# Wounded pigeon is sitting all day



## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

Last week I found a pigeon on the street, sitting on the ground and not moving. I assumed it was hurt so I brought him inside as we have a lot of cats around and won't like to leave him outside through the night.
I noticed that he was limping and one of his wings was hurt. I took him to the vet and they said that the wing is not broken, just wounded. They put some antibiotic powder on the wing and sent us home.
Since then he seems well, eating and drinking, but he doesn't seem to move a lot and he is not trying to fly at all. Today he stopped moving all together, and he sits in one corner, tucked down on the ground and puffed. Also, some feathers had began to fall in the last couple of days and I am beginning to worry. 
Can someone please help with some advice? 
Thank you!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Thank you for helping him! Lovely bird. How is he eating, drinking, pooping? What are you feeding him? We had a severely injured feral, Phoebe, who took a while to heal. Your bird may need time to recover if he is injured. Does his keel bone feel prominent like he has not been getting enough to eat for a while? Losing feathers may be from molting which is normal.


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## Aboodles (Jul 14, 2016)

What are you feeding it? Is it's poop runny? 
Did the vet do X-rays? they should've done
the feathers falling could be molting


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

I feed him once or twice a day and sometimes he doesn't eat all of it.I mostly give him rice and sunflower seeds. I also put a small cup of water that lasts him a couple of days. The poop was kind of runny and in large quantities the first night I had him (perhaps he was stressed?) but now it seems normal, small and frequent. The vet did not do X-rays because the wing was not droopy and the pigeon also flapped both wings when trying to "escape" from the vet's grasp.
What else should I do? And does anyone know how long it takes for him to recover?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Can you get some pigeon mix or wild bird seed and pigeon grit?


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

Yes, of course. I will do that Anything else I can do?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

It took Phoebe at least six weeks to recover but she had a totally badly broken wing and was nearly decapitated. Hopefully your bird will recover much more quickly.


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

I don't mind if he takes longer to heal, I can keep him for as long as it takes. I would just like to know he will be fine. Are there some signs to look for in case he is getting sick or something is not going well? I don't have any experience with pigeons..


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

If he is eating and drinking he will gradually get more active. Signs of illness might include really runny poop, not eating, white or yellow growths in the mouth or throat, noisy breathing, watery eyes.


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

If you can buy some Vetark Critical Care Formula online and add that to his feed it should help him to pick up or you may be able to get it from a local pet store. I've read many people who take in poorly birds use it for a while with good results. How's the wound and do you bathe it to keep it clean? Perhaps he needs a course of oral antibiotics because just dusting topically will not help if the infection has entered his body.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree with FredaH. Does he have any open wound? If he was bitten by a car he will need oral antibiotics.


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

I am not sure what happened; my thoughts are that something happened during flight which hit his wing and then he fell, leading to the limping leg.
He has no open wound, just the small are on the wing where the feathers started to fall off but for the last couple of days I noticed big improvements: small feathers are beginning to grow where he was wounded and he now is much more responsive and also flies off the ground (but not that much yet). I will keep you posted on his progress but I am very happy about these changes so far


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Because he was found injured, and could have been a cat or other predator, then would have been better off going with the idea that could have been predator caught. Antibiotics should have been started to prevent infection. And without healthey food, he will not get stronger anyway. Sunflower seed and rice is an awful diet. Rice has nothing, and sunflower is fat. He needs protein and other to get well. Even a wild bird seed or dove mix, to which you can add dry split peas and lentils for protein would be better. If he isn't eating enough on his own, then hand feed frozen peas which have been defrosted under warm running water. Here's how:

If you need to feed peas to a pigeon, hold the bird on your lap and against your body. This gives you more control. Reach from behind his head with one hand and grasp his beak on either side. Now use your free hand to open the beak, and put a pea in, then push it to the back of his throat and over his tongue. Let him close his beak and swallow. Then do another. It gets easier with practice, and the bird also gets more used to it, and won't fight as much. If you can't handle the bird, then use the sleeve cut off a t-shirt, slip it over his head and onto his body, with his head sticking out. This will stop him from being able to fight you so much. Just don't make it tight around his crop area. It helps if you have him facing your right side if you are right handed.


