# Please help urgent - Found a very sick and possibly wounded baby pigeon



## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi guys,

I am from India and Devanand's friend. I found a very sick and possibly injured baby pigeon yesterday night. I managed to catch it and have kept it at home. I have no experience in handling them and have no idea what to do. Dev is out of station and will be back in the afternoon and till he can come and care for it and take it further, suggested me to ask you guys for help.

These are its symptoms:

Its head is most of the time droopy.
Keeps shaking/tossing its head violently from time to time as if its got fits.
Poops dont look good at all.

Have attached pics of its poop as well as the baby. Please help me  I am scared i might lose it. I recently lost another baby pigeon with similar symptoms just 15 minutes after rescuing it. I don't know what was wrong.

I have kept it in a warm place where sunlight falls and haven't given it any rehydration since Dev asked me to first keep the bird warm and get its body temperature normal.

























Regards,
Priya


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

hi priya, once warm offer warm water, dip his beak in and see if he will drink.
have you looked in his mouth at all, is it clean and pink? does he have white stuff in it or does it smell bad?


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

I tried to feed it warm water but it is not opening its beak  Have not been able to see inside its beak as it is not opening it at all and I am not sure how to open it with my hands...a bit scared. 

The box in which it is kept definitely has a foul smell but I don't know if it is from its poop or anything to do with its beak 

Can i forcefully open its beak? Or try to feed it any solids?


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

spdevanand said:


> I tried to feed it warm water but it is not opening its beak  Have not been able to see inside its beak as it is not opening it at all and I am not sure how to open it with my hands...a bit scared.
> 
> The box in which it is kept definitely has a foul smell but I don't know if it is from its poop or anything to do with its beak
> 
> Can i forcefully open its beak? Or try to feed it any solids?


Make a mixture in the following proportions:

1 cup of water....warm
a pinch of sugar
a pinch of salt

Mix until mostly dissolved. Take a hand towel folded length wise and wrap the bird inside to immobilize the wings. With an eye dropper or the like, draw
up the mixture and then drizzle alongside the beak allowing the bird to take in
as wanted. Continue w/this method as time permits until you can see that the bird is stabilizing. If you have a heating pad and weather in your area turning cool, keep the heating pad (on low) in the cage or box w/the bird in such a way that the bird may select whether or not to be on it if needed. 

Once the bird is stabilized, you may soak some puppy kibble in water until softening occurs w/out being mush. Then you may push up on the upper beak to get the beak open push a piece to the back of the bird's mouth allowing the bird to swallow the food. You can gently squeeze the bird's crop to see how much has been consumed. At this stage, feeding less is better until you can see where the bird is going. 

Are you able to get any medications in India without prescription? Do you 
have any leftovers in your medicine cabinet or a friend or relatives? Please tell us what you have on hand or are able to get w/ease locally and we can advise you from there.

If you have the ability to post a video, please do this while the bird is having
the CNS symptoms.

This appears to be a juvenile in trouble...

fp


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I agree with the above. The pigeon is young...his neurological symptoms may indicate he has a virus, or it may indicate he is in shock from an attack or a hard blow.

Keeping him warm, confined, calm, and watered/fed is what you need to do immediately.

Do not FORCE the liquid into his mouth, it is too dangerous to do that. However, using the method Feralpigeon mentions above, try to coax him/her to consume some of the liquid.

Also, if you do not have or cannot get puppy kibble (dry dog food), you can also use defrosted vegetables....softened peas, corn, or small bits of carrot. Soacked in warm water to make them soft and room temperature. Then pry his beak open and place them in the back of his mouth. He will likely swallow them.

As Feral says....while you want to feed and water him, you also do not want to stress him out in this weakened state. So, even just a little water and/or a few pieces of food...even just 5 pieces or so...then rest...is a good start.

Then the big question is, when you can open his mouth, see if he has foul/bad breath or if the inside of his mouth has white or yellow splotches/growths/mucous.

1) Is he breathing OK, or does it seem like he is breathing heavily and roughly ?

2) You said possibly wounded...is there ANY sign of cuts, abrasions, scratches, open wounds, dried blood anywhere on his.her body ? Look carefully, move feathers aside so you can see her skin beneath.

3) Also...IMPORTANT...when you feel his breast area, is his breastbone/keelbone (center bone on his chest) protruding dramatically ? Or does there seem to be some flesh/mass/muscle on each side of it. ?

