# found pigeon behaving strangely?



## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

Hello and have a good day all of you!

Me and my gf found a pigeon on the street today. I tried to shoo it off by waving my leg in front of him but he didn't fly away. I thought he was humanized so I decided to go closer and pet him. When I reached for him he squealed at me and then tried to run off. He made one step and fell on his left side. As I moved my hands closer he got up again and wobbled 1-2 more steps and fell again.

I picked him up and saw that he had a mild injury near his right wing. We put him near a tree on the side of the road and went to the market to buy stuff with the thought that when we come back we'll take him to our place. After 1 hour we came back and we found him just 2 feet away from where we left him.

We took him in and force fed him some sunflower seeds and some small pieces of bread. He also drank a biiiit of water but not too much. He seems really scared but as we get close to him there's nothing he can do but wobble 1-2 feet and fall.

I looked for pictures of the pigeon skeleton on the net and by means of touch, I checked to see if anything was swollen (basically I checked for symmetry on both sides).

The wound seems to be almost healed and seems to be superficial. I have some betadine that I can use to disinfect the area.

Can anyone tell me if he is wounded or just plain hungry? I can post pictures or even a video of him and how he looks both at good quality if needed.

What can/ should I do? I will be checking this thread every hour and hopefully some1 will see my post.

Thanks in advance.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Thank you for helping this needy little one.

Please follow this link FIRST:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f108/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-8822.html

Please do not feed sunflowers, they are very hard to digest.

You can hand feed him peas (defrosted, drained and warmed) Make sure the baby is warm as the peas should be warm and only feed when crop is empty.


Do post a picture or video so we can help identify the problem.*


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

don't go anywhere, I'm uploading to imageshack right now. (it will take 5 more mins or so cuz the video ha 71 mb -.-)


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

here are 4 pics of him and how the wound looks from a few different angles:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/96/12082012268.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/12082012269.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/12082012270.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/208/12082012271.jpg/

and a video of us trying to convince him to walk. at a point, we get him to stand up straight but only for a fraction of a second cuz he then falls on his left side (he seems to usually fall only on his left side):
http://imageshack.us/clip/my-videos/835/oycnyahypmiwualcbmkfxo.mp4/

Also I saw him flip himself over while trying to walk and he was kinda unable to get back on his belly. I'm starting to think he's dizzy from not eating/drinking anything.


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

that is a ringneck dove, ( collard dove, turtle dove ) looks like it was either caught by a cat which can be fatal just from a scratch from its claws, or it was hit by a car. i would take it to a local vet if you can, if it is a cat srcatch it may be very sick from it and need meds A.S.A.P.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

In the best case scenario we can take it in the morning since now it's Sunday afternoon here. (8:00 PM) It can make the night, right?


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

Also, does anyone know (based on the video that was uploaded) why he can't stand up straight? I mean, he seems very responsive from a cognitive point of view but his body is so flabby and wobbly. He doesn't seem to be in a state of shock, since at first we could do anything to him and he wouldn't try to struggle but now if we try to force feed him he will just move his beak away and won't let us give him bread.


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

LIKE I SAID HE IS SICK AND WEAK.. if it is from a cat he may die sooner then you think if not treated, i understand you can't get to a vet till tomoorow so just keep him warm & safe and try noy to move him to much, or let him move. put him in a cage with towels wrapped in a circle like a nest shape. and i pray he makes it threw the night. DO NOT FEED HIM BREAD or force feed him you could cause more damage or cause him to choke, if he is able to eat and drink water on his own let him, and give him dove seed or wild bird seed only.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

well he took a bite out of a piece of bread a few hours ago and we got our hopes up, but he became so intimidated by us that he stopped. He drinks water but only if we direct his beak into it. Even then he drinks a lot less than what we were expecting.
For the last hour he seems to be looking for warmth because he was next to us in bed and he wobbled by himself next to my arm and cuddled himself into it.
Thanks for the info.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Buna Seara, Romania!

