# Pigeon eye injury, he can't see! Please HELP!!!



## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Our 8 month old pigeon got struck in the head by a closing door on Monday night. We took him to a vet and he said there were no injuries that were visible to any part of his body including his neck. His right eye was swollen but he said there were no visible signs of any issues, no scratches or anything else. He prescribed an ointment for infection and oral anti-inflamatory and pain medicine. The swelling has gone down a lot but the bottom of his eye is blue and inside is a little red. He closes his right eye a lot and the eyelid is a lot thicker than the left. 

He has started to be his old self and do the regular things but he is 100% calmer and more mellow than he used to be and he takes flight very rarely just to go from one place to another. He used to follow me everywhere I went. Now he just sits still most of the time. We have tried to see if he reacts to our fingers or anything we hold in front of his right eye and 99% of the time there is no reaction. On his left side, he jerks right away. We are very afraid that he might be going blind. We're not getting anywhere with the vet from the clinic. We don't know what to do. 

*Please help!!! *How can we know if he's going blind? How long does it take for an eye to heal itself? What can we do to avoid his loss of eye sight? Is there medicine or doctor somewhere we can see? Is the behavior normal due to injury and will he get back to the way he was, more active? We can't bare the thought of him being blind from one eye. We raised him by hand when we found him. We're in Nassau County on LI.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm sorry to hear about the accident.

I certainly hope the eyesight returns.

You can get some Sovereign Silver colloidal silver at a health food store and put a drop in each eye per day. That will help with infection and other eye issues.

For swelling and bruising you can get a homeopathic remedy called arnica montana, it works especially well for trauma.

1/4 a human dose is fine.

You can use a tincture of euphrasia for eye injury, we have had some marvelous results.

If the bird should go blind in that eye, he will do well, as i have several one eye birds and they do well indoors.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i think it's to early to know if he is still healing up if he is going to be blind from it.
only thing i can think of that may help is an anti inflammatory to help bring down swelling and pressure in his eye, like metacam
his eye probably hurts so he is taking it easy in his own way


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Thank you Trees Gray and altgirl35 for your quick replies. We will look at those items you mentioned. Since we already are giving him anti-inflamatory and infection medication the vet prescribed, should we maybe limit the medicine we give him to euphrasia? He is supposed to be off of all the medication as of Monday night. Are all those items available in a regular pharmacy or what type of place should we go?

altgirl35 I hope you're right and it's too early. I hope he recovers fully.

Thank you again.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

What meds were prescribed ? You don't wanna add a second internal anti-inflammatory to the regimen - l hope the vet went with Medacam since it is the most effective. Sunshine - don't panic - absolute worst-case scenario is your friend loses sight in one eye - but since he's a domestic he will still have a long and happy life & quickly adjust to the condition (but it's just as possible he will recover sight - the swellng could be messing with things in there).


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Sunshine123 said:


> Thank you Trees Gray and altgirl35 for your quick replies. We will look at those items you mentioned. Since we already are giving him anti-inflamatory and infection medication the vet prescribed, should we maybe limit the medicine we give him to euphrasia? He is supposed to be off of all the medication as of Monday night. Are all those items available in a regular pharmacy or what type of place should we go?
> 
> altgirl35 I hope you're right and it's too early. I hope he recovers fully.
> 
> Thank you again.


You can get the things I mentioned at a local health food store.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I would use coloidal silver in the eye 1 drop in the morning, one in the afternoon. Arnica is really good for sweling and pain.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Take a picture or two? If he had a lot of local swelling around the eye and, more importantly, IN the eye (the orb usually doesn't physically grow) then the resulting glaucoma-like condition could very easily render him blind. What that means is that the intra-orbital pressure rises to the point where blood cannot get inside to the retinal tissues and thus they die. Hope not, but that's a very definite possibility. I really hate to see birds suffer much swelling around the eyes for this reason.

Pidgey


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Thank you thank you thank you EVERYONE for writing me. I truly appreciate it. 

*Jaye*, I don't know the names of the medicines off the top of my head. I will look them up and write the names when I get home.

