# My Probiotic for my pigeons, and possible dehydration



## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

Hi out there, is it possible to give my own probiotic to my pigeons?, I use a normal brand of the supermarkt. Is a kind of yoghurt

Are there natural remedies to combat a possible dehydration in pigeons?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Under normal circumstances (i.e., available fresh water) a pigeon should not get dehydrated. 

However, if you rescue a pigeon, it's always a good plan to rehydrate just in case: 1 liter of slightly warm water in which is mixed 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon glucose powder (or honey, or sugar) is the standard formula for 'international rehydration mixture'.

As for probiotics, you'd be better off ordering a probiotic powder tailored specifically to the needs of pigeons.


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

A little yoghurt can't do any harm, I had a young pigeon that liked to drink yoghurt dilluted in a little water and he was fine. I can't say how effective it is for birds though, but I heard other people use yoghurt too for their pigeons. If your pigeons have a real problem and need probiotics, then you could buy some stronger products designed especially for bids, but normally they'll be just fine with a little yoghurt. A little Apple Cider Vinegar and garlic in the water from time to time can also help against bad bacteria.

As for severe dehydration, there are electrolytes (like pedialyte), or just a cup of water with a pinch of salt and sugar. Both are natural enough, electrolytes are some salts too, no need to worry about side effects at normal doses. See this also http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-11265.html
Of course if you give a pigeon too much salt it can even kill him (5 grams, that is about a teaspoon of salt is the lethal dose for a pigeon, I heard), but that's another question. 

Dehydration usually happens with a pigeon you just saved from the street, so I don't understand what exactly the problem is in your case. Normally they just just need to drink enough water to avoid dehydration.

If a pigeon that has access to water doesn't drink enough, he may be either sick or doesn't like the taste of water, for example if you put some medication in the water and he doesn't like the taste. In the first case, besides dehydration, you should treat the underlying illness, in the second, just give them normal water that they like to drink, or at least decrease the concentration of whatever there is in the water that they don't like.


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks for your replay, My sencond pij Dulce came just two days ago to live with me and her partner Bravito, the problem is that her poops are 95% greenish water as you can see in the pic, or a kind of whitish water











I have talk to the owner of the shop where I bought her and he told me that almost for sure is due to stress that I must wait for a couple of days and let him know if she does not get better and he will give me some medicine for her in case she does not get better soon.

She ate and drank today a litle more than yesterday, she behaves normally and move arround the house, I am keeping an eye on her, but she is pooping till now nothing more than water, or do hens excrete something more than cocks?, she will lay her eggs in a couple of days and she is getting extra vitamines, calcium, and a complex with electrolytes for periods of stress


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Poops can get pretty wet and messy when they are laying, though I would expect some substance to them. 

Sounds like she's getting the right things to help her, anyway. Some birds do get stressed in a change of environment or just being transported.

Keep a good eye on her, and good luck with your 'pairing'.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They don't look like stress to me, and if this is all that she is doing, then there's something wrong.
What makes you say that she will lay in a couple of days?


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## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

I use yogurt some times its more of a wormer.

Also like the pigeon video. Good table manners. LOL


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I do not recommend dairy products for birds.." birds would not have developed the enzymes necessary to digest milk sugar, lactose." there are other ways to give the probios just for birds.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

People have used it til they could get some bird probiotics. Not for all the time.
Yogurt won't worm birds.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> People have used it til they could get some bird probiotics. Not for all the time.
> Yogurt won't worm birds.


If using it for digestive upset even only for a short time seems like it could make matters worse in some intances.. for birds that are healthy and not having digestive problems, then it MAY not cause them much upset I suppose. but sometimes it does..just depends on the birds.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It's just that when there are bird products out there made for the purpose, why are people always looking for another way? Why not use the things that are made for that purpose?


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> I do not recommend dairy products for birds.." birds would not have developed the enzymes necessary to digest milk sugar, lactose." there are other ways to give the probios just for birds.


Milk is not recommended for pigeons, but yoghurt contains less lactose. Actually yoghurt with probiotics is recommended even for people with lactose intolerance, which is a worse condition than just not being able to digest lactose, as in pigeons.



