# Bald Spot on a pigeon's neck?



## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

One of my pigeons has a weird bald spot on his neck. He has had it since I have him, and I thought it'd eventually grow some feathers.
Pics:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/picture.php?albumid=1041&pictureid=12173
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/picture.php?albumid=1041&pictureid=12176
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/picture.php?albumid=1041&pictureid=12178

See that bald spot under the beak? It does not seem like anything is growing from there. No little pins, no any kind of sign of future feathers. Yesterday I checked, but nothing. Pics are old but the neck is still bald.
The bird should roughly have about 2 months or so, I think I found it back in December with 20-something days old. He had some lice, but not enough to cause big damage. I treated him for the lice with a powder.

What do you think this could be?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Open the beak and look down the throat and see if you see any lesions.

But even if you can't, I would definitely treat for canker (if you haven't), just in case, as it can show such symptoms without showing any lesions. You can get spartrix or another such treatment, but don't wait, as it can cause damage and destruction inside crop.

Also, treat for mites with scalex or another product to kill blood sucking mites.

Don't wait....


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You need to treat that bird for canker. Did you look way down his throat as Treesa suggested? Do you see anything that looks cheesy or anything? Sometimes you need to have someone else hold the bird, while you open the mouth and use a small flashlight. Otherwise you cannot see down deep enough. Also as she mentioned, you can't always see it in the throat. If not treated, he can get very sick and die.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Even if you see nothing, canker treatment will be my choice too.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I see... not cheesy stuff, but I can't see down her throat. It's like just a tongue and a wall of flesh, with the opening for the air (forgot the name).
I have Spartrix, one pill? Or how much? He's had it for a month more or less . He doesn't show any other signs, no weight loss (actually gained a bit since I have him...).
Should I treat the other bird too? She's been on Metronidazole on end of November - first days of December. He got here in mid December.

I've already treated both for external parasites, with some dust thing, but I don't know if I can get something similar to what you are saying.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Yes, put him on the Metrodonidazole. How long exactly was she on the canker treatment? Follow directions on the product.

Have they shared food or water bowls?

You can get Scatt at pet shops that specialize in birds or buy it at a pigeon/bird supply store on the net.

http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/scatt.html


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Pawbla said:


> I see... not cheesy stuff, but I can't see down her throat. It's like just a tongue and a wall of flesh, with the opening for the air (forgot the name).
> I have Spartrix, one pill? Or how much? He's had it for a month more or less . He doesn't show any other signs, no weight loss (actually gained a bit since I have him...).
> Should I treat the other bird too? She's been on Metronidazole on end of November - first days of December. He got here in mid December.
> 
> I've already treated both for external parasites, with some dust thing, but I don't know if I can get something similar to what you are saying.


Pawbla, if you use the Spartrix, give one pill a day for maybe 5 days. One pill really doesn't do anything for treatment of canker. That's more for a preventative thing.

I don't remember what the other bird was on the Metronidazole for. Refresh me. But yes, both need to be treated as one can pick it up from the other one, just in sharing food and water. 
What kind of metronidazole do you have? And how many mg.?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

They've shared food and water, yes.
Five... I don't have ten pills. Just eight.

I'll have to get metronidazole again. I asked for carnidazol at the vet but they didn't have it, I asked about it because somebody said over another thread that I shouldn't medicate her with metronidazole again. I'll try to get ronidazol later if not?

Metronidazole, Trees Gray, that I can get is labeled for fish, not pigeons. There aren't actually any products that I can get on my city for pigeons. And I can't order from US because, take the value they cost, add shipment, multiply by four, and that is what costs me. It's pretty bad, haha. I can get ronidazol on Saturday almost for sure, but first I want to try here.

Unless you say metro again won't harm the other pigeon. Or, unless I can treat one with carnidazol and the other one with metronidazol.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Fishzole is made for fish, but it is the same medication. Is it 250 mg? Just make sure that Metronidazole is all that is in it. Yes, you can treat one with carnidazole and the other one with metronidazole. How much were you giving the other bird before?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

500mg the pill. Or I'll see if I can get smaller pills at another pet shop that is nearer my home.
One pill in 10 ml of water, 0.25 (because it was little) ml.
I should weigh them before treatment, right? I'll see if I can weigh the birds in the pet shop or something.
I was saying it was the one labeled for fish because I can't follow instructions if they are for fishes, lol!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well a smaller bird would be getting about 25 mg a day, and a larger bird about 50 mg a day. Not quite sure at what weight you would give the 50 mg. I'm sure someone else would know though.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