Thanks for saving him. Keep it up ! Post updates often


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Thank you all for the prompt help. I will definitely try the method Jaye and feral suggest and see if i can coax it to eat and let you guys know. I am also trying to get a side shot of the baby's beak for you guys to see if there is any problem with its beak.

It doesn't open its beak at all...hoping it is not due to any problem with its beak. Will try the way mentioned and let you all know. Please pray for its recovery  I hope it survives.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Jaye said:


> 1) Is he breathing OK, or does it seem like he is breathing heavily and roughly ?


Breathing seems to be ok to me. Not laboured.



Jaye said:


> 2) You said possibly wounded...is there ANY sign of cuts, abrasions, scratches, open wounds, dried blood anywhere on his.her body ? Look carefully, move feathers aside so you can see her skin beneath.


It seems to have some sort of abrasions on its body and a lot of feather loss. Will try moving its feathers to see if there are any cuts.



Jaye said:


> 3) Also...IMPORTANT...when you feel his breast area, is his breastbone/keelbone (center bone on his chest) protruding dramatically ? Or does there seem to be some flesh/mass/muscle on each side of it. ?


No, nothing of that sort. But his chest seems puffed.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi spdevanand,

It may be a virus, though bacterial infections may also manifest Central Nervous
System symptoms. Please look again at the questions I posed and respond in 
kind. It is important that we know what medicinal resources you have available
to you in the event that it is determined that your patient has a condition that
is remedied w/medicine.

Are you able to get Ciprofoxacin or Metronidazole or any of the class members of these meds? Any other meds? Frequently, just augmented feedings will
bring much relief to a bird in duress.

fp


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Please take him out of the sun. Keep him in the semi-dark quiet place.
Hydrate him the way Feralpigeon described. Let him relax for some time and then 
Open gently his beak and check inside look for yellow canker growth, or bad smell.
If mouth is clear, try to feed defrosted peas and corns (run warm water over them until slightly warm). Open his beak gently and pop in piece. Let him swallow, then repeat procedure. Feed 40~50 peas/corn pieces two times a day.
You may need two people to perform this procedure, one to hold pigeon, and other one to feed. Just do not squeeze him hard.
After first feeding let him relax and check droppings 2~3 hours latter


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi feralpigeon,

Yes we do have metrodinazole available here. Plus my friend Devanand has got a few other probiotics, spartrix and the like imported from a few members of PT. We don't have those locally available here.

I tried enticing it to drink water by placing a few drops on its beak but it still didn't open its beak . Am trying my best with whatever I can do for it. Hoping for Dev to return soon so that he can take it in his care.

@Plamenh: Yes I have removed him from the sun and placed him in a semi dark place and keeping him warm. The problem is with hydration and food since I am unable to make him open his beak 

Meanwhile I have taken some snaps of his beak to the side. Could you guys kindly have a look and let me know if anything looks suspicious from the outside? 

Also the pic of the poop i had posted earlier...is that a sign of grave danger or is the baby atleast semi hydrated?

Thanks all again.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Give him Spartrix tablet.
Do not worry pigeons are not too delicate creatures. Use your nails and force his beak open. Gently and firmly with Dev’s help.
You need to do it to be able to help him.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hey thanks Plamenh...that pic was a great help. Am waiting for Dev to return soon so that he can take care of it. Till then I hope I can do my best for the little one to survive. He has spartrix with him. I am sure he will be able to take it further with you guys.

Meanwhile will try again and see if I can gently try and open its beak according to the pic you sent. Thanks a ton.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Please keep it warm - hot water bottle wrapped in towel near him will do. I know it is hot in India, as it is in South Africa now, but just make sure he is at 37-Celsius temperature.
Hydrating can be done also by dipping his beak in water to taste it. Do not cover nostrils though.
He definitely looks in need of fluids.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

I just noticed one more thing...one of his nostrils seems to be blocked and i suspect his breathing is a tad laboured  Any pointers on how can i help to clear his nostrils or help making breathing easy for him?


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

I tried cleaning his nostrils with cloth dipped in warm water and noticed that one of them had kind of yellowish substance blocking it. I don't know if I should have done this, but I tried to remove it and it came off partially.

