# I hate days like these!



## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

To me, the death of a feral pigeon due to starvation and compounded by illness due to weakened condition is the saddest thing ever and such a damned waste. I just lost the sweetest and prettiest little feral ever today. I had rescued it yesterday afternoon from under the bridge where I feed my ferals. I believe it was a starving East End pigeon that had somehow found it's was into my bridge flock. This is the second one in a few months that I have found down on the ground, bone thin and suffering from some kind of infection. Whatever it had was very stinky, fishy smelling. I tried to be so careful with this one, remembering not to feed it right away, to hydrate it first, examine it (no sign of injury or bites of any kind), but obviously very very thin. I hydrated it with a little sugar water and a couple of drops of 3-6-9 omega 3 vitamins. I gave it one Baytril pill and kept it warm. I also decided to treat it for cocci and gave it one pill for that 4 hours after the Baytril. I slept with it on my chest laying on a fluffy cotton fleecy baby blanket so that I could feel and monitor its movements and it seemed to perk up quite a bit. The next day so as not to give it too much food too soon, I gave it 30 warmed and thawed peas every 2 hours. I had to go out and before I did I gave it a bath (it reeked and was very street dirty) in warm water and blow dried it on comfortable warm setting so that it would not loose body heat. Then I put it in a cage on a fluffy baby blanket. When I came home, there was the poor little thing with his head right at the door of the cage as if he had been seeking to have me come and hold it (I find a dying bird will often like and seek to be held as it draws it's last breath). I was heartbroken that it had died in the 3 hours I had been out. His body was still warm. 

I wonder if there was anything more that I could have done that I was unaware of that would have perhaps gave this bird more of a chance to survive? Upon examination of the body, he was a mere stick of a bird and I guess he was just too far gone from starvation and his vital organs shut down on him. I wonder if I had stayed home and kept him warm and held close to my body, had I not gone out and left him, would hehave made it. I want to know, what other rehabbers do in a situation like this, a starving bird that is ill. Is there something I need to know for next time? 

Well, I had my good cry and told the poor little fellow I am very sorry I left him alone. He was showing signs of perking up last night and even gave my neck a little nibble in affection in the wee hours of the morning. I feel very bad that I may have let him down. I will bury him in a beautiful park near my home tomorrow morning.

Death really sucks........lol


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Sorry for your loss..I understand completely how it feels when you cannot save a life in spite of doing everything possible. Yes Death really sucks...especially when we are not prepared for it.
I think you did everything you could for him, but I was wondering if the idea of giving a bath was a necessary one. I never bathe my birds when they are sick as it just adds to the stress. It might make us feel better that they are now clean and smelling nice, but perhaps in that condition keeping them warm is more important. Just my thought.


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## longlive_pigeon (Aug 17, 2012)

Sorry for your loss. I am not any expert in handling sick ones, but from what you typed it shows how immense the love this poor thing received before his final destiny. Perhaps you have already let him die in dignity. Dont blame yourself. It is not always feasible for us to spend day by day at home to accompany the sick birds.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

spiritflys said:


> To me, the death of a feral pigeon due to starvation and compounded by illness due to weakened condition is the saddest thing ever and such a damned waste. I just lost the sweetest and prettiest little feral ever today. I had rescued it yesterday afternoon from under the bridge where I feed my ferals. I believe it was a starving East End pigeon that had somehow found it's was into my bridge flock. This is the second one in a few months that I have found down on the ground, bone thin and suffering from some kind of infection. Whatever it had was very stinky, fishy smelling. I tried to be so careful with this one, remembering not to feed it right away, to hydrate it first, examine it (no sign of injury or bites of any kind), but obviously very very thin. I hydrated it with a little sugar water and a couple of drops of 3-6-9 omega 3 vitamins. I gave it one Baytril pill and kept it warm. I also decided to treat it for cocci and gave it one pill for that 4 hours after the Baytril. I slept with it on my chest laying on a fluffy cotton fleecy baby blanket so that I could feel and monitor its movements and it seemed to perk up quite a bit. The next day so as not to give it too much food too soon, I gave it 30 warmed and thawed peas every 2 hours. I had to go out and before I did I gave it a bath (it reeked and was very street dirty) in warm water and blow dried it on comfortable warm setting so that it would not loose body heat. Then I put it in a cage on a fluffy baby blanket. When I came home, there was the poor little thing with his head right at the door of the cage as if he had been seeking to have me come and hold it (I find a dying bird will often like and seek to be held as it draws it's last breath). I was heartbroken that it had died in the 3 hours I had been out. His body was still warm.
> 
> I wonder if there was anything more that I could have done that I was unaware of that would have perhaps gave this bird more of a chance to survive? Upon examination of the body, he was a mere stick of a bird and I guess he was just too far gone from starvation and his vital organs shut down on him. I wonder if I had stayed home and kept him warm and held close to my body, had I not gone out and left him, would hehave made it. I want to know, what other rehabbers do in a situation like this, a starving bird that is ill. Is there something I need to know for next time?
> 
> ...


