# Help! Bad wing damage!



## Nonouns (Mar 7, 2012)

Alright, so here's a brief overview and my first post! But, I need some assistance quickly. Also, I'll start by saying that I'm located in Richardson, TX just outside of Dallas.

The other day my tattoo artist (who's been working on a pigeon tattoo for me the past few months perhaps coincidentally) called me and asked if I could take care of a pigeon she caught outside of her shop. She had picked him up because she noticed it was limping and had some heavy wing damage. She's a pigeon lover as well but she's never kept any and knew that I've taken in a few mildly sick or injured pigeons in my life, but they've always been very easy/minor cases that healed up and were released with no problems quite rapidly.

The poor little guy (or maybe girl) I've got now though seems to have some severe wing damage, I can't tell if it's broken or not but he is missing a large portion of what I'm guessing would be his secondary flight feathers (the largest ones on the inside of his left wing closer to his body than the tip of his wing).

He seems to be doing ok, he is eating and drinking and quietly waiting in a large Tupperware box with a screen over it but these feathers seem to have been completely ripped out of his wing. All you can see there now are multiple hollow tubes that look like they directly connect to his bone from what I can tell. No new growth seems to be there and the area looks raw but he isn't bleeding or oozing there in any way.*I've been putting a small amount of neosporin gently on the area twice a day for the past two days just in case though.

If I let him out to walk around my garage he seems to stay put for the most part and if he does walk, or if I pick him up he seems to have noticeable trouble making any use of his left foot.

The problem is, I can't find a vet to look at him that I can afford to go to any time in the next two weeks, and I won't have any possible time or much gas money really to take him to the nearest rescue to me until two weeks from now (just moved in to a new house and finances are very low until my next pay date).

So, is there any advice anyone can give me on what I should do? Or, are there any members near me (Richardson, TX) that could take him in or help out? With a little planning I could drive him to anyone as far as Fort Worth or maybe a little further this weekend or if there's anyone closer to Richardson I could take him over any time after 5:30, but I'm hoping to find something ASAP.

On a happier but infinitely less important (for now) note, now that I have escaped from the apartment life - I'm able to and would be overjoyed to take in or pay for a very young pigeon of any breed that I could keep as a pet, or more so, new best buddy/family member and bond with. Just adding this as a side note in case anyone who could offer proper care for this poor guy would like to swap for a baby friend that needs a home that I would be able to care for! Most importantly though, this little dude needs some help as soon as possible!

P.S. I will post pictures around 5:30 central time.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

what about finding a wildlife rehabber in your area? i'm always thrilled when the finder is willing to take a piji that cannot be released back to the wild


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

this is the only rehabber i know off hand in your area, not sure if its close to you but maybe if you contact them they can point you in the right direction
here is thier facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Wild-Bird-Rescue/113635715335592


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

Can't help in any practical way, but please check here for list by state. If there's a wildlife rehab you can get to, rather than a vet clinic, it may be worth giving them a call and seeing if they can help, etc.

http://www.pigeonangels.com/f8-pigeon-resources

(PS - there's one at Hutchins, if that's any good to you)


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## Nonouns (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks for the quick replies! I saw that there was that rehab in Hutchins, which I'll attempt to get to this weekend if I don't hear from anyone closer but it'd still be great if anyone knows of anyone in Dallas, Richardson, McKinney, Allen, etc. Also if I could get some info on what to do to care for his wing/leg in the interim I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks again!!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Nonouns said:


> Thanks for the quick replies! I saw that there was that rehab in Hutchins, which I'll attempt to get to this weekend if I don't hear from anyone closer but it'd still be great if anyone knows of anyone in Dallas, Richardson, McKinney, Allen, etc. Also if I could get some info on what to do to care for his wing/leg in the interim I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks again!!


I would rest him in a closed space, like a dog carrier for now on a towel with paper under it.. give feed and water in there. with a pic it will be good to see how he looks. I do not know how to wrap a wing properly for healing but still give a bit of movement..if a leg or wing is not wrapped right it can turn out stiff or not a proper set..but it may be too late for that anyway. so supportive care ATM... do you have some grains and seeds for him?


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I think if we are waiting until the weekend for professional care, you should also try to find some antibiotic very fast.

As SW said...definitely get him/her warm and provide food. By 'warm', I mean a room of 75 degrees F constant, or use a heating pad set on low under a layer of towel in the cage/carrier bottom, with the carrier half-covered.

Do you have any...or do you know of anyone who does (maybe your Tattoo artist, even) ?

Penicillin, Amoxycillin, Augmentin, Cephalexin, Ciproflax/Baytril, Ceclor, Trimeth Sulpha...anything like that.

The poor Pidge sounds in pretty bad shape, and it's possible he/she was attacked...in which case, there's infection already established and he/she'd need meds ASAP.

We look forward to pics ...probably you will need to cleanse the wounds a bit to see what's going on and get out any debris, etc...and thanks for caring !


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## Nonouns (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks again everyone! The pidge is currently in a comfy box hanging out at a pretty steady room temp of about 78 degrees F. I think I may have some meds around somewhere from the last time I was sick. How much should I give him and how should I administer them?


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

just a thought for you, bones in birds begin to heal usually within 48 hrs, so the sooner he is seen the better his chances for being released
time is of the essence when it comes to fractures


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Nonouns said:


> Thanks again everyone! The pidge is currently in a comfy box hanging out at a pretty steady room temp of about 78 degrees F. I think I may have some meds around somewhere from the last time I was sick. How much should I give him and how should I administer them?


Hi...depends on the med...do you have any of those antibiotics I mentioned ? If so, which one and what is the strength ? (i.e. mg per tablet).


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## Nonouns (Mar 7, 2012)

Alright, looked around but haven't found any meds yet.
Here are pictures of the wing though, sorry for the links, trying to post these from my iPhone:
http://pigeonsdecision.shutterfly.com/pictures/13
http://pigeonsdecision.shutterfly.com/pictures/12

Any diagnosis or advice?

Thanks everyone!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

from the pics, I would say an antibiotic is needed.. not sure of broken wing as the pics do not show that... if you can clean it with peroxiode diluted with water and give an antibiotic hopefully the feathers will grow and he can use it again(maybe).. but without being there it is hard to say..from the pics it looks more like more a wound than a broken wing.. but let others chime in on their opinions to see what they think about his chances of using it again. it may be a wait and see.. are you ready for a long wait time.?


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

Looks to me (looking at on my little phone screen) that the feathers appear to be regrowing 
I would use antibiotics to cover the bases, the tissue around the regrowth is pretty yellow and not looking right
When he is standing in a relaxed natural positionjust look at him 
How are his wings hanging do they look the same 
Is one hanging lower than the other?
Do his shoulders look even?


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Well...I think the Pigeon was down when the Tattoo people took him/her in, so one can assume the wing is hurt relatively badly. Indeed, feathers regrowing indicates this happened a while ago.

In the absence of anyone else having chimed in with a good wing-splinting suggestion, here's this:

http://www.starlingtalk.com/fractures.htm#wingfracture

It shows a pretty basic wing splint....idea is to bring the metacarpus ('forearm') back into the ulna (upper arm) and humerus (shoulder) and wrap, then wrap around the body to keep the whole wing from dragging/drooping.

I think you need to do this. I think that, indeed...as Altgirl says...the best and perhaps only way to have a chance for him/her to get use of that wing again is a vet visit immediately...but barring that, the splint for a few days will at least stabilize the injured area and likely make him/her more comfortable and less awkward in moving around.

The antibiotics...call anyone you know. These are really important to start him/her on, now.

Is he/she eating ? (birdseed is a good choice). How is his demeanor ? Alert or lethargic ? Do you have her on warmth now ?


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## Nonouns (Mar 7, 2012)

Alright, let's see here, I'm running late for work and I'm typing this on my phone so I'm going to do away with proofing and form and post a brief outline of responses to the past few questions. Again, thank you so much for your help everyone. 

SpiritWings: I've been putting a light coat of neosporin on twice a day, I'll go ahead and switch to peroxide. What should the dilution ratio be?

