# antibiotics for puncture wounds



## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

I found an adult inca dove by my feeder. It has 2 puncture wounds in the breast. I put the bird in a crate with heat, water, and food. It is eating, drinking and pooping. It has no other injuries that I can see. The wounds do not look infected. I am trying to find out if I can get an antibiotic to give it. I need to keep it from getting an infection due to the puncture wounds. I have cleaned the wound and I think that I will be able to release the bird when it heals if I can keep infection away. My avian vet cannot give me anything without seeing the bird, I cannot afford to take it in to the vet, the rehabbers here do not deal with doves. 
Does anyone know a suitable antibiotic for this bird that I can get without a perscription? I would like to try to save it as it looks pretty good otherwise.

Thanks,
Claudia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Claudia,

The best antibiotic for puncture wounds is Clavamox, perhaps one of our US members can help you obtain some. Amoxycillin could also be used.


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## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

Thank you, 
I will do some research on those two antibiotics and see if I can come up with a source to get them. I have a scale to weigh the dove for the correct dosage. I have given oral antibiotics and injections to birds before.
Claudia


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Where, basically, are ya'?

Pidgey


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## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

I live just outside the SW area of Houston, TX


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Do you have any antibiotics on hand? You'd mentioned Baytril in an earlier post...

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Claudia,



Ideally, you would investigate the punctures for depth, and, for possible debris and or foreign objects, such as pushed-in Feather fragments from Air Rifle Pellets, the Pellets themselves, rust or scale if from a Nail, etc, or as may be.


Tepid Saline ( Water with Salt ) works well for using in a syringe with a thin Catheter section on it, for clearing out Punctures from their 'bottom' out...fine Tweezers, or fine Haemostats for reaching into and grasping debris material.


Usually, a solution of any regular Oral Antibiotic in Saline water will work fine for dealing with the inside of a Puncture, sluiced in from the bottom, once any debris or foreign matter, foreign objects are removed byprior debriding/sluicing.


Farm/Feed Stores usually carry Oxytetracycline ( aka Duramycin ) Packets very reasonably, and this is a very good one for many things.


Once cleaned and disinfected, the Puncture may be sluiced with Antibiotic solution again a couple days, and usually heals promptly - healing from the inside out.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

pdpbison: I really like your treatment of puncture wounds and I put it in my birdie book. thanks for the treatment and information....c.hert


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

There are many possible differences for what may appear to be a simple puncture...or, even a seemingly simple little scab.


Punctures on the Back and underside of the Body, Wings, Thighs, from Dog's or Cat's Eye Teeth...Breast or Keel area punctures from flying into something narrow or sharp enough to perforate...punctures anywhere from Air Rifle Pellets, Punctures from who-knows-what.

Even knowing punctures are there is often a matter of patiently, sensitively looking/feeling carefully enough.

Some infected punctures will be wet and may have distinctive odor...even if there is nothing to see in usual visual examination.

There can be serious punctures with no outer easy-to-notice of sign. Found by feeling all over the Bird's Body for any tiny bumps or damp spots...seeing then, the tiny 'bump' is a scab...or a damp spot is a rotting crater with a central hole.


Soaking the Scab in Peroxide-Water, softeneing it as best one can, removing the Scab, one may find a deep wound channel full of debris whether any notable infection is present or not.


If from an Air Rifle Pellet, the wound channel may or may not still contain the Pellet, but, it will contain feather debris the Pellet had pushed in, and, this has to be removed gently, using fine slightly blunted Tip Tweezers or fine Haemostats, in order for the wound channel to heal properly.


A puncture which has foreign debris remaining in it, can heal over eventually with no treatment, or with treatment that forgot to clean it out, with a possibility then of abcess or other liability.


Hence, it is good to carefully investigate fallen or grounded Birds ( regardless of their other or suspected issues ) for possibility of non-conspicuous puncture wounds, and, feel sensitively all over for any cues or hints of punctures.

If a hole or scab is found, see if debriding/foreign-matter-removal is called for, sluice out the wound channel if possible with mild antiseptics ( merely mix a little general Water soluable Antibiotic and Saline solution, and, use a Syringe with a few inches of soft/flexible pediatric urethral Catheter attached ) and, allow the clean wound channel or hole to heal from the inside out then, without sutures.

Shallow infected Eye Tooth or other punctures also benifit nicely from a simple debriding and sluicing out and will then clear up and heal fast.


A regimen of Oral, Systemic Antibiotics are usually good to do also, especially if Animal caused punctures, or just for prudence sake regardless of the cause or source of the wound/hole/wound channel.


