# very injured pigeon adult



## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

Hi guys

I disturbed a kestrel/bird of prey that had caught a pigeon yesterday afternoon unintentionally.

Well the bird flew off and the pigeon flew in my garage to hide, so i left it a while then checked about half an hour later and it was still there, so i brought him indoors, the good news is its still alive. But the injury is quite bad, theres not a lot of flesh covering the skull, and down the back of the neck.. i cleaned the wound with some saline solution, and used some wound powder to stop any bleeding. I looked at the list of rescue centres and there is nothing near to me at all well not without an hour or so travel.

Im sure the birds maybe unlikely to make a recovery, but i suppose you never know.

Is there anything else i can do, my local vet didnt want to know.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

hertsgirl8091 said:


> Hi guys
> 
> I disturbed a kestrel/bird of prey that had caught a pigeon yesterday afternoon unintentionally.
> 
> ...


Thank you for caring and welcome to PT.
You've done a great job so far Pigeons are fighters with a will to live, so alot of them make a great recovery. Is it possible to post a picture of the injury?
For now, I would keep him in a cage/carrier. He's probably in shock, so I would put him on a heating pad set on LOW covered with a towel. A small, deep bowl of tepid water with a dash of salt and sugar also (rehydrating solution). He should be started on some antibiotics. I'm in the U.S. so not sure what you have available. Clavamox is very good for injuries/punctures.
We have quite a few members in your area, so keep checking back. They will be along soon.


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

hey there

I have him upstairs in my room and its quite warm in there.. unfortunately the only thing i had spare was a hamster cage but a fairly roomy one, i dont have any antibiotics to hand.. well only human ones which i wouldnt test out, i did have some antibiotic powder that has to be diluted with water, but i have no idea what it is.

But i will give him some rehydration solution, im afraid im not used to taking in birds so i dont have a heat mat. Maybe someone local may see this and offer help, i dont want him to die.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Most of the antibiotics used are human drugs. The human form of Clavamox is 'Augmentin'. The doses are adjusted. What do you have for 'human antibiotics'?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Where in the UK are you?

I have seen pigeons that have been very, very badly injured by sparrowhawks make a good recovery. 

This link covers treatment of birds that have been scalped http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/scalping.htm (Scroll down to Moonshine's story)

This link is about birds that have been predated:
http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/predatedorshot.htm

And scroll down this is a link to a page that has a map pinpointing pigeon friendly rescue centres in the UK:

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/rescuecentres.htm

Some are more likely to pull a badly injured bird through than others so let me know if you are considering a rescue centre.

I have F10 and clavamox that I can share , but it won't reach you till Tuesday at the earliest.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

hertsgirl, thanks for taking him in & looking out for him.
As Msfreebird says, they can be very sturdy characters & recover from many accidents that amaze us humans.
They do however need our care and attention to do so, heat & antibiotics in a case like this are more than often very important.
If you dont have a heatpad you can use a hot water bottle covered with a towel. (even a couple of juice bottles covered would do in the frst instance)
Direct heat is of paramount as the bird uses a lot of its energy to keep warm, which detracts from it fighting any infection.
Birds are not that good at fighting infection at the best of times and can rapidly decline if not assisted, especially in cases of predation attack as bacteria from a predators claws or tallons can take hold VERY quickly. 
Human grade antibiotics are fine, please list what you have availlable (type & concentration etc) & there will be others that can work out dosage & best way to administer them. 
It would also be good to get the birds weight as this is also used in working out the dosage of some meds.
Putting antibiotics in the water is not a good way as they wont get the correct dose. If they dont get enough, the bacteria from any infection can then become resiliant to it which makes it harder to beat.
Also, where in the UK are you ? 
A pic of the bird would be good to get an idea of the actual injuries.
Also, just a thought, although there are kestrels, falcons & hawks in the uk, they tend not to frequent built up areas, and normal feral pigeons are not as common in the countryside, which makes me wonder if this is a feral pigeon or a wood pigeon. Wood pigeons are generally more frightened of humans and can be harder to treat because of this.


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

I have some metronidazole, extra dosage for when i had wisdom teeth out.. and i think i may have some amoxicillin somewhere, but i'd have to find them.. normally everything gets used up.


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

I have just found some amoxicillin 500mg capsules.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Dee at the Wing and a Prayer sanctuary in Norfolk is very experienced in treating hawk injuries, she is a member of this forum, I am sure she won't mind you telephoning her if you need to: *0776 6685102*

You need to keep the area affected moist, you can use Intrasite Gel which is available from Boots . 

Have a look at the scalping injuries I posted links to, they look awful but can heal well and quickly. 

I have some suitable antibiotics that were prescribed for my dog that I can post tomorrow if you need them.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Thank you for caring for the little fella! Sending speedy healing thoughts your way. Hope the little birdie can make it.. take care!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

The oral dose for amoxycillin is 200 mg *per kilo of bird* every 8 hours , that works out at 20mg per 100 gms of bird. If you need someone to work out what proportion of the capsule to give and how to separate a dose just let us know its weight.

If you add it as a powder to drinking water it would have to be 500 mg per litre for 5 to 7 days. If you administer it in that form it would be best to mix it in purified water. 

(these are the instructions for pigeons from the British Small Animal Vet Association formulary )


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks guys, i will take a look at the site thanks feefo.. if you would like to send them on to me thats fine.. although someone has said amoxicillin is ok, just need the right dosage.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Let us know how much the bird weighs to work out the exact dose.

Manuka Honey is good for wounds, but I think it has to be the activated .
stuff.

I also flush with colloidal silver when I have some.


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

Well he/she has made two nights now.. had to use some vaseline to cover his wounds in as i cant obtain the intrasite gel from where i am, my boots dont stock it.

But purchased some f10 ointment last night on the web so im hoping it will be here tomorrow. I dont think he's eating though, mind you i should think he isnt all that happy cooped up in a small cage.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Is this a wood pigeon, feral pigeon or a collared dove? It might be best anyway yo put the antibiotics in the water, to reduce stress.

Take the inside of a capsule out and grind the granules thoroughly with a mortar and pestle or between two spoons. Put the powder in the purified water then pour into a bottle and shake well. Pour some into a container and stir every so often. Keep the remaining water in the fridge and change the water available to the bird twice a day, shaking the bottle very well each time before refilling.

When I rescued my first feral I didn't know how old it was (I thought very old but it was 2 weeks) or that there were several species of pigeon with different needs and temperament , so I have information on my website about how to tell one pigeon species from another and how their temperaments and feeding needs are different. *This is the link.*

Scatter some seed around the pigeon, often seeing seed on the ground tempts it to pick up.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

Hello my Vet said you can use KY Jelly as a substitute if you cant get anything else.

You cant buy INTRASITE GEL over the counter at BOOTS but if you go their Pharmacy Department (prescriptions) You can ask to order some and they can usually get it within 48 hours.Ask for 8gram nodules. you can buy just 2or three.Keep them in fridge once opened.


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks for your help, i have had contact from somebody at a rescue centre who has seen the injuries and says i can treat with the wonder cream (sudocream) which is a barrier cream with antiseptic.. and she is going to post me some antibiotics for him too if he deteriorates.


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

Hello I have a phone number of a lady who takes sick and disabled pigeons and who lives in the Stevenage, Herts area. I am going to send you a private message NOW with her phone number. Maybe she can help .


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## hertsgirl8091 (Apr 1, 2012)

Just a quick update, pigeon is doing ok. I have some antibiotics being sent to me so, im not sure he is eating enough.. when do you think he could go outside, i do have an aviary of sorts needs a little repair.


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