# Injured pigeon



## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Hiya

I wonder if any of you folks could offer me some advice.

The missus save a pigeon from a kitten yesterday. I think it went into shock. There's no blood and doesn't look particularly mangled although I do suspect an injured wing. 

I put him in our spare bathroom which is dark and warm, he didn't move an inch until this morning.. When I checked on him at about 6:30 he was facing the other way that I left him. We managed to force feed some water mixed with fish food and gradually he started to show interest and took a little by himself. There's plenty of food water for him but i've not seen him take anything.

He is moving about now a little, rolling his head quite a bit, don't know if that's cuz he's unsure of his surroundings or there's somethin a bit wrong with him. He did give me a few pecks but they weren't particularly well aimed.

I checked him for tumors in his mouth and it looks ok... under his wings seem ok to me but then i dont know what to look for really. I tried encouraging him to spread his wings by gently throwing him up then letting him drop while still supporting him. He kind of tried but failed.

Any advice on getting this fella up n flying again will be receive with most gratitude.

Thanks 
Lee


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

Thanks for taking him in 

What he needs initially I think he is getting: quiet, warmth and sustenance. A good liquid is slightly warm water with added glucose or honey or sugar, plus salt. The mix is the equivalent of 1 litre water, 1 tablespoon glucose, honey or sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Just a small pot of this is fine. For food, ideally seeds (wild bird seed is OK), but if he is not able to eat well himself he can be hand fed with peas and/or sweetcorn from a frozen pack, thawed briefly with hot water and fed one at a time directly into the back of the mouth.

If you could post a pic, that would help get an idea if he is a youngster or an adult and if he is a feral or a woodpigeon (I assume feral from where you posted).

If he was caught by the kittie, he should really have an antibiotic - Synulox (normally supplied for dogs) aka Noroclav aka Kesium. Un fortunately that is a prescription vet medicine.

If you let us know whereabouts you are, there may be a rescue center or someone we know of who could help (no guarantee of course).

If you have facebook, there's a (mainly) UK group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PigeonProtection/

There is a list of UK rescue places here:

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/rescuecentres.htm


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Hi John ..thanks for that.

i'm actually streaming him on USTREAM so ican keep an eye while in the lounge. Yoi can find it by searching 'injured pigeon' on ustream ... although quality is poos because of low light.

he's just been doing a few mad circles ... not for the first time.

I'm in Rhyl. N/Wales. 

There is a girl a few miles away who runs an avian rescue and we have been talking to her too.

I'll do as you said regarding the food/water. 

He's a light brown/white colour. I'll put a little light on him for half hour in case you look at the stream.thanks again


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

his poop is really green if that means anything?


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

From the symptoms, the circling, missing his aim, green poops, rolling his head, it looks like paratyphoid or PMV. Are the poops diarrheish or worm-like in a pool of water?

I suggest to get hold of baytril, and treat for 10 days. You get it as tablets or liquid, and dosage will depend on what you have. For 10% baytril (enrofloxacin) solution, the dosage is 3 drops twice a day. Before food.
Until he is able to pick feed on his own, you need to feed him. I don't know if fish food is good for pigeons. You can feed him defrosted green peas. Make sure he is also drinking well. You can dip the tip of his beak (take care not to dip the nostrils) into a shallow dish of water and see if he drinks.
Good luck, and thanks for rescuing him.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

thanks kunju

we have a vet friend, hopefully she will be able to help re PMV.

At the moment he has a bowl of soaked seeds, the water mix that john described and the remainder of the remainder of the peas that i just gave him. 

I managed to put 3 peas and about 5ml of liquid down his beak .... i've now idea how much/Often i should be feeding.

My plan was to leave him now until morning ...or should i feed him up as much as poss. 

Just confirmed that we can get some powder antibiotics tonight.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

ok an update on this little fella

I got some doxycycline from our vet friend. 

After reading around the forum and other places I also realised that i'm going to have to make a real effort in getting more food/water into him but i'm finding it difficult. Just managed another 8 peas and nearly a syringe full of water (and a touch of honey) plus the antibiotics.

She told us to give him a "small pinch" a day for seven days and recommended liquified digestives and boiled egg yolk.

