# Unlucky pigeon falls from nest, gets pox and now vomits everything



## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello,

my young pigeon (25 days, found a week ago) has yellow warts all over, including big ones on his anus, but also on beak, eye, crop, wings and underbelly (pox virus?). In addition, he now started to vomit everything and passes green slimy watery poo. I have put iodine on the warts and give him baytril 5mg x2 per day for the last 4 days. This morning I gave him a little apple sauce, no food. His crop is not empty, it feel soft as if about 1/3 full of liquid, and there still are some few seeds in it. I am not feeding him anything, except from one pea with baytril crushed in it.

Any advice before he gets much worse?

Thanks you!


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Now the pigeon drinks a lot and his skin turned bright pink. It seems the liquid is not leaving his crop which is swollen with water. Help??


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Are you sure the bird doesn't have canker? Have you looked inside beak? If so he needs to be treated with canker med asap, like metrodonizole and/or spartrix or another canker med.

Do not feed if crop is not emptying. Get the bird on heat. Once crop is empty I would feed liquid bird formula until blockage is gone or crop emptying. Not sure exactly what is going on but why are you treating with baytril?*


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Thank you for replying. No canker is visible in his throat, but of course i cannot see in his crop. I gave baytril because i thought it was salmonella. It did get better for a bit after i started treatment but now it is back to worse. 
Should i try to flush his crop? 
I will try to find canker med today, but i hope it is not this because his crop is totally stopped now.

I will try posting a pic of his droppings just after this.

It is basically totally transparent light green water, also drinking lots and theowing up water


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Can you post a picture of the lesions?

We never advise anyone to flush the crop themselves, have you ever done that? 

Canker may not be visible in the throat but it may be causing the blockage, I would treat for it. 

I would also get some organic apple cider vinegar in the drinking water to correct the PH. Have you tried a little applesauce to get crop moving? 

The reason the bird has watery poop is due to starvation. *


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello i got metronidazole i will start now. I will try posting photos of lesions just after. I have not done the crop flush and will avoid doing it unless tomorrow the crop appears very swollen still. He got apple sauce this morning, in Oman we do not get any alcohol based vinegar, but there is normal white vinegar, should i try that?
Should i try to rehydrate the bird sub cutaneously? My husband is a ( horse) vet, so we can get all the meds and tools rather easily.

Should i continue baytril at the same time as i start the canker med?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The Baytril shouldn't be given by putting it in a pea. Won't work as well that way, and the whole dose should be given in one dose, just once daily. You don't have Apple cider vinegar over there? Then I would use just the apple sauce. If you don't know how to give fluids that way, or how much, or haven't, then I wouldn't do that. Yes, give the Baytril but in one dose, and not in a pea. Just put it down his throat and over the tongue. I usually give Baytril in the morning, then the Metro in the afternoon or evening. Also Nystatin or Medistatin to avoid yest infection which the antibiotics can cause.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

If the bird is in serious condition, as appears, oral medication is inefficient. Give him some linco-spectin injection, 5 mg / day for three days, plus probiotics. 

I saved many pigeons giving them antibiotics this way, where the oral medication was inefficient. If you continue giving oral Baytril, I'm pretty convinced he'll die. In fact, if the illness is advanced, even with injection may not turn well.

Also give him like 20 mg / day metronidazole, as is quite possible to have a combination bacteria - canker. When is only crop or intestinal canker (often in combination with coccidia), the droppings are not emerald green but yellow & green or brown and in such cases usually the bird dies.

Is very possible to have also candida (crop filled with liquid, vomiting) have a fungi so follow the advices you received to give him vinegar. Best way to put the bird with the beak's tip in a teaspot with vinegar (not mixed with water) so that will be absorbed by capillary action. Don't try to pour inside his mouth as is a great risk to have the liquid entering inside lungs and kill him or make him suffer for hours.


Have you the possibility to make him laboratory tests to identify the disease(s)?