I am now worried if that wasn't mucous but some kind of puss which I shouldn't have tried to remove? I am scared and worried  Please help


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

Don't worry, I don't think that you did any harm at all by clearing its nostrils, blocked nostrils must be very uncomfortable for birds. But he must avoid inhaling water.

Here is a another link to a video of a pigeon's mouth being opened. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU1SO0ZJoow

You can wrap him in a towel to keep him still. They are tough little birds and won't break with handling but as with all animals it is best if you move slowly and gently while handling them to provide reassurance.

When offering water make certain that it is warm, about 39C. The pigeon looks young and that is the heat at which it will have been receiving food from its parents so it will be familiar to it. Dip its beak in the water without covering its nostrils and leave it just for a couple of seconds (because we don't know if its nostrils are clear or how his breathing is affected.)

After handling any sick animal you should always wash your hands.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi Feefo,

Thanks so much for responding. Also i noticed that the tip of its beaks were getting covered by the same off whitish substance...i wiped it with a warm cloth. But again after sometime it is back to the same  Will try to take a pic of that and post it here. Due you think it could be mucous due to some respiratory infection or is it canker?

I did try giving him warm water mixed with a pinch of salt and sugar and dipped his beak. But the moment i do that he tosses his head away. Hasn't drank even a drop of water  Looked at the video you sent me but when i try to open his beak in a similar manner, he struggles and pushes away. Doesn't open his beak at all 

What do you think could be wrong? If it is respiratory infection, what treatment do we give? Dev would be back by 7 pm. It is 3:30 pm now. So just hoping the little one survives and he would be able to feed it with water and solids.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Be patient, be gentle and keep trying to get it to drink. What it needs is to be kept warm and hydrated. Once Dev gets there you will be able to examine it properly between you and decide on treatment.
`


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Here are the pics of that yellowish substance on its beak. It keeps coming back after i wipe it.
Plus another pic of its poop. It is very dark green and watery in colour  Also keeps its eyes closed for most part of the time. Feel very bad and upset seeing its condition


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

There are some conditions that are very common in pigeons: canker, cocci, worms, PMV...and many of us have a lot of experience of these conditions and know how to treat them successfully, so in a way we hope that a sick bird has one of these or a combination of these, because we know exactly what to do and what the prognosis is.

But there are also a lot of different conditions, viral and bacterial that have similar symptoms and that are difficult even for vets to diagnose, even after death. As vets deal mostly with fancy and racing pigeon they have a broader picture than we feral pigeon rescuers have...they can see how the flock is affected, the order in which the symptoms appear, the spread of symptoms shown by different birds but even they can't diagnose just by looking at the bird.

So none of us can actually tell you what is happening here, all we can do is advise on the best way of helping the baby survive whatever it is. 

My guess would be that this pigeon has a virus, probably herpes virus, but I have no way of knowing whether that guess is right, I haven't seen or felt the pigeon and I have no personal experience of this virus to base my guess on, just a number of books describing the symptoms which can also mimic symptoms of other diseases. Herpesvirus is one of the viruses that affects young birds because their immune systems aren't fully developed. Symptoms can include green diarrhoea, wobbly neck, mucous production, inflammation of the mouth, yellow or white necrotic debris in the mouth, birds appear sleepy, often sit hunched and motionless.

If it is herpesvirus then acyclovir can help, but for other viruses there is no antiviral available yet. You have to keep it warm, quiet, hydrated and nourished...probiotics often help as do vitamins. 

I think that just as a precaution its should be treated for cocci (appertex) and canker (spartrix) , and that an antibiotic could also help, just in case it is a bacterial infection or there is a concurrent bacterial infection.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

poor little guy is very very sick, i would wrap him up good in a towel with just his head sticking out.
if you have any q tips dip them in warm water and dab the excess off on a paper towel and try to clean up his beak and soften what ever that is in his nostrils and on his beak.
i might even pick it off very carefully out of his nostrils to help clear them once softened.
i thinking he should be treated for canker right away because it's such a common ailment for pigeons.
your going to have to get his beak open and take a look, and the fact that he's is just sleeping means he is in need of emergency treatment now, i think this little one dying, he needs fluids right away and medicine for the canker, i think it would help to throw in a broad spectrum anti biotic also to cover anything bacterial
when i'm toweling i wrap them up like a birdie burrito and hold them on my lap.
here a video on how to tube feed, but you can use a 1cc syringe and do the same thing as long as her throat isn't blocked with canker lesions, i wouldn't give her very much at first maybe 1-2cc's every hour or so and after a few times with the fluids, they try to get some peas and corn into her and see how they digest. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HulTENCRFvU
please keep her extra warm, with a hot water bottle, or put some dry rice into a sock and microwave it, better yet put a heating pad under half the box, make sure she has the choice to move away from the heat if she's not comfortable.
if you have any soft fabric you don'tcare about she might be more comfortable on that rather than paper


