# found weak pigeon



## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

I found yesterday a weak pigeon. It was very easy to catch him as he was just standing there. 

One eye is redder and I am not sure he sees with it.

He main tummy bone is protruding a lot, possibly because he underfed and hungry.

Smelly greenish paste poop.

What do you think I can do for him. Going to the vet is out of the question.

Stefi


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

Sounds like he is starving/dehydrated at the very least. Does he seem to want to eat or drink? Pedialyte is good if he is dehydrated. Do you know if there is a rescue org in your area? Where are you located? Maybe there is a member in your area that could help you out. I'm pretty sure you will need to give it antibiotics and probably a de wormer. There are other members that will probably be along soon to advise you with more details.


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Thank you for the reply. He eats with appetite and drinks without any problems. I started giving it antibiotics every 6 hours as I couldn't think of anything else to do. Otherwise he is slow and weak and has stinky poops.

I live in Bulgaria.


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

What antibiotic and dosage are you using?


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

amoxacilin. no clear dosage, a crape some powder off a pill and add water. I did the same thing some time ago to a cat-wounded pigeon at it worked.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Can you check how many milligrams each pill is and weigh the pigeon? Then try to give 12.5 mg for every 100 gms the pigeon weighs.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, see what the pill bottle says and tell us. Also, every 6 hours is too often. So stop doing that. If you do the dosage Feefo says above, you only need to dose twice a day, every 10-12 hours. It is important to get the right dosage. 

~ The food and water are good. Keep her/him in a very warm and quiet place too.

~ Also, pick her up in a towel and open her mouth...see if you see anything inside the mouth such as white or yellow growths/dots, or mucous. let us know.

~ Also...is there ANY sign of external injury such as blood, scratches, missing feathers, scrapes ?

~ Can you post a photo ? Go to "Go advanced" button, click it, then on the next screen go to "attachments" button.

Thank you for saving him/her !


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Thank you so much for answering. Well, I have amoxacilin tablets for humans of 500mg each. I can't weigh the pigeon but I would say about 200g, seems pretty light to me. So that would mean about 1/10th of a tablet every 10hours. 

I looked inside the mouth, all pretty and pink.

No sign of external injury. 

Just that it is weak and pretty much stinks like bad pigeon poops. Not only the poops, the pigeon itself stinks like it. I don't know if it is because we found it in a bigger town and he has never taken a bath in his lifetime or is it just because he's sick. He just had his second warm gentle shower. Anything else I can wash him with?

He's in a warm and quiet place.


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

I'm just reading about emaciation: this is something that I was trying to explain but couldn't: 



> Breast musculature should be rounded and, with most species, reach the top of the keel bone. Although you can always palpate the keel (leading edge of the breast bone) in a bird that is flying and within its normal weight range, these muscles will feel full and well-developed; in a bird that is starving, these muscles waste away to varying degrees, leaving the keel very prominent. A 'knife-edge' or 'razor' keel is, like it sounds, when you can actually pinch the keel, feeling bone with the pads of your fingers.


so he is very much starving. I can feel that bone VERY prominent.


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

One more question:



> Smelly poop' can be from many things, most of which have to do with Bacterial or Parasties or micro-organsism or Yeast problems in the digestive system.


Is amoxacilin a solution in the possible reasons above?


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Amoxicillin will treat some bacterial infections but won't help with parasitic diseases such as Trichomoniasis (slang name "canker") or Coccodiosis, which are common in pigeons, nor will it get rid of worms. Canker is the most common ailment and can cause smelly droppings, though that can also be caused by other things. It's is easily treated with a group of drugs ending in -azole. You can sometimes find metronidazole in aquarium stores or pet stores that sell fish supplies. If you can find 200-mg metronidazole tablets (sold as Fishzole or Flagyl) split them in quarters and give him 1/4 tablet per day for five days.


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

How's your patient doing today? Any improvement?


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

are you feeding him???
if he's too weak to eat on his own get a surringe and put something in his belly.. very liquidy formula...
just 20 days ago i found a pigeon just like u.. emaciated..
when i got him to my house he just lied on his side.. i thought he'd be dead by tomorrow.. but heat and pedialyte.. little bit of food and he is doing great waiting to release him in few days ..


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

I actually read the description of salmonella and it looks like it fits his symptoms. I am frightened now. I read it is air-born and humans can catch the disease. I am s**t scared. He is in our second bedroom basically. If he were at least outside or in a special quarantine room...I just had my husband move his workdesk from that bedroom to the kitchen.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

mistergugu said:


> I actually read the description of salmonella and it looks like it fits his symptoms. I am frightened now. I read it is air-born and humans can catch the disease. I am s**t scared. He is in our second bedroom basically. If he were at least outside or in a special quarantine room...I just had my husband move his workdesk from that bedroom to the kitchen.


air born..? just wash your hands after handling him which should be done anyway.. you can not know what it is unless he was tested ..he needs to eat an drink..


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Birdmom4ever, I will search for 200-mg metronidazole tablets (sold as Fishzole or Flagyl) tomorrow morning. 

goga82, do you know what was the reason for the state of the pigeon you found? Were his poops smelly? I am not feeding him, he eats alone.

Kiko&Kalani - improvement; I wouldn't know what would be a good improvement. I don't know if it is my impression but I think today he was protesting more to my hands and being handled. Also his bad eye looks better, almost normal.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

mistergugu said:


> I actually read the description of salmonella and it looks like it fits his symptoms. I am frightened now. I read it is air-born and humans can catch the disease. I am s**t scared. He is in our second bedroom basically. If he were at least outside or in a special quarantine room...I just had my husband move his workdesk from that bedroom to the kitchen.


air born..? just wash your hands after handling him which should be done anyway.. you can not know what it is unless he was tested ..he needs to eat and drink..


