# Found a pigeon....injured??? now what?



## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

so on my way home from work i saw a beautiful pigeon on the side of the road,just sitting......not eating or moving.he was just all fluffed up and had his head snugged into his body,im vary vary fond of pigeons and doves but dont know anything about them! so i walked right up to this guy and he didnt even move or care,it was starting to rain,i got a towel and picked him up,still no struggle.his neck seems to have a lump on it in the front,im not sure if pigeons set there head a certin way that makes it look like a lump or if he is injured.i brought him home gave him soem wild bird seed,he has not ate yet or drank.hes kinda wobbly on his feet but alert and walking around.he doesnt seem injured other than the neck,he can still move his neck around to clean him self.his wings look fine.im just not wanting to call animal control becuse i think theyll put him to sleep.all i had to put him in is a vary large dog crate ,i also put a 2 liter woth hot water in it rapped in a towel for him.what should i do????? no i tags,isnt afriad of being touched,not sure if its becuse hes sick or tame,he seems to be tired. here are some photos,im sorry for the poor quality.its my phone camera,oh and im in Royal oak ,Michigan.usa


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Kelly...the bird looks very ill and you need to get it to a veterinarian that treats birds, ASAP.
Normally I would help you find someone but I'm just leaving for out of town.
Do this...call the vet clinic closest to you and ask if they treat birds. If they say no...ask them if they know one that does. If they don't, call the nest closest vet and ask the same question and keep going until you find someone. You can also call the closest Human Society and ask for a referral.
When you find a vet, explain this is a rescue and ask at the least if they will run a fecal exam and give you medicine. 
Could be the bird is starving. Others here can help you with a quick assessment.
It doesn't look like you have a lot of time to turn this one around.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Check this list and see if there are any rehabbers close to you.
http://www.michigandnr.com/dlr/


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

Well i dont have money sadly to take him to the vet......iv called every vet within 20 miles and all the people on the rehabilitation list,nothing so far......im just hoping he makes it.......does his neck look odd in the photos???? I dont know anything about them so dont know.im more than happy to feed him and shelter him im just gunna be sad if he dies and i dont want him in pain.Alot of people are laughing at me when i call and tell them i need help for a pigeon,it so sad that they dont care.still no luck with finding anyone to help.....any input would be great.Am i being inhuman by keeping him?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Well, since you can't take it to a vet and no rehabbers will help (shame on them), you're going to have to play doctor and see what kind of results you can get. The pigeon looks pretty bad and my guess is if you do nothing, it will be dead in about 24 hours, so what the heck, huh?
How do the droppings look? I'm thinking that the bump in the neck you are seeing is simply from the bird being starved. And many things could account for that.
Tell us about the droppings and let's see what we can come up with. Check inside the mouth. Is it pink? Do you see any yellow cheesy looking stuff? Does it smell sour?


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

well i checked his mouth as well as possible,it look nice and pin no smell.his droppings are small piles of green black and white.i took im outside and let him roam and he just walked around peacefully never tryed to fly.im able to care for him im just not sure if hes in pain or not.


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

here is a better photo ,he seems to be feeling better..his eyes are open more,i hope these photos show up


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Has he tried eating or drinking anything?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

He could be of an age that he never really learned to eat or drink. That sometimes happens. So, you might need to go ahead and try to get some down him. You might try pushing his beak down in the water just a little bit to see if he starts getting the idea. I usually gently push the backs of their heads down until their beaks are in the water just to the white part. If you see his beak start to open and close just a tiny bit, you know he's starting to give it a try. Might have to do it several times in a row.

If he all of a sudden starts to drink like a fish, then you know that he just doesn't know how to eat and drink on his own.

Pidgey


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

i ahve not seen him eat or drink,ill try to the water thing right now and see if i can get hom to drink.i work 3rd shift(midnight-am) so sadly i have to sleep during the day and cant keep a watchful eye on him....iv been waking up every few hours to check on him and he seems to be doing better. if he doesnt eat or drink what do i do?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Kailey,

Thanks for helping this little guy out.

Well you may have to hand feed him for a while to get his strength up.