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks so much Feefo. I just hope it isn't one of those viruses that you mentioned that don't have proper antiviral  and we can save it and make it healthy. From the symptoms you have mentioned, comes close to herpesvirus but as you said we really can't be sure 

I guess Dev has spartrix and appertex (which he mentioned that you sent him)...can't thank you enough for it  Will definitely start with it immediately once he has had it hydrated and fed it.

Plus i also noticed these yellowish powdery substance which had fallen as a blot on the newspaper that I have kept him on. I also noticed the same on the cloth that I used to pick him up. It is dry and powdery. Looks pretty bad  Hope someone here has a clue on what that is. I think it is the same substance that is coating its beak. If so, it is being generated in large quantities and the condition is pretty bad.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Priya, unless you open his beak and look inside, no one will be able to give you any advice or provide helpful information.
You need to check is there any yellowish growth in his mouth. Any smell. Slime in the throat. Coating on tongue. Anything different from healthy pinkish color similar as inside human mouth.
Keep his upper beak firm between your thumb and index finger and pull his lower beak open. If he is wrapped in towel he wont be able to struggle much.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

@altgirl: Yes i am very worried about the poor baby...it is in a very bad shape  Thank you so much for helping me out on how to keep him warm. I have just wrapped a hot water bottle in a towel and placed it close to the baby.

You are right...it needs fluids right away...it is dying  I just called my friend again, who is better off in handling pigeons and he said he will be here any moment. I am praying that we can save it before it is too late. He has Spartrix, appertex and metronidazole. So i hope we can administer the baby all of those.

Here it is Diwali, a festival where people all over the country burst crackers. There is just so much of noise everywhere  I just hope the poor baby isn't getting frightened. I will be near it to comfort it.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Prepare Iodine. When you friend arives, swab pigeons mouth with lukewarm water and drop or two Iodine. Give bird Spartrix today only. Do not start medicating with everything you have. Hydrate him with honey and water. By the look of the photo, bird has Mycoplasma and Canker.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

saying a prayer for the little one


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks altgirl. We need all the prayers and good wishes for the little one's recovery. Meanwhile I have handed it over to my friend. He will take over from now on. I want to thank all of you for all the support and care you guys have given me till now.

Please continue helping my friend with it by advicing him on what he should do, treatments etc. He will first feed the lil one with fluids and then get back with more info on the condition of its beak.

@Plamenh: How do i prepare iodine? I am not sure...could you please guide us on this? Also is this for clearing up the mucous?

Thanks

-- Priya


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> Do not start medicating with everything you have


The spartrix and appertex were recommended by me. Spartrix for canker, appertex for cocci. Spratrix and appertex are generally given together because these conditions are so common in sick pigeons whatever the cause of the illness, and will weaken the bird.

A lot of us give metronidazole at the same time as spratrix for severe canker, specially when nodules are blocking the throat but this doesn't seem to be the case here here so I would hold back on that.

altgirl35 has suggested a broad spectrum antibiotic as well, I am afraid I can't remember what I sent Dev or what he was able to obtain locally, but he might have tylosan (Tylan). If Plamenh's guess that he has a mycoplasma infection is correct this is an effective antibiotic against it, but it is also effective against other respiratory conditions. 

Also, sit near the baby and try to project a lot of loving thoughts, to surround it with the warmth of your love.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

spdevanand said:


> Am waiting for Dev to return soon so that he can take care of it.


Hi. Priya you did a good job. I assume the pigeon is with Dev now. 

That bird needs to be started on Spatrix NOW...absolutely ASAP.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks feefo..will check with Dev if he has Tylan with him. He will get in touch with you guys.

Thanks Jaye for your kind words but i feel so guilty for not being able to care for the poor baby much what with me failing to get it to open its beak  Couldn't hydrate it. It is with Dev now and in safer hands. I hope the baby survives. Yes, will be giving him spartrix immediately.

