# Something wrong with squab



## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

Hello,

I posted a few weeks back about the pigeons on my balcony in India and how one of the babies died and I was hoping to remove the body. I was all set to do it, however the body started decaying rather quickly and soon disappeared. Super gross....

Now the other baby has grown as usual, but I believe there is something wrong with it. He doesn't like sitting in the nest like the others have, he wanders around the balcony and the parents have stopped sitting with him. He was attacked one morning by another pigeon, I banged on the window and the bigger pigeon flew away...the squab was clearly in distress. But a few days later, I noticed a few things...he has some abnormal growths around his beak, making it look very lump and those small holes on the side of its head which you can see when they are yellow fluffy babies (ears??) are quite enlarged/swollen that they stick out from the side of his head.

What is wrong with this pigeon? The parent is still feeding it...I was worried they had stopped, but have observed feeding several times a day now.

I will try to take a good picture to post in order to illustrate the strange condition. I have not touched these birds, nor really ever plan to, I just observe from our window. But I'm very concerned for this little guy!


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Could be pox...pox lumps usually form on the head and beak..sometimes legs and vent area also.
Can you catch him by any chance? The parents could reject him in this state...

Pox goes away on its own without any treatment. Chance of death is there, especially for youngsters. If you can catch him and help him with feeding, he could survive.
A picture would help..


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Yes ... please post up a pic if you can .

personally if the baby is being fed I would be reluctant to intervene . Pox can be servere in some cases and mild in others , so depending on the severity should determine if it needs to be captured .


Pox is transmitted through mosquitos and is usually more prevalent in the warmer months , there is no cure .... it just has to run it's course.
The lesions can take up to 6 weeks to heal and after that the pigeon will have life long immunity from pigeon pox .


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## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

Here are some pics...you can see the large one is starting to kind of ooze. I feel so bad for him. :-( We have a lot of mosquitos in our area right now, so if its something spread by them, not surprising.


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## pigeonjim (May 12, 2012)

Wow, I don't have a clue, but I am answering to hear what the experts here have to say. Good luck and I am so sorry.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

That is definitely pox. 
It is good if he is still fed by the parents (sorry I missed that out) ...and you can keep a watch on him and intervene only if his condition is deteriorating...
On the other hand, he might spread (or has already spread) the disease to his parents..


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## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

kunju said:


> That is definitely pox.
> It is good if he is still fed by the parents (sorry I missed that out) ...and you can keep a watch on him and intervene only if his condition is deteriorating...
> On the other hand, he might spread (or has already spread) the disease to his parents..


So it _should_ go away on its own? I do check on him several times a day. And if he did spread it to his parents, they would begin showing similar signs of it? We have many many pigeons on our balcony, but I can pretty much tell which ones are the parents based on their territoriality of the balcony and nest area. Could the pox have set in from being in the nest with the other baby pigeon that died? I hate to think it could've been prevented had I been able to remove the body. I just hope the parents continuing feeding and don't abandon him.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jilly30 said:


> Here are some pics...you can see the large one is starting to kind of ooze. I feel so bad for him. :-( We have a lot of mosquitos in our area right now, so if its something spread by them, not surprising.


pox is what I would say as well. 

the balcony is truley disgusting and unhygenic with all that fecal matter. Im hoping there is no possible way for you to clean it, otherwise I would wonder why it has not been .


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I also agree that it is pox and I was hoping that it would not be that severe. As I stated in my last post it will eventually heal and after he recovers he will never catch it again.

although the pox is bad ...it's not my main concern , however the lesion to the side is . I Would suggest that it is one of the lesions that has become infected and that would be why it is oozing as you say.

I would think that a course of antibiotics would need to be started immediately . CLAVAMOX would be my first choice however human antibiotics will work also , something like AUGUMENTIN if you or family members have anything lying around .

I would still leave him if the parents were feeding him but when they are absent I would sneek a dose of the antibiotics into him then. 
I feel so sorry for him , the infection is my main concern.

see how you go , if you can get either clavamox or Augumentin and one of us should be able to help you with dosing and how much


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I would not be concerned about the parent birds , even if it was to transfer to them it probably wouldn't end up being this bad. The young birds immune system is still developing and they always seem to be the ones that are hardest hit by Pigeon Pox.

I would suggest the other baby had it also and it probably would have been a good idea to remove the dead squab...but that was THEN and this is NOW ....focus on trying to help this little one if you can .

I am going to shoot a message across to charis....I believe she could offer some real help here .


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Poor little guy looks miserable. Often pox and canker go hand in hand and it would be a good idea to give him canker medicine and an antibiotic.
The canker medicine I hope you can obtain is flagyl [metronidazole]. Either of the antibiotics that Darren suggested will work as will enrofloxcin. With enrofloxcin, it can be given 1 time a day. We can help you figure out a dose once you find the medications. You will need a scale to weigh the baby. So you need flagyl and an antibiotic.
Personally and if you are able, I would bring him in. I always hate taking a baby away from mom and dad but this little one is very vulnerable.This would require you to feed and medicate him.
Also, where in India are you located in case we have someone that can take the baby for treatment?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I sent my friend, in India, a link to this thread.


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## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

Charis said:


> Poor little guy looks miserable. Often pox and canker go hand in hand and it would be a good idea to give him canker medicine and an antibiotic.
> The canker medicine I hope you can obtain is flagyl [metronidazole]. Either of the antibiotics that Darren suggested will work as will enrofloxcin. With enrofloxcin, it can be given 1 time a day. We can help you figure out a dose once you find the medications. You will need a scale to weigh the baby. So you need flagyl and an antibiotic.
> Personally and if you are able, I would bring him in. I always hate taking a baby away from mom and dad but this little one is very vulnerable.This would require you to feed and medicate him.
> Also, where in India are you located in case we have someone that can take the baby for treatment?


I believe I might actually have some augmentin in my medicine cupboard, but have to double check. However, It would be in pill form. Where would one search for the canker medicine? Just at a chemist? Or is it animal specific? 

We are located in Mumbai, Thane suburb more specifically.

As far as the balcony's condition, yes, it is definitely not healthy, but we are renters and that is the condition it was in when we arrived. Actually, it was far far worse, but the monsoon rains actually cleaned it up quite a bit. We have talked about cleaning it up, but ultimately decided we would have to call someone in to do it as I've read about the dangers of cleaning up large quantities of dried fecal matter. The other problem has been that there have been pigeons nesting out there literally since the day we arrived and we've been hesitant to disrupt the area or anger a nesting mom. My husband recently had someone at his workplace clean up a pigeon nesting area, so he is going to inquire with him about coming to take care of our balcony.

I would love to help him, though I am definitely a bit hesitant and nervous as I have no idea what I'm doing.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

I think the baby is old enough to be hand-fed? You could try catching him, and give him a once-over. Check inside his mouth for pox lesions (yellowish growths)...if present it is wet pox which is more severe and could lead to complications...
You can make a paste of turmeric with neem oil, and apply it on the oozing lesion..take care not to touch the eye..


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## spdevanand (Jul 19, 2009)

Charis, Thank you very much for mailing me.

Jilly30: As the other members mentioned, this is pigeon pox and seems to be very bad  You will need Enrofloxcin & Flagyl / Metrogyl. Enrofloxacin is also called as Bayrocin and available at all Vet Shops in India. You can guy buy a 50mg tablets, but wait for someone here to suggest the right dosage. (You will perhaps need 3mg or less per dose).

Flagyl / metrogyl is a used for humans, so you can pick that up from any general medical store. Please let me know if you need any other info.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Don't forget to weigh the youngster so an accurate dosing amount can be given .


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

If you have access to this pigeon, you can give the medicine when the parents are not around and leave it back, as the parents are still giving feed. I think you can approximate a weight of 300gms if you cannot weight him. As mentioned earlier, household turmeric powder paste in an oil/water base applied on the lesion will help.


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## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

spdevanand said:


> Charis, Thank you very much for mailing me.
> 
> Jilly30: As the other members mentioned, this is pigeon pox and seems to be very bad  You will need Enrofloxcin & Flagyl / Metrogyl. Enrofloxacin is also called as Bayrocin and available at all Vet Shops in India. You can guy buy a 50mg tablets, but wait for someone here to suggest the right dosage. (You will perhaps need 3mg or less per dose).
> 
> Flagyl / metrogyl is a used for humans, so you can pick that up from any general medical store. Please let me know if you need any other info.


My husband and I will hit the vet shops tomorrow for sure then. 

Now, I had always believed and been told growing up that if you touch a baby bird, its parents will abandon it...I'm assuming that is not true as many of you are saying I can easily catch it to administer these items.

I also suppose I should be wearing gloves of some sort. Will he bite or peck me? Gotta know what to add to the shopping list. 

Thank you all for your advice & guidance so far!


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Pigeons are pretty good like that...not abandoning their young because of human contact.

You shouldn't need to wear gloves , but certainly wash your hands after handling . The baby may try to wing flick but it will be scared and it will be one of his only defences ...a peck from pigeons does not hurt and I feel quite confident in saying you will not be attacked !


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## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

whytwings said:


> Pigeons are pretty good like that...not abandoning their young because of human contact.
> 
> You shouldn't need to wear gloves , but certainly wash your hands after handling . The baby may try to wing flick but it will be scared and it will be one of his only defences ...a peck from pigeons does not hurt and I feel quite confident in saying you will not be attacked !


hahaha ok, thats good! Any secrets on keeping him calm or holding him properly? Closest I've ever come to handling a bird was just at one of those aviaries at the zoo where you hold the little food stick and the little birds flock to you and land all over you!


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

being a youngster I hope that he will settle quickly In your hands . Hold firmly but not as if he's in a vice , pigeons have air sacs all over their body and you don't want to restrict these . Wrap him in a towel while medicating would be the best way to go ..for him & you


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He should be brought inside and handfed. Pox is very contagious. And any mosquito that bites him now will spread it to how many more birds? He may not be able to see very well soon. It's easy to feed frozen peas which have been defrosted and warmed. They are also soft and easy to digest.


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## Jilly30 (Dec 16, 2013)

Had some trouble finding the antibiotic at our local vet shop....gonna try a different area on Monday. In the mean time, I was able to make a turmeric & neem oil paste (items which I already had on hand) I didn't put much because he was awfully flappy! I will try that again tomorrow until we can find the antibiotic. His parents are still feeding him regularly, so I'm hesitant to bring him in permanently.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

There is no antibiotic to cure Pox. While you leave him out there, more mosquitoes will bite him, and will spread the disease to others. It will get worse on him also. He needs to be brought in and taken care of until he is well again.


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## Abdulbaki (Jul 31, 2013)

Antibiotics were suggested for any possible side infection.
the place IMO is not hygiene for pigeons. No wonder this squab is badly infected by pox, It should be cleaned or pigeons will keep coming and overcrowding and breeding which will create more and more troubles.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Jilly30 said:


> Had some trouble finding the antibiotic at our local vet shop....gonna try a different area on Monday. In the mean time, I was able to make a turmeric & neem oil paste (items which I already had on hand) I didn't put much because he was awfully flappy! I will try that again tomorrow until we can find the antibiotic. His parents are still feeding him regularly, so I'm hesitant to bring him in permanently.


Jilly ..... wrap him in in a towel , this will eliminate him being able to flap around so much and will help with accuracy when administering antibiotics and applying topical solutions .

good luck looking & finding the meds


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## Andy lewis (Mar 5, 2014)

*hi JILLY 30,....!*

I know a better idea actually....u don get d required medicine right near yur area... so ill give a good idea.....get a clove of garlic...crush it well in a bowl of water and place d bowl to all of the pigeons......it increases their immuneeeee......i appreciate ur love for d feralss...even i have many pigeons..i do d same ....for my whitesss.....all d best ...do reply me if it worksss..thakyou............


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## Andy lewis (Mar 5, 2014)

*hi JILLY 30,....!*

hi JILLY 30,....!

I know a better idea actually....u don get d required medicine right near yur area... so ill give a good idea.....get a clove of garlic...crush it well in a bowl of water and place d bowl to all of the pigeons......it increases their immuneeeee......i appreciate ur love for d feralss...even i have many pigeons..i do d same ....for my whitesss.....all d best ...do reply me if it worksss..thakyou............


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What ever happened with the baby?


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## xeternalblossomx (Feb 14, 2014)

lol ya! after reading all this I am curious too. How did it all go?! Is he ok?!


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