# Found a pigeon in pretty bad shape HELP !!!



## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

Hi guys ! 

I found an injured pigeon in my yard this morning. 

He has a pretty bad wound under his wing and it looks like the work of a cat claw or something. There is no blood - it's all black but there is no pus in the wound. One of his legs is also limping. 

We cleaned him in a small bath with baby shampoo and disinfected the wound with peroxyde, swabbed a bit of providione ( iodine ) and spreaded basiguan all over it. I also cut his long regimes on his injured wing cause it was getting stuck under him and he was moving it a lot. I did'nt want to put a bandage cause the wound needs to stay dry... or should i ? I could feel his wing cracking when he tried to fly off - he can move it but his wing shakes a lot when he does. It look painfull and swelled up.

I also gave him a small peice of a tylenol and a quarter of a pill of a wide range antibiotic ( novolexin ) 

He drank from my hand and i have mixed peanut butter with bread in water and reduced it in a milk and fed it to him by hand.

We also baught a bird spray for tiques and fleas. I noticed he had fleas.

He is in a box with newspaper on the bottom and we make shure he is warm and all. 

My question is: Can pigeons transmit illnesses or parasited to humans ? I have a 3month old baby at home and i really dont want anything happening to her. Of course i wash my hands after handling him but it shure looks like he will need care for a fiew months - possibly for ever - so i am willing to keep him ( especially since he's not eiven affraid of me anymore ) but how should i do this ? 

Thanks for you help : ) 

- any advice is well appreciated and i have a digital camera so i can show you his wounds and hopefully you guys can help me.


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

*Yellow poop - Pigeon adenovirus ???*

RE. to my last post - i forgot to say my pigeon is pooping yellow liquid... he had one or 2 weird poops like that and he also had a fiew normal ones. 

I red in a post here that this yellow poop could be a sign or Adenovirus. Is this contagious for humans ? Can we catch that ?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Adele,

I appreciate how worried you are so it was particularly kind of you to take the pigeon in.

People *can't* catch pigeon adenovirus but there are a couple of illnesses that could *(rarely)*be caught by close contact with infected pigeons, particularly with their poops, so you must take care to wash your hands after touching a sicxk pigeon or any sick animal and, of course, keep a sick animal in a separate room from a baby.

Pigeons can develop pasteurella septicemia from cat bites and die, the best antibiotic to give them to avoid this is clavamox.

It is best to immobilise the wing initially so that he doesn't try to fly and cause soft tissue damage in his attempts. the wing could be broken, but this would need an X-Ray to establish.

The yellow poops could be a problem but they could also be a result of the antibiotics or stress. Some people link them to a trichomoniasis infection (pigeon/bird specific canker) but there is actually no evidence of this connection...usually they indicate a liver problem which turns the urates yellow. However, I always check the inside of a bird's mouth on arrival to rule out canker. If it is there it shows up as a cheesy growth.

Giving him probiotics, even if only in the form of natural yoghurt could help establish whether his poops are the result of a temporary imbalance, bad diet or something more serious.

My own very recent experience of this: three weeks ago I was brought a pigeon in much the same condition you described, puncture wounds and lascerations on his body and wing , unable to fly and unable to use one leg.

He was given antibiotics and kept quiet for a few days (while I waited to see the avian vet!). He had X-rays but tere was nothing broken. Today he is flying. Recovery took about 3 weeks.

If you let us know where you are we may be able to link you to someone close who could offer practical help.

Cynthia


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

Thanks !!!! 

I am in Montral -Qc. 

I noticed the greed poop before i gave him antibiotics.... 

So youre 100% shure i can't catch anything off this fella ???


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello and thank you for saving this bird's life.

I just want to mention to you, to please don't give any cows milk, or bread and peanut butter, as it is not a good diet for pigeons. Mixed seeds, like wild bird seed, legumes, like dry peas, and dry whole corn are fine along with bird seed.

They can't handle any dairy, but can have a tiny bit of plain yogurt or human probiotics.

Please read the REAL FACTS about pigeon diseases.:

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/zoonoses/

They don't get any more diseases than any other bird. There is only one disease that can be contagious to humans and that is Ornithosis.

