# Help with pigeon in Austin, Texas



## celiza (Nov 8, 2008)

Hi everyone,
About 2 weeks ago i came across a pigeon lying on its back near the wheel of a truck. I thought it was dying but turned it right-side up and it seemed much happier (obviously). I took it home thinking it may have just been stunned by running into something and needed a few hours of dark and quiet. I placed it in my bathtub (it made no attempt to fly). The next day i noticed its dropping were bright green and slimy and that it was missing its tail, had an eye injury and its left wing was drooping slightly (same side as eye injury). Other than the injuries, the pigeon was alert, coordinated, and responsive and batted me when i tried to pick it up. I decided to wait to investigate it's injuries, not wanting to stress it further. It ate with gusto and drank as well. I also noticed it was on the skinny side. Over the next few days i found out it's eye was pretty bad (picture attached - warning, not pretty). Now its droppings have turned normal and its wing is starting to lift up sometimes. It is still alert and coordinated and acts otherwise "normal" but has made no attempt to fly -at all. I've grown attached to this bird but feel it needs more help than i can offer at this point - i'm not sure what to do with it at this point. If anyone is in the Austin, Texas area and can help, or if anyone can offer advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much . I've attached pics of the pigeon, of the bad eye, and of how it holds it wing sometimes. Also, if anyone could offer suggestions on how to get rid of feather louse flies i would appreciate it (they creep me out beyond belief).


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thank you so much for assisting this injured pigeon! It looks like you have done a great job thus far! Have a look here: http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm and scroll down until you see the entry for Karen Peeples in Austin. See if you can get in touch with her.

Devorah used to be very active in pigeon rescue and rehab .. don't know if she still is, but here's a link to her site: http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/wildliferescue.html

If you do find someone willing to assist, please assure them that if the bird is non-releasable due to the injuries that someone here on Pigeon-Talk will give the bird a good home thus there is no need to put it down.

Thanks again, and please keep us posted. Welcome to Pigeon-Talk, by the way! 

Terry

PS:

You can get an insect spray at the pet store that is made for birds. That will get rid of the pigeon flies. Just take care not to get any in the eyes, mouth or nostrils but do spray under the wings, on the back, and near the vent (where the bird poops).

That eye may be OK with time and treatment. Have you put anything in or on it?


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Hello Celiza,

Check out this web-site: *Austin Duck Police*
for local assistance.

http://www.duckpolice.org/duckpolice2.html


and, from the above web-site:
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/texas-rehabilitators.html


Oh .. I see that Terry has covered this already. It's 2 A.M. in Cologne, Germany, so am in haste to get to bed.

Hope you get the help you need.

Larry (from San Antonio, living in Cologne, Germany)


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## celiza (Nov 8, 2008)

*Thank You!*

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I just emailed Karen Peeples in Austin. I have not put anything in/on the eye - just gently wiped around it with a wet washcloth.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Looks to me like it's an empty eye socket now, except that you're getting the formation of some kinds of debris that have to be carefully taken out from time to time until what remains of the eye is completely gone and the eye socket shrinks. If you're going to take those pieces of off-white colored debris out, it's by far best to get some special tweezers (actually "forceps") that are very rounded on the ends. Those pieces of debris can get pretty big sometimes. You can put NeoSporin (a tribiotic ointment) in the eye socket to help prevent infection.

Pidgey


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Pidgey said:


> Looks to me like it's an empty eye socket now, except that you're getting the formation of some kinds of debris that have to be carefully taken out from time to time until what remains of the eye is completely gone and the eye socket shrinks. If you're going to take those pieces of off-white colored debris out, it's by far best to get some special tweezers (actually "forceps") that are very rounded on the ends. Those pieces of debris can get pretty big sometimes. You can put NeoSporin (a tribiotic ointment) in the eye socket to help prevent infection.
> 
> Pidgey


You could be right, Pidgey, but have a look at the second picture again .. it looks to me like there is an intact eyeball kinda pushed down under the upper swelling.

Terry


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Unie's looked like that, too, back then for weeks after the surgery. It takes some time before the sclera is completely gone and the periorbital tissue sinks in. That top picture is actually pretty telling, methinks.

Pidgey


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