# Canker Baby



## BabbaYagga (Jun 24, 2005)

Hi,

I am handfeeding a baby pigeon. It was thrown out of the nest several times by the parents, who stopped feeding it, so I took it out of the loft at about one week and I am feeding him/her Kaytee Exact. The baby is about one month now, he's getting his feathers in and we've lovingly named him/her Roger. Anyways, Roger has developed a bad canker infection. There is a canker in the back of his throat on the trachea side and another larger one possibly in the trachea. There is a hard lump you can see and feel from the outside. He is having difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and clear watery poop. I am wondering, is it okay to gently swab the canker with a qtip dipped in tea tree oil? I know tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial, so wouldn't that help? Also, where can I get a canker medication for pigeons and which is the best one? 

One more question, does anyone know if garlic is healthy for pigeons and if so, in what amount?


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## Flying_Pidgy (Apr 26, 2006)

i wouldnt advice tryingto remove any canker yourself because it might cause bleeding.

as for the medication i use spartrix. its done alot for me. i got mine at a feed store. 
what part of california are you?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi BabbaYagga,

I'm sorry your youngster has developed a bad case of canker. Flying Pidgy is correct in that it can be dangerous to try and remove a canker growth as a serious bleed may result. You really need to get Spartrix, Ronidazole, Metronidazole or any of the true canker medications to try and cure it. I don't think swabbing the growths with tea tree oil will accomplish anything. You can get canker medications from any of the on-line pigeon supply houses. You may also be able to find it locally at a feed store, but the on-line places are a sure bet.

Terry


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## fallenweeble (Sep 2, 2007)

hi babbayagga,
thank you for caring so well for this little baby. i'm a newbie so i can't offer much except moral support . . . (go babbayagga - cure that baby! rah rah rah!) . . . but your post reminded me of a question i've been meaning to ask here. i too have been using the kaytee exact to feed baby pigeons. i'm wondering if any of the seasoned pigeon folk have feedback on this food? it's one of the more commonly available foods but that doesn't mean it's good (or bad!). also it says "for all baby birds" which seems kinda improbable to me. 
ideas, opinions or suggestions?
thanks,
weeble


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

fallenweeble said:


> hi babbayagga,
> thank you for caring so well for this little baby. i'm a newbie so i can't offer much except moral support . . . (go babbayagga - cure that baby! rah rah rah!) . . . but your post reminded me of a question i've been meaning to ask here. i too have been using the kaytee exact to feed baby pigeons. i'm wondering if any of the seasoned pigeon folk have feedback on this food? it's one of the more commonly available foods but that doesn't mean it's good (or bad!). also it says "for all baby birds" which seems kinda improbable to me.
> ideas, opinions or suggestions?
> thanks,
> weeble


Kaytee Exact is the best one I have found for baby doves and pigeons aside from perhaps Roudybush Squab formula or making the MacMilk. I don't have good luck with Lafebers NutriStart or L&M Neonate for baby doves/pigeons. Don't know why .. they are good products, but Kaytee Exact works best for me. Exact is readily available while the Roudybush is an order on-line deal and I often just don't have the time to wait for it to come in. Zupreem also makes a good one that the name escapes me at the moment .. still .. my vote is for Exact or MacMilk. I'll post the link for MacMilk in a moment .. it's here on P-T.

Exact ISN'T for all baby birds in spite of the label .. it's totally inadequate for songbirds, for example. Works well for hookbills and columbiformes .. not much else .. 

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*MacMilk ..*

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15236

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

BabbaYagga said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am handfeeding a baby pigeon. It was thrown out of the nest several times by the parents,




Hi BY, 


Any time one encounters a Baby who has somehow been seperated from the Nest, it is good to remember that the parents will intuitively reject Babys who they construe are sick.

And Canker, in some regions, is a common basis for such rejections.




