# EEEEEK!!!! Severed foot!!!!



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I have had a shocking experience today.

This morning I went to feed the town pigeons just after 5am. A few months ago the green on the market place where I fed them was fenced off for renovation so I have been luring them to another little green around the corner...I have only just succeeded in that, because it was out of sight of their daytime "lolling" spot.

When I arrived, I found a pigeon hunched in the new feeding spot. As soon as I put down seed it flew over and lay on the ground, holding itself up with one wing. Both feet had really bad string damage. I got a bit closer and it stepped on to a paved area and to my horror left thick blotches of blood where it stepped.

As it was a relatively new feeding spot the rest of the pigeons were wary of me and didn't pile up when I threw down some seed, so I tried to catch it by throwing my coat over it and missed...it flew up into a tree beyond my reach.

I decided to go and feed the other flock, expecting it to be back on the ground when I returned, but it was still in the tree. I had to throw my empty bag at the branch and it flew down. This time I decided the "hand grab" technique would be best so I sat on the ground beside it and inched closer then and when its back was towards me I grabbed it from behind. Success!

Underneath its feathers were thick with clotted blood. I rushed it home and on examination found one foot was swollen, pink, twisted and partly severed , pointing in the wrong direction. As far as I could make out it was hanging by a thread.

It is a holiday here, so no point in trying to locate a vet...if I managed to persuade one to come out for a pigeon it would have bled to death by the time the vet saw it. Besides, the last pigeon with string damage that I entrusted to a vet died under anaesthetic. So I applied a tourniquet made out of an elasticated hair band just above the bleed (I realised that that would mean the foot would be lost but considered it past saving) and I gave it a single drop of Metacam for the for the pain. I didn't dare give fluids IP as I used to do because I have been told that even an avian vet will not risk that so I decided to give Hartmanns sub Q by pinching the neck and injecting into the flap, to replace the lost fluids. I was able to inject a good amount after which I gave it a good dose of Synulox (the UK Clavamox) and placed it in a small animal holder with a reading lamp with a red bulb.

Amazingly it seemed comfortable and after a while started preening. Its poops are normal. When I picked it up a few moments ago the foot was lying next to it and the stump had stopped bleeding.

I will have to have a vet look at the stump to make certain that the bone isn't infected or protruding , but first I will have to remove the thread from the remaining foot which has already lost toes.

For the faint hearted among us (which includes me) I haven't included the severed foot in the photo!

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Cynthia,

You sure came along at the right time, that baby would have suffered an aganizing death. It is definitely more comfortable and doing better since your rescue. It probable thinks it died and went to heaven. 

Thank you for your tender loving care and being there for this extreme emergency. My hats off to you!


Treesa


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

He looks comfortable, poor thing.
You did an amazing job. You saved his life. 
Hope he recovers really soon.

Reti


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

That's awful, but if anyone can save him, it's you, Cynthia. I know other pigeons have survived minus a foot--they are so incredibly tough. Still, that poor bird.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Once the thread has done its damage the pigeons that lose the whole foot seem to be much better off that those that retain mangled (and painful) toes. I think it is because the foot pad and the toes must have a richer supply of nerve ends and be particularly sensitive, In my aviary Danny had to have both feet amputated and he shows no discomfort at all, unlike the ones that only lost toes.

The lost foot was swollen to something like 5 times the normal size and must have been terribly painful. I suspect it was a relief to lose it. The little one (I must think of a proper name for him) managed to escape from the Intensive Care Unit and found himself his own roost for the night inside a wastepaper basket . I have had to put him somewhere safer, but had totake a photo to share.

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

That poor little darling.  

Being in your care Cynthia, he has the best possible chance for a speedy recovery.  
Please do keep us posted.

Cindy


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## muskokapigeon (Apr 2, 2005)

*Way to go*

Cynthia

You are doing a wonderful job. Keep up the good work and keep all of us updated with the poor wee things progress. 
Have you named him yet?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cynthia,


Oh boy...