Here is a link on how to do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU1SO0ZJoow

You can feed him thawed frozen peas and/or corn, around thirty pieces each feeding three times a day. You can also use a good quality dog or cat dry food broken into bits about the same size as a pea. Soak the dry food in warm water a little while to soften it up.

If he is not drinking you will need to help him with this as well. If you have an eye dropper you can slowly, at the side of his beak, give him water. He will need about 1/2 to 3/4 oz of water a day, until he learns to drink on his own. It is very important he stays well hydrated, you can use Pedialyte or make up the hydrating solution found here : http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-9457.html

Good luck with him,

Karyn

PS: Before feeding him you should make sure he is well hydrated, give him some fluid (5cc) and wait 1/2 hour then some more, and wait a 1/2 hour again, then I would start with a little less than more food as to not overwhelm him if he has not been eating for a number of days.


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

oh wow,that info was awsome dobato! i have my dog on vary high qiulity dog food,i did what you said.but i put his beak into the water up to the white part for a second and he started drinking the after bit i broke up small pieces of 6 star dog kibble and softened it up in water,and did like the video said and he ate it! thank you guys so much i hope he gets better,he kinda seems to be nodding his head to the side alot when undisturbed...but if i hold him or move him around he wakes up alot.Should injured pigeons sleep alot?? becuse he seems to sleep alot. After feeding and drinking he seems much for lively.thank you guys for the input.


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

oh and he now has white droppings....is this normal? does he look like a young bird?,he looks pretty big to me but i dont know much.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

The neck on a pigeon is very long and they fold it when they hunker down like that. So, what happens is that a loop of the neck bones actually appears to push forward and that's the "lump" that you're seeing.

You'd probably like to see that bird eat about a tablespoon or at least of a couple of teaspoons of dry measure in puppy chow or seeds either one. He can be dehydrated and starving, which is why you needed to try and dip his beak in the water so that he'd drink or begin to learn to drink.

"Whitecaps" on the droppings are actually normal, but that also assumes that there are some solids. They urinate differently from us--their urine is actually partially reabsorbed into the large intestine and reduced down (water and minerals). The white stuff is what's left that the body doesn't want.

Pidgey


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Thanks for taking care of this pigeon. That's great that he's eating. Please put him on a heat source if you haven't already, as this is very important when they're sick. You can use a heating pad set on low with a towel over it, or a sock full of rice can be microwaved every few hours (check for "hot spots" before giving it to him), or an old fashioned water-bottle. Best would be the heating pad, they usually have them at drug stores or Walmart for ten bucks or so. Good luck with him, I hope he does well.


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

well i put him in the garage were it is warmer then my porch,i also put 2 liter pop bottels with warm water in them rapped in towels in the cage with him,thats all i have right now........i will try the thawed corn tomrrow. hopfully he is ok when i get home from work in the morning,i must say im really falling in love with this little guy....some people are telling me hes a dove but i dont think so,either way ill make sure hes happy and safe until he can fly and live on his own.sadly i just moved here and dont have a microwave for the rice.he isnt even trying to eat the seed on the ground.i truely hope hes ok


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

what kinda of pigeons is this?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Wild pigeons come in many different colors and patterns. He looks like a very normal pigeon.

Pidgey


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

well thank god he made it threw the night,i got about 4 pieces of thawed corn in him and some water but he didnt seem to enjoy it much.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Kailey,

Good to hear he made it through the night.

The kibble will give him more calories and nutrition than the corn, but you can give him corn as well. With the corn/peas, make sure they are a little warmed up before giving them to him, sightly warm to the touch, kind of like baby formula.

By providing him with hydration, food and heat you are giving him a real chance to make it.

Kailey, it would be good if you could get 10 pieces into him three times today, 12 tomorrow, 15 the next, until you work up to 25-30 pieces each feeding, and keep the hydration up. Please let us know how things are moving through his digestive system and then out the back. Once he is brighter and has some strength, there are a number of people on the forum that will help you in getting him eating seeds on his own, or it may just happen spontaneously.

All the best,

Karyn


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

thank you so much for the support,i gave himabout5 pieces of dog food today cut up into small pieces,after that he seems alot more awake! it was great,im praying for the best outcome.his droppings are still dark green and white,he is now keeping his eyes open more.once again thank you all!


