# Feral with Pox?



## pmasonsmith (May 21, 2015)

Hello
I have two female pigeons, one young homer and a tame feral, I got the homer as a companion for the feral in the hope they would pair up but unfortunately this hasn't happened. I let the homer out for the first time the other day, which meant the feral was let out for the first time in ages.She returned with a boyfriend, initially I have been trying to tame him in the hope he may choose to move into the coop on his own accord, but I can get quiet close to him and have noticed that he has some lumps around his eyelids, ears and cere. They don't yet look like the horrific pictures of pigeon pox available online, but I assume he hasn't got a secondary infection yet. As its a virus I've heard there is only treatments and no cure. Someone has suggested cold sore cream to me, but do I need to catch him? or can I keep an eye on him in case he gets worse. I'm already resigned to the fact that my feral probably has it already if it is pox, due to all the time they've spent together.
What treatments are there if any?
I have iodine and sudocrem available, as well as wound powder if I can find it.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Can you pls post a pic of the pox pigeon? 
First of all, you should separate her from your feral one if she hasn't shown any symptoms yet. 
People use betadine successfully on pox lesions, even betadine eye drops are available which don't harm them and help healing the lesions. 
There is Facebook group in the UK where I have seen many worst cases of pox healing up well. If you are on Facebook you can post there as well, here is a link :

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


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## pmasonsmith (May 21, 2015)

I am already a member of that Facebook group and had posted a picture on there as well. Not many people replied, and I thought it best to get as much advice as possible. The male feral is already separated as I have shut the female in for the night now, but he continues to perch on the aviary. I'm trying to figure out how to catch him, of course if he sat there at night I could just walk out and grab him.









erm that might be a picture of him.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38881&stc=1&d=1468600445

or here, sorry I' not really sure how the photo thing works on here.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Yeah when you can take a closer pic that would help much as this pic doesn't show up the lesions. Yes at night you will be able to catch him so you can monitor him closely. 
Pox does run its course and leaves so we can't do much about it just supportive care. People use iodine over lesions but you can't use iodine near eyes. I have seen members using diluted betadine over the lesions near eyes and that helped a lot. Even betadine eye drops are available so if you can buy that, it would be good. 
But pls make sure first it is pox.


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## jak2002003 (Jan 10, 2012)

That bird looks fine... the small spots maybe scaring left from a previous pox breakout.

Pox, in my experience, will not usually kill a healthy adult bird, or even squabs. It does not seem to hurt or irritate them, even through the yellow blobs look disgusting.

They go hard and drop off in the end.

If he does get the pox then just keep an eye on him and make sure he can eat and drink OK and is able to find enough food... sometimes the pox will grow over the eyes so they can't see. 

In the rare even the pox is inside the beak then its hard for them to eat. 

Personally I would not worry too much at this stage, just wait and see if he does get the pox or not and deal with it if you have to.


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## pmasonsmith (May 21, 2015)

I managed to catch him and get closer pictures, the Facebook group suggests it's not pox, however he was very mitey and had flat flies. I ordered the market internal and external parasite killer stuff and have used it on my two pigeons. Now I'm just waiting to catch the male feral again to treat him aswell.


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## pmasonsmith (May 21, 2015)

Not market damn autocorrect. The harker parasite spot on stuff.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

That's great. Thanks for the update. 
And yes that autocorrect kills


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