Altgirl: Little guy seems to be standing even and normal, I don't really see any droop and the shoulders appear to be even, he does however sometimes seem to let his injured wing stick out just he very very slightest bit more, almost like he's not folding it in all the way, but this is extremely slight and barely noticeable at all even when looking for it.

Jaye: I think I can do the wing splint. My only problem is that (I tried to give him one immediately after I got him the other day using directions from a similar link) he keeps sticking his foot up over the tape that wraps around the under side of his body and I'm afraid he'll hurt himself more, I'll try it again now that I'm a little more confiden around him and see if I can tape it up a bit better but still carefully. 
However, I DID get some antibiotics I found in a bag of old mess from the last time I was sick. I've got five 300 mg Cefdinir capsules (the pull apart gelatin capsule kind with little beads inside) how much do I administer and how do I administer it?
For your other questions, he is eating though not as much as I feel like he probably should be, same with drinking, how much of both is average in a day?
Demeanor is calm when in his box but he seems quite upset/worried when I get too near to him, even to change food etc let alone picking him up. He is quite alert though.
Finally, I do not have a heating pad under him but the room he is in is being maintened at a steady 78 degrees f right now. Out of curiosity though, what are the benefits of the heat and how do they get it in the city?

Thanks again everyone!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

4 part water to 1 part peroxide, use cotton wound pad to clean it.

The heat is for when birds are healing or sick, it helps them save their energy... if he seems to be active and alert he may not need heat, unless he is sick acting.. they do tend to enjoy it under them when confined to a carrier, even if they do not need it.. set on low under a towel with cage on top of it. but if you can't do it then he may be fine without it. how is his eating and drinking..and can you tell what his droppings look like.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

not sure of the dosing mbe someones will chime in that
body wraps can be difficult, sometimes takes more than one try to get it right
you can make it pretty tight, as long as you can wiggle one finger inbetween
high up on keel bone as possible, but not on his crop
i often use paper tape for wing wraps, stays put well and is pretty easy to remove without tearing out too many feathers,just wet it down and is lightweight


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Cefdinir...OK. This is in the same family as Cephalexin and Ceclor. So it's a wide-spectrum antibiotic and it does treat tissue infections. It is considered very safe on avians.

Hmmmm...good.

OK, so...doing some 'net research the daily dosage is between 30-50mg/Pigeon.

Let's stay on the middle side and say 40mg daily.

So you wanna get 2 doses of 20mg into him each day. Can you get a 1cc syringe with a metal tip ? pet stores, maybe ? if so, here's a method:

1) suck out ALL the gel from the caplet and see how much volume it registers in the syringe...then try to come up with that 20mg dosage, plus or minus. *1ml=1cc*, BTW. Pry open the beak gently and squirt it onto the tongue (not down the throat).

2) If no syringe, we know 1/4 caplet = 75mg...so estimate it down from there. Or, an eyedropper can do about the same thing as a syringe, except you have to eye the volume. But it'd be close enough. Lay the gel onto his tongue again and gently close the beak.

2 doses of 20mg spaced min 8 hrs. apart is preferable to a single dose of 40mg once a day....since after about 12-13 hrs. the dose wears off and there is chance of a backlash from the bacteria in those subsequent 11-12 hours of no dose.
But if one dose is all you can swing, then go for 40mg 1x/day. Every avian formulary site which mentions the drug says the Pigeon can take that dosage.


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

Jaye said:


> 1) suck out ALL the gel from the caplet and see how much volume it registers in the syringe...then try to come up with that 20mg dosage, plus or minus. *1mg=1cc, BTW*. Pry open the beak gently and squirt it onto the tongue (not down the throat).


1cc=1ml, not 1mg! 
For water, or any substance with the same density, 
1cc=1ml=1g=1000mg!

But in this case the number of mg's refers to the actual antibiotic in the capsule, while the ml's means the total volume of the capsule, so if one capsule contains 300 mg of antibiotic, then for a 20mg dose you need 1/15 of a capsule.