Here are the REAL FACTS and the avian flu:

http://www.purebredpigeon.com/avianflu.htm


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Adele,

I have e-mailed our Montreal members to ask them to read this post. Maybe one of them can help

Green poop is often a sign of starvation rather than disease. I think virtually every pigeon I have taken in starts off with green poops.

Treesa has already given useful links to information about pigeons and diseases. Humans are the ones most likely to infect other humans so there is a much, much greater chance of becoming ill through contact with another human, or with something that another human has touched with soiled hands (you know what I mean!) than from a sick pigeon.

Cynthia


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

Thanks ! That is reassuring - 
My husband went to buy bird seeds - he got the budgy kind - is that OK ? 

He's in his box right now - laying still and awake. I think the meds are kicking in and he's a bit releived from pain. He's a sweet one - he's not affraid of us ! 

If someone from Montreal could come and pick him up to take car eof him that would be great but i dont mind taking care of him either. 

One concern was deseis transmition and fleas. I sprayed his ( not on his wound ) with the bird spray my husband got too. 

Should i get a cage ? Or is he find in a box ? He keeps stepping in his poop and it is pretty liquid so it smears all over him. Maybe i should put a grill on the bottom ? 

Any advice ? 

Thanks again : ))) 

PS _ could anyone show me how to make a bandage for his wing ?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

To be honest, the last time I wrapped a wing I just put one piece of self cohesive bandage round the wing and round the body going under (not over) the healthy wing, not too tight because that could have suffocated it . My intention was to immobilise and support the wing...the vet checked out and approved it.

These are two links to more professional approaches (LOL, I just checked the first one and she used exactly the same technique that I did...it is gentle on the bird):

http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/brokenwing.html

http://community.webshots.com/album/89177617wFzIYU

Cynthia


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

I see - 

But the wound is under the wing... i'm concerned that if i wrap the wing shut like that it will stay humid and could get more infected.

I have cut the long feathers at it seems to do well - he's not moving his wing and keeps it half closed. 

I gave him the tylenol around 12:00 and it seems to work - he looks better already. 

I budgy feed all right ? Does'nt he need small rocks ? 

If he's not eating by himself can i hand feed him like i fed him the meds ? I opened his beak and just shuved it in.....


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Adele,

Just a word of caution about giving Tylenol to the bird. It has been known to be toxic to birds. You will find some posts here about using a tiny bit of real aspirin to ease pain and inflammation in birds. 

For right now the budgie seed is fine and you don't have to have grit (small rocks) at the moment .. you can get that at a later time.

It's fine to hand feed and bird if it is not eating/drinking on its own.

Terry


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## auroraborealis (May 30, 2006)

*Montreal pigeon*

Hello Adele!

I am also in Montreal. My first advice is to follow all the previous posts very carefully and not to worry about diseases as long as you wash your hands. You can buy or maybe you even have antiseptic liquid soap and use it after handling the pigeon. Just make sure your hands are perfectly dry from the antiseptic liquid soap before handling the bird.

The best food is Hagen's Pigeon and Dove mix seed. You can buy it on 
St-Hubert near Beaubien at the Aquarium du Nord or phone any local petshop closer to you if this is out of your way.

A cage is a must. There are some great cages with a drawer at the bottom. You put several layers of newspapers and clean as often as possible. It is
very very important that he does not step in his poop and spread his infection to this open wound.

Also there is a great vet on Papineau near Villeray : Dr Sikorski, 7655 Papineau, Montreal tel.: 514 593-6777 

Hold on to him or her, Adele. I will contact Poulette also in Montreal. She is great with pigeons and has much more experience than I do.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Adele said:


> RE. to my last post - i forgot to say my pigeon is pooping yellow liquid... he had one or 2 weird poops like that and he also had a fiew normal ones.


Incidentally, there's more than one kind of "yellow poop". There is yellowish liquid that is translucent which has a snotlike consistency that's often caused by a gastrointestinal problem like Coccidiosis. There is a very opaque yellow diarrhea that's more an indicator of really bad problems and then there's some light yellow goo that's a yellowed version of the urates that are normally the whites of the poop. They really should be white but I have seen those a tad yellowish when I'm handfeeding a bird Kaytee.