*Pidgey*, the swelling has gone down tremendously. It swelled a lot the first night. After we started the medicine, it went down fast. The eyelid looks thick but the swelling has gone down a lot. The bottom of his eyelid is black and blue. Right now his overall right eye is bigger than the left one. I will look more carefully and see what parts exactly are bigger. I will take pics but won't be able to post until Monday as the only internet access I have on the weekends is from the library.

*Plamenh and Treesa *I will definitely keep busting down the door of the vet to see if we should give him anything else in addition to the two medications we already are giving him. I hope the vet calls back one of these days.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Hi Sunshine, 
Eye injuries are very painful so that is enough to make him be less active. I wouldn't push his activity level. Let him rest and take his meds. The less eye movement the better the healing process.


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## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

another good thing with an eye injury .. is to offer some (sitting) area where light of any kind..isn't so bright.


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Thank you *FloridaLuv and MsFreeBird* for your replies. I will definitely apply your advice.

*Jaye *the two medications are Vetropolycin and Meloxicam which I've read is same as metacam. Please let me know what you think about these and the necessity to add other ones advised. Vetropolycin ointment is to be applied until Monday (we apply it 3 times a day). The last dose of Meloxicam is for tomorrow night.

*Pidgey* we tried to take pictures of the eye tonight but the clearest ones change the color so it doesn't look like what we see. I will post them on Monday nevertheless.

I will come back online tomorrow and see what else anyone has to say.

Thank you very much for all your advice and support. You have no idea how much it helps to have you all to discuss this with. We are hoping and praying.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, Meloxicam is Medacam. Your vet sounds like he knows what he's doing. 

If there's any Meloxicam left, keep the pigeon on it for up to 10 days if you can...no harm will come of that and it's an incredibly strong pain-reliever and anti-inflammatory. I have given to pigeons for 10+ days quite often....

I have seen birds who appeared temporarily blind or seriously compromised in eyesight come out of it as they get better during treatment....so....

Just want a confirmation from the Forum that going with colloidal silver and/or arnica in/at the eyes wouldn't cause any drug interaction issues with the Vetropolycin...?

....anyone ?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You can try intermittently shining a penlight into the bad eye to see if the iris responds to the stimulus.

Pidgey


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

*Jaye & Pidgey *thank you for your responses.

I took my pigeon to a different vet yesterday who was recommended by one of the people on this forum. He checked his eye and said there is absolutely nothing wrong with the eye itself or any part of it. He believes there is nerve damage or something of the sort that is making him not be able to see out of that eye. The head trauma is what's causing his issues. He prescribed some herbal suplements H70 that he believes would be helpful to give him twice a day for 2 weeks. He also told us to continue to use Meloxicam for another 7 days, twice a day. We are to see him again in two weeks. 

I don't know how happy I should be about the news since we don't know whether the new medication will have the right effect but I can't help but be hopeful. I will keep everone updated on ******'s progress.

Thank you all so much for all your support!


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## Janet (Jan 17, 2008)

I sure hope everything turns out well for the little guy. I had a young pigeon that got attacked in my loft by other pigeons. They scalped his head pretty good. I took him to the vet and they gave me collasate and an ointment ( vetropoly- something) for his eyes. I really didn't think things were all that bad at the time. A few days later his left eye swelled up. I just knew he had completely lost his eye. My husband said not to worry that it was still there under all the swelling. WRONG! He did lose his left eye and his beak is crooked . We started hand raising him right after the attack. I didn't know if I should have him put down or let him live. I introduced him back in the loft to see what would happen. He ate and drank all on his own. He mingled with the other birds just fine. He even flew with just one eye. His life was going to be just fine, even though he was slightly handicapped. Good Luck! If he does lose his eye (which hopefully won't happen) as long as he can still eat and drink, he will do just fine!!