You have to put him on antibiotic right away.
_Cats carry the pasteurella bacteria in their saliva and a pigeon can die of pasteurella septicemia within 24 hours, so it is important that it is treated with antibiotics (preferably one that combines amoxicillin with clavulanic acid such as Synulox, Clavamox *or Clavaseptin) as early as possible._
If you have amoxicillin handy, please let us know and member will advise you how much to administer.(too much it can kill it)
I know the vets are not so expense in Romania. Please check him in Monday.

Link below tells you what to do before feeding the bird ( este gugustuc?):
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f108/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-8822.html

Thank you for taking care of it.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

I3lue said:


> well he took a bite out of a piece of bread a few hours ago and we got our hopes up, but he became so intimidated by us that he stopped. He drinks water but only if we direct his beak into it. Even then he drinks a lot less than what we were expecting.
> For the last hour he seems to be looking for warmth because he was next to us in bed and he wobbled by himself next to my arm and cuddled himself into it.
> Thanks for the info.


Wow, you already tamed the dove!!!


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

I think it just laid an egg. It pooped out something that's white/yellow and its the size of the opposable part of my thumb. The thing seems big. What can I do with it?


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

throw it away she wont hatch it even if it is an egg. and it may be just a big nasty poop. post a pic of it


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Well the bird it's injured. If it's and egg ,you keep the egg- but boil it so it won't hatch (make a nest for her) it will be beneficial since it will sit and rest all the time, except for when it goes to eat. Put a small bowl of dove seeds and water beside the nest. It can be a box with towel underneath and some small twigs, or the plate of a flower pot.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

It was an egg. before any of you replied I decided to force her to hatch it and put the pigeon over it. it cracked the egg and yellow stuff was everywhere, and on her feathers too (took some time to clean that up).

Anyway I have nothing to feed her but bread. I'm taking really really really small pieces of bread and force feeding her. A piece is a bit bigger that the tip of a ball pen, so I don't think she will choke with it. 

Either she's too scared to eat/ too weak to eat or I dunno.

Quick edit: what I really wanna know is why isn't she drinking water or eating? Shouldn't she be more than grateful to accept food and water when it's literally in front of her?
AAAAH I KEPT FORGETTING!!! Here is some pics of something we noticed on her chest:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/831/12082012273.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/515/12082012272.jpg/
Does this mean that she's still a baby? (a big baby O_O) Or did she just lose her feathers in that spot and is growing new ones?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Pigeons will quit eating when they are sick.

Can you get some frozen peas, (defrost, drain and warm them) and hand feed those?? That would be better for the bird for now.*


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

Thanks! Please also check my last reply on the other page because I added some more info.

Thank you all for your time and effort!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You don't know that a cat got her. She may have flown into something. But the feathers are growing in now on her stomach, so probably not so recent. If she is hurt or sick, then she won't eat on her own, and anyway, giving her bread is like giving her nothing. She needs food that will help to make her healthy. Not just something to fill her. Try the frozen peas that have been warmed, but not hot, or as was mentioned a dove mix. Having her checked out by a vet would be best.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I3lue said:


> Thanks! Please also check my last reply on the other page because I added some more info.
> 
> Thank you all for your time and effort!


*Please do not edit your old posts because we will not be notified to any new info.

You have not responded to our requests to give the bird something better to eat Please feed seeds or peas.*


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

Trying to force feed her peas but force feeding it really really tests our patience. She constantly struggles to break free and the only way she accepts it is if we put it in her beak.
if the peas/seeds/bread are in front of her or even on her beak she doesn't even try to eat them. We've even tried to peel the peas of that thin layer that they're covered in and still the bird ain't tempted.

we will let her sleep in the bathroom where its quite warm, no light and she can't see us.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

Dima you're funny . Thanks for the welcome.
Since it's 1AM here we're off to bed. Hope she will feel better in the morning. Noapte buna . (in case you really are fond of Romanian, that means goodnight)


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

I3lue said:


> Dima you're funny . Thanks for the welcome.
> Since it's 1AM here we're off to bed. Hope *she* will feel better in the morning. Noapte buna . (in case you really are fond of Romanian, that means goodnight)


