg but always alert when I come close.

When I change his water/food or clean his cage up a little he tries to peck or slap me... quite hard too.  I guess that means he's feeling stronger. 

I just looked at his injury again today... there are some feathers growing (the stick on the wing and a very light one a bit lower on the wing) and the injury is healing. The black spot/crust is still there and I can't take it off, it would just cause bleeding.

Does it look like he could be released when he's heeled up? I don't think he's happy living like he does now.

I noticed two or three little bugs on him when I looked at his injury. What are these... mites? Should I do something against them or just leave them be?


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Looking back, I just noticed how much better it looks. All the feathers under the wing have grown back. Here's a direct comparison:

Picture taken 25. Oct. 17
and Today, 7. Nov 17 

So about two weeks for the healing time.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

You can always put a mirror in his cage with a perch in front of it, pigeons like to look at their own reflection. This might help with the loneliness. Does he ever flap his wings for excersize? This will be a good sign if he does. Only you will be able to tell if he will be releasable or not. Have you ever let him out of the cage in the room (put a cover over the windows and mirrors) to see if he's able to fly? Best time to do this will be in the afternoon, let him spend time outside the cage and then when it's dark you can just catch him and put him back in the cage again.

I would however, keep him till that wound is completely healed up.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You should get a mite and lice spray for pet birds in a pet shop and use it on him. Having bugs is very uncomfortable for him.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

I agree with Marina: just you will be able to tell if Snowflake will be releasable or not.

As you know, life outdoor can be hard for a pigeon: there are many dangers like predators, traffic, etc; he has to look for his daily food; etc. So he needs to be in the best physical condition to try to survive outdoor: as Marina said, if you want to release him, you must be sure that he can fly properly as any other pigeon and wait until the wound is completely healed up. I think you should also wait until all the feathers (so also the bigger ones) have grown back.

To destroy bugs you could use, as Jay said, a spray containing permethrin. I was thinking that maybe it would be better to start to spray his cage; then, when the injury is completely healed up, you could directly spray it on him at the back of the neck, under the wings and on his back (just be careful at his head/face - eyes, beak and nostrils - you could cover it with a handkerchief). If you want to spray him immediately, you could protect his wound someway (for example covering it with a handkerchief).


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Snowflake is lovely,p. If he is not releasable i hope you will keep him. Thank you for giving him a better life by helping him!


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Here's another update on Snowflake for anyone who's interested:

I put the doggy cam in his cage and spied on him... turns out he does move while I am not there and looks less terrified. Makes me feel a bit better for keeping him locked up. He does lots of cleaning, drinking, eating and then back to cleaning again. At night he hardly moves, just sleeps. Looks all normal to me.

The injury is harder to see now, because the feathers are growing over. The black old blood is coming off somewhat, but under is it's still an open wound.

Of course I'll keep him until he can fly! I wouldn't just throw him out now. I don't mind having him and he's fairly low maintenance. If he'll never be able to fly again, I'll keep him, but I'm hopeful he can be released. I don't know how pigeons "work" but I'd love if he came back, after I released him, to get food and water.

Instead of the shoebox I thought he could hide in (he always sat on it) I put some sticks into the cage so he has more space. I also put the food down on the floor. He prefers sitting higher up and - as I learned through watching him - doesn't have a problem getting down and up again to his food and water. Might be good to flap his wings a bit every now and then.

I had fun spying on him


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Thanks for the update. I'm glad he's doing better.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Very glad to hear hes better. You did a great job helping him!


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

Really glad to hear Snowflake is doing better 

Good idea the doggy cam


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Good work!


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## SnowflakeDove (Oct 25, 2017)

Maybe this will be the last update of Snowflake, unless I see her again.

She escaped today as I wanted to grab her to check her injury. Not very happy about it, as I wanted to film her release and take pictures and also make sure she is 100% healthy. My husband has taken the telescope lens, so all I have is a few blurry Phone Pics.

But I guess it doesn't make a difference, as she is now free and she'll be happier this way. She flew out of her cage right to ours neighbours roof where she met another pidgey. I think they didn't like each other (I think she was cooed? Does that mean she's a female?) and she flew to another neighbours roof and finally settled in on a cable under the roof (as of now, she is still sitting there).

She can't fly 100% yet (seemed to fly a bit tilted when she flew away) but good enough to fly up trees and houses. I hope she'll be fine. I'll leave food out in the front of my house. Have been doing that for a few days and it always attracted sparrows and some pigeons. Maybe she'll come back to get food so she doesn't need to spend too much energy on finding food.

Last time I checked her injury it was closed off, so she should be good from infection. The big feathers were also growing back, I guess they should be about 1/3rd or halfway back by now but I didn't have a chance to check again.

Fly free Snowflake, don't let another predator get you. 

Thank you for all the advice on here - it was super helpful!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Without his flight being 100% his chances are not good that he will survive. Too bad.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I'm sure she will be fine. Just continue putting down food and water for her, and hopefully she will stick around.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

I'm sorry to hear that Snowflake escaped...I agree with Jay; as I wrote earlier a pigeon needs to be in the better physical condition to try survive outdoor...anyway, I sincerely hope she will be fine and will come back to get food and water.


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