Here is a table with most possibile symptoms and the diseases that can cause them:
http://www.chevita.com/en/pigeons/symptoms/index.php

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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Ok thank you. I gave metronidazole and i will give baytril tomorrow morning if pigeon is still there. He is getting weak, will not have eaten anything for 48 hours tomorrow morning. I just gave him a tiny bit of apple sauce, even though the crop is not working (feels soft and full of liquid). He ate seeds before, canary mix, could his crop have gotten blocked because i did not give grit? He digested them fine before. He passes green water all the time
I keep warming up a bag of rice, i dont have a heating pad. Which kind of shop sells that?


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

AndreiS i just see your response now. I will try tomorrow to get the injection, in which case i will stop oral baytril.

Can i use normal white vinegar? I do not have apple cider vinegar here as explained. 

Droppings are bright green.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

Canary seeds are too small for them, harder to pick especially for a sick bird, they eat easily wheat and popcorn (some sick birds can't eat popcorn as is too big for them). Their preference is yellow peas, then popcorn, then wheat, from what I see at my pigeons. They also like groundnut and sunflower, but as these seeds contain much fat, have to be given very little.

Anyway, giving him antibiotics *NOW* is vital, if you leave this for tomorrow the illness will advance very probably ireversibly, because from your description is very grave already and *appears to be something bacterial*, not (only) canker, plus candida. 

For vinegar, I read it has to be from apple, preferably crude.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Ok, but now it is midnight here, it is not practical to find what you mentioned before morning. I wish i got the right tretment right away!


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

If you live in a city and have the time and will to do this, you can try to find a non-stop human farmacy and buy lyncomycin (one of the components of lynco-spectin) and try to give him a shot. 

Honestly, I never gave a shot to a pigeon, al injections were made by local vet but I lost some birds in the weekends when I couldn't get him so from now on I will make the shots myself. I saw is pretty easy, you pull up a little the skin from the calf and pierce it that way the needle to go between the skin and muscle.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Baytril given orally is fine. The only reason a shot might be preferred now is because the crop is filled with water and not going through.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Florianne4 said:


> Ok thank you. I gave metronidazole and i will give baytril tomorrow morning if pigeon is still there. He is getting weak, will not have eaten anything for 48 hours tomorrow morning. I just gave him a tiny bit of apple sauce, even though the crop is not working (feels soft and full of liquid). He ate seeds before, canary mix,* could his crop have gotten blocked because i did not give grit? *He digested them fine before. He passes green water all the time
> I keep warming up a bag of rice, i dont have a heating pad. Which kind of shop sells that?


No. The crop could be blocked by canker though. Or just sour crop. 
He really needs a vet to flush the crop and check to see what bacteria or whatever it is.

Drug stores and such sell heating pads. And many other stores.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Good morning! And thanks so much for your help really. Today pigeon has a nearly totally empty crop. At night he vomited the last little seeds, droppings still bright green water. He looks more perky than yesterday, walks normally and i am happy about his crop emptying somehow.
My plan is to give him a full baytrim dose orally this morning (not in a pea!) And then go to the pharmacy to try and get the injection. I will also give him a little apple sauce. Is there anything else i can give him, like mushed banana, baby cereals etc?

Is normal white vinegar acceptable in absence of apple cider???

Regarding crop wash i asked the only vet who does birds in the country, he did it twice on parrots and they both died rapidly after, so he advised against it. I feel things become desperate i will just have him euthanized rather than do that.

But will try antibiotics and metronidazole for now, will keep you posted!

Cheers


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Greetings from oman. Little update before bed: there was no pharmacy selling injectable antibiotics anywhere. My doctor was mildly uninterested in my bird story and did not help.
But i did give baytril correctly this morning and it may be working. The droppings changed from pure green water to green water with some solid matter and some white in it. The crop may be moving again a little. I gave 15ml of apple sauce mixed with baby cereals and water this evening, the pigeon is losing weight rapidly. His skin is still bright red... i dont like that! He also got his metronidazole this evening. Insha allah if he is still there tomorrow i can start giving him some more food?

