# Injured wild Pgn, hopeful but need advice



## DaleADL (Mar 24, 2008)

I took home an injured wild pigeon we found at work Thursday 3-14-07. (Long Island , NY) He smelled horrible, he could only move his head, his body felt like dead weight, gave no struggle, breathing regular, one eye closed like injured, he accepted water immediately when I rubbed his beak with wet fingers. So I put him in a shoebox with paper towel and took him home. Then he accepted water with bird vitamins on a cotton ball, and in 2 days he was drinking normally. Day 3 still calm, moving more, but drooping wings, opened the closed eye and to eat the day after, gradually got stronger. (I have 4 parrots so I know a bit about birds in general). 
He's now able to stretch out wings out, keep them in place, stand, but one leg he holds up and does not put weight on it. Still does not try to get away, is calm, lets me bathe him a little and change his messy papers. I'm feeding him wagners wild bird food. *I'm worried because his poop is not right, messy and smells bad yet not as bad as when I found him, but not sure if this is normal*. It's made of 2 parts;-soft brownish part, and a greenish yellowish liquid, no white part. He's quiet but very alert, looks good otherwise. I am also *wondering if his leg is broken, how long will it take to heal ?*, I restrict him with the box and a bottomless bird cage over that, although he makes no attempt to flee. I've read others posts at this site about sick birds and it helped give me the confidence to deal with this. I want to release him when he is better and its warmer out, but again _not sure what's best for him_.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, let's start looking for an antibiotic to give him. He may have an infection. Is the green liguid more of a blue green like that old "Institutional Green" paint that you used to see in schools and government buildings or is it more of a true dark forest green? The best combination of antibiotics under the "shooting blind" circumstances would be Metronidazole and Enrofloxacin, commonly called Flagyl and Baytril, respectively. Do you have a vet that you can take the bird to?

Pidgey


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## DaleADL (Mar 24, 2008)

Hi Pidgey, 
Liquid is pale yellow, slighty green. Have Ornacycline/Tetracycline powder for birds by Virbac. Is this OK? Yes vet is possible.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Pidgey is off line right now but hopefully he will check in.
Sounds to me like your rescue has canker which is easily treatable. There may be other things going on as well but treating the canker is a good place to start. 
Please open in the bird's mouth and look for any yellow blotches that look kind of like cottage cheese. They could also be in the throat.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yes, that's a good antibiotic but we don't know what it is that he's got, specifically. When their droppings have a sour odor, it's certainly not good. Since that's all you have, I'd go ahead and start him on it. I'm guessing that you have the powder that mixes in their drinking water. Personally, I hate dosing that way because it's so full of unknowns and different species of birds often require different amounts. However, since you're trying more to treat the intestinal infection, it's probably just as well.

Meanwhile, we'll keep working on getting more information from you while trying to help you resolve this case. Really, though, the color of the urates is disquieting--they should be white. When they're not, it's often because they've got problems in the liver, which obviously can't be good. We tend to jaundice due to the buildup of a pigment called "bilirubin". They don't really have that pigment so they get a buildup of a similar one, "biliverdin". When it starts showing up in the urine, it's called "biliverdinuria". You can almost get the colors out of the words themselves: ruby for the -rubin part which makes us physically turn yellow, and green for the -verdin part (think of "verdant valleys") which makes their urates turn green.

Usually, we'd shift to Baytril (Enrofloxacin) and Flagyl (Metronidazole). Baytril to hit Gram- organisms like Salmonellae and E. coli, and Flagyl to get protozoals like the Trichomonads (Trichomoniasis) that Charis mentioned (commonly called "canker"). You'd more than likely need to get those from a vet after he or she saw the bird and performed a fecal smear.

Pidgey


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## DaleADL (Mar 24, 2008)

Thanks for advice...
Pigeons doing the same...I checked his mouth, it's clean looking-pink, looks good. I started him on the Ornacycline this morning, based the dose on directions for size bird. Contacted my exotics vet, and they told me that this bird probably has bugs(?) and I should keep it out in the garage ( but I won't do that) and they gave me name of place would take him in, so I didn't ask vet for anti-biotics. So I left a message at _Volunteers for Wildlife_- but I see now on their web site they will only take in indigenous wildlife, and not pigeons which are "invasive". ...Their site suggests contacting pigeon-talk. so i will try calling the vet again for antibiotics tomorrow, and not count on a rescue. 
Thanks again, -Dale


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Ask you vet for canker meds, as long as you're already asking. He could have bugs but if he did, you would know it from having handled him.
Thank you for not keeping him in the garage.


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## Grimaldy (Feb 25, 2007)

Where are you located Dale?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Dale is on Long Island, New York.


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

Dale, If you can get into Manhattan, you can take the bird to Animal General Vet. Hospital on Columbus Ave and 87th Street. You need to make an appointment with Rita , Gloria or Karen at the WILD BIRD FUND....THEY ARE A REHAB GROUP WORKING OUT OF ANIMAL GENERAL....They definitely take pigeons and for only a donation of whatever you can affrd. They are THE best here in NYC area. Their phone number is 212-501-9600.


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## littlecakes (Mar 14, 2008)

Yes! If you can make it into Manhattan to bring him to see the Wild Bird Fund rehabbers I would urge you to. They are amazing. You should call Gloria directly at 646-306-2862 to make an appointment. If you can't come into the city, they may know a good pigeon vet or rehabber near you so you should give them a call.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2008)

Try contacting Dr. Linda Pesek at http://www.westburyanimalhospital.com/home/ She's involved with bird rescue including pigeons. If you're in western Suffolk county I can help get medications and run a fecal test (I work at a vet).


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

sasha008 said:


> Try contacting Dr. Linda Pesek at http://www.westburyanimalhospital.com/home/ She's involved with bird rescue including pigeons. If you're in western Suffolk county I can help get medications and run a fecal test (I work at a vet).


That is so great! Thanks for helping.


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## DaleADL (Mar 24, 2008)

Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your amazing dedication to these little guys. I have been swamped with work, sick mom, and whatnot so I've not had a second to get back online, but I have been dillegently attending to and observing this little pigeon. After keeping him on the antibiotic since last we talked he no longer smells, his poop is looking like normal, he's got more pep. When I clean out his box I let him sit next to me on the floor and he stretches his wings, flaps in place a bit, got a little lift-off today-but it was very controlled -like he knew he really wasn't intending to go anywhere. He preens and in general seems happy. I think the only thing now is his left foot, he just favors it, won' t press down all the way, but will if he must. It consistently seems stronger though- and when I hold him I can feel that he uses it now, not like in the beginning it was immoble. I feel his leg all the way up into his body and it feels just like the other. So... Is there a general time frame that a leg injury would get better in? Does he need to be perfect before I set him free? I want to let him go when the cold nights are over to give him a head start, but does delaying it do more harm than good as far as getting reaclimated to freedom-finding his flock-starting a family-etc. I will email that Dr. Pesek too, thanks-so much, everyone


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Please do keep him until he is 100% and the cold nights are past. He will find his flock....promise.


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