Yahhhh...thread-feet, thread-toes...sometimes when the 'dead' appendes are dangleing there or hanging by a thread of tissue or skin...

The times I had these, after getting all tidied up as best as I could, I (they) were (both) very lucky with no systemic or even remarkable degree of local infection in evidence. The one I know best here, whom my girlfriend at-the-time ( 1994 ) named 'Stubby', immediatly resumed her daily doings (the4 Pigeon I mean, not the girlfriend, ) with no appearent problems but for limping on the likely tender stub, which in time, grew over in callous skin and has remined fine all these years. I see her all the time amid the ferals, (the Pigeon I mean, ) with whom she had always been.

Bone infections I understand to be potentially quite dangerous, but, I will imagine, in a situation where the foot has been lost, one could administer something directly into the end of the bone, as for some antibiotic...

If the bone seems to be projecting so far from existing healthy skin and surrounding tissue, I think the regimin may be either to determine if that surrounding tissue will stretch far enough to enclose the end, and for it to be sutured or encouraged to extend somehow, to reach there, or, to reduce the length of the projecting bone by some method of grinding or sawing, untill it will. I have not done this but I am speaking from conjecture only.

I also have had no encouragements from my experiences with allowing Vets to EVER 'take' the Bird 'back' into their triage without me being there, nor, have I found any encouragements with conceeding for them to use a global anaesthetic.

I have never had any occasion for the use of Tournequettes...but, I have used Silver Nitrate 'chemical cauterizing' sticks, or an old fashioned stiptic ( sp?) pencil from what used to be my Shaving Kit, for some bleeding situations.

Otherwise, if something were bleeding a bit much, I would have to guess to try something small and absorbent (if possible to do on where ever it is on the Bird ) which may follow a light chemical cauterizeing, to be held there ( somehow) to encourage clotting and ceasation of bleeding.


The Nitrofurizone topical powder I used to be able to get had some nice properties in this regard, where, the blood of an injury, mixing with the applied powder, would encourage clotting and sealing and cease bleeding much sooner than otherwise.

Now, a Leg of course has major vessels in it, whose internal pressure is much more than incidental capillaries...so...golly...I dunno...just thinking out loud a little...


Best wishes to you and yours...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

How cute and confortable he looks in the wastebasket.

Reti


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Cynthia,

Pijie looks so cute and "protected" in the wastebasket! In one of the flocks
that underwent a period of someone shooting @ it, one of the larger male birds
had a foot injury like the one you describe. It dangled there for a couple of weeks, but he was and is such a strong bird and flyer that I have been unable 
to do anything but keep a close eye on him. Eventually the foot came off and
he has only a stub left. He shows up at all the feedings after most have arrived and leaves before the rest. I'm pretty sure he is nesting. He is just too strong
for me to catch right now, and I just keep hoping that his leg, the severed end
of it will acquire enough callous that he will be no longered bothered by it or 
be susceptible to infection as a result of the injury. Your bird is very lucky
that you prevailed and were able to intercede with his injury. He will enjoy your
protection while he recuperates and gets strong. I wish I had been able to do the same for the pijie I know.  

fp


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi fp,

I had the same experience with Stumpy, trying to catch her when she first got tangled in thread and failing every time, then witnessing the loss of her foot. A couple of years later I had the opportunity to catch her, she had learned to trust me, but I was afraid that she might have chicks as she had a very sheltered and unreachable nest on the highest level of a car park. Finally I decided to bring her in this winter but missed my chance...she was looking ill and flew out of reach. I never saw her again. 

