# Wheezing Pigeon



## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

I just brought another pigeon into the house; when I went down to the loft to tidy up & feed/water the flock, I heard an odd rhythmic sound, but since it was windy, at first thought the roof turbine was off-balance, or something.

Then, I realized it was a pigeon's breathing. It almost sounds like cat purring, but definitely not "pigeon purring." It doesn't sound gurgly like the rasping from aspiration, though, and his eyes are not watery, nor is there evidence of nasal discharge. How can I determine the cause of his breathing problem? 








This is the bird who came back about a month ago from god-knows-where after being sold/auctioned/??? in mid-July. For the nonce, I've been calling him "Newbird" (wasn't sure if he was hen or cock, but think probably cock). He hung out around the loft for a few days before he came in, so I was able to observe him & his droppings, etc... and until today has seemed OK; the poops in the box where he roosts have been unremarkable, and his general behavior and posture normal; though he is not very aggressive with the other birds, he's sufficiently assertive. 

He ate eagerly with the flock this afternoon while I went up to the house to get the carrier, so I'm hoping not to have to tube-feed him. 
He's not accustomed to being handled, and is a little panicky (may have been ill-used at the place he escaped from.)

Since his breath was a bit stale when I looked into his beak/throat, gave him a dose of metronidazole to start off ... there are no obvious canker lesions, but it didn't look "pink & clear" like it should... not grey or too pink, but rather too pale and sort of pasty (hope that made sense). 

He's now in the isolation cage with heating pad under part of it, so he can choose his preferred level of warmth, but he seems to prefer not to sit on the warm part.
Dropping pic below... he should probably get a dose of Ivermectin as well, since he's the likely suspect for the latest evidence of worms at the loft, being the latecomer, etc. (I should have iso'd & wormed him right away when he arrived  ) but I'm reluctant to do that until I understand what's going on with his breathing.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Robin, for now, please start this bird on the Baytril you have, give him 0.20cc (10mg) and then later tonight, give him the Doxycycline, the same amount as Velvet 0.30cc. When they have wet sounds in their chest, I start meds right away and ask questions later, as things can go bad real fast with respiratory infections.

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Thanks Karyn for fast advice!

I've just given him the 0.20 of Baytril, and also gave him water to drink.

Now that I've just had him "up close & personal" again, I recognize the odor of his breath as similar to the smell/taste of "sinus infection" (bleh).

I'm not sure he ate his fill when I fed the flock, since I scooped him up in the middle of eating.
Can I offer seed now, or should I wait a while?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Yes, provide him with his regular food and water, and everything else sounds good, isolation, heat, dropping does not look too bad as well.

Robin, you don't have to do it now, but later when you are giving him his meds, if we could record a weight for him, it would be good, then again first thing in the morning.

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Newbird's late evening update:
He ate a decent amount of seed (though he did spill some, but not as much as was missing from the shot glass) and been drinking OK. 
He's also doing some fair preening, since he's still moulting a bit (his neck looked really moth-eaten last week, but has grown in).
He still startles a little when I come into the room, but once I put him in the burrito, he seems to calm down. 
When he's less agitated, his breathing sounds a lot better (or rather, sounds a lot _less_). I know he couldn't have been holding his breath all the while he was in the burrito; he breathed quite quietly when wrapped.
He didn't seem to object to the medication (I'm dividing the Doxycycline dose among 3 pea-size bread pills) and was content to sit, wrapped in my lap, though he does not usually want to sit or stand on the "warm" part of the cage floor.  
The latest droppings: (seed in the pic was spilled, not regurgitated)


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Robin, 


If you can gently get him into a 'Burrito Bird' mode, under a good light, examine his Trachia proper.


See if anything to report there, white 'film' on the edges, dialated and 'open' and not closing between breaths, color in general of it's lips and immediate interior...glistening-damp, or dry looking...etc.


Nothing I can think of to add otherwise!



Quite a Handsome fellow!



Phil
Lv


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

pdpbison said:


> Hi Robin,
> If you can gently get him into a 'Burrito Bird' mode, under a good light, examine his Trachia proper.
> 
> See if anything to report there, white 'film' on the edges, dialated and 'open' and not closing between breaths, color in general of it's lips and immediate interior...glistening-damp, or dry looking...etc.