We're real noobs at this and I worry about the stress we're putting him through by force feeding


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

so this is him about half an hour after the missus brought him in yesterday morning:


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

To force-feed, wrap him in a towel so that he cannot move his legs or wings. Only his head should stick out. Gently open the beak and place a pea and let him swallow. You need to give him atleast 20 peas, thrice a day (total of 60 peas) to start with. You can increase the number to 30 or 40 in the coming weeks.
I agree it is quite stressful to force-feed a pigeon who is not used to human touch, and are actually terrified by human presence. It will surely get better with time, as he gets used to you, and to his new environment.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Thanks kunju, i'll try the towel

I've just bought some egg meal from the pet store which i'm mixing with water.. it also has small seeds in it which can pass through the syringe we're using so i've decided to feed him this as it's a much more efficient and a faster way of getting water and nutrients into him and also a vehicle for the meds. 

Please let me know if you think the pea method would be better.

Just got nearly 3 5mil syringes full of this mix into him in about 2 mins. Do you think this would be sufficient for him thrice daily or should we give him more?


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

With a syringe, there is a slight chance of aspiration, which could be dangerous and even lead to death. Weak and semi-conscious birds should never be syringe-fed, but your bird is alert enough and so the danger is less, but the risk is there nevertheless. 
With green peas, you cannot go wrong. Just place the defrosted green peas, one at a time, into his beak, and let him swallow. Do not force the pea down his throat. Let him swallow on his own. He will struggle less as days pass by, as he comes to understand that you mean no danger to him.
So, in my opinion, the peas are much better...safe and perhaps not as messy as syringe-feeding.
As long as you are getting some 20 decent poops out of him, it means he is getting enough. Also take care to place water only in a shallow dish, say an inch deep. PMV pigeons are known to drown in water bowls because they don't have control over neck and head movements. 
Haven't heard of doxycycline being used to treat paratyphoid. ???
Baytril is the drug of choice for paratyphoid. If not available, you can use amoxicillin.
You can check his wings/legs...for lumps or boils- another possible symptom of paratyphoid. Are the poops runny, or worm-like in a pool of water?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I think we need to consider the symptoms rather than jump to conclusions. It is often difficult if not impossible to be sure on the internet, and I would strongly advise against pointing people towards any specific medication based on what 'we think' it 'could be'. 

If we look at the symptoms here, then we are seeing something that is not part of the Paratyphoid set - the turning in circles, also missing what he aims at. These are certainly classic PMV symptoms.

If someone just posts and says their bird is unable to fly and twists his head round then, agreed, could be PMV or Paratyphoid (or even something else, depending on the exact movement the rescuer is seeing). A bird with that form of Paratyphoid, which is more often fatal than other forms, is not going to be very mobile and probably not very interested in feeding. A PMV case, however, is more likely to be still trying to behave like a 'normal' pigeon.

Green poops can mean something or very little of concern, aside from 'starvation poop' which is pretty much just bile. Any problem of enteritis, severe or sub-clinical, can produce nasty looking poop. Paratyphoid of the enteritis form (the most common form) does, and PMV can also affect the digestive system. In fact, the so-called PMV poops of worms of dropping in water are often the first sign, and have mostly changed by the time the bird is incapacitated by other more obvious symptoms.

If PMV is a reasonable suspect, then whoever may take the bird in (rescue centre, etc.) needs to be aware that the bird must be isolated for a good 6 weeks and may not lose all the neurological symptoms. That is why so many places will not accept pigeons with (possible) PMV or, if they discover it, may PTS the bird. Vets almost as a matter of course often PTS a pigeon showing PMV symptoms.

It is unfortunate that there have been people on here in the past who have tried to insist that lots of illnesses produce neurological symptoms, so one doesn't know that a particular bird has PMV. Well, that's just missing the point. The term 'neurological symptoms' in itself doesn't tell you much of anything. Kinda like going to the store and asking for 3 kilos of 'fruit'. The storekeeper will want to know precisely which fruit you want  Same with an illness - different illnesses can have different combinations of symptoms, and not all symptoms are present in all illnesses. That is the case with an illness where there is some demonstration of (possibly) neurological symptoms. They have to be quite specifically looked at to make a judgement.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Thanks again chaps. More for me to think about there

Someone we're speaking to believes that the spinning/disorientation is the result of a head injury/fluid around the ears. Although she's only seen a video, however she does deal with sick birds every day. 