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

*Janet*, Hi. Thanks for your note. I'm glad your pigeon was able to do well after he was "well" again. We have been giving ****** the herbal supplement for a week now and nothing has changed. He cannot see from his right eye even though it looks almost 100% normal. He is eating and drinking, flying, chasing the other two young ones, and pecking my husband. He seems to be doing fine except when he bumps into things or misses the landing by a little and we notice. That really makes us sad. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can change. I'll tell you what though, I look for them everywhere I go, before and after I go to make sure they're not somewhere I might miss.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yes, that would be the damage from the glaucoma-like condition that existed for a time. I suppose more description of the effect would be in order... imagine the eye as a basketball. There's a normal pressure that a basketball is kept at to make it bounce and handle properly. If we let some of the air out, it gets too soft and won't bounce well. If we pump it up too hard, it'll hurt our fingers when we receive it in a pass and will bounce differently. The pressure inside the eye is kept within a normal range to hold its shape. The pressure is created by the continuing production of the internal fluids with small openings for outlets. The production of these fluids (the aqueous and vitreous humors) isn't controlled so much as the openings that regulate the pressure. If, as in certain diseases, those openings don't open as much, it's possible for the fluid production mechanisms to make too much and cause the pressure to go up too high. 

The problem here is that there is some other tissue within the eye that requires a continuous supply of blood in order to survive--the retina! The retinal tissues are a mat of light receptors covering the back of the eye. It's like the film in an old camera (movie camera, of course) or the digital receptors in the new ones. Anyhow, the mechanism that creates the fluid in the main orb of the eye (the vitreous humor) is capable of creating quite a bit more pressure than the heart can create blood pressure. Therefore, if the fluid pressure inside the eye gets too high, blood simply cannot be pumped into the retinal tissues against it resulting in death of that particular tissue. For all intents and purposes, the eye continues to look normal but can no longer see. Any traumatic swelling near a bird's eye is capable of destroying the vision in essentially this way and that's why we hate to see a lot of swelling on the face around the eyes. Ever.

Pidgey


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Hi *Pidgey*

Thanks for your detailed explanation. Unfortunately, it seems that this has happened to ******. Two days ago we noticed the cornea on the right eye of ****** is almost white. When you look at it in the light, it seems to be hollow. It's such a horrible feeling to see that. We had a vet appointment yesterday but I don't know how much I trust this third vet. He's going to a 4th one tomorrow. This is the last one for the poor thing. If he can't help us get his eyesight back, then we're not going to keep putting him through these trips. His eye looks very good otherwise and so does everything else. He does bump into things here and there. Thankfully not too hard and he is learning distances again and adapting his flight to the new way of seeing so he's not missing by a couple of inches anymore. He is such an affectionate little guy that it just breaks my heart but there doesn't seem to be anything else that we can do except to protect him and keep him happy.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I have a bird named "Lazarus" that managed to make it back from some kind of illness, injury or both that ended up with vision in only one eye (the left one). That one's been out in the loft for over a year-and-a-half now and has been doing fine. He (or she, just don't know for sure) has gotten pecked on the blind side and is missing some feathers over there but other than that is fairly normal (what passes for normal in my loft ain't exactly the same as, say, a racer's loft, by the way... ).

If the eye were to actually be hollow, it would literally cave in. That's how Bonkers' eyes went due to trauma. There is still something in there but I guess that the system that produces "vitreous humor" (the fluid inside the main orb of the eye itself) stopped, causing the ultimate atrophy of the orb. Oh, well, Bonkers has gotten used to being completely blind and makes a pretty good pet. Literally. Bonkers is only completely happy when he's being petted--you don't see many like that!

Pidgey


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Hi Pidgey,

Bonkers sounds like ******. ****** will just lower himself to the surface of wherever he is and put his wings out a bit to make almost a square flat so that I pet him. He LOVES it. It's hysterical. I love it when he does that. Then as I pet him from the top of his head back, he'll shake his beak as he pushes his head forward enjoying his moment. 

The last vet said that the pupil (I guess that's the black part of his eye) has fallen back because of the impact. That's why it looks hollow. He said the only way to put it back is with surgery but he doesn't know if they do that for pigeons. He said the risk involved would be great and of course it would be quite an expensive thing. We decided against pursuing it any further because ****** is fine and I don't want that tiny head of his to go through anything more. It's too much for him and anesthesia! no way. So he stays in the enclosure and is happy. He's doing well with the other two although they do peck each other at times (but only on the feathers not eyes) and become very teritorrial at nights when they're on their ledges. Well, the two little ones, not ******!