IT is to young to have over come nest behavior! It will not re feather, until it Moults. NO Sickness.............. just maybe crowding? ect..... Dave


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Were are the feed and Water dishes they should have near them? Do not treat for a sickness until they get what they need. My GOD you have them in a closet! were is something for them to Pick at? Dave


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

They are not in a closet! It's a shelf on my room! They like to sit there, they are not rats that walk on the floor all the time e.e. Last pic shows him walking on the floor.
The food is in their cages, and the water dish is on the floor, near their cages. No overcrowding unless two birds in a room and me are overcrowding. Food and water, they have what they need. They sit on the shelves at night to sleep, until I catch them and recage them. If by "pick at" you mean eat... they are free to fly from the shelf to the floor and get food or water. Or, to fly anywhere else but my bed (forbidden spot). If you mean something else, not sure, tell me the meaning.
Why did the other one had grown feathers there at his age? Note the pics are old and now he has the feathers near his beak, BUT that bald spot.
Not sure what you mean by overcome nest behaviour or how is that related to the topic.

I'm going to ask the vet to weigh them. I'll go buy the Metronidazole, and ask him about it. If he says yes I'll come back and weigh them. I was wondering maybe to pick them up caged, bring caged and put them in a box for a second? Obviously they won't just stand there (in the scale, was that the name?) like if nothing happened, and they have a big dog (a lovely rott) which I don't know how bird friendly it is. Or would it save them the stress a bit if I brought them in a box? But I'd have to take them out for a min to weigh the box too.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

300gr one and 350gr the other one (the "bald" one), more or less.
I got Metronidazole 500mg.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Did the vet tell you how much to give and how to give it Pawbla. 

I don't know what was meant by nesting behaviors either.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Nope. The vet won't know anything about birds, but I didn't take them to the vet, somebody lent me a scale so the weigh is an approximation. I'll take them tomorrow morning.
When I medicated the other pigeon, it was the 500mg pill into 10ml of water and 0.25 ml of that.
How much should I give her? 25 mg per day? That would be 0.5 ml, right?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Some would give 25, and some give 50 at that weight. Not sure. Can you call the vet that you saw before and ask what she thinks?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Which vet? The one that told me about the metronidazole before? I asked here... I don't remember who it was that gave me the dose. I'll go find the person and pm him/her. I'll ask the vet tomorrow if he is there.

Edit: Messaged Reti.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

"For Metronidazole you do a 50mg/ml suspension.
Dissolve a 250mg pill in 5cc water or 500mg in 10cc.
The dose is between 30 to 50mg/kg twice daily.
For for severe canker you give the highest dose for mild the lowest and in between depending on severity.
For a 350gr bird you give 0.35cc twice daily."

Thanks for your help, Jay3, too.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Pawbla said:


> "For Metronidazole you do a 50mg/ml suspension.
> Dissolve a 250mg pill in 5cc water or 500mg in 10cc.
> The dose is between 30 to 50mg/kg twice daily.
> For for severe canker you give the highest dose for mild the lowest and in between depending on severity.
> ...


Thanks Pawbla. Where did you get the info. on the weight of the bird?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

The info on the weight of the bird?

By the way, talking about weights, I got my birds weighed again by an electronic scale. 250 gr! Both. A tad skinnier than what I'd like.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Have you started the medicine?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Yes, but I reduced it for the reduced weight. I started yesterday morning.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

He's been pooping green too >.>


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a pic of the poop?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

It's well formed dark green poop... will post in a bit.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Well, until you say what they are being fed, poop color makes no difference No single breeder goes with out a pair that the Male does not pick on the young due his immature start to begin the next nest. We think Illness too much here. Dave, P.S. most just weaned, to being weaned young have off colored droppings.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

It does make difference if one is pooping brown and the other green, same diet.
It's a two months old bird... I think they are weaned at 45 days? That would explain a bit,
And I don't have older birds to pick on him. The other bird does not peck him, and they are only together when I supervise. These are both handraised rescues.

Sorry for taking so long... my mind has been who knows where with everybody sick, including myself, possibly my pigeons, my dog, my boyfriend...huh. I sincerely forgot about the pic. Old feces.










They shouldn't be together until the metronidazole course is ended, right? Because carnidazole where five pills, but metronidazole, the other time was like two weeks.


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