I think i'll have to ditch the feeding by syringe then as I fear I don't have the skills or knowledge to avoid the risks aspiration. I just find it difficult enough getting his beak open once never mind 60 odd times a day. Really hoping he starts feeding himself soon.

6 weeks? That's a long undertaking but it he does start feeding himself soon it'll make it much easier.

We think that today he's better than yesterday. More lively but less head rolling and spinning. Still missing his pecks.

Funny thing is when I open the door (he's in a small spare en suit bathroom) he pretty much comes straight over to me to peck at me but if I put my hand down he'll happily climb on and even nod off Can't work out if he likes or hates me.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

He sounds quite a human friendly little fella.

Could even be a hen who thinks Mr Giant Pigeon would be a good provider  I had one in my flat who built nests for me in my favourite armchair, presumably so I could do nesting duty!


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

John_D said:


> He sounds quite a human friendly little fella.
> 
> Could even be a hen who thinks Mr Giant Pigeon would be a good provider  I had one in my flat who built nests for me in my favourite armchair, presumably so I could do nesting duty!


 ..that's hilarious!

Apparently 'he'_ is_ a she.. at least that's what i'm told. So little Trevor's had a monikerectomy ..now known as Flo


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Further improvement today I think... only marginal though.

I beginning to improve my feeding technique and she's starting to cooperate more. I've found that if i hold the beaks tip with my right hand then reach around with my left and gently pinch where the beak starts whilst encouraging her to lift her head up she'll open up for me.

With some patience the missus actually got her to take a few peas off her hand... took a while and a lot of missing but it was encouraging to see a few go in. We reckon we can gauge her improvement by daily noting how well she manages to take food from our hands.

She had her 3rd dose of antibiotics today. When should I expect them to really kick in?


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Kunjun...

Yes her poops have been watery with green wormish blobs in. At first I just noticed dry fluorescent like marks on the paper but fresh one have been as described.

Today however there have been flecks of white and even a dry mark in her bed that appears all white.

I just had her sitting in my left hand with a handfull of moist egg meal in my left and she definitely wants it, she has trouble getting it.. i'll try to post a video later


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Glad she is doing much better. Agree with John D, does look more like PMV. The poops, the 'otherwise healthy' behavior, and missing seeds. If it is PMV, the antibiotics are not going to help, as PMV is a virus. But you can still complete the antibiotic course, to be on the safe side. 
Encourage her to pick seeds on her own, and gradually, perhaps after a month, she will be able to pick on her own. Till then, continue with the force-feeding. 
6 weeks is the time you need to keep the bird in isolation, away from other birds to prevent spread of infection. With proper support, she can pull through this without a problem. PMV can affect the brain, causing the head twisting and walking in circles. Also messes up their ability to fly sometimes. So, whether she will be able to fly in future, only time will tell. Let's hope for the best.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIuISpAlO0A&feature=youtu.be


Caught her pecking at her food bowl a couple of times today which is encouraging. Also as you can see from the video above she's taking food from my hand with a little success. This appears to be even be an improvement on this morning when she really struggled to get hold of anything at all.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

kunju said:


> Also messes up their ability to fly sometimes. So, whether she will be able to fly in future, only time will tell. Let's hope for the best.


Thanks again for the supportive replies. They really do help a great deal.

I haven't mentioned it yet .. .one thing at a time and all that, but her left wing is a little dropped.. i'm just hoping that it's a healable injuru and nothing serious.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

I had a pigeon 2 years back who did just that, like in the video. Within a few months, her control over neck movements improved and she began to feed herself. Till that time, I helped her with the peas. 
Regarding the wing, it could be a wing fracture. Is she ever moving that wing..like stretching it or flapping it? The wing could have got injured in the cat encounter.

She appear to be quite tame, to stand on your hand like that. Very cute


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

She's not trying to fly at all although she can move the wing in question ...and flap it a little. I've extended it and she doesn't appear to mind and it pops back into place ok only hangs a touch lower than the other. If I put it up into place it'll stay there untill she moves around a bit and then it will hang again.

It was probably a bad idea but when she began to get more lively I tried to encourage her to flap her wings by gently dropping her whilst supporting her body. She did flap both but not with any real purpose and unfortunately she toppled from my hand and fell face on the floor.. only from a few inches high mind you. I really hope that it's just a strain but the fact that it hasn't appeared to have improved over the last 3 day leads me to fear the worst.