Will check this out in the morning... Greg is working afternoon shift tomorrow and I'm going to ask him to photo while I hold the bird. With any luck, we'll get something useful I can post here.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Robin, sounds good, Phil's suggestion of having a quick look in his mouth at his glottis area (windpipe/trachea opening) is a good one. See if you can also post up a weight when you get a chance.

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Newbird's Thursday report:

Weight 492g  he's heavier than I expected. 

Here's the best pic we could get of his mouth/throat (late morning):








In person, the throat looks "clearer" than it did yesterday; not as pale and "pasty." 
The view isn't quite the same as I see when I look in, but Greg doesn't know how to hold the pigeon or what shot we're looking for, and I can't do both at once. 

And the overnight droppings:









He's eating and drinking well, and getting used to having someone come into the room from time to time.
His breathing is a lot better, with only occasional wheezing, except when he gets ready to panic (like when he realizes he's about to be picked up).
He wasn't easy to catch after I let him out of the cage so I could tidy up; hopefully that is a good sign.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Robin, I thought he looked like a big boy .

Sounds like things are progressing as they should, and he is responding well to the meds. Keep him on the Baytril, 0.20cc once each morning and the 0.30cc of the Doxycycline at night should be fine. We'll keep him on the meds for 10 days and reassess. How is Velvet doing, by the way?

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Newbird update:

Almost totally quiet breathing now, he only wheezes (just for a half-dozen breaths or so) if he gets annoyed enough to grunt at me.
This morning he was cooing the "come to my nest" coo (to whom, I have no idea; he was alone behind a closed door)  

Droppings continue to look good; and there's much evidence of preening.
I'm not sure where he is in his moult process, but a lot of little feathers are flying around, and he shed a tail feather this evening.

He still scrambles when I want to pick him up; I'm hoping he will soon realize that no harm comes to him when I do (and indignity only occasionally ).


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Sounds like he is on his way to making a complete recovery, good job, but keep an eye on him, plus, still another week or so of meds.

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Wednesday night update:

Newbird is doing great; at rest breathing is silent & even, posture is much perkier.
When he flies up to the door lintel & exercises his wings for several minutes, breathes hard afterward for a few moments, but no sign of excessive oxygen debt.
Droppings are looking good (when they don't land in his water cup )

He still doesn't care to be handled, and grunts at me sometimes, but once he's settled for the dose of meds, doesn't protest (= he hasn't spat out a bread pill or liquid meds).

I need to get him a hen... I'd promised him one before he got sick. 
He roocoos and coos frequently, so I'm sure he's feeling a lot better.
The only thing I haven't done is give him his dose of Ivermectin... today the birds at the loft got theirs, and I think he's probably recovered enough that it won't hurt him.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Robin, thanks for the update. Things sound well with this little guy, meds until Saturday and we should be good then, and you could give him his dose of Ivermectin tomorrow if you like. When you get around to it, I am sure he would appreciate you finding him the companionship of a nice hen, as he certainly is a handsome fellow. How is Velvet, by the way?

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Sunday update:

Newbird is back in the loft, and happy to be there.
I'll be taking particular notice of him to be sure he stays well. 
I only found 1 smallish worm among his droppings after the Ivermectin dose, so I'm convinced that he's probably not the culprit for the recent problem; it's the building that has worms... and the birds will soon be out of there and into their new home.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

These little Harpies can sure keep us busy!


Glad to hear it all went well and he back among is pals.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Robin, glad this guys seems to have made an uneventful recovery. Don't forget your promise to him to find him a girlfriend and to mark your calender for the follow-up doing of the Ivermectin. Good job,

Karyn


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## rfboyer (Jun 18, 2009)

Update:

Newbird has been doing great since he returned to the loft. 
He found his own girlfriend; he offered Lena consolation when I took her back to the loft when Velvet was gone, and the two of them have been snuggling together in their nest bowl for the past few days. 



Dobato said:


> Hi Robin, glad this guys seems to have made an uneventful recovery. Don't forget your promise to him to find him a girlfriend...


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Oh good...


Glad to hear.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Robin, sometimes life has unforeseen ways of working out. I am glad Lena has found someone to offer her comfort with the loss of Velvet and Newbird now has the company of a beautiful hen you promised him.

Karyn


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