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

we survived nthe night again.....i finally got some sugar and salt to put in some water....man that made a huge difference in the bird,he pirked up even more and had alot more fight in him when it came to handling....when i first found him he barely opened his eyes sometimes when i picked him up,so im vary happy to see this progress


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Sounds good. 

How are you doing with the feedings? So far we know you have been able to feed him four kernels of corn and 5 pieces of kibble, maybe things are going well and you just have not mentioned it.

If you think of each piece you feed him as around 1%-2%, depending on his weight, of his daily needs, it will give you a better feel for what you need to try to get into him/work-up-to. Like I said earlier, a little less than more is better in the beginning, but we need to try and build him up and this will take some good consistent feedings until he is self-sustaining.

Keep up the good work,

Karyn


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi Kailey, I just read your posting this morning. 

Your pigeon rescue fits the very description of my newest pigeon. My son found her sitting idly and all puffed up just like yours.

I checked her just as other members advised you and came to the conclusion that she was just starved, thirsty and stressed out. It took one week of insuring she ate and drank.She got strong and gained weight.

The first night I could feel her breast bone. 

Today, she is a member of my small pet flock I care for. She choose to stay as I did give her the opportunity to leave but she came back.

Good luck with your beautiful pigeon and bless you for your concern.


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

well he started to take a bit of turn for the worse.....and i finally found a rehabilitator within 2 miles of my house,she was an amazing woman that mostly does baby squirrels but was happy to help,she said if he makes it i may be able to adopt him,since hes been handled so much and is weak im not sure.but things are looking good she had more things to take care of him,she was able to keep him in a isolated area in her home and has the feeding tubes if necessary ,and if she cant seem to help then he will go to a woman 2 hours away that has 10 rescue pigeons.thank you all and i will keep you all updated on if he is released or adopted out if he survives,the woman said since he has lasted 2 days theres a good chance hell make it


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

just got a phone call from the woman that took him,she said more than likly its a closed head injury,like flying into a window or car like i thought ....since his head seems to tilt to the side and he seems dizzy,she said he is making wonderful progress in the past few hours! im vary happy,hopfully i got him to her on time,hes in good hands.today when i got home i just had a strong feeling if he didnt get better help he wouldn't make it threw the night.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Kailey you did a good thing. It was good to get him to a rehabber who has experience with animals. Because you cared enough to take him in, he will probably live to enjoy his life. You did a good job with him, and gave him a chance. Thank you for helping this little guy. Pretty little bird too. I wish there were more people like that around. Please keep us updated on his progress. We'll be pulling for him.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Kailey,

You did very well. You rescued him, got him stabilized and through the first 48 hours, which is critical, and found him the experienced help you knew he needed. Without you he would have had no chance, and while not out of the woods yet, he does have a real chance at recovery.

Please do keep us informed of how things turn out for him.

All the best,

Karyn


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

thank you guys so much i really tryed to do my best,the woman that pointed me to the rescue was vary mad at me for feeding him dog kibble,but i didnt have a penny to spend and nothing else in the house edible by animals so i did what i couldthank you so much!!!! he made it for 2 days becuse of all your help! i would have been lost withouts you guys! so even if he can be adopted by me im hooked on these birds now and will be getting a few as pets soon,so i will be on this site for a long time! they are truley amazing birds,when it comes timefor me to find a few as pets i will come to you all for advice


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Kailey lane said:


> thank you guys so much i really tryed to do my best,the woman that pointed me to the rescue was vary mad at me for feeding him dog kibble,but i didnt have a penny to spend and nothing else in the house edible by animals so i did what i couldthank you so much!!!! he made it for 2 days becuse of all your help! i would have been lost withouts you guys! so even if he can be adopted by me im hooked on these birds now and will be getting a few as pets soon,so i will be on this site for a long time! they are truley amazing birds,when it comes timefor me to find a few as pets i will come to you all for advice



Well maybe she should check in here now and then. I'm sure she'd learn a lot of unconventional things that work. The people around here will try just about anything to help a bird. And we have many experienced and dedicated people here who are more than willing to help you, so when you decide it's time to start with a few pet pidgies, come back here for any questions you may have. It's a great place to learn. You did good, and thanks again for helping him. Hope to see you back soon!


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