Yes she quite happily toddles over and climbs onto me when I open the door at times

Today was the first time I heard her make any noises. She was trying to eat from a bowl of seeds and I reached around to tip the seeds closer to her and it sounded like she growled at me  and then again when I was handling her for feeding.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Is the bird getting enough food? If not, I would feed the defrosted peas. It's important to get enough into her, and let her rest the wing. If it was feeling better, she/he would exercise it on their own, without forcing them to use it.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> Is the bird getting enough food? If not, I would feed the defrosted peas. It's important to get enough into her, and let her rest the wing. If it was feeling better, she/he would exercise it on their own, without forcing them to use it.


Hi Jay

I think she's eating enough, here's pretty much exactly what she's getting:

morning
2ml of wet eggmeal incorporating antibiotics
about 20-30 peas

afternoon
20-30 peas

evening
20-30 peas

Also she has a bowl of water/honey/salt mix as suggested by john and a bowl of eggmix/seeds. 

Today she has pretty much been pecking at the food bowl all day.. not with much success but some of it's getting in. I haven't actually seen her take any water independently. As far as I know the only water shes getting is from the peas/food and very small amounts that shes taken from the nooks in our hands when she's managed to lodge her beak into them.

I've been trying to dip her beak into the water but she's largely uninterested.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Judging from the picture or video would anyone have an idea about how old she might be?


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Dip her beak in a shallow dish of water. Place the same dish in the vicinity so she can walk up to it. After a few tries, she will associate the bowl with water. Peas provide much of the water required, so it could be that she is not thirsty and hence not interested in drinking.

Make sure there is only upto 1 inch deep water in the bowl. PMV pigeons are known to drown in their drinking bowls, so we need to take care. Although she is not flying, she might attempt just that if she sees an opportunity to escape, so it is better not to take chances, and keep her confined to a room or closed space.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Thanks kunju

This morning she's been trying to move her left wing more... small flapping movements but without outstreching the wing. 

I have been trying the dipping techniques you suggested but not much joy.

Feeding the peas is a breeze now.. as long as i keep her head steady and upright she'll open up and allow us to pop them in.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Usually pigeons stretch their wings one at a time, and shrug their shoulders, as part of their daily routine. Especially after resting for a while. Glad her wing is improving. 

She must be not thirsty, after that liquid egg feed and peas. As long as her poops are soft, you need not be worried about the water intake.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

kunju said:


> As long as her poops are soft, you need not be worried about the water intake.


Yes the poops are soft and no longer watery.. although quite large and still green, but darker green with white flecks.

This morning she appeared quite lethargic. Although I had an early start so had to wake her for a feed at about 6am. Not so forthcoming and eager for peas which is worrying me slightly.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Just an update in case anyones interested.

She now takes peas out of our hand so that's making feeding a lot easier. I'm not giving her antibiotics any more. 

She's noticeably stronger and has filled out more underneath, the breastbone feels much less sharp and less.. .. ..boney. 

She's holding her wing up better, most of the time now it sits above her tail feathers whereas before it would hang below or even drag on the floor slightly. Although it does sit lower than the other one. She still has no interested in flying though... or even moving around all that much, unless i've got food in which case she goes a bit bananas. 

I do think that the disorientation is slowly abating.

I've noticed that one of her claws (i.e fingers/toes) is slightly swollen... only slightly though.

I'm mostly worried about any residual PMV symptoms and her wing. Also i'm not sure how active she should be in this state. I know she is somewhat active when she's alone because the food from her bowl will be all over the place but when i'm there she's quite still... unless i've a handfull of peas then she'll peck me to bits. At times though she'll be in the same place that I left her an hour or so earlier ...I imagine though that it must be quite depressing for a winged creature to spend a week cooked up on the floor of a pokey room.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

That's good news. She is well on the way to feeding herself, but till you see her pecking her seeds with aim and control, do keep up with the hand feeding.
Pigeons do not move much I suppose? I don't know but mine don't, but mine are PMV/paratyphoid survivors. Especially when they are new to a place, they tend to pick one spot and stay put. Gradually, as they settle in, they might explore other rooms in the house, but a lot depends on the particular pigeon's personality. They do walk about to exercise their legs, and flap and stretch their wings, but they mostly like to roost in one place (I am talking about pigeons who cannot fly). 
The swelling in the foot...could you post a photo of it?
You might have to wait for the PMV symptoms to improve, and even though the bird appears to be suffering, I don't feel it is true. PMV birds usually have a lot of will power, and they try their best to behave like normal pigeons. I had a PMV bird once who was found of toys and glittering stuff...also she liked mirrors. So you can try adding a small mirror, and maybe strew some toys, and watch what interests her.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Hi Kunjun

I have some pictures and videos, I just need to transfer them from the missus phone first.