Cynthia


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

How sad.  It's such an ache in my heart when I can't help a bird! I want to so help badly...if only they could understand.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

cyro51 said:


> Hi fp,
> 
> I had the same experience with Stumpy, trying to catch her when she first got tangled in thread and failing every time, then witnessing the loss of her foot. A couple of years later I had the opportunity to catch her, she had learned to trust me, but I was afraid that she might have chicks as she had a very sheltered and unreachable nest on the highest level of a car park. Finally I decided to bring her in this winter but missed my chance...she was looking ill and flew out of reach. I never saw her again.
> 
> Cynthia


Hi Cynthia,

Found an old thread that I hope you don't mind me posting here:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=948&highlight=Stumpy

An excellent thread about string......from several years ago with alot of information and amazing stories from members. 

I'm sorry about Stumpy, it always seems to be such a balancing act, weighing 
when the right time to try and help/intervene is unless in a very debilitated 
state. Then it seems as though they almost choose you to "surrender" to although it likewise seems to be a mutual state because their trust is so 
great who would want to dissapoint them?

I don't know how long Stumpy has been gone, maybe too long for a city 
feral to be still around. That's the hard part of wanting to help, that the 
bird is not always ready for help, and they are more wary in general when 
they know they have a problem. Stubby is w/a flock and I don't want to risk
spooking the flock as they've had too many problems over the past few months and I'm weighing their need to have someone they trust as a group
right now over an all out effort to get this one bird. So I wait, and watch,
for that one moment when I can intervene, knowing that I might loose an opportunity all together by waiting.

fp


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Thanks fp,

When visiting Helen we came across No Feet's nest in a hole under the bridge.

I find that rubbing Bach Flower Remedy Rescue Cream into the affected foot before removing the thread softens everything up and makes the removal so much easier. Rubbing it in daily after the thread removal speeds up the healing process.

But it is catching the pigeon early that is the real problem. This is a thread that goes through the problems of catching Lizzie who had got herself tangled in thread. It includes a lot of information on techniques for catching pigeons with string damage which tend to be otherwise healthy and very wary.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8118&referrerid=560 

Cynthia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cynthia, all...


Since I have been feeding my own Wild Flock for years, right outside my industrial Roll Up Door.

...if one of them has a problem, they either present themselves to me, and come inside to sit somewhere on their own for me to find them, or, walk inside if I ask them to do so to wait, or, are sort of willing to let me catch them, or, problem or not, are at least willing to let me be close enough to catch them IF they are grazing.

Today, I see I have four thread-feet ones whom I have not seen before...Birds new to this flock or transient to it...none urgent, but I will see if I can catch them one-by-one, if they are here on subsequent days. These 'new' Birds were a little nervous being close enough to me amid those more familiar ones who were comfortable to do it.

Anyway, my method for these or others who are not presenting themselves willingly, is...

Over a couple or three days, (since I do not do this every day, as I used to, to kneel there for a while close to the Seeds as a way of them allways being used to me doing it in case I needed to do it,) to each day put their Seeds in a small maybe two feet by one foot area on the ground, where I kneel with my arms and hands in front of me, relaxed and hands close to the ground.

When the Bird I am after, while grazing amid the others, comes into the right 'window' of my small but definite reach, I grab them.

I usually bring them quickly to be against my solar plexux area, holding the Bird's back agsint me with the bird vertical, and cup one hand over their head. How to grab and manage a Wild, struggling Bird (to get them into this position or otherwise) is of course a subject in itself. We must remember also, never in desperation to grab their tailes if they are wriggleing away...they will merely release their Tail Feathers and escape then with less of or almost no of, Tail.

Then I sort of hold them out from me in their normal orientation, if I feel i can, at my eye level, and I look them in the eye and tell them what I am going to do and how come I will do it...and how the situation is "okay" and will turin out fine and happy for them and to just go with it. I then go into the little bathroom, close the door, and with one free hand, get the little Tools I use for the 'sting feet' proceedures...and or get some antibiotic or whatever as well, or, i wonder where the heck I had left some of those things, now that I am holding a stong feral Pigeon and wish for things to get done with alacrity for their sake and mine...