As to why a given bird has the different yellows in its feces, it's always tricky to say. Sometimes Coccidiosis, sometimes trichomoniasis, sometimes liver disease and sometimes it ate something that's caused it to look a bit yellow. If you can describe the yellow a bit better, it might help but it's not going to be diagnostic of anything although it's a fact that most wild pigeons have trichomonads and sometimes, when their immune systems are busy or otherwise compromised, trichomoniasis raises its ugly head. That said, it's often a good idea to treat for trichomoniasis and coccidiosis just to eliminate those possibilities.

Pidgey


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

Hi ! 

Actually - he is eating on his own now. Not shure about drinking but he definatly east. And he's doing better too - he moves around a little bit and stands for a fiew seconds. But he's pretty weak still and lays down most of the time.

The poop is opaque light yellow with a watery ring around it. There are small dark green chunks in the middle but it's definatly opaque yellow. 

I can't keep the bird - i have a baby to take care of.... 

Anyone from Montreal that could come and pick him up ?


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

I think he could be a pet pigeon - he's really friendly and lets me pet him. 
My husband thinks he will not fly again - he's not so well.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Adele said:


> I also gave him a small peice of a tylenol and a quarter of a pill of a wide range antibiotic ( novolexin )


Incidentally, the Novo-Lexin is a Cephalexin, like Keflex. In birds, it's normally dosed at 35 to 50 milligrams per kilogram, PO (taken orally), QID (four times per day). You'd have to weigh the bird and, taking the pill's size into account, divide it up accordingly. There are other higher dosages in the formulary, but not a lot. Might want to be careful with that one.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

When they're really hurting or sick, they're usually a lot tamer-acting than when they start feeling a lot better. That's not to say that he's not a pet, just that he might really be feeling bad.

You'd said that his wing makes a cracking sound--it could be broken. You might feel first the good wing and then the bad one to try to compare them. You can reference this webpage for an idea of the skeletal structure:

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/skeleton.html

If you can identify and describe where the swelling is or where it might feel broken or funny, we may be able to help. I'll go get some links to how to bind a broken wing and come back and post them.

Pidgey


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

Oups - i gave him a quarter of a 500mm pill of antibiotic..... i guess it will be a massive dose and it should take care of any infection he might have ! 

Well he's not dead so that's a good sign.... 

i can't keep him here i am very busy with my newborn and my husband is not fond of keeping him because of the diseases he might have. 

If anyone wants him please tell me - he's nice and needs care.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Adele, 

Did you get Suz (Poulette's) message...I believe she emailed you with her phone number.


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

yes - she cant take him and neither can hee other friend


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Here's a link to a picture for wrapping a broken wing--it's actually a drawing of the procedure that may help explain some of the wrapping schematically if you can't decipher from the pictures what's going on:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/548651267/2714172490073664377klNxpi

There is a note in that one set that mentions that it doesn't work when the humerus is broken. The humerus is the bone that connects to the shoulder structure.

Pidgey


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Adele, 

Ok, that's too bad then. Well, if you could keep the bird until tomorrow perhaps Suz can help you or you can take the bird to a rehabber. Here is one that I found in Montreal. Give them a call first thing in the morning and try to arrange something. 

Canada, Quebec (Montreal)..... 514-366-9965 
André Malouf, Urban Animal Advocates, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre 
Action Pour Les Animaux Urbains, Centre de Sauvetage et de Réhabilitation de la faune 
[email protected] 
Wildlife Species: all birds, mammals (land and marine), and reptiles, 
exotic placement and housing

Canada, Quebec (Montreal)..... 514-366-9965 
Harriet Schleifer (Executive Director) and Andre Malouf 
(Director of Research and Operations), L. McCann 
Urban Animal Advocates Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, 
Action Pour Les Animaux Urbains, Centre de Sauvetage et de Réhabilitation de la faune 
Wildlife Species: Rehabilitation of birds, mammals and reptiles; rescue programme for 
marine mammals; wildlife education; placement of illegal exotics; wildlife conflict resolution


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

Susan (Auroraboréalis) called me to read about this post. My 2 teenagers were on the computer since this afternoon 

I just talked to Adèle on the phone and she will keep the pigeon until Susan and I find someone who can take in the pigeon. I have a neighbor in mind... Unfortunately, my vacations are over and I go back to work tomorrow morning... Bad timing for me, but we will find someone!