If that results in too little a volume to be able to dose accurately, I would dillute it in some water (preferably boiled) and use a bigger syringe. So, for example if you can end up with a total volume of 3.75cc, you will need 1/15 of that for a dose, that is 0.25cc. 

The only problem is that the contents of the capsule should be more or less soluble in water. Anyway, shake well before use.

The reason why it's important that you should only squirt it on the tongue and not the throat is to let the pigeon swallow by himself, in order to avoid the risk of aspiration into the airway, which can be very dangerous.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Nonouns, you would be better to just use a wound wash on the wound, as hydrogen peroxide can damage tissue. or just use a saline solution. 

Boil one quart of water. Add to it 1 Tablespoon of salt. Mix to dissolve, let cool to luke warm, and use this to cleanse a wound.


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## Nonouns (Mar 7, 2012)

Alright, brief outline response again, at work and typing this on my phone but here we go:

1. Spirit Wings: I'll go with Jay3 on the wound wash just to be safe, however I'll go ahead and give him a heat pad on low just for comfort. He is eating and drinking but it doesn't seem like much. Then again, I've never been sure how to gauge how much is normal. His droppings do seem regular as far as I can tell, not too soft, not too hard, formed to some extent, and usually there is at least some urine in it (I'm guessing you'd call it urine, the white, it's the same correct? Birds remove through their Cloacha, correct? I could be horribly wrong on all of this.)

2. Altgirl: Sounds good, I think I can set him properly, he was just struggling a lot the first night I had him and tried so I'm going to give it another go tonight*and I'll see if I can get it done safely and properly.

3. Jaye AND JonDove: Duly noted on all points. However I won't be sure until I've returned from work but I'm nearly positive that the capsules are gelatin, the insides though, the actual medication is composed of tiny ball shaped pellets. That said, how can I administer this? Should I attempt to dissolve it in to water as well?

Finally, a couple of really brief general questions: If I'm going to set his wing and give him medication I'm obviously going to need to have an ok hold on him and get him to open his beak. However, while he isn't aggresive at all, he is VERY wary of me. I've been shown in the past how to hold him, but how do I really pick him up in the first place without hurting him but also without letting him get away from me while I'm trying to help him? *Should I try to quickly but gently grab him from behind or pick him up from the front or scoop him into and then out of a corner? Any ideas?
How about getting him to open his beak? Once I get him in my hands he stays still or the most part, but getting him in my hands in the first place is the challenge.
One last thing, I'm having great trouble locating mineral grit for him anywhere around me, I've tried feed, pet, and outdoor stores, but no one has it. Is this highly necessary for him ASAP or will he be ok eating/digesting without it until this weekend?

Alright, that's easily the most I've ever typed on a phone so I'm going to finally wrap this up. I'll be home around 6:30 central and will post results as soon as I have them. *Thanks again so much everyone!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> Nonouns, you would be better to just use a wound wash on the wound, as hydrogen peroxide can damage tissue. or just use a saline solution.
> 
> Boil one quart of water. Add to it 1 Tablespoon of salt. Mix to dissolve, let cool to luke warm, and use this to cleanse a wound.


That is a good point jay3, it would be used if had nothing else just for wounds as just an initial cleaning.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The pigeon grit can wait until the week end.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Nonouns said:


> 3. Jaye AND JonDove: Duly noted on all points. However I won't be sure until I've returned from work but I'm nearly positive that the capsules are gelatin, the insides though, the actual medication is composed of tiny ball shaped pellets. That said, how can I administer this? Should I attempt to dissolve it in to water as well?


If they are pellets inside the capsules, then just count how many pellets are inside the capsule...because that total makes 300mg...

...and do the division to get you down to how many pellets you need for a 20mg dose. You can give the pellet orally by gently prying the beak open and placing it/'em in the middle of the tongue, then close the beak. If he/she shakes his head and they go flying out, you know none has made it in.


jondove said:


> 1cc=1ml, not 1mg!
> For water, or any substance with the same density,
> 1cc=1ml=1g=1000mg!


...I can't believe I wrote that...thanks for the correction, I have edited it. 1cc=1ml is what I intended on writing....


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