# Pigeon Going Light



## UConnTom (Mar 3, 2007)

Hi guys,

I have a yb racer who started to go light. Her droppings are kind of slimey and she is getting thing. I've noticed she doesn't really eat anything but the smaller seeds like safflower. Any suggestions? I'm hoping to turn her around so I can continue to train her. I've separated her from the rest of the loft.

Thanks


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Do you have any medications?

Pidgey


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## UConnTom (Mar 3, 2007)

yes, i do have medications. I have a terramycin, amoxycillin, some baytrill tablets, and canker pills... I try not to use the medication tho--


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

There are some birds who "just don't get it" easily when it comes to finding the waterer or eating proper food. Sometimes, it's a matter of spirit--they're timid and they just don't compete at the table like they should. I've had a few like that and I just bring them in, love on them, teach them how and what to eat and how to drink. Then, I take them back out in the loft after the immediate danger has passed and teach them how to eat and drink out there, sometimes over and over.

One of the things that can happen is that they don't eat enough because of that problem and then Gram negative bacteria begin to take over in the gut. You don't see that unless you do a Gram stain which is more of a vet thing to do because most folks don't have the equipment. There can also be other problems like Coccidiosis or Trichomoniasis going on but since you're a racer loft, I'd tend to think that you'd treat for those on a fairly regular basis.

You can bring her in and try Baytril (for the Gram negatives) and/or feed her a lot of KayTee Exact Hand Feeding Formula (or an equivalent with probiotics in it) for a week or two and then take her back out and give her special attention for a couple of weeks.

Pidgey


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## UConnTom (Mar 3, 2007)

Thanks Pidgey, 

Yea I don't know what went wrong, it happened all of a sudden. She used to eat/drink fine-- she's been flown out 10 miles and then just started going down in weight. Hmm.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, now that might be something else but it's pretty hard to say without all kinds of tests. You don't have a vet?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

In the absolute absence of a fecal float to check for worms and coccidial oocysts, I'd tend towards keeping her warm (I always use a heat lamp with enough space that they can get out from under it), feeding her the formula, and treating with the Baytril, the canker pills (what are they?) and with something for Coccidiosis and a wormer. You didn't mention that you have the last two, though.

Pidgey


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## UConnTom (Mar 3, 2007)

I Do have a wormer I just bought and the canker pills are trichocure. I don't have anything for cocci-- any suggestions?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Sulmet? You can usually find that at a local feed store unless you're way up in the Yukon...

What wormer?

You never answered about the vet...

Pidgey


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## UConnTom (Mar 3, 2007)

no, i don't have a vet.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Wormer? Have you called around lookin' for Sulmet?

I'll tell ya' why I'm naggin' ya'... if you're going to start treating blindly in the absence of any guidance from labwork or a vet then you're stuck doing it by trial-and-error or by shotgun. A pigeon that's visibly losing ground daily doesn't often have a lot of time. If shotgun it is, then the balance of the meds, their exact type and dosage can be real important, more so than your favorite brownie recipe.

Pidgey


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Have you took a look in the birds throat to see if it has canker? Sulmet will hit several problems And is easy to get and use. treat for 5 days using sulmet. Do not mix to strong. If the bird has canker. Might treat all your birds As canker will spread from the drinking water.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

UConnTom said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I have a yb racer who started to go light. Her droppings are kind of slimey and she is getting thing. I've noticed she doesn't really eat anything but the smaller seeds like safflower. Any suggestions? I'm hoping to turn her around so I can continue to train her. I've separated her from the rest of the loft.
> Thanks


Exactly how young is this bird?

The bird may just nead a little TLC, probiotics and ACV to up the good gut bacteria and get the bad ones back down. Youngsters stress so easy and can really lose that balance of intestinal flora. I've seen it with mine, and there is nothing like probiotics and a drop of colloidal silver to straighten things out. Best to try these first, you don't really have a diagnosis anyway.

Make sure to hand feed the youngster, until it is eating well again.


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

Hi UConnTom,

Unfortunately without proper testing it’s almost impossible to know exactly what caused your bird to "go down". 

However with that said, you have to get the bird eating or all the tests won’t matter.

1) You need to keep it in a warm place. 

2) If you don’t have them get online and obtain Fabry Ideal pills this will start helping by coating the stomach and intestines. Give two pills each day, one in the morning and one in the evening. 

3) and this is my own concoction, take whole peanuts, mix with powdered milk and water, put in blender and mix it until its a soft past, almost to the point of being watery, you want it so you can dropper feed the youngster.

Three days to a week of feeding the above should see the bird totally turned around.

If you don't have easy access to the Ideal pills, just go straight to step three and get started then when the pills arrive give them as well, if the bird is starting to re coup by that point just give one pill per day.

I highly reconend that everyone keep the Fabry Ideal pills on hand for just this type of situation, you can get the pills through the following link;

http://vitakingproducts.com/storefronta.htm

good luck, 
Lawman


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

*re powdered milk*

Lawman,

I'm not going to pretend to be a nutritional expert on birds or anything of the sort, but why *powdered milk*? I'm reading this thread not to give advice, just to try to inform myself a bit more about pigeons and their potential problems. 

There was a recent thread about giving pigeons cheese (like Rallow does with his pigeon the Dinkster), and I searched in Wikipedia (on-line free encyclopedia) and quoted and posted some info which seemed to indicate to my satisfaction that aged cheese and joghurt/yogurt were okay for pigeons, but (dairy or mammal) milk in other forms was not ideal for birds. 

So, I have to ask this question. Maybe none of us have the final, definitive answer on this.

Some PT members (or at least one member) also think peanuts are a "no-no." 

If the birds seem to like to eat "whatever," and thrive or improve, then it is good to know. Maybe there are unknown factors which make "one man's meat another man's poison." Or, a pigeon in a certain situation responds well to a certain diet which would not be optimal for him in other, or normal, situations.

I think half my diet consists of peanut butter and milk. (Phil/pdpbison also states milk is not healthy for human adults. Maybe I have a cast iron stomach, or am used to abuse).

Larry


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

Hi Larry,

Hey I made it through college on peanut butter and milk 

Anyway, we have discussed the benifits before on other posts, but it basically is real simple. 

Between the peanut butter, (high protein and fat) and the powdered milk (look at the breakdown of nutrients in it) the bird is getting a booster of everything it could possibly need. 

It will also coat the stomach and intestines acting as a barrier untill the inflamation goes down and the bird goes back to eating on its own.

Note: if you don't have powdered milk on hand you can substitute it with whey.

I've used this mixture many times over the years and it sure seams to increase the olds of the bird making a comeback. 

I've also used it over the regular feed when the birds come home from a realy tough race, it sure seams to speed up their recovery time. 

Lawman


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