What kind of food and what quantities should i give him? Am i doing well with baby cereals and apple sauce? Can i mash some green peas too? I dont want to compromise the crop but he is now 3 days with nearly no food!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You're doing good. I would give warmed applesauce (baby applesauce if possible), mixed with baby rice cereal, if possible, to which you can add some very soft mashed peas or baby food peas. And I would continue with the Baytril. As long as the crop is emptying, it will be fine. Just go slow, and give a little at a time. You can give more once the crop is emptying normally. Make sure it is going through before feeding again. And don't make it too thick just now.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

Give him boiled frozen peas, after removing their skin pea by pea. You should feed him consistently with peas, like one hundreds peas two or three times a day. If you don't start this ASAP he will became too weak to be feeded (to swallow) and surely die. also, to support the medicine, which is toxic, he have to be decently feeded.

Anyway, if he's losing rapidly weight is probably going to die, you should hurry to give him an injection, you can go to a human clinic and tell doctor the bird has salmonellossis and need the equivalent of 2 mg Linco-Spectin. In fact, the injectable medicines, including antibiotics, being very strong, may also kill him but if you don't give him he will surely die. 

My advice is to not put your trust in Baytril, is well advertised and everybody speaks well about it (including on this forum) but from my observations doesn't help, especially in serious cases. And is my vet's opinion too.


And as important as food and medicine is the warmt. Even if you live in a hot country like Oman, the bird need something warm next to his skin / feathers and to be put in a rather darker place. You can buy an electric blanket and in that case check to be of a type that can be wrapped during functioning. The ones that can be wrapped are more expensive, so if can afford only one that have to stay stretched when functioning, put the bird below it. If you can't afford any such item, you can wrap the bird in a cloth and put it on a room heating device or put him under your clothes. This is vital, especially if the bird is cold when touching (that means he is not able to warm himself).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you can get frozen peas and defrost them and warm them, they are soft enough and easily digested, skins and all. And if you can get baby food peas, that would be great too. You can just mix them in with the cereal.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello AndreiS 
Well getting electric blankets here is not possible unless i get it shipped.... the weather is too warm for people to even think they exist. But i will try to get a heater blowing hot air, i think i can find that. For now i keep warming socks full of rice and putting the pigeon on them especially before and after food. 

I am giving defrosted peas mixed thinly with apple sauce and baby rice cereals, but not in big quantity because he is digesting slowly. I give 20ml at a time, yesterday 3 times, today hopefully more. Pigeon is emaciated and still dehydrated, skin bright red. Now i guess it depends if it is strong enough to recuperate or not. He is getting baytril in the morning and metronidazole in the evening. Injectable lyncomicin is not available, from vet or pharmacy. Thank you!


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

6Is not necessary to give both antibiotics and metronidazole as in digestive diseases doesn't appear a combination between a bacteria (treatable with antibiotics) and a protozoa (canker, treatable with metronidazole) but either only a bacteria - salmonella - or just a protozoa - canker or coccidia - or a combination of two protozoa - canker and coccidia (canker is fatal, coccidia not so much).


Combination between bacteria (Mycoplasma or Chlamydophila) and canker appears only in respiratory diseases.


So you have to renounce at one of the medicines, as it surely doesn't have both bacteria and canker and giving two quite toxic medicines is too much even for a bird in a relative good condition. 


From your description, it seems rather is a bacterial infection with salmonella and you should keep going with the antibiotic and *stop giving him metronidazole*. The characteristic color of droppings in salmonella is intense smaragd green (green toward blue) in grave cases but I think can be also some less bluish green (like grass green). If is some sort of dirty green or dirty yelowish, or beige, is canker (or canker and coccidia). I found all these after making lab tests on several pigeons with the described symptoms. Also, as I said, if is lower digestive tract canker, you usually can't save the bird. Only the mouth, neck and crop canker can usually be cured.