Im sorry you feel badly and hold guilt, you shouldn't. 
I don't think there is anything you could of done different.
death does suck and we all have to do it...even pigeons.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

I can appreciate how you feel. I have had several feral rescues die on me.

A couple of them wanted to be close to me, and maybe be held, when they died. I know this by their actions.

A couple of them wanted solitude, and attempted to get away from my presence and be alone when they died. I know this by their actions.

I have had pigeons show gratitude for being rescued.

I feel that death is a very private matter. Some want company and reassurance that help is there if they call for it, and some want to be alone to savour the experience of their last moments in this life, without distraction. 

We cannot always decide for others the appropriate circumstances of their passing. Hopefully it is peaceful. 

Sometimes we think we were there for the pigeons (to help them), when really they were there for us, for a brief time, before they passed.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Larry_Cologne said:


> Sometimes we think we were there for the pigeons (to help them), when really they were there for us, for a brief time, before they passed.



So true!..sometimes I feel pigeons come into my life with a purpose, to teach me something important in life.. The ones that come to me in the last moments of their lives have come to release what little of karmic debt is left...

Every rescue is an opportunity they give us to become better humans.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I'm sorry your little friend didn't make it ...... I understand it's hard not to accept the death when you invest so much effort into saving them and then you end up questioning yourself as to whether you could have done something different , but the truth is sometimes they are just too far gone and you should be commended for allowing him to pass in a safe and secure environment than under a bridge somewhere .regards ,


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

For one, a sick bird should never be bathed. And a feral pigeon views us as predators, so just keeping him warm and on a heating pad with a layer of towel under the bird,and towel to cover the cage with would have been better and made it easier for him to relax. By the smell you described, it's possible that he may have had canker. So a canker med is what you would need to have on hand, as it is a common ailment for a pigeon. Also, before trying to rehydrate, first warm him for a few hours. Sorry he didn't make it. He was probably dying when you found him. But these are things to think about should you find another.

Also, 30 warmed peas every 2 hours is much too many, especially for a sick bird. You need to wait for the crop to empty before feeding again, and that would have taken longer. He wouldn't have been able to handle that much. You need to go slow and give him time to digest what you first give him. You need to go lots slower, rather than doing all that in a short period of time.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

You are right, Larry; they are there for us, really. Pigeons have taught me so much about love and caring. 

I have been thinking about what I could have done that may have been a better choice and from experience the hard way now, I think it is this: A very starved pigeon, which was the case here needs IMMEDIATE AND INTENSIVE CARE. I will no longer try to provide personal care to such a critically staved pigeon. I will rush it a.s.a.p. to my Avian vet provider and have her do intensive care, such as intravenous fluids with vitamins, minerals and protein and injectable, fast acting anti-biotic treatment(s) as well as incubation in an incubator and round the clock monitoring. I am fortunate that my friend, Dr. Ann McDonald gives free avian vet care to all my ferals. I think I have learned that it takes that in order to provide the best possible chance to such an emanciated bird. As far as the bath being the problem, it was in warm water and he was dried by warm blow dry, but yes, maybe that was too much stress so I will not do that again. Poor little muffin; so sorry he did not make it.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

Jay, the pigeon was warmed for several hours before being fed the thawed peas, but from my experience, with a very starved pigeon sometimes they cannot even digest anything anymore - their digestive system has shut down. That is why as I say further down, I should have rushed him to Dr. McDonald's office as an"emergency" and she would have given him the "critical care" formula that I cannot. He needed intensive care. I examined his mouth and there as no sign of canker and no smell in his mouth, just stinky poops and he was extremely smelly and street dirty. His legs were very pale, if that means anything. To me, it indicates a total lack of proper nutrition in line with his bone-thinness. He actually did well through the night sleeping on my chest PEACEFULLY and I really believe if I had not done that he would not have even survived the night, and was appearing better in the a.m. I believe he died of starvation compounded by infection.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

P.S. I did check the crop and it was empty when I gave the second group of peas; he only got 2 feeds of 30 each time before dying and I examined his crop post mortem and it was completely empty; you could feel his entire throat system, it was that empty from top of throat, to the crop sac. I never felt a more prominent keel bone, and I have felt a quite a few in my day. I guess as you say, it was just one of those ones that if not given intensive care by a professional vet, will not make it and even then, perhaps not.


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## hong kong pigeons (Sep 30, 2013)

kunju said:


> So true!..sometimes I feel pigeons come into my life with a purpose, to teach me something important in life.. The ones that come to me in the last moments of their lives have come to release what little of karmic debt is left...
> 
> Every rescue is an opportunity they give us to become better humans.


a good term - Karmic Debt. Everyone interested in it may refer to:


http://www.ehow.com/about_5108486_karmic-debt.html


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