Suz.


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## Adele (Jul 30, 2006)

Thanks - i will call these people tomorrow to ask them if they can take him in.


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

Sadly Adèle told Auroraboréalis and I that the pigeon died yesterday.  

Suz.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Oh, gosh.....I'm so sorry to hear the update.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I hate to say it but when I thought more about 1/4 tablet of Tylenol, I figured that this would happen even if the right medication were given for the bird's original problem. In humans, too much Tylenol does pretty bad damage. Quite a few teenagers overdose on it attempting suicide or the simulation thereof as a kind of "cry for help" or attention. If they get found and their stomachs pumped soon enough, it's okay but fairly often they survive the initial problems only to have their livers die soon thereafter. That's one of the more painful ways to go, I've been told.

Pidgey

Note: I re-read all of Adele's postings and see that I made a mistake here by blending two separate facts into one. Adele only said that she "gave him a small peice of a tylenol and a quarter of a pill" of the antibiotic. Not knowing what she actually meant by "a small piece", it cannot be guessed if that affected the bird or not. The antibiotic was certainly in overdose but I don't know what the tolerance is for the Novolexin.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Pidgey said:


> I hate to say it but when I thought more about 1/4 tablet of Tylenol, I figured that this would happen even if the right medication were given for the bird's original problem. In humans, too much Tylenol does pretty bad damage. Quite a few teenagers overdose on it attempting suicide or the simulation thereof as a kind of "cry for help" or attention. If they get found and their stomachs pumped soon enough, it's okay but fairly often they survive the initial problems only to have their livers die soon thereafter. That's one of the more painful ways to go, I've been told.
> 
> Pidgey



I agree on that one. A 1/4Tylenol is a heavy dose for a pigeon. The antodote for Tylenol overdose is acetylcysteine, it eliminates the remaining Tylenol and it's metabolites from the system.

Reti


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> hate to say it but when I thought more about 1/4 tablet of Tylenol, I figured that this would happen even if the right medication were given for the bird's original problem


These comments cause pain but they have to be said to prevent someone else from making the same well intentioned mistake.

It is possible that pasteurella septicemia or internal bleeding caused his death before the Tylenol. Even if Tylenol (assuming this is paracetamol and comes in 500mg tablets) was suitable for birds the proportionate dose would have been 1/70th of a tablet. Pigeons are tiny in proportion to the average human.

Cynthia


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

*Tylenol*

Tylenol - is this a human medicine or veterinary?

Just wondering.....


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

kittypaws said:


> Tylenol - is this a human medicine or veterinary?
> 
> Just wondering.....


Human.
But there are very few specific bird medicines. They are mostly human adapted in doses for birds or other animals.

Reti


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

kittypaws said:


> Tylenol - is this a human medicine or veterinary?
> 
> Just wondering.....


To add to Reti's reply---just for your info:

In the US, Tylenol is a brand name for an "over-the-counter" (non-prescription) pain reliever/fever reducer. It is actually acetaminophen.
http://www.drugs.com/tylenol.html

Linda


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## auroraborealis (May 30, 2006)

*Tylenol*

Hello to all!

Thank you all for your support and concern.

I wish to add that when in doubt, the best is to check in first with Pigeon Talk and follow what is said or rush to a vet before giving any human drugs which can only be used with great caution and especially knowledge of precise dosage.

Pasteurella septicemia can also be lethal for humans. My husband was bitten
by our feral cat and spent a week on a multidrug therapy administered intravenously.

Pastereulla is non-pathogenic for dogs and cats and is a normal part of their nasopharyngeal flora.

It's great also that you point out that the "friendly" look means the pigeon is in pain or in discomfort. When feral Rocky recovered, he started wing slapping and went back to his old normal feral self!

Susan


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Tania,

Tylenol is what we call Panadol...acetaminophen is what we call Paracetamol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol

Cynthia


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