If you give him antibiotics is necessary also to give him probiotics, because the antibiotics destroy the intestinal flora of necessary bacteries. Probiotics are found at vet shop, if not, you can give him yogurt. I have a veterinary probiotic supplement that contains bacilus (a bacteria) and beer yeast. This is good even for healthy birds. 


*Also, stop giving him vinegar*, is enough if you gave him several times. Giving too many bad tasting things will stress him and the stress will help the illness dramatically. You not even know if he has a fungus and even if he has, the urgency is to get rid of the bacteria, which is fatal.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Ok thank you. I would like to get the advice of jay3 About stopping metronidazole as he recommended it?
In fact i have never given vinegar, because only white vinegar is available here and from the different answers i was not clear if that was acceptable. I only give apple sauce, which tastes quite nice. 
Should i not wait until the antibiotic treatment is over to give probiotics? I thought this would only work after i stop treatment.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

Probiotics contains some useful bacteria needed in digestion and those recommendations to wait untill the end of antibiotics medication is probably because the antibiotics kill too these bacteria from probiotics but as probiotics don't harm in any way and they may stay in the digestive system between two medications, I think is good not to wait the end of antibiotics treatment. 

I have read recommendations telling both to wait and not to wait untill end of antibiotics treatment.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Florianne4, I would definitely finish the whole treatment with the Metro. And when a bird has an illness, it is very common for it to get canker at the same time. As the stress of illness does often bring on canker. Very often a pigeon does have both bacteria and canker. Also many times a blockage where the crop isn't emptying well, is caused by canker. And often when the droppings are that dark green, and wet, they do have canker, and are not eating enough. 

It has gone back and forth about whether or not to give pro biotics during treatment with antibiotics. I wait till I am done with the antibiotics, as the drug will just kill them off anyway, as it kills both good and bad bacteria. But if you feel better giving them while on the medicine, it will not hurt anything. If you do that, then give it a few hours after the antibiotic.
I wouldn't use the white vinegar, as it is harsher than apple cider vinegar, and the apple sauce will also help to change the PH of the gut, which is what you want. The apple sauce works good. Pigeons can usually be saved with most canker infections if treated soon enough. Please don't stop the metro. Even when you cannot see the canker, it can still usually be cured.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Well, i don't know if pigeon will survive, but i can say both of us are now expert in tube feeding! Which is nice, less stress for the bird, the food and drugs go in quickly.
So, after reading your answers (thank you both!) I will go for probiotics and metronidazole (i just read your post at midnight and went to give it to pigeon...). 
I have a little bit more hope today, he digests faster with solid-er droopings (still green), skin is now normal colour but he is still freakily skiny, just bones and pea puree. Otherwise he's a happy little creature, he likes pecking at things and preening and sitting on a warm rice bags.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Of course he still gets baytril in the morning. If i wake up


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

A little update this morning. Pigeon still here, digesting ok. Yesterday on top of the liquid mixture i gave 50 pealed defrosted peas, and that did not go down so easily. It took a very long time to digest, he threw up a couple, so in the evening i could only give warm water because his crop was full and solid. This morning it emptied though, and he's/she's back on liquid food. I will give a few more peas today to see how that goes. I feel that this pigeon may live now, i had already pick a place to bury it in the garden! I must say you saved this bird at distance, because it would never had lived otherwise! I had never given medication to a bird or tube fed one, so i spent a lot of time reading up on this forum.
But if it lives after going through all this i wonder if it will ever be strong enough to live alone... and all this to be eaten by a hawk on first day out... anyways we are not there yet!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You don't have to peel defrosted peas. No one does. They are much easier to give with the skins on. If you can blend them up smooth, then they could be added to the food that you are giving him. Just a little at a time. You're doing a good job. You really are.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Thank you. How long should i continue the antibiotic and metronidazole tretments for?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Normally the Baytril would be for 10 days. Salmonella would take longer, but you do not know that salmonella is involved. I would give the Metro for 10 days, and see how things go. On occasion you need to give it longer. Antibiotics can cause yeast infection, so giving Nystatin or medistatin at the same time as the Baytril is a good idea. Don't know if you can get those? That can also cause problems with the crop functioning.

