# house sparrow injured?



## kilroy (Aug 16, 2011)

I found this house sparrow in my back yard. I have bird feeders so I get all kinds. At first I noticed it right after a thunderstorm, we had some small pea size hail. I went to get him and noticed he would skirt along the ground, momentarily taking flight, but not getting very high. He got between a fence and some high weeds and I couldn't see him anymore. Later that evening my dog found him out in the yard again. He was soaken wet and cold. I brought him in and put the hair dryer on him on low for a while then wrapped him in a heating pad on low. When he came around he was ready to go. Took off, but then hits the ground and skitters along it, landing on his chest, head down, tail up in the air. I am thinking this is because he doesn't have full use of his legs.

I looked him up in a bird book, he's a male house sparrow, full grown. I think it's his one leg. He looks like he can't get both legs under him to take off. He can after some scooting along the floor get airborne, and has flown quite high. Since I have him in the bathroom, he of course can't go too far. But I don't see him standing on his legs. He does have the use of both legs being able to grab and hold, but seems to be stonger in the one that the other. 

I sprinkled him with Sevin dust and he is in a cage with parakeet seed, a millet stick, gravel and grit, and water. I made a nest in a small box with some hay which he likes to hide in. I read they like fruit so I gave him some blackberries, as well. 

Does anyone know if it is a sprained or broken leg, if he can manage on that, either being caged kept or get well enough to let go? Anything I can do for him to get him better?
Lorie


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Lorie, thanks for helping this little guy out, why don't you start by posting a few photos so we can try and determine what the issues may be. Try and make they clear well lit with some full body shots and a few close ups.

Here's how:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=525049&postcount=15

Good luck with him,

Karyn


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## kilroy (Aug 16, 2011)

Here is the bird. The last picture is how he usually stands and also what he looks like when he scoots across the floor before he flys. 

I have more pics of him at:
http://pets.webshots.com/album/580734333kgpyzl

He seems to be doing well as far as energy and appetite. He ate almost two whole millet sprays.

Lorie


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Me, I'd seriously consider antibiotic therapy. We occasionally see this in pigeons and most of the time it's some kind of swelling in the kidneys due to infection. In birds, the motor nerves for the legs travel somewhat through the kidneys and, consequently, any swelling in them causes varying amounts of leg paralysis. Less often, it's trauma to the spine in which case you'd simply keep the bird safe until it heals.

The question therefore is... "which is it?" Seeing as how one requires treatment and the other doesn't, we usually go with treatment. That said, it's trickier to treat a smaller bird (like a finch) than a pigeon due to the much smaller amounts of medicines required, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done. Let us know if you stock any antibiotics and, if so, what they are--we'll do our best to help.

Pidgey


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## cesarbirdguy (May 6, 2012)

*House sparrow injured*

Hi everyone, I found this posting after searching on google and needed some advice. This being a house sparrow post I thought i would just ask my questions here. My neighbors cat caught a house sparrow and injured its leg and wing. I have had the bird for 3 days now and been feeding it baby bird formula and water. I think it's a fledgling since it looks young, but it might be a female house sparrow. Hence the baby formula, i also got some meal worms after petco recommended them and the birdies has ate some, and eats plenty of the formula when i feed it. It is very alert and hops around when i let it out of the box i have it in. I have a soft t-shirt on the bottom of the box to keep it warm and comfortable. 

Injuries: Right wing seems to drop down a bit, and his left leg is red. See pics. The birds droppings don't have any blood, so I'm guessing there isn't any internal injuries. But its heart rate seems to be high, because i can hear it and its body seems to be breathing faster than usual, but I'm not sure what normal is. 
Advice:?

Do you guys think this bird will recover just fine? Should i do anything else to help it?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you start a new post more people will see it. You have added it to an old post.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

he probalby should of be left for the parent birds to find him and feed him..allot of times they do fall or flutter from the nest..but he parent birds do find them and feed them still. best to leave flegdlings in situ...or put back in a tree close to where you found him.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I sent info on starting a new thread in a pm.
The problem with putting this one back, is that he said a neighbors cat got him. If a cat got him, he should be given antibiotics ASAP, or he could die from an infection. You can't just put him back now.


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## cesarbirdguy (May 6, 2012)

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f30/injured-house-sparrow-advice-61367.html#post667781

New Post,  thanks


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> I sent info on starting a new thread in a pm.
> The problem with putting this one back, is that he said a neighbors cat got him. If a cat got him, he should be given antibiotics ASAP, or he could die from an infection. You can't just put him back now.


oh yes you are right..


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Cesarbirdguy, there is a forum called Starling talk. They would probably be more 
appropriate in helping you to figure out the meds and dosing of this baby, as they deal more with these kinds of birds. I will go find the link for you.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Here is the link. At the bottom of the page it says SIGN IN, click on HOME. You can click on that and register there. I think you'll find good help there.

http://www.starlingtalk.com/guide.htm


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## cesarbirdguy (May 6, 2012)

Jay3 said:


> Here is the link. At the bottom of the page it says SIGN IN, click on HOME. You can click on that and register there. I think you'll find good help there.
> 
> http://www.starlingtalk.com/guide.htm


thanks, I will check them out. He didn't have any open wound injuries, so i didn't think the cat bacteria would hurt it...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

cesarbirdguy said:


> thanks, I will check them out. He didn't have any open wound injuries, so i didn't think the cat bacteria would hurt it...


You know, it takes only a tiny scratch or tiny little puncture to kill that baby. It could be something so tiny that you can't even find it. Just not worth taking the chance.


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