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

The vet gave him put some antibiotics on the wing... And also, 2 days ago I bought wild bird seed and have been feeding him that. He seems to eat it voluntarily. If he stops eating, I will try your recommendation. But could you be more specific about " If he isn't eating enough on his own" - what would be enough?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you have a kitchen scale with grams you can weigh him and see that he isn't losing weight. At least a couple of tablespoons a day of feed he should be eating anyway. 
Putting antibiotics on the wing isn't enough. If he was predator caught, and you don't know that he wasn't, then he needed to be put on oral antibiotic that would go through his system to protect him. Putting antibiotic on the wing is no more than applying an antibiotic cream to a cut on your finger.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Can you get access to an antibiotic like amoxicillin? I have read that people recommend that for cat injuries.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The vet should give him something if asked. He/she has already seen the bird, so should be no problem. Just explain why you want it.


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

Today I woke up to find him like in the picture attached. I've been keeping him on a balcony and I closed the windows. For most of the first week he sat on the ground or at most a chair that was left there. Today he was flying around and I assume that he eventually saw the small opening (can be seen in the bottom left corner) and flew away because I couldn't find him. I live on the 4th floor and I was afraid that maybe he was not strong enough to fly (though I put some vitamins in his water for the last 3-4 days) but I checked downstairs and couldn't find him. I guess that 2 weeks were enough and he recovered. I left a window open and food and water just in case he wants to come visit one day. Thanks everyone for your support!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You have probably let him go much too soon. It takes a while for a wing injury to heal enough to be able to travel to find food, avoid predators, and stay safe out there. He wasn't ready so soon. He needed more time. He may not make it out there on his own.


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> You have probably let him go much too soon. It takes a while for a wing injury to heal enough to be able to travel to find food, avoid predators, and stay safe out there. He wasn't ready so soon. He needed more time. He may not make it out there on his own.


I did not let him out, he found a way out. Frankly, how is your remark constructive? I never cared for a wounded bird before. I did the best I could with no experience: gave him food, shelter, took him to the vet, gave him vitamins and antibiotics and he really did seem well. A big chunk his feathers fell of of his left wing and now it was barely noticeable. I wasn't comfortable releasing him just yet either but I didn't imagine he could find his way out through that small space as I have no experience with birds! 
But thanks for the negativity, it's really "nice" to think that after caring for him for 2 weeks he will still not make it. Now that your job is done here, you can run along and crush someone else's hopes.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Charlie, thank you for helping the bird! Hope he does well. You gave him a good chance. Hope he will show up. If he shows up you can care for him a while longer perhaps. Glad he improved.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

charlie8093 said:


> I did not let him out, he found a way out. Frankly, how is your remark constructive? I never cared for a wounded bird before. I did the best I could with no experience: gave him food, shelter, took him to the vet, gave him vitamins and antibiotics and he really did seem well. A big chunk his feathers fell of of his left wing and now it was barely noticeable. I wasn't comfortable releasing him just yet either but I didn't imagine he could find his way out through that small space as I have no experience with birds!
> But thanks for the negativity, it's really "nice" to think that after caring for him for 2 weeks he will still not make it. Now that your job is done here, you can run along and crush someone else's hopes.



I wasn't being negative at all. Just realistic. He didn't have enough time to heal and not even sure whether he will be able to fly well enough to be released. Without enough time to heal, the wing is likely to just get re-injured. It is what it is. Not my fault. Would you rather not know the truth so that you feel better? Or would you rather know what is, to be better prepared in the future?


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

*He came back!*

I am not sure why he chose to come back, but just a few seconds ago he flew in through the open window Should I keep him inside or perhaps he is well enough now? I guess he maybe doesn't need my help anymore if he flew up to the 4th floor by himself...


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Charlie, that is wonderful news! Am so glad to hear he came back. Sounds like you have been chosen by a pigeon. I think he still needs help or he would not have returned. Would continue to feed and assess him to see if he needs to be kept with you longer. We had an injured pigeon with a broken wing. It took about three months for her to to completely heal. Am so glad your friend is back. You might even want to adopt him as it sounds like he loves you and has adopted you.


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## charlie8093 (Oct 2, 2016)

I was also really happy to see him return; when I left the window open for him I didn't really thought that would happen. I thought that all this time he saw me as a predator but apparently not. These are truly smart and lovely creatures! He can stay with me for as long as he needs!  Regarding the wing, the vet said it was only wounded and not broken so perhaps that's why he was able to fly so soon.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Pigeons want to be where they feel safe and at home so obviously he feels safe and at home with you.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He still needs the help or he wouldn't have come back. He may have been owned by someone and was released or got lost, and doesn't know how to live on his own, or find food and a safe place to roost. If he were feral, and was doing well enough to be on his own, then he wouldn't have come back. He would have rejoined his flock.


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