Have you tried adding crushed peas to the food? Baby food peas are great for this, as they are already pureed.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Yes in fact i have done that always: peas, apple sauce and baby rice cereals with water blended together and warm. Now pigeon is doing great. He is ravenous and digests quickly, eats the whole peas happily and even today he came out of his cardboard box and goes perching around the room. 

I bought some seeds pigeon mix today to see if he wants to start pecking things by himself. I guess i should give him vitamins too, but i would have to make them from human vitamins as i could not find any in pet stores. I also got frozen soft corn, see if he gets a bit tomorrow.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

I'm happy to hear is doing fine. I would like to see a photo of him, if he still has those yellow warts.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wouldn't use human vitamins. Humans have different needs. If the pet stores don't have anything, maybe they could get some?
I'm so happy that he is doing so well.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello

(do not look at those photos over breakfast, there is a yucky one!)

These are photos of the pigeon. I am holding one of the big warts he had on his anus in my fingers. He has many, but that was one of the two big ones. I took it out because where it was it was constantly stuck in his poop and when it dried on it it was blocking off his anus. Sorry for the details. It oozed a little blood and I cleaned up and put large amounts of betadine on it. I hope it does not get infected.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

and, one more yucky one: That this what his poo looked like while he was very sick for three days. Now it looks ok, still dark green (but he is eating peas) but solid and with white.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Oh dear... There is an eye which is slightly red and swollen under the eyelid... I really hope it is not chlamydia. I have a small baby at home too, I can't risk having him infected. That would also mean another month for pigeon on another anti-biotic... is there any other disease pigeon disease he didn't get yet because it seems he is doing all of them one by one!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hard to be sure what is causing it, without a vet check.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

Thank you for photos!


Chlamydia doesn't swell the eyes but stuck them closed with mucus.


From this table with symptoms:
http://www.chevita.com/en/pigeons/symptoms/index.php


as well as from this thread:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/red-swollen-eyes-60984.html


appears to be infectious catarrh or canker. 





I would change the antibiotics with human doxycyline, as Baytril is not proper for this category of illnesses and as it proved inefficient. For respiratory bacterial diseases, as appears to be, doxycycline is prescribed. I used doxycycline and appears to be efficient.


Anyway, you shouldn't give antibiotiocs for more than few days, espcially after strong ones like Baytril. You should make a pause of 5-7 days, giving probiotics in this period. These medicines are toxic, while they cure something, they affect other things.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You cannot possibly know what is going on with this bird, so recommending stopping the Baytril really makes no sense. I would finish the course of Baytril first. Doxy is often good for respiratory, but not always the right drug. Without tests you can't be sure. Keep an eye on this and see if it develops into anything. Jumping back and forth with different drugs doesn't help anything, and can cause more problems.


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## FallCreekFlyers (Jul 26, 2012)

The lesion on your photo is from internal canker should treat with metronidazole or rondizole


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello.

So i have stopped baytril today because he/she has been on it for 12 days (time passes, hey). I will continue metronidazole for 5 more days. I thought the growth i took out on the photo was pox, because the pigeon has many such yellow warts on his body everywhere, as you can see on his face smaller ones. It was hard outside and round. It is really doing better in terms of digesting, keeping its body warm, moving and i think putting back a bit of flesh on. Its droppings are still dark green and wet though. Eye still the same, has a red swollen area under the eyelid, no mucus.
I am thinking to gradually stop crop feeding the apple sauce and baby cereals mixture and giving only peas, soft corn and grain. Good idea?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The peas and soft corn would be a good idea. Think I'd start with peas as they are easily digested. Then leave some with him to see if he will start pecking at them. 
That probably was pox as he has it all over. Some have had canker come off like that too, so I can see why that was suggested though.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello

So the pigeon is eating by itself greedily and putting on weight, normal droppings. BUT I have this problem: he is getting new warts on his face! I think under his eyelid is a new wart too... he has a new one just inside the side of his beak, and one under his beak, and one in his nostril! The old ones have turned yellow and dried. Even the big ones I removed from his anus are now healing fine. What is going on? Can he get pox twice, or could this be the internal version? He does not seem bothered by it for now... he is really ugly though.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Does the wart in the side of the beak look like a yellowish growth inside the mouth? Could be internal pox. Not a recurrence of pox, but the same infection is still active I think (pox usually infects just once in a lifetime)..
All the warts will eventually go, even the ones inside the mouth. It might bleed a bit when the warts inside the mouth fall off, nothing to worry about.
Glad he is eating well. It can be a daunting task to hand feed a pox pigeon with warts all over the beak and inside the mouth...so glad he is not giving you any trouble in this regard.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Yes! Today the one that is just on the side of its mouth has grown inside and turned bright yellow. It seems there are more coming on rhe eoof of its mouth. I'll try to get a photo tomorrow. I thought the two forms of pox were indépendant, so i had hopes that external pox was not so deadly. But i think the wet form is not good news, right? It is still developping so i just hope it wont block off his throat... what are the chances to survive this? Should i put him down? He is still looking happy and strong but he went through so much already.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

I had a pox pigeon once with yellowish growths right where you described. He came out of it alright. The yellow growths dislodged eventually to reveal raw bleeding spots..it was quite a mess for a few days, but he managed through it. The warts on his beak also came off in one piece, revealing a stub of the beak. This beak too grew back after some months. 

As long as he is his happy usual self, he is doing ok. Sometimes, pox lesions can grow inside the mouth causing obstruction of breathing (which can be deadly). Right now, there is nothing as such.

Just keep a close watch on him, and look for any signs of illness (trouble breathing etc). I think the worst is over for this little guy, and he is going to get better soon.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Well thank you. If he lives i will build him a big aviary in the garden.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I hope he gets through all this okay. Poor thing.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello.

So, this is not looking very good. His tongue has turned dark coloured, and I think his beak too. Is that normal that pigeons get a dark tongue and darker beak when they grow adult?

This is on top of having all those horrible growths of the pox on his face and in his mouth. I am wondering if the colour change of his tongue could be aspergillosis (because my mum once took antibiotics and then her tongue turned black because she had developed aspergillosis!).

The pigeon has put on weight nicely, is eating well by himself (although today he seems bothered by all the pox, one is blocking off one of his nostrils). But if he falls sick with aspergillus I will definitely put him down, poor thing. He really is an unlucky pigeon. 

Please let me know is the dark tongue is a sign of aspergillosis if you can.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

I found these pages googling "dark tongue":

http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com/menu/pigeons-with-blue-tongue-or-blue-tissue/

http://forum.pigeonbasics.com/topic/17599-grey-black-tongue/


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Thank you AndreiS. From what i gather the blue tongue is probaby due to difficulty in breathing, which can be eitheir caused by pox or by aspergillus infection. I guess there is not much hope of him getting better, but i will wait to see which direction it takes between today and tomorrow, i feel sorry for him.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

If he is active and alert, eating well, I don't think he is sick. Is he showing difficulty in breathing? The bluish tinge could be because of anemia, which a change of diet can take care of.

I know you feel helpless seeing him in such a state, and don't want him to suffer. But as long as he is active and eating, it means his body is fighting, and winning too. 
We don't want to give up on him when he hasn't given up on himself.

Pox looks terrible, and might give the impression of being in suffering, while actually it could be just a mild nuisance for the pigeon.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

He might not have (only) pox, pox is active for a week or two, not for so long, I mean, the disease must not conrinue to grow after so long time. 

And don't worry for blue tonque, might not be something fatal. Search on internet for websites that describe his symptoms, what can means etc.