Quick question though: She's moving her bad wing a lot more and this morning she spontaneously started to flap them both (wafting up my newly laid paper )  ...while standing still... she did this for about 10 seconds.

Question is would this indicate, as I suspect, that there is actually nothing seriously wrong with her wing, i.e break, fracture etc? A huge relief if this is so.

I started giving her wild bird seed and she goes absolutely flippin mad for them. Problem is that her PMV nervous symptoms go a bit haywire when she gets excited so instead of leaving her a bowl I just give her a handfull after her peas because im worried she'll hurt herself if I do leave the bowl.. .. ..she 'll pick some up, toss her head all the way back and shake like a lunatic all while walking backwards.. i'm worried she's gonna crack her head on the units or something. Might fashion up a foamy helmet for her


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

That's good news. I too feel that if she is moving the bad wing, it would not be a fracture. Or the fracture could have healed naturally. 
You can give her the bowl for letting her practice. I also used to scatter seeds on the floor - my pmv pigeon used to aim for a seed but peck somewhere else, but over time, her precision improved, and I gradually stopped hand-feeding. Tossing the head backwards, backward walking are all common symptoms of PMV...it is not hurting her in any manner. But it is a good idea to check her place for safety. Once I had given free run of the house to my pmv pigeon, and she somehow got wedged between a piece of furniture and the wall, upside down. She remained there till I got back from work - it was really heartbreaking. After that, I pigeon-proofed the house somewhat. What I meant to say is...because their walking and flying are so un-coordinated, they could get into trouble if precautions are not taken.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Just been readin through another topic and found this:

Taken from this topic



John_D said:


> We have 30+ pigeons who had PMV and all are well, even though some still show some odd signs. They cannot be released, of course.


So should we not release her when/if she recovers?


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

splidge said:


> Just been readin through another topic and found this:
> 
> Taken from this topic
> 
> ...


Well I think the point here is that a feral needs to be in tip top shape to survive like any wild animal.

PMV can leave lasting brain damage - meaning that the birds may remain a bit strange, twisted etc - birds that do not have 100% normal behavior and abilities should not be realease because they will not survive

They will be easy prey and may not be able to take care of themselves.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Even if a PMV pigeon recovers fully, stress can bring back the nervous symptoms at a later point in time.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

kunju said:


> Even if a PMV pigeon recovers fully, stress can bring back the nervous symptoms at a later point in time.


so do people still fly birds that have contracted PMV? I don't mean releasing ferals I mean flying the bird in your flock.

Just curious, thanks


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Sorry I have no experience with 100% recovery in PMV. But I have read around here that some people do fly PMV recovered pigeons, or release them into their original flock. Some cases of PMV are mild, and there is no brain damage involved. Some PMV pigeons recover well and pair up and raise babies and lead normal lives...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The problem with releasing them back to their flock, is that under stress the symptoms can return.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> The problem with releasing them back to their flock, is that under stress the symptoms can return.


Thanks Jay

So PMV survivors should be kept in an aviary. Doesn't make sense to gamble with their lives by letting them fly free, imo.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello Lisa. I know a few people who flew and bred their survivors. But the diagnosis was never made by a vet: just from years of experience. I have seen them fly with the flock at first, but they tire out easily and land. There is a good thread here on PT that gives me a good hope at fighting the disease in the future with flyers.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Hello Lisa. I know a few people who flew and bred their survivors. But the diagnosis was never made by a vet: just from years of experience. I have seen them fly with the flock at first, but they tire out easily and land. There is a good thread here on PT that gives me a good hope at fighting the disease in the future with flyers.


Thanks, can you share the link to the thread please? I'd like to read up on it. Fingers crossed I never have to deal with it in my flock, but life is what it is....


