# My pigeon is throwing up!



## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Please advice me on what to do!

Yesterday my pigeon threw up a load of sunflower seeds. He managed to get in the treat box and decided to feast on them. I thought it was normal, as I also get sick after loads of candy, so I kept an eye on him, but thought he was acting normal, although a bit weaker than usual (which I also thought of as normal, puking takes a lot of energy). In the evening, he ate some seeds, drank some water and went to bed. The next morning the cage was clean so I thought nothing of it.

But now he threw up again. Loads this time, all over the house. There seems to be some green stuff in there and I'm not sure what it is. He is still pecking me, just ate some more, so I'm really not sure what's going on! 

I've uploaded some pictures of the seeds he threw up, and also a close up of the green stuff. 

Please advice us on what to do now!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Could he have gotten a blockage from so many sunflower seed? He should only be out when you are able to supervise him, and anything bad for him that he can get to should be closed up so he can't. Worms and canker can make him vomit also. Candida can too.

How old is he and how long have you had him?


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> Could he have gotten a blockage from so many sunflower seed? He should only be out when you are able to supervise him, and anything bad for him that he can get to should be closed up so he can't. Worms and canker can make him vomit also. Candida can too.
> 
> How old is he and how long have you had him?


Thanks for the quick reply!

He was 3 weeks old when we found him last november, so we think he's about 6 months old now. I usually lock up all his food, but I accedentally left the cabinet open a bit, which is how he got to it! He is usually sitting on the couch looking out the window, so I wasn't suspecting anything when he was quiet.

How do I know whether it's a blockage? Should I be able to feel that somehow? And what would be the best way to treat him?

I don't know of any avian vets around here, so I'm hoping it's not that bad


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If blockage food won't be going through normally. How do the droppings look?
Are these black oil seeds with the shells on them?


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> If blockage food won't be going through normally. How do the droppings look?
> Are these black oil seeds with the shells on them?


His droppings are liquid green with white stuff and he barely poops. 
The sunflower seeds are raw peeled sunflower seeds, so without shells. He usually gets one or two as a treat and he never had problems with them before.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Doubt that they are a problem now either. 
Is he not eating now? Is he drinking more?
Still vomiting?


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> Doubt that they are a problem now either.
> Is he not eating now? Is he drinking more?
> Still vomiting?



He is still eating and drinking normally.
He hasn't vomited again, but the time between the last two incidents was about a day so I'm keeping an eye on him to see if he changes.

His behaviour towards us is the same, but when we don't give him attention he barely moves and sits all fluffed up, so he isn't feeling well!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a picture of him and his droppings? He shouldn't be sitting puffed up.


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Here you go.


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Oh my, I'm so sorry! It shouldn't make the pictures that big, they were taken with my phone


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's okay, I can right click and then click on view picture and see it clearly.
He isn't well at all, and the droppings indicate that he isn't eating much. He is drinking. Hard to know what is wrong, but he definitely isn't feeling well. Do you have any meds on hand? A vet would be ideal, but without that I would treat for canker and also give a wide spectrum antibiotic. I like Metronidazole for canker, and Baytril for antibiotic. Don't know what you can get there. If he doesn't eat you will need to hand feed him.


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> That's okay, I can right click and then click on view picture and see it clearly.
> He isn't well at all, and the droppings indicate that he isn't eating much. He is drinking. Hard to know what is wrong, but he definitely isn't feeling well. Do you have any meds on hand? A vet would be ideal, but without that I would treat for canker and also give a wide spectrum antibiotic. I like Metronidazole for canker, and Baytril for antibiotic. Don't know what you can get there. If he doesn't eat you will need to hand feed him.


Well I suppose the liquid dropping is due to the fact that he threw up two days of food. He has been eating well all day, and hasn't thrown up yet, so I hope his droppings will get better.

I went to a local shop which sells pigeons and pigeon supplies. The owner has about 30 years of experience with pigeons. He gave me some medicine (I forgot to ask the name, or what he thinks my pidge has), and he told me to give him a capsule twice a day for 5 days. They are clear capsules with a yellow powder inside. They look like my antibiotics look sometimes, so I think it might be that. He's had the first pill, so I guess we'll see an improvement in 2-3 days.

He's also still been going crazy for his snack foods (except for sunflower seeds, I wonder why ) so I hope he'll get better now!


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Whelp, there is some good news amongst all this. 

Little Pidge really likes peanuts. So much, in fact, that he thinks his meds are also peanuts. He swallows them whole without any problem. We were ready for a fight. He stole the capsule out of our hands, ate it, and was done with it.

We raised our little guy well


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## Smidge (Sep 14, 2014)

Hi, really hope he gets over this! I have a pigeon and a similar thing happened to her about a year ago, she actually came into contact with a sick bird that didn't make it, however, my bird threw up and puffed up and didn't want to eat, I was advised by a bird rescue to give her a Harkers 3 in 1 and to offer her water with a bit of honey to encourage her to drink and to give her a bit of energy. She didn't throw up again, but wasn't well. My vet told me to keep her hydrated and as she had started to eat again, would probably be ok since she'd stopped being sick. Thankfully, she was ok. Hope yours has a similar good outcome! Thinking of you!


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Smidge said:


> Hi, really hope he gets over this! I have a pigeon and a similar thing happened to her about a year ago, she actually came into contact with a sick bird that didn't make it, however, my bird threw up and puffed up and didn't want to eat, I was advised by a bird rescue to give her a Harkers 3 in 1 and to offer her water with a bit of honey to encourage her to drink and to give her a bit of energy. She didn't throw up again, but wasn't well. My vet told me to keep her hydrated and as she had started to eat again, would probably be ok since she'd stopped being sick. Thankfully, she was ok. Hope yours has a similar good outcome! Thinking of you!


Thanks so much for your good thoughts! I hope he'll be okay too! He just threw up again, this is the third time. However he still has a pretty full crop, so I hope he'll get some nutrient out of it. I will try the water with honey, he can use the extra energy! 

Maybe we have to switch to soft foods temporarily to make it easier for him to pass. What foods would be good foods to use for that?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If it is an antibiotic it should be given for 10 days. Vomiting can often mean canker, Candida, or worms.
I wouldn't give anything to my birds unless I knew what it was, and what it was for.


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## Smidge (Sep 14, 2014)

Funnily enough, the sunflower seeds were the only thing my bird would eat after the sickness... Her poop was that bright green colour as well . Think I was given some Harkers adenoplus to give her too (also by the rescue centre) can't remember how much of it she actually took or how I gave it to her (it's a powder)....


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## Mepi (Dec 4, 2017)

Just an update!

I called the store the next morning, and asked them what they gave me. They gave him cancker meds, and, well, they were 100% right 
He is completely healed up now and he even seems to be a little sweeter to us now!


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## Smidge (Sep 14, 2014)

Hi, thanks for the update! Great to hear that he's better (and sweeter! 😄) May you have many more healthy and happy years with him!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hope he stays well now.


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