> Yogurt made with active and live bacterial cultures is a good source of calcium for many people with lactose intolerance. When this type of yogurt enters the intestine, the bacterial cultures convert lactose to lactic acid, so the yogurt may be well-tolerated due to a lower lactose content than yogurt without live cultures.


Some people have even successfully raised very young baby pigeons on egg yolk and milk, which I know is not a good idea, as they can't digest the milk properly. But replacng the milk with yoghurt seems to be acceptable, as suggested in the "infamous" MacMilk recipe.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I think a probiotic tailored for pigeons would be the way to go !


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## snowyloft (Nov 18, 2010)

whytwings said:


> I think a probiotic tailored for pigeons would be the way to go !


I wondered if anyone has a tube of probiotics made just for birds and could tell me what kind of bacteria it contains. The companies that offer it for pigeons do not state what's in it.

I've looked at probiotic labels for different species - humans, dogs, goats, cows, even ferrets. They all contain the same three or four kinds of intestinal bacterial species. There are some good studies that seem to indicate that very little of the bacteria manage actually make their way into the intestine. You'd probably get more from just eating a little dirt.

Active culture yogurt should not have much in the way of lactose since the bacterial fermentation process uses it up. The byproduct of that fermentation produces various acids which results in the sharp flavor.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

snowyloft said:


> I wondered if anyone has a tube of probiotics made just for birds and could tell me what kind of bacteria it contains. The companies that offer it for pigeons do not state what's in it.
> 
> I've looked at probiotic labels for different species - humans, dogs, goats, cows, even ferrets. They all contain the same three or four kinds of intestinal bacterial species. There are some good studies that seem to indicate that very little of the bacteria manage actually make their way into the intestine. You'd probably get more from just eating a little dirt.
> 
> Active culture yogurt should not have much in the way of lactose since the bacterial fermentation process uses it up. The byproduct of that fermentation produces various acids which results in the sharp flavor.


I think if you did some looking online you can find a bird product with what or how many billions of live cultures it has. for one bird I use bene-bac in the link and it states ingredience and what it has in it.

http://www.petco.com/product/116425...-5DDF-E011-B18D-001B21A69EB0&mr:referralID=NA


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

Hi again, the poops of Dulce have improved somewhat today, anyway at the end of next month I will be buying her a complete formula which include probiotics as well, you can see her on this video which I made today, her back is protruding, I think she will lay her eggs very soon. I avoid to touch her at this moment afraid of hurting her or her eegs.

I have started a search to see if in the future I can find someone missing a pair of pigeons as pet someone willing to give them all the attention they need to develop and be happy at a save forever home, I want to give her if I succed the chance to hatch her own eggs at least once. 

I regret so much that I have to replace her eggs with fake ones. tank you all for the replies, I am buying all the stuff I need for them in case of emergency in the future. forewarned is forearmed.

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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

why is there a video of mating pigeons?, I only thought you had one.


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

I got a partner for my pigeon last saterday, and now she will lay eggs in a couple of days, everything happened so fast and I am so new to this that I am dealing with it just the best way I can.

Bravito shows at a times agressive behaviour towards her pecking her in her neck and head, this is the hardest part cause I have separated them twice due to this but they inmediately look for each other with lots of hard cooing and flapping wings.

She came from a shop where was expose to lots of stress situations. Bravito is stable and happy


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ETphonehome said:


> I got a partner for my pigeon last saterday, and now she will lay eggs in a couple of days, everything happened so fast and I am so new to this that I am dealing with it just the best way I can.
> 
> Bravito shows at a times agressive behaviour towards her pecking her in her neck and head, this is the hardest part cause I have separated them twice due to this but they inmediately look for each other with lots of hard cooing and flapping wings.
> 
> She came from a shop where was expose to lots of stress situations. Bravito is stable and happy


oh!... that is great!... they sure did not waste any time..


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

They are made for each other and they live now in a safe inviroment, she was breed already from shop and she laid her first egg right now, but for sure Bravito do not care about that, he protects her and "their" egg with all he can


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why are you buying formula?


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

Jay3 said:


> Why are you buying formula?


I am trying to have at home some medicines just in case of emergency, The vet of my pigeons is a specialized one but he comes just once in the month to the city where I live.


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