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/search.php?searchid=1723718


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LisaNewTumbler said:


> Thanks Jay
> 
> So PMV survivors should be kept in an aviary. Doesn't make sense to gamble with their lives by letting them fly free, imo.


Well they could be let out to fly, if they have recovered enough to do so. I just meant that to release them back to the wild, as some have come from there, isn't a good idea.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Hi folks

So what would you lot advise I do then? Assuming she recovers ok. 

Obviously she can't live in my spare bathroom forever and if I can't/shouldn't release her how should I keep her? Inside? Outside? Bear in mind I've never kept birds and I have a dog who we've managed to keep in the dark up till now.. ..also he's a fiery yorkshire terrier with a penchant for chasing wing'ed creatures.

I'd hate to keep her in a little hutch or something for the rest of her life without being able to fly around outside.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> Well they could be let out to fly, if they have recovered enough to do so. I just meant that to release them back to the wild, as some have come from there, isn't a good idea.


ok
But just loft flying can have its own stressful situations no? Like being spooked by something. Wouldn't that be likely to bring back the symptoms?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LisaNewTumbler said:


> ok
> But just loft flying can have its own stressful situations no? Like being spooked by something. Wouldn't that be likely to bring back the symptoms?



Yes, something like that could happen, but at least he would be at home and not in the wild. Keeper could be there also to watch. Or keep the bird in an aviary. Totally different than releasing him to survive on his own.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Hi Folks

Well it's been a little over 6 weeks now since we took her in and if my understanding is correct she should no longer be contagious so my options regarding what to do with her have opened up a little.

She still displays all the symptoms ..good days and bad days but generally she's pretty stable, walking around ok, flapping around and hopping onto her perches ok. She hasn't thrown her head back at all (like in the video) for a few weeks although picking seeds is still a bit of a struggle. She seems to be able to take individual seeds from my hand ok with a bit of help. She doesn't seem to be too interested in taking seeds from the bowl I leave for her and gets all her food from my hand.

I haven't force fed her for about 4 weeks so 3 times a day I spend about 30 mins feeding her by hand. I start with peas.. she takes between 5 and 15 and then stops trying and just drops them. I then let her pick seeds from my hand for a while. She probably isn't getting quite enough food but i'm really reluctant to force feed her when she is eating, albeit not as much, for herself.

I'm no longer concerned about her wing or toe. I am however a little concerned about the amount of feathers she's losing. She's been dropping quite a lot of little feathers this last week... could it be that she's molting due to being in a warm room for so long? Or possibly down to lice/mites? I have twice found a small skin coloured creature on me after cleaning her out. I've had a good look at her and cannot see any parasites so unless i'm not looking properly she's by no means infested.. I suppose two lice/mites in 6 weeks can't be too much to worry about???

Her poop is almost always watery and green, worm like poops.

So now she's not contagious i'm thinking of giving her to a girl not far away who runs an animal sanctuary but I worry that she may not have the time to give her the one to one that I think she needs and I also worry that she'll keep her outside and that she may not be ready for that change so suddenly.

What I really hope is that someone here might be able to help. I'm in North Wales , I dont drive but willing to take a train to somewhere within reasonable distance if anyone is (or knows anyone) willing to take her?


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

ok so my options have just took a nose dive... the girl who I hoped would take this bird had moved out of the area.. and the only rescue place in the area that take wild animals is impossible to get hold of.. the phone just keeps ringing and ringing each time I call. 

I really need some help with this


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I'm sorry you are having trouble finding a permanent home for her. Maybe if you start a thread in the adoption section of this site, someone will respond.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Guys i'd like to update you on this bird.

So over 18 months after taking her in she's now a mum xD

She's been in an aviary for the past few months and a few days ago hatched a little brood.

Once again thanks for your help. Without it i'd have been lost and most likely would have not been able to save her.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Glad to hear the happy news!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hey! That's great. Where did you find someone to take her? Is she with other pigeons?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Flo is lovely! Thank you for helping her. John, enjoyed the tale of the nest in your armchair.


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## splidge (Dec 12, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> Hey! That's great. Where did you find someone to take her? Is she with other pigeons?


I found a particularly helpfull RSPCA clinic in the end. Yes she's with other pigeons.


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