This is the Facebook page of one very experienced bird veterinary from Australia:
https://www.facebook.com/DrRossPerryBirdVet

He has tens of years of experience with birds. I asked him about the symptoms of two birds and he gave pretty accurate diagnoses, on the base of photos and my description (diagnoses confirmed later by lab tests). But he is busy and his online consultations are paid (sometimes, like in my case, he made some exceptions). You can watch his videos on youtube to make an idea how to take care of birds (they must be handled very gentle as they easily become stressed and the stress worsens their condition and help the illness):
http://www.youtube.com/user/DoctorRossPerry/videos


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

From the pictures, the lesions look like beginning to dry up. It can take 1-2 months for all those scabs to fall off.
I had used turmeric powder made into a paste with neem oil, and applied it on the warts, even inside the mouth (it can be ingested). You can also use coconut oil instead of the neem oil. It helps the scabs to dry and fall of faster.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It could take longer than a week or two. By handling the bird, the virus could be spread to different parts of the body, so could spread for a while.

In all cases, providing assistance for recovery may spread the infection to other parts of the skin or to other birds.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26362--,00.html


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello! Thank you all for your concern and advice. Yesterday morning i found the bird lying down and not moving when i came in, and all fluffed up. There was no poo anywhere from the night. It had been some days i noticed his poo was vermicelli shaped like a sparrow rather than pigeon blobs. Then yesterday no poo.. .his anus was totally blocked with the dry scabs and growths around it! So i soaked it with warm water and i took out everything, the new and old pox lesions. It was not nice for either of us. All the poo came out at once and with pressure! Poor bird. I cleaned and desinfected, and now he is much better, all normal from this side and back to walking around and pooing normally. Now my problem is the front end: he has very big growths inside his mouth which prevent him from closing his beak, there is just a small opening to breathe... although he tries he has not been able to feed by himself because of this. So back to hand feeding, i give green peas and shelled sunflower seeds, and a bit of yoghurt sometimes. He can drink alone.
I feel that if we continue like this (there has not been new warts since the second outbreak) and there are no more complications he may actually manage until the pox comes off, because his general condition is ok. I just hope he can finally beat the virus.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

And thanks i will try tumeric and coconut oil. Mmmh! Pigeon with peas, tumeric and coconut sauce, he will be lovely


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

There are a lot of mosquitoes here these days... i really hope other wild birds dont get infected! from the article jay3 posted it says mosquitoes can carry the virus for more than a month!


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

I am not sure what coconut sauce is....I was referring to coconut oil, with the turmeric mixed into it to form a paste. Neem oil is also good if you can get it...smells bad..but good.
You can apply it inside the mouth as well.
I am so happy he is doing better!


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello and thank you for your continued help with the unlucky pigeon (called Yves).
1. The good:
Pigeon is fat and pooing normally. Pox lesions are mostly dried and cleared from his throat and eye. He can now close his beak although it is crooked. He looks "special" with his bright yellow tumeric seasoning.
2. The bad:
- yesterday i took him to the garden for flying practice, which consisted in putting him on a tree and letting him flap to the ground. He was not very good at it. Bad idea. This morning the wing joint closest to his body is swollen and he holds the wing slightly apart from the body. I do not think it is fractured, but how can i know if it is dispaced or just twisted? What should i do about this?
- this morning too there seems to be a slight watery discharge from his eye and nostril. Should i worry?
- this pigeon is still not eating on his own! I have been handfeeding him three times a day for nearly a month, could he be persuaded to become a big boy? I leave seends on the floor and he gets his water by himself. 

Many thanks for your advice on those three points.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

1. The beak will be crooked for a while, could become better as the beak repairs itself. As long as he can pick seeds with it, it will be fine.
2. If the wing is just sprained, it will get better in a few days. Feel along the joint to check for any break in bone.
3. Pigeons can get cold just like us. As long as he is eating and acting normal, and poops are fine, he should be ok. It would be good to keep him indoors till the sneezing stops.
4. I think you got him as a baby? He must have forgotten how to fly. Perhaps watching another pigeon will teach him flying and eating.


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## Florianne4 (Jan 25, 2014)

Thank you. I am wondering if it could be an infection in the joint. It is really swollen and seems to otherwise move normally. Pigeon is now in a basket in the bedroom.


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