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## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

What a wealth of information! I want to thank everyone so much for taking the time to help me and this little bird. I don't have any Baytril left as it was used on another bird I had found. I have cleaned the wounds as suggested and I believe that this little bird may be able to be released over time. I see no indication of infection. The bird does not fly but that could be from the wounds having not healed yet. The bird still looks okay. It is not fluffed up and it can perch on its water bowl. Still eatting and drinking. I think I will put it in a larger carrier that I have and keep it in my spare bedroom with heat on it. 
I seem to find about 4 birds a year who are in need of assistance. Most of them are found out by my feeder. Some have been able to be let loose over time, some have died  I have a pigeon and a dove living with me that I could not release due to wing issues. 
I am going to keep the above posts for furtur reference.
Thanks again!
Claudia


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You may be able to find this at a store that sells acquarims, fish and fish products. If you do find it locally look for fishzole as well and buy that one too.

http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Mox-Amoxicillin-250-Caps/dp/B0002YF9UA


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Claudia,



If this is an Adult Inca Dove, and, it is not flying, I doubt a couple puncture wounds to the Breast would be the reason.


What do the poops and urates look like? ( details - colors, textures, odor, etc )


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## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

I think you are right. I no longer see any indication of the wounds. they are healed and I can't even find them. They were very small. The tissure around the area is normal color with no indication of infection at all. I am beginning to doubt that they were there at all. May be it was from feathers being pulled out that made it look like puncture wounds. The reason I thought they were wounds is because the bird was not flying and I could find no reason for it not to fly. 

The poops look normal to me. No odor, urates look cleary white, Feces look brown and normal shape. I don't know how to discribe the urates very well but there is no abnormal color to them and they look like all my other birds urates. 

I inspected the bird this morning and it is still strong. Tried to get away from my hands with the same amount of strength it had before. The feathers are smooth, its crop is full, its eyes are normal. It's wings structures seem to be in the right place. 

This bird looks like it should fly away but it can't. Its wings don't droop. May be it stressed a tendon and has to heal up in order to fly?

I don't know what else to do except leave it in the crate where it is and maybe take it out to my outside aviary every other day and see if it will fly. 

I do have some drugs on hand left over from my other birds. They are not outdated. 
the list is:
Panacure- I have enough for a complete course of treatment. It is a de-wormer. 
Albon- There is not enough for a complete course. Maybe only 2 doses.
Atarax- This is for allergies or feather distructive behavor. 
Flagyl- I have enough for a complete course of treatment. 

I don't think any of these drugs could help the not flying problem. If you can think of a not flying problem that is not caused by injury please let me know. Of course, I could have missed something in my visual inspection. I hate to tramatize this bird too much. 

Any ideas? 

Thanks!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Rather than guess, maybe it's time to turn the bird over to a rehabber. I say that because even as good as some of us are at understanding illness in Pigeons and Doves, there is no way we really can tell you for sure. Just a thought.


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## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

You are right. I was trying to figure this little bird out but I just can't. I was reluctant to turn it over to the rehabbers because they don't keep any birds that they are not able to release. I understand their thinking... there are just too many animals turned over to them and they don't have the facilities to keep them if they cannot be released. I already have enough birds in my house. I just can't keep them all either. 

Claudia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Claudia,



Well...if the little Dove is eating well, pooping well, has a good appetite, is not 'fluffed' or withdrawn, seems alert, interested in her surrounds? Interested in what other Birds are doing?...then those are all very good things of course!


But...not interested in flying...so...hmmmmmm...


Wings not droopy...does she run or trot briskly when on the floor? Does she hop well up onto things? Does she seek higher places to roost or hang out, if allowed?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Claudia said:


> You are right. I was trying to figure this little bird out but I just can't. I was reluctant to turn it over to the rehabbers because they don't keep any birds that they are not able to release. I understand their thinking... there are just too many animals turned over to them and they don't have the facilities to keep them if they cannot be released. I already have enough birds in my house. I just can't keep them all either.
> 
> Claudia


It's hard to figure it out without the proper diagnostics but I do understand your dilemma.


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## Claudia (Jun 24, 2009)

Yippee! The little Inca dove flew away this morning!!! The longer I kept it the stronger it got. It warmed up a little outside so we put it in an unused outside aviary. It kept getting stronger and I decided to open the door and see if it could fly. It did!! It flew over my pool and onto the roof and then into a tall tree! 
I have no idea what happened last week to make it so weak that it could not fly. It was very easy to catch when we found it. We just reached down and picked it up. 
I feel good that it got to stay with us long enough to recover from what ever happened to it. 
Thanks for all the help!
Claudia


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