> ...who stopped feeding it, so I took it out of the loft at about one week and I am feeding him/her Kaytee Exact. The baby is about one month now, he's getting his feathers in and we've lovingly named him/her Roger. Anyways, Roger has developed a bad canker infection. There is a canker in the back of his throat on the trachea side and another larger one possibly in the trachea. There is a hard lump you can see and feel from the outside. He is having difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and clear watery poop. I am wondering, is it okay to gently swab the canker with a qtip dipped in tea tree oil? I know tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial, so wouldn't that help? Also, where can I get a canker medication for pigeons and which is the best one?




I do not have any familiarity with the Tea Tree Oil...

But the medicines which are the usual recourse for Canker, would be Ronidazole, when possible, for young or frail Pigeons...or, Metronidazole or Dimetridazole or further 'zole' kin for more robust Pigeons or because it is all one has.


"Berimax" in my experience was the outstanding best and kindest for addressing Canker in any Pigeon of any age or condition. But it has become impossible to obtain.




> One more question, does anyone know if garlic is healthy for pigeons and if so, in what amount?



You can mince up a single section of peeled raw Garlic, for a Pigeon or two or three, and mince it fine, and if they will eat it, they will eat however much they like, and mostly they seem to like it or will, once they try it.

Most of one medium size section would seem to me to be a pretty fair amount indeed, for a couple of Pigeons, given their size compared to ours! But they do like it and it is very good for them.

Garlic Breath 'Shoulder Birds' of course are especially charming...


I am so sorry your little one has an advanced Canker issue.


Please always keep a good watch on their poops for any signs of chaulky 'yellow' urates, which in my region anyway, is a usual sign of Canker, whether any other sign is to be seen or not. I understand that chaulky 'yellow' urates are not necessarily associated with Cabker in other regions...as well of course that 'yellow' urates do not per-se mean it may not be some illness/virus'infeciton which is not Canker...but, it is a ready and reliable enough guide 'here' anyway in t he Southern Mojave.


I would say either Metronidazole or Ronidazole would be good choices for you, and, for you to weigh your Pigeon in order to elect the dose fairly deliberately for his regimen.

Now, is he a self feeding and pecking Bird? Does he drink on his own? Or is he required to be fed like a Baby still?


Good luck..!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

fallenweeble said:


> hi babbayagga,
> thank you for caring so well for this little baby. i'm a newbie so i can't offer much except moral support . . . (go babbayagga - cure that baby! rah rah rah!) . . . but your post reminded me of a question i've been meaning to ask here. i too have been using the kaytee exact to feed baby pigeons. i'm wondering if any of the seasoned pigeon folk have feedback on this food? it's one of the more commonly available foods but that doesn't mean it's good (or bad!). also it says "for all baby birds" which seems kinda improbable to me.
> ideas, opinions or suggestions?
> thanks,
> weeble


I mix mine w/a product called Whole meal which is a vegan product available
at Whole Foods or the like. I do think it's fine by itself, though this other
powder is a super food and kick starts the babies.

fp


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

BabbaYagga said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am handfeeding a baby pigeon. It was thrown out of the nest several times by the parents, who stopped feeding it, so I took it out of the loft at about one week and I am feeding him/her Kaytee Exact. The baby is about one month now, he's getting his feathers in and we've lovingly named him/her Roger. Anyways, Roger has developed a bad canker infection. There is a canker in the back of his throat on the trachea side and another larger one possibly in the trachea. There is a hard lump you can see and feel from the outside. He is having difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and clear watery poop. I am wondering, is it okay to gently swab the canker with a qtip dipped in tea tree oil? I know tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial, so wouldn't that help? Also, where can I get a canker medication for pigeons and which is the best one?
> 
> One more question, does anyone know if garlic is healthy for pigeons and if so, in what amount?


Babbayagga, even though the meds we use for Trichomonas are antibiotics, they have antiprotozoal properties and are treating primarily for the protozoa,
the Trichomonad, and secondarily, the antibiotic treats the damaged tissue left
behind by the protozoal colonization of the tissue in a given area.

How are you doing on locating a Canker medication, is there anything we
can do to help?

fp


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## BabbaYagga (Jun 24, 2005)

Thanks everyone for the help and support. Sadly, Roger the baby pigeon didn't make it through today. We buried his feathery little body in a place in the flower garden. I guess the canker just got so big he couldnt breathe anymore. Ill make sure I have some canker meds to have on hand next time. 

