# Pigeon Coughing Fit



## Pochi (Sep 2, 2011)

Hi,

Today my Pigeon started to cough and it got me worried. He started to cough lightly about every second. Then, stupid me, I tried to hold him close and very lightly bump his back; like when done to a baby. It was really stupid of me. It caused him to start coughing a little harder. I got so scared. I then went ahead and laid down with him on my chest. I started to soothe him by gently stroking him. I also spoke to him in a calm soothing tone. I was really scared because I once had a cockatiel that died from coughing this way. So I kept stroking him very gently down the back of his neck and back. Then slowly he stopped coughing. Eventually he stopped. I am never going to lightly bump his back to help the cough again. That was so scary. I would never want to hurt my Pigeon. I love him too much.

The cough has come up before. It has not been often. Just maybe like once or twice before in the last 3 months. Never as 'intense' or prolonged as this one. This one only lasted maybe one minute. I really was not timing it since I was so concerned. Before, maybe just a couple of coughs and that was that. I just got scared because it reminded me of my cockatiel.

My Pigeon's background: I found him after he had fallen down from the nest. I decided to take him with me because I had seen a lot of other baby birds fall from nests before. Then, when I would come back from work, they would be dead. Sometimes only pieces left after Cats ate them. So, I decided to save him. He was I think a late baby. He did not make regular pigeon coo's. Rather high pitch baby squeeeeeeks. He had no learn how to fly yet. His beak also had that baby look. So I took him in and fed him and took care of him. I had also rescued other 3 birds that were non pigeon and small. Anyway, everything has been good with him. Though I believe last year or two years ago I posted on this forum. My pigeon started to act dizzy and rotate around and around in a circle. If I were to stop him and hold him close. His head would kind of tilt in the same fashion someone does when you spin around too much. This happened a couple of times. Then it stopped. It has not happened since. Now there is this coughing fit today. Also, I've noticed that sometimes when I've held him close he trembles a little. I don't know if he is nervous, because I've noticed that he can tremble when nervous, but he doesn't tremble all the time. 

After the coughing fit, which brought me to tears at one point, I gave my Pigeon a little Sun. Sometimes I feel like he does not get any sun at all. I also live in a small space, so perhaps he does not get enough flight excessive. I made a video of him after the fit so you could see his status:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6wAU_t5M84

He looks fine. I think I over reacted, but I was just so concerned. Also as you can see his feet are a little deformed, but I love him regardless. This is what I currently feed him.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2403/picture016va.jpg

That and white rice, though he does not eat much white rice anymore. I separate the white rice and the seeds. One bowl for ice, one for seeds. He likes that regular feed, minus the long grassy grains. He seems to leave them most of the time. The rest, colored grains round grains, he eats them all. I was suggested to re place the white rice for brown, which I did, but he did not eat it either. I even tried mixing it, but he did not eat it. He likes human food that is for sure.... Like tortilla, he likes fried egg, whole wheat brown bread, pizza fluff?, and at one point he ate a little bit of chicken ._. . He just did, really. It was not me offering it. He tends to fly over when he hears us eating. He always wants to peck at the food and see if he likes it too. 

I want to try and five him Global's Multi-Mix and Global's Respiratory Plus after reading this thread: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/coughing-or-sneezing-9202.html but I am concerned of using it, and having a similar effect like when people use anti biotics poorly, and the strain turns into a super bug or drug resistant. So I am not sure what to do. Please, if you have any suggestions let me know. Should I add something to what he eats? Should I try brown rice again? He does not eat the white rice much anymore. Just regular seeds. He does not come off as depressed either.

Though sometimes what he likes to do is go into his cage and call for me with a long coo~ cooo~ coooo~ coooo~ and he doesn't stop until I go over to him. I think he just does it for attention. He has done that for the longest time too, so to me it isn't so much of a concern. 

He also doesn't seem to like corn and sun flower seeds. Here is another video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUiAWGOihFU he seems to have plenty of energy.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

He's a cute pigeon 

Not sure if it's actually coughing as we would know it. I have a young one here (a blind juvenile) who was having respiratory problems and has now seen two vets.

He would have fits of something like quacking (not the sound they make when their voices are breaking though) and someone with a bad cold. Woke me up a couple of times at night. He also made it when he was getting exercise, like doing 'pop up flights', and would then breathe with his beak open.

He got Baytril for 7 days without improvement. After 2nd vet visit, he had Flagyl (Metronidazole) and Itrafungol (as it could have been Aspergillosis). He also had Lincospectin. Between these, he recovered from whatever it was.

He occasionally makes a sound which, to be honest, I'm not sure is a problem or not, but shows no distress after exercising.

He was checked over twice for his breathing but neither vet could find any sign of an ongoing problem (no wheezing or clicking), and he seemed healthy overall.


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## Pochi (Sep 2, 2011)

Hi John,

Thank you for your complement. Can pigeons pick up Flagyl (Metronidazole) and Itrafungol even if no other birds are around? I have no other birds, and no birds perch outside the window. Can that type of illness travel fair when airborne? Lately I have been sleeping with a small light on at night. Last night he was rather active around 3am in the morning. Doing pop flights and visiting me on my bed. I think it might be best for me to turn all lights off at night. Perhaps this one bothers him when he wants to sleep. On another note. His cage is a little close to the kitchen sink. His cage never gets splashed or anything. Do you think the smell of gel dish soap could harm him or cause him problems? When changing his water I sometimes add a drop of: http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1948/picture020j.jpg to it. Do you think this is good enough for him? He has not had any coughing fits since the morning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYIMpZBoqTs He is eating his seeds too. I am happy. Though before when he used to get 'Dizzy' and spin around it would come on and off. I am glad that is over. Though I am scared the 'coughing' might return on and off. Do you think the smell of the detergent when washing dishes could affect him?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi



> Can pigeons pick up Flagyl (Metronidazole) and Itrafungol even if no other birds are around?


You misunderstand me .. those are medicines, not illnesses. When I say my bird had them, I mean that he was given these medicines because he had a problem which needed treatment.

Some kitchen or other products are not good for birds. There is a good page on what is bad for birds (doves or pigeons) in the house here:

http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/birdproofing.htm

The bird tonic should be OK occasionally. I don't know that one, so cannot really comment on it.


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## Nikhil syal (Apr 18, 2017)

Hello guys!!
I have a Pegion (white in colour) which is suffering from a disease. Let begin from starting. My Pegion 5 days before having cough and stop eating anything but he was able to open his mouth. And 2 days he did vomit 4-5 times and begin behaving abnormally and go week and looses too much of weight but he is not twisting his head just do bend while sleeping. And he also can't able to open his mouth and do eat food. He Become so week, So i helped him in eating . I got worried and begin searching on net about this kind similar symptom and then I got confuse whether he is suffering from paramoxyvirus or paratyphoid. In these diseases they look very similar. Please guys help me.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Nikhil syal said:


> Hello guys!!
> I have a Pegion (white in colour) which is suffering from a disease. Let begin from starting. My Pegion 5 days before having cough and stop eating anything but he was able to open his mouth. And 2 days he did vomit 4-5 times and begin behaving abnormally and go week and looses too much of weight but he is not twisting his head just do bend while sleeping. And he also can't able to open his mouth and do eat food. He Become so week, So i helped him in eating . I got worried and begin searching on net about this kind similar symptom and then I got confuse whether he is suffering from paramoxyvirus or paratyphoid. In these diseases they look very similar. Please guys help me.



This is someone else's thread. You need to start your own thread. I'll PM you on how to start a new thread with your problem.


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