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

mistergugu said:


> Birdmom4ever, I will search for 200-mg metronidazole tablets (sold as Fishzole or Flagyl) tomorrow morning.
> 
> goga82, do you know what was the reason for the state of the pigeon you found? Were his poops smelly? I am not feeding him, he eats alone.
> 
> Kiko&Kalani - improvement; I wouldn't know what would be a good improvement. I don't know if it is my impression but I think today he was protesting more to my hands and being handled. Also his bad eye looks better, almost normal.


He was young..once he left the nest he realized that streets of chicago r not that pretty... He was fine after 24 h in my care... Yours is probably gettin used to the food thats why the runny poop..what is he eating


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

goga82 so yours was just inexperienced. This one is a mature pigeon and is surely sick. it's much deeper than just starvation. This morning, the whole room he is in was stinking, not just around his cage or around his poop. The stench is major.

I left for him pigeon seed mix and some bread crumbs. I am not sure he ate or drank a lot this morning. I am continuing with the antibiotic.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

If he stops eating u gonna have to force feed him..continue with the meds.keep him extra warm..any chance u upload his pic just so we can see the e condition he is in...i wish there was more I can do. Im sure hes gonna b ok eventualy.keep doing what u doing..i had a similar case few months ago..no happy ending thou..i wash him the best


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Heya mistergugu............If you can get a clear & focused pic of the latest dropping and upload it , there are some pretty experienced people here that may be able to shed some light on what is happening with your bird ......I've been helped here just recently by some pretty fabulous people here .

Darren


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

HI guys. Update: I think Stinky is doing much better today. His poop is within smell bearable limits and for the first time he complained about the cage confinement. I will see what I can do about the pics of poops. There were 2 solid poops also!!!

How many days do I need to give antibiotics? 5? 7? 10?


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Stinky is already showing signs that he doesn't like his cage anymore and wants to go. How many days to you give antibiotics to pigeons?


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

mistergugu said:


> HI guys. Update: I think Stinky is doing much better today. His poop is within smell bearable limits and for the first time he complained about the cage confinement. I will see what I can do about the pics of poops. There were 2 solid poops also!!!
> 
> How many days do I need to give antibiotics? 5? 7? 10?


Are you still giving just amoxicillin? Did you get any metronidazole?
It's a good idea to treat for at least 10 days with most antibiotics. If he's 'acting up', he's feeling better. Eating OK?
I would deworm him also.
Oh, and as far as catching anything.....Not likely if you use common sense hygiene, wash your hands after feeding, handling and cleaning cage.


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

I thought about metronidazole, but isn't it also an antibiotic? Wouldn't it be too much for the poor guy's liver to take both at the same time?

He is surely acting up, he acts like he had enough already and wants to go (3 days ago he wasn't moving much). Yeah, he is eating, drinking, no problem. So that's 7 more days, he ain't gonna like it 

How can I deworm? What's the name and where can I find it?

If I said that I am washing my hands 4 times after handling him with gloves and at least once after entering the room his cage is in, I wouldn't be lying. I am afraid for our pigeon pet and for us as well


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

mistergugu said:


> I thought about metronidazole, but isn't it also an antibiotic? Wouldn't it be too much for the poor guy's liver to take both at the same time?
> 
> He is surely acting up, he acts like he had enough already and wants to go (3 days ago he wasn't moving much). Yeah, he is eating, drinking, no problem. So that's 7 more days, he ain't gonna like it
> 
> ...


Metronidazole can be given safely *with* other antibiotics. It treats things that amoxicillin doesn't.
I don't know what you have available to you for wormers. I use pyrantil (stongid) and ivermec (I rotate them). Most veterinarians have pyrantil. Ivermec can be bought from most online 'pigeon supply'....
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/index.html
You can check with them about shipping to you.
Just wash your hands and keep him isolated from your other bird, and you should be fine.


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Msfreebird, one more question. Would you give him also Metronidazole if he showed great improvement - solid poops, liveliness, more meat around the breast bone than 3 days ago and almost smell-free poops now?

And heeere is Stiiiinky!!!


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

mistergugu said:


> Msfreebird, one more question. Would you give him also Metronidazole if he showed great improvement - solid poops, liveliness, more meat around the breast bone than 3 days ago and almost smell-free poops now?
> 
> And heeere is Stiiiinky!!!


Sweet bird  I'm glad he's livelier.....that's always a good sign.
Whenever I treat a bird that I don't have a definite diagnosis on, I use 2 antibiotics (usually baytril and metronidazole or albon and metro) that cover different things. And I worm them with pyrantil (very gentle wormer for birds under the weather), and it does the trick.
I just worry about amoxicillin whereas alot of bacteria is resistant to that lately.
The last couple of 'culture & sensitivities' I've done on poops, have come back 'resistant to amoxicillin'.


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

Any update on stinky?


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

We released Stinky. Took the pigeon to the center where I know people feed them on a small green field. Stinky was a female and a very attractive one apparently. Within 2 minutes of the release she already had 3 male suitors competing for her attention. She hanged around with the rest of the pigeons for about 15 minutes or so, then she flew to the top of the highest building probably to get a feel for the surroundings. Then we lost her from sight.

Thank you guys for all the help and support.


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## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

if you don't want to take him to the vet or take care of him he will die


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## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

im glad she survived


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

pidgey boy, the pigeon was successfully released. I hope she is staying out of trouble.


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