Flying Pidgey, I am near Sacramento. 
and bdpbison, that is very interesting about pigeon parents intuitively knowing. I will have to keep that in mind next time.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm very sorry the little one didn't make it. It really is helpful to have meds on hand for the common ailments of our beloved pigeons. There are some very good multi-purpose products available that aren't expensive at all. I, personally, have some of the multi-purpose treatments as well as all the various meds used for the various things simply because I get so very many pigeons coming in that need help of one type or another.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

TAWhatley said:


> Kaytee Exact is the best one I have found for baby doves and pigeons aside from perhaps Roudybush Squab formula or making the MacMilk. I don't have good luck with Lafebers NutriStart or L&M Neonate for baby doves/pigeons. Don't know why .. they are good products, but Kaytee Exact works best for me. Exact is readily available while the Roudybush is an order on-line deal and I often just don't have the time to wait for it to come in. Zupreem also makes a good one that the name escapes me at the moment .. still .. my vote is for Exact or MacMilk. I'll post the link for MacMilk in a moment .. it's here on P-T.
> 
> Exact ISN'T for all baby birds in spite of the label .. it's totally inadequate for songbirds, for example. Works well for hookbills and columbiformes .. not much else ..
> 
> Terry



Hi Terry, all,



"Hagens" Tropican Handfeeding Formula is my favorite...


It may be had of "Aviary Supply" via Mail Order


www.aviarysupply.com


The Two Pound Bag costs about 12 Dollars delivered to your door...

Should be closed tightly and refrigerated as with any powder formula...



Just got my new bag in a couple days ago...


Phil
l v


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi BY, 



I am sorry...


Phil
l v


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

pdpbison said:


> "Hagens" Tropican Handfeeding Formula is my favorite...
> 
> Phil
> l v


Thanks, Phil. I had forgotten about Hagens.

Terry


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## joefi2 (Aug 11, 2005)

*Old Timer*

Im Sorry That Your Little One Died,but As Far As Cancor Goes And We Have A Lot Of It In Are Club,s At Times And When We Do We Take A Nail WITH THE ROUND HEAD ,ABOUT A QUARTER OF A INCH Heat It Over A Fire And Let It Cool And Then We Just Open Mouth And Get In Behind The Cancor And Remove It It Might Bleed For A Little While But It,s Better Then Leaving A Big Glob Inside His Through For Him To Die And Most Of The Time He Up Flying With The Rest Of The Bird,s Never Did Have One Die,been Doing It For 30 Year,s


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm so sorry to hear the baby died, canker can be so devistating if it gets advanced.



joefi2 said:


> At Times And When We Do We Take A Nail WITH THE ROUND HEAD ,ABOUT A QUARTER OF A INCH Heat It Over A Fire And Let It Cool And Then We Just Open Mouth And Get In Behind The Cancor And Remove It It Might Bleed For A Little While But It,s Better Then Leaving A Big Glob Inside His Through For Him To Die And Most Of The Time He Up Flying With The Rest Of The Bird,s Never Did Have One Die,been Doing It For 30 Year,s



Hi Joe,

That is the first time I have ever heard this. I cannot recommend anyone on this forum removing a large lesion, it can be quite dangerous, as the bird might bleed to death and other complications.

We DO recommend that birds are given preventives seasonly to keep canker from growing and hopefully resolve any issue before lesions get that large. We would hope that anyone who rehabs a pigeon, wild or domestic, would use the correct medicine to stop it in its track, and if issues of such growths are evident, we recommend taking the bird to a qualified avian vet or rehabber.


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## sport14692 (Jan 3, 2011)

Ouch, But Im Sure It Works


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You have added this question to 2 old threads. It would be more likely to be seen on a new thread. Do you know how to start a new thread?


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## sport14692 (Jan 3, 2011)

oh, sorry. googled canker treatment and this page pop up so i commented on it. My bad


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

sport14692 said:


> oh, sorry. googled canker treatment and this page pop up so i commented on it. My bad


I answered on your other thread.


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