Even though you are taking her to the vet, you will still have to feed her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU1SO0ZJoow

Good luck feeding your GUGUSTIUC.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hand feeding is easy if you hold the bird properly. Hold her on your lap and against your body. If you are tight handed, have the bird facing your right side. Come from behind her head with your left hand and gently clasp her beak. Now open the beak and put in a pea. Push it to the back of her throat and let her close her beak and swallow. If you hold her this way, she can't struggle all that much, at least not enough to get her head away from you. You don't have to skin the peas. If she is sick, then she doesn't feel like eating, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't need to eat. She is also frightened right now, so that would also make her not eat. She may be a young bird who hasn't even learned how to eat yet. Can you post a picture of the bird?


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> Hand feeding is easy if you hold the bird properly. Hold her on your lap and against your body. If you are tight handed, have the bird facing your right side. Come from behind her head with your left hand and gently clasp her beak. Now open the beak and put in a pea. Push it to the back of her throat and let her close her beak and swallow. If you hold her this way, she can't struggle all that much, at least not enough to get her head away from you. You don't have to skin the peas. If she is sick, then she doesn't feel like eating, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't need to eat. She is also frightened right now, so that would also make her not eat. She may be a young bird who hasn't even learned how to eat yet. Can you post a picture of the bird?


_
here are 4 pics of him and how the wound looks from a few different angles:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...082012268.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...082012269.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...082012270.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...082012271.jpg/

and a video of us trying to convince him to walk. at a point, we get him to stand up straight but only for a fraction of a second cuz he then falls on his left side (he seems to usually fall only on his left side):
http://imageshack.us/clip/my-videos/...alcbmkfxo.mp4/_

the video doen't work for me


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Thanks. I did see the pics. So she is definitely old enough to eat. Forgot. Well, an injured or frightened bird, or one who is sick isn't going to want to eat. But she/he still needs food.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jLJMgjdPtE
I uploaded the video to youtube so every1 can see it. In the video I'm telling my gf to push the bird from behind as to convince it to walk; also I'm trying to scare her with some hand gestures in front of her.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

great feeding video Dima! works like a charm!
the vet cost around 2$ and he said that the pigeon fell out of a tree prolly. She will walk in the next couple of days but she won't fly for at least a week due to the fact that she has a damaged artery. The vet also said that he hopes the bird wasn't poisoned with poisoned grains. If that's the case then only it's metabolic system can help her now.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Please keep the dove quiet and warm, and hand feed. The way you are trying to make her walk in the video and scaring her with your hands, isn't helping her. She is injured and needs time to heal, and I'm still not sure she doesn't need meds. But pushing her to walk when she can barely stand without falling over is only hurting her more. You need to be gentle with her.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

We went out for 1-2 hours and when we came back it seemed as if she was dying. She kept opening and closing her beak and shaking her head from one side to another. She was also desperate to get up and run.
We took her to the vet again and she said there's nothing she can do; it's very likely an intoxication of some sort. We decided to leave her at the vet over the night and the vet will call us tomorrow in the evening to tell us how the situation is going.

On a more funnier side note, the vet said that our little bird will have a stork next to her, so she will have some friends there over the night .


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What tests did they do on the bird? Check the droppings. Throat or crop culture? Without doing any of these things, they can't possibly know what is wrong.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

general anatomic examination through touch and the vet also looked down the throat to see if it was choking. Nothing down the throat and she said that out of the way the bird is behaving it's either something based on the nervous system or it got intoxicated.