Speaking of the sexes, how can you tell for sure what the sex of a pigeon is. I mean we're pretty sure with all the strutting and noises and behavior of ****** that he's a male. The other two not so much. Sleepy gets noisey and copies ****** a lot. ****** pecks him more often than Dopey. Dopey is a gentle one. He follows ****** a lot and does sometimes make noises but I think it's a female. Is there a sure way to tell? They're only about 5 months old now.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I'm sure he'll have a great life with you, even with just one good eye. Many humans do the same 

For sure sure, you need to do a DNA test - if not, there are many methods to guess. Or, just wait for eggs.


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

*Pawbla*, for now we're just doing the waiting game. Every so often we say, oh this one is a female, and then he does something like making noises or puffing his neck and we say wait, it's a male. lol No eggs from ****** with all the petting but we were sure he's a male even before the petting began.


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## nmillerhhi (May 30, 2008)

I came here looking for help with my Blessing's eye and it seems that these ideas will work. She scratches her eye occasionally and it swells shut. We had an ointment from the avian vet that we use and it works great. However, our tube has been misplaced somehow. The avian vet is not our normal vet for our dogs. We went over there and they refused to sell us another tube or tell us what it was unless we bring Blessing in. The ointment was sort of petroleum looking. Normally I would take Blessing in but I am now on disability and my husband is not getting his usual hours. Money is really tight. Because we know how to treat her eye, all we needed was the medicine and they refuse to sell it to us. Otherwise, she's a healthy bird. 

We're going to try the stuff from the health food store. Thanks for the ideas
Nancy


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## nmillerhhi (May 30, 2008)

do you put the arnica montana in the eye or is it swallowed?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

arnica pilutes are swallowed. The colliodal silver (one drop) can be used in the eye, as well as put down the throat.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Don't know if it's the best idea to be using arnica montana, in, or around the eye. I would feel much better if you took plamen's advice on the colloidal silver, also found at the health food store (try and find Sovereign brand) a drop in the eye once or twice a day may improve things for your little guy.

Good luck with him,

Karyn


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Dobato said:


> *Don't know if it's the best idea to be using arnica montana, in, or around the eye. *I would feel much better if you took plamen's advice on the colloidal silver, also found at the health food store (try and find Sovereign brand) a drop in the eye once or twice a day may improve things for your little guy.
> Karyn


No, the arnica is swallowed and used to treat swelling and bruising and works very well.

It can be used for swelling and bruising around the eyes. But the colloidal silver can be used IN the eye and swallowed, and it is best for infections and other issues of the eye. It works very well for eye issues.


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## nmillerhhi (May 30, 2008)

We got the Sovereign Silver brand of colloidal silver. We also got the arnica montana drops. 

We are having a tough time with our babies today. Blessing's eye is being treated. Our micro mini Chihuahua has a genetic hip deformity that is giving him trouble today so he's on bed rest. And, our Chihuahuas got out of a little hole in the stockade fencing. The 3 month old Chi followed her momma out. All of them came right back in but we can't find little Oklahoma Rose (aka Rosie) anywhere. We think someone stopped and picked her up since she's not old enough to be scared of strangers like the others. We've posted signs offering a reward and we have been driving around for 3 hours looking for a tiny white dog. I just hope that whoever took her will love her as much as we did.


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## Sunshine123 (Dec 11, 2009)

*nmillerhhi* I'm sorry to hear about your losing your little dog. It can't be easy for any of you. I remember when ****** decided to disappear for 2 weeks when he used to be free to roam as he liked, I wept every day. I hope you find your dog!


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## shkhhasnain126 (Nov 13, 2011)

*eye injured*

i have a pigeon called sam he is good flyer but his eye got damaged somehow i think that my other pigeon might have poked their beak in his eyes he doesnt open his eyes at all his eyelids get stuck to each other even a little bleeding had happened to the injured eye any suggestion !!!!!!!!please 

i appreciate your help

Hasnain


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