Feefo, Dev is with the baby now and trying to give fluids...meanwhile wanted to check with you, do we start on the spartrix right now or first give it some time to recuperate from the strain of the journey and give it some fluids and solids? I guess its stomach should be having some food and it should be a bit hydrated before starting any meds? Not sure...kindly advice

Thanks


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I would give spartrix now. It can work very quickly. But I wouldn't give solids until tomorrow, feeding before it is properly rehydrated could be dangerous.

If Dev has Tylan, then it has to be dissolved in warm water, otherwise it just sits on top of the water. But I am not certain that I would have sent it, I have only ever had to use that once in 10 years.

Thank you for looking after the baby. If this was your first rescue then it was a baptism of fire as whatever is wrong with it it is very, very ill.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Fefo is right, give *Spartrix now*. Hydrate with *warm water and honey*. This will give him all energy he needs until tomorrow. You can use 2 teaspoons warm water and 1~2 drops of Iodine. Dip q-tip into solution and swab nicely mouth and throat. You can drop some of the solution in the nostrils too.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hey Guys,

This is Dev here. I got the baby bird home, it was a bit difficult for me to open its beaks but i did. Here are my observations,

1. I could get a foul smell from it's beak.
2. I could only see around 60% it's beak inside and from what I could observe I saw very very little whitish marks inside it. But at the tip of its beak (inside) I could find yellowish mucous. As priya said, this yellowish mucous is on the outer part of the beak as well 
3. When left the baby down at the floor, it was making circles  I remember reading somewhere that it could be one of the symptoms as PMV, is that true ?

So now I have spartix with me, shall I feed one whole tablet to this baby? And is it ok to directly feed the medicine without hydrating the bird ? It is just being kept warm now. Please let me know.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

I managed to provide around 10ml of luke warm water (mixed with honey & salt) to this baby now. Can you guys please help me with the dosage of Spatrix? This looks like a 20 to 25 days old baby to me and it is very thin too.. I am worried if a whole spatrix tablet will end in over dosage?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

You are safe giving one whole tablet.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks Feefo. I will do that.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

I have now given one whole Spatrix to this baby and I did feed little more honey + salt mixed water. I have kept this bird under a 60w bulb and on a warm cloth. The weather in our city is neither cold nor hot, so I believe this should keep the bird's temperature. 

I am again going to hydrate this baby after 3 hours now. Thank you all for the great help. Please let me know if there is anything that I missing out.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

The bird is little more active than what it was, but I found it making more circles and it's head is still not steady  it seems to be always putting it's head down  is this a symptom of any known problem?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

spdevanand said:


> The bird is little more active than what it was, but I found it making more circles and it's head is still not steady  it seems to be always putting it's head down  is this a symptom of any known problem?


It could be a symptom of a neurological disease like PMV, but that can be cured with time and good nutrition including calcium.

Are you feeding the baby yet?


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Trees Gray said:


> It could be a symptom of a neurological disease like PMV, but that can be cured with time and good nutrition including calcium.
> 
> Are you feeding the baby yet?


Hi, I have still not started feeding solids to this baby, I have been giving only water mixed with honey and salt. After giving it spatrix, I can see the bird getting better in terms of how active it is, but the more it is getting better, it is showing the few other sings  Here is what I observed

1. The bird continues to make circles with keeping it's head down and closing its eyes.
2. Most of times it just closes it's eyes and starts walking (or rather dragging itself) in reverse

Are these very strong indications of PMV or other neurological disease? Are there any other symptoms that I should watch out for? What would be next step in treating this bird ?


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

You need to get some nutrition/protien into this baby. Wrap him up in a towell and hand feed him some baby bird formula. The symptons sound like PMV. The bird needs supportive care, but can not live on just water & honey. You need to start feeding him/her.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi lwerden,

Sure, I will start hand feeding this bird. Since we don't get any food for the baby birds in India, I generally start with soaked green peas, chick peas. I will also feed defrosted corn & egg white. Please let me know if there is any other home made food that can give good nutrition to this baby.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Dog kibble, soaked in water like a soft sponge. Make like the size of a pea, and put it to the back of the throat to swallow.

Defrosted peas.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Keep him in semi-dark place. Use hot water bottle wrapped in towel for heat instead light bulb. Bright light increases neurological signs in sick birds.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I didn't think that the lightbulb was a good idea. I always heard that they should be kept in a darkened place.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Hey Guys,

I am extremely sorry but the little baby has passed away.. Its really heartbreaking I am really not able to take this ( I had even kept a warm water bottle next to the bird.. Around an hour back i found the baby making circles and flapping it's wings too much, so I took the bird in my hand and comforted it for a while. It calmed down and then I kept it back in the cage and was out for 15 mins, when I came back I found the baby was dead  I tried a lot to to wake it by shaking it's body but it was surely dead ( I donno what went wrong guys.. the bird was getting better last whole night, I was hydrating it every 3 to 4 hours  when ever I held the baby in my hand I even found it to be warm..

Hope this baby rests in peace..


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Sorry to hear this Dev,
You did what you could to help this bird. Sometimes we are helpless. It is painful when despite all efforts we loose fight with disease, but we must carry on and newer give up. There are so many birds in need of help and without you they are doomed.
You give them hope for survival and even when the end is fatal, you provide them with warmth and piece in they last moments.

R.I.P. little baby.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Making the baby comfortable, doing those loving little things like clearing its nostrils, keeping it warm, hoping....these little acts of kindness and love made such a difference to his last hours.

I am so sorry very that this baby didn't make it. Thank you both for giving it so much love and for valuing its life.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i'm sooo sorry, this baby was so sick, sometimes we get them to late, you did everything you could.
thank you for keeping him warm and safe in his last hours
rest in peace little one


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

I just want to thank Plamenh, Feefo, altgirl and everyone else on this forum who helped us to the maximum to keep this baby going.
We are so terribly heart broken  I really donno why this happens always with us  can't stop crying

Only wish I had somehow managed to give it fluids myself earlier...feel so guilty  Maybe its chances of survival would have been more if I had hydrated it sooner  Feeling so sick and terrible

-- Priya


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm so sorry to hear about the baby. It is always a heartbreak for any caretaker who does so much to try to help.

Please don't feel bad, you did what you could at the time, and it would have been much worse for the baby if left on its own.

Life is a learning experience, each and everyday. You did your best, this baby is now in peace in the hands of its Creator. Find peace and comfort in that.

Thank you and God bless you for trying, it is much more then many would have done.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

stop it priya, you have nothing to feel guilty about! we can only do the best we can, you heart is caring, most people just look the other way.
saving wild animals is a constant learning process, you did everything you could do.
that baby was probably sick for a very long time, birds are masters at disguising illness and injury, it how they survive if it's something minor, many times when a human can actually catch them to try to help it's all ready too late and all we can do is help them pass away in comfort.
try to look at his death as a chance to learn and it will help you save the next one that comes in your life.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Priya, you and Dev are good people. It doesn’t happen because of you, I bet that hundreds of people walked by this baby and didn't pay attention. You tried and that is enough. There is no guaranty that anyone of us would manage to save this bird.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we loose. Blaming yourself does not change things, only makes you reluctant to help bird in need. Do not deprive sick birds from only chance they have for survival - YOU.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

plamenh said:


> Priya, you and Dev are good people. It doesn’t happen because of you, I bet that hundreds of people walked by this baby and didn't pay attention. You tried and that is enough. There is no guaranty that anyone of us would manage to save this bird.
> Sometimes we win, sometimes we loose. Blaming yourself does not change things, only makes you reluctant to help bird in need. Do not deprive sick birds from only chance they have for survival - YOU.


I agree...couldn't have said it better.


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

plamenh said:


> I bet that hundreds of people walked by this baby and didn't pay attention.


That is very true. People just don't bother to care. It really breaks my heart to see that we live in such a cruel world.

Thank you all for the encouraging words. These are words that give us strength and motivate us to carry on...yes we will definitely continue to save and help each and every one of our feathered friends and animals that cross our way. But feel so bad when we see them suffering in the hands of vets who wouldn't care less or when we see the poor ones suffering, not able to express their pain and pass away in front of our eyes  That is a moment when we all feel so helpless 

Thank you all again and wish we save the life of the next one that we find.

-- Priya


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

I'm so sorry. You really tried everything and thats all you can do. Next time will be better, your learning and that is the really important, learning something each time and it will get easier each time. mindy


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