It is important in this intending to grab one, to not look at the Bird one is after, and certainly not to think about what one knows one is going to do. Otherwise, they will sense this and it will almost certainly spoil the chances.

And, to remain very still and blank in general.

This has worked pretty well for me.


Phil
Las Vegas


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

cyro51 said:


> Thanks fp,
> 
> When visiting Helen we came across No Feet's nest in a hole under the bridge.
> 
> ...


Agreed. It would probably surprise most to find some of the lengths that are
gone to in helping pigeons. I could only imagine asking the clerk to point me towards the Bach Flower Remedy Rescue Cream
@ the upscale yuppified health food store so that I could rub some into an injured pijies foot. Probably OK w/some, but some of the newer customers
might balk.

Just finished the link you posted and this is a wonderful link touching on both
the feet and the catching problem. I haven't tried the seed in net or box
on stick w/string but will keep those in mind. I have various ways of using
food. W/a foot rescue a few weeks ago, I fed the group in a bent over position with food falling from my hand over them so they got used to feeding
w/my hand above them and then when the time was right used the snag method w/slight pressure on the ground and wings secured until I could get
the aid of my other hand. I had no container in the car, so I drove home
w/her facing me, held against my chest. After removing human hair from both
feet, using a debreeder and antibiotic creams, and oral anti-biotics, I returned
her to the exact location that I had caught her in.

She flew to the roof of a garage, and her mate flew down from a powerline within seconds
climbing on her back and flapping his wings. I've seen her once since then.
She's probably making up for lost time....

Thanks for the link again,

fp


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Back from Vet*

The vet examined the stump and confirmed that the bone was still sticking out. He said that sometimes when that happend the bone becomes necrotic and the skin covers it so I will keep Cinders (the new name) on antibiotics for a fortnight and then return to see if surgery is necessary.

I like this vet, he operated on Tootsie successfully when Tootsie had the same problem.

I also took Snow White to be looked at, she is the emaciated pigeon that isn't eating. Her prognosis was poor, she appears to have a lump on the liver which could be a tumor. He prefered not to pts at this stage, he says he will only do that when the quality of life is poor so to take her home and see how she gets along. Another reason to like him! 

He also said that a girl at his church is thinking of having a dovecote in her garden and would I be interested in her having some of my rescues! That would be so wonderful. Even if she just white doves (he doesn't think she will be fussy) I think that there will be a steady supply from the feral flock of white doves that Snowflake, Crystal and Snow White came from.

Finally I came away with a stray racer that had wandered into the surgery. 

Cynthia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cynthia,


What had occured in Snow White's Life, do you know? Was she injured, or ill?


Anyway, I have a Car-Hit youngster who is one of the most beautiful, mostly white little Pigeons anyone could ever hope to see...and when I got her initially, and for several weeks after, she did not eat and I had to tube feed her and she did not like that. She looked terrible, bedraggled, miserable...dirty, very very 'weightless' and thin...then...she started to be interested again in eating, and over a couple weeks now, today and yesterday she has been ravenous and really putting away the Seeds and Water, and she has been preening lately and is really glowing and pretty.

So...I dunno... 

I did have her on Batryl for a while which seemed to clear up non-normal poops.

Maybe forget you know anything about any 'lump' on anything, and just see if she might be induced or encouraged or tube fed to where she will come around...she might get well and live to a rip old age, no matter what seems wrong now technically.

Just some sort of good, non specific nutritive diet...of some kind...and the company of other 'safe' Birds...if any Males might visit next to her cage ( if she is in a cage, mine is for now still) who knows, they might flirt, which is something that can save lives in it's own way sometimes...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Phil,

Good advice, thank you!

I have her on Baytril and she can see Cinders, which is interesting for her. 

Yesterday on an impulse I gave her wild bird seed instead of pigeon mix and I found it spilled everywhere with a lot of the black sunflower seeds gone. So I put out some more black sunflower seeds and turned off the main light leaving her in the light of her red-bulbed heatlamp. As I watched she gobbled down just a few of the sunflower seeds, drank a bit of water, did a little poop and then had a good preen. 

