# The Pigeon who can't walk



## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

One of my pigeons, Brooke, isn't doing too well. In mid-June I came back from vacation and she couldn't walk, I asked around and started to give her some calcium pills, soon she got better. A couple days ago she couldn't walk again. I put this mix of like sugar and other nutrients in her water and just toay I started giving them red grit. Can anyone help me??


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Did Brooke recently lay an egg? Because it could be egg laying paralysis, something that happens with certain hens. I suspect she has an ongoing calcium deficiency, though, if you just started giving them red grit. Pigeons, especially when breeding, should have a good supply of pigeon grit in front of them at all times. Does she get adequate sunlight? That's also important for Vitamin D production. Since she's had this problem before I suggest you watch her closely and give her extra calcium supplements around the time she lays in addition to providing her with a ready supply of grit.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I would also offer oyster shell in addition to the red grit.


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

*The pigeon who couldn't walk*

Well, I had a mate for Brooke but last Novemeber he got out so I got her another pigeon to live with. She hasn't laid an egg since... well it was a while ago. And the calcium I was giving her had vitiman D in it.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Hmmmm...there may be something else going on then. Any chance you can have her seen by an avian vet?


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

I took her to an avian vet and she had to be put to sleep. She had a gaping wound which might have been from an infected egg and it got maggots. They sad that she probably wouldn't make it and that euthanizing her would be the best thing to do. =***[


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm very sorry. I wish this would have turned out differently.
Please make sure that your other Pigeons always have red Pigeon grit and and oyster shell available at all times. Put out small amounts and replenish so it doesn't get soiled.
When ever you have a Pigeon that is acting off, do a thorough examination. Put the bird in your lap...feel the bird with both hands to see if one side feels different that the other...blow the feathers apart to check for wounds and check for anything that seems swollen or different.


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

The vet siad that everything could have happened overnight and there was nothing I could have really done. She said they see lots of maggot cases especially when it's hot out.


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

Charis is right, you need to do a through examination when you have a sick bird. Your Vet is dead wrong in saying that your bird could get maggots overnight, they take a week to develop.

Please see the following link.
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/pest/calliphoridae.htm


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

Wow that's really weird because I was holding her like 4 days before the vet visit and I didn't notice anything.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The other aspect of this that you need to keep in mind...we all do...when you notice your bird is off..take immediate action. That doesn't mean a few days, that means NOW.

Birds hide illness as a natural defense against predators. A sick bird in the wild is an easy target and so they pretend. Once we notice we have a sick bird...it's been sick for a while and you often don't have a lot of time for intervention.


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

I don't know what to say to that! She was one of my first pigeons and I did ask other people who have pigeons and they too thought that it might have been something to do with the diet!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

PigeonsCrazy said:


> I don't know what to say to that! She was one of my first pigeons and I did ask other people who have pigeons and they too thought that it might have been something to do with the diet!


Most people don't realize...even those with Pigeons. You know now and so you've learned from her illness and that's a good thing.


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

Sorry I kinda snapped. It's just that I expected her to be with me for much longer. I went into that vets office expecting to give her a new diet, not to leave without her. 

Do you think it's possible that my other pigeon (female frillback) could have given her the wound or it could have been an infected egg or something else completely? I hope that it couldn't have been Iris (other pigeon). It seemed like her and Brooke really got along.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I think she had an egg or eggs backed up that started an infection...just a hunch.
Do you give your pigeons Oyster shell?


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm so sorry for your loss. I've had pigeons for years and even though I look closely at them, I still miss things sometimes because they're so good at hiding their illness. If the problem was that bad, you might not have been able to save her even if you caught the problem early. It's been my experience that hens with egg laying problems tend to keep having problems no matter how good the diet, supplements, etc.


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

No but I started them on red grit (too late for Brooke though) and it has some bigger chunks of stuff in it. They're kinda whiteish....


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You need to offer oyster shell too.


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

wow,sorry about the loss,i know it is painful,,my cotton tail-not quite 2 yr.old, had a big lump on the left side of his face,abscess,when i took him in,the dvm-was giving me a break down,when i was pulled aside,by the manager/dvm(friend)-and was told to let him go,..i said no,and with the insistance of the dvm that i did-not know gave her full authority to help him,,that exotic specialist spent over 2 hours of surgery,but the rabbit survived,,because i was not going to walk out/without,,this was a hell of a way to become best friends with someone and continues to this day,for consultation,email,.your situation sounded bad,and i have been there too,,but i thought this thread might help,,and since 2003 this is what i do,rehab,raise exotics,sincerely james waller


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

Thanks. And I'll try the oyster shell. I took my other bird to my friend's house so that she won't get lonely until I get a new bird and she said that the bird looked completely healthy.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

PigeonsCrazy said:


> Thanks. And I'll try the oyster shell. I took my other bird to my friend's house so that she won't get lonely until I get a new bird and *she said that the bird looked completely healthy*.




Remember...just because a bird looks healthy, doesn't mean that it is. They are master pretenders until they can't pretend any longer. I hope though, that it is OK.


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## PigeonsCrazy (Jul 10, 2009)

She gave her a complete check-over and she knows about frillbacks. I got this one from her and now she has like 15 of them. =]


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