# Sick Pigeons, Canker and a Swelling leg; PLEASE HELP



## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

Hello guys, 
This is my first time posting but i need some help. My pigeons are beggining to have i beleive canker because they are begining to have these yellowish growth in there mouths. So far I have about six pigeons infected and they all have yellow growths in there mouths, snot in thier nostirels, and breath with noises. I seperated them into a diffent cage, and gave them some vitamin water and also used apple cider vinager with water for them. For two birds, the yellowish growth dissapear and come back regularly. I was wondering if pigeons can live on with canker and become immune to it with out any medication, because i have troubles finding medication around here. I am wondering if i should realease my birds back into the loft because i dont have that many cages to treat all my sick birds. I think maybe i should let all my birds get affected and they would all eventually become immune to it. I have noticed that only young birds are getting the canker because probably the older ones are immune to it already. Only the one from this year are getting this epidemic in my loft. I hope that i would not loose any birds, because just two days ago one of my young flying homers. This boy is around four-five months old.








I saw that he had canker when he came in for the day so took him out of my loft and was busy so he accidently escaped from my grasp. I did not worry so much because i had other birds out too, so he took off into the sky and was soaring gracefully and my two other birds took off after him. I was cleaning up my yard afterwards and i wasnt concentrating on my three birds flying, untill i hear them fly around once more and i saw that they had seperated, but i was not really concerned because they had ben flying out everseince they were hatched so i went home. When i came back out two hours later to close up my loft i had noticed he had not trapped into my loft and then was when i knew that he probably got attacked by a hawk. Its ben two days and this boy always comes home. He is a slow trapper but he will come home becase this one day, when my flock of 14 birds flew out too far he some how knew to sperate from the rest of the birds and came strait home. I am sure that he was attacked so RIP young pigeon. I still have his father, brother, and sister, but he was the youngest. Lost his mother because she flew away too. He was a huge bird and one of my favs, I really wanted to see him as a grown up molted out bird. Well this is all i have to say tonight, but please give me advice on how to cure my birds.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You need to treat your pigeons, the sick ones individually from the rest and the ones that aren't showing you can treat via the water. Canker is caused by a single cell parasite that pigeons have in their system and stress can bring on a full blown episode of canker.
Just because you can't see canker in the mouth of the other pigeons, doesn't mean they don't have canker too. There is also an internal canker which cannot be seen by looking in the mouth or down the throat. Stress to pigeons can be a change in the weather, mating, racing, feeding babies, etc.
There are many on line pigeon supply companies from where you can buy medicine to treat the canker.
It helps to keep your loft scraped clean every day and don't allow poop to build up. Change the water daily and keep the water container very clean by washing it with warm soapy water.
Your birds will also enjoy straw or twigs to pick up and build a nest.
let me get you a link for the medicine.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Were I you...I would buy both the metronidazolem pills and powder. The first for individual treatment of the already sick birds and the powder for the flock treatment.
The reason you need to treat the sick ones individually is so you know each gets the medicine the bird needs.
Certainly, you wouldn't want the sick birds to also drink the treated water.

http://www.siegelpigeons.com/catalog-canker.html


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## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

thank you very much i will look at the link


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