She did warn me that some ppl put rat poison over some of their grains (there are some crops at the edge of the town I live in) to fend off any sort of pecker :|...
She said that if that's the case there's little she can do.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well without throat swabs or droppings checked or taking contents from the crop to examine, no one can possibly know if the bird is carrying a bacteria or virus that can making it sick. It probably needs medication to get better.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Jay, i don't think in Romania every vet has a lab for checking the dropings and if they send it to the lad it will take at least one week.By that time the bird if it was poisoned it would be dead.
They do more like volunteer work and they are just vets for all sorts of living creatures: same vet checks cats. dogs, birds, not necessary specialized. Last yr when i was there, i took a kitty( about 3 month old left at the entrance of the stairs of my parents' condo) who was dragging one of the back legs (had a sciatic nerve problem) and they had inside all sort of rescued animals that they chose to keep and people come and take them home as pets or to foster or take them home to continue their treatment to help them. I liked that, but they didn't want to take the kitty after i left and the leg problem was still there. I left her behind the condos where cats are, who are very teritorial and scared it; she got inside a ground hole and children were feeding her for a while ( i know that from my mom). Then it disappeared. Two months ago i was told by my parents that they saw it. It grew up and still had leg problem. I am amazed it survived.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

I3lue said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jLJMgjdPtE
> I uploaded the video to youtube so every1 can see it. In the video I'm telling my gf to push the bird from behind as to convince it to walk; also I'm trying to scare her with some hand gestures in front of her.


You should have not done that. If you are sick and cannot walk, or have an artery cut, you will not be able to walk and i am sure you wouldn't like it All she needed was have her rest and feed her as shown. I would appreciate if you can go by the vet and see what is she doing.

Birds are not like cats or dogs. They are very different. But i guess you were very excited to have her and see her walking and getting better in 1 day.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Dima said:


> *Jay, i don't think in Romania every vet has a lab for checking the dropings and if they send it to the lad it will take at least one week.By that time the bird if it was poisoned it would be dead.*
> They do more like volunteer work and they are just vets for all sorts of living creatures: same vet checks cats. dogs, birds, not necessary specialized. Last yr when i was there, i took a kitty( about 3 month old left at the entrance of the stairs of my parents' condo) who was dragging one of the back legs (had a sciatic nerve problem) and they had inside all sort of rescued animals that they chose to keep and people come and take them home as pets or to foster or take them home to continue their treatment to help them. I liked that, but they didn't want to take the kitty after i left and the leg problem was still there. I left her behind the condos where cats are, who are very teritorial and scared it; she got inside a ground hole and children were feeding her for a while ( i know that from my mom). Then it disappeared. Two months ago i was told by my parents that they saw it. It grew up and still had leg problem. I am amazed it survived.



All I'm saying is that without looking at things, even under a microscope or something, then there is no way of knowing if the bird is sick or what it would be sick with. I mean, you're just kind of guessing.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

She's dead. I left her at the vet because of the way she was acting. I couldn't post anything yesterday cuz I had a big day. But I did leave her at the vet the day before yesterday at around 4PM (our time). Yesterday, at around noon, the vet called me to tell me that she died this morning.

Most probable reason: grains poisoned with rat poison.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Sorry to hear that.*


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

I am sorry..Poor bird. Does a treatment for poisoning exist?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm so sorry.
I don't think rat poison was the cause of the death though, because it would have died much quicker.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

No. It was most likely sick with something, and who knows how long it went without food because of it. Lack of food and medication would have finished her off. That's too bad.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

in the first night she seemed ok. the second day, at around 4 pm she started acting strange. we hand fed her and she had water too. we also gave her some vitamins and minerals that the vet prescribed (a drop of each in 100 ml of water and then she should drink some of that water 2-3 times a day).

but...alas...I hope I won't get to see other birds like that. I'll show you a pretty picture in around 1 week; when me and my gf will go feed the pigeons in the centre of the city.
(we have a lot of grain just lying around  )


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

I3lue said:


> in the first night she seemed ok. the second day, at around 4 pm she started acting strange. we hand fed her and she had water too. we also gave her some vitamins and minerals that the vet prescribed (a drop of each in 100 ml of water and then she should drink some of that water 2-3 times a day).
> 
> but...alas...I hope I won't get to see other birds like that. I'll show you a pretty picture in around 1 week; when me and my gf will go feed the pigeons in the centre of the city.
> (we have a lot of grain just lying around  )


And just in case you see some other birds "like that" do not refrain from rescuing as now you know how to feed and take care of them from our discussions.
Thank you.


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## I3lue (Aug 12, 2012)

I thank you all for the time and effort that you all put to help both me and that bird too!


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