Unfortunately we are treading the same path with our darling little dog Beth, she had a splenectomy last Friday and was given an "all clear" on the cancer fears, today they say she has a tumour on her liver....we are trying to tempt her appetite too. 

Cynthia


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## Crow (Sep 22, 2004)

> to not look at the Bird one is after, and certainly not to think about what one knows one is going to do.


Aha. Aside from the wild or feral birds who've just _let_ me pick them up (robins, crows, sparrows, starlings, pigeons) because they were so dehydrated, dazed, and exhausted, this MUST be the one factor which has given me success in grabbing birds. I haven't really been able to define it until reading that - but yes, it's the way I detach from the situation. I just move very automatically, and I don't look at the bird. I look somewhere else, and my hands get the bird. This is absolutely essential with birds who are strong enough to fly.

They also don't like to see people _swallow_, but in a crisis I'm not really thinking about that. It's the detachment, the appearance of _not looking at them _ - and maybe the calm which accompanies that detachment means less swallowing. Thank you for this excellent reminder of rescue technique!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi cyro51,


How goes with the little one?


Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Crow,


Ahhhh...good addition to one's repitiour of preparedness...not-to-swallow..!

I know too, if dealing with a group, in which is one's candidate...

If the Birds bolt or spook for any reason, one does well to remain perfectly still, not to change position or move in any way.

Too, for any youngster especially, if a capture or catch is clumsy, they will likely remember it only too well and distrust you from there after. Where, a clean grab, and a little subsequent eye contact with sure positive thoughts and words even while still holding them right then, soon proves an easy acceptance for them.

Often, as I am sure you know well also, adult Birds who are somewhat compromised, as 'thread-feet' ones or other injuries or illness...are quite aware of their compromise and are more tentative about complaiscency than their fellows...thus, being more difficult to approach or to find or seduce into some position where one may grab them nicely.

Too bad, sometimes one must in effect,m wait untill they are so much more frail or weak, that one may then, finally, catch them to address whatever their compromise is...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## TaylorGS (Feb 27, 2005)

Cynthia,
Thanks so much for helping that poor poor birdie. Ouch! That must have hurt really bad. I have a bird, his name is Peg Leg, he only hasone one leg. I don't know why, he just does. 
Taylor


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Update*

I have just returmed from a visit to the vet, it looks as if Cinderella will be okay without further surgery.

Sadly Snow White died two days ago after two weeks' care. The same day I found Little Red Feet, one of my resident rescue hens dead in her nest. She was Piglet's mate. Apart from Feefo, who drowned 2 years ago, she is the only aviary pigeon I have lost in5 years and I have no idea why she died.  

Today I found Princess Daisy, an emaciated hen I found two weeks ago had also died. 

It is rare for me to lose any of my rescues, those I do lose die within hours of arrival. I am devastated. I just pray that somewhere Snow White, Little Red Feet and Princess Daisy are flying free together. They were all beautiful and well loved pigeons. They will be buried together.

Cynthia


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Oh, Cynthia, I am so sorry for those three little birdies. What a heartache to loose them all in one day.
I hope it was just coincidence that they all passed the same day and the rest of your babies are doing good.

Reti


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## pigeonmama (Jan 9, 2005)

Oh, Cyn,
All my sympathy and a big hug to you. A friend of mine who has a website has a poem about "The Rainbow Bridge" If you haven't read it let me know. I sure wouldn't read it today. Heck, I cry when I read it, even if I haven't lost any of my little loves.
Daryl


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Cynthia, I'm so very sorry for your losses. At least they were well-loved and died in a peaceful, safe place. I think it's most appropriate that you buried them together. But it's always so sad when you have to put a bird in the ground.  I like to plant something pretty on their graves to remember them by.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm so sorry Cynthia. That is a terrible blow to lose three so close together. 

Terry


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