# will pigeon's scalp grow back?



## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hi everyone,

Another injured pigeon found. This one is missing its scalp completely, i'm sure you can see his little skull but the cut looks very clean. He was seeking shelter on my balcony last night and I so brought him inside. Although he seems weak, he made it through the night. I'm just wondering does anyone know if these kinds of injuries heal themselves? He's eating right now so that's good... I'd love to let him go if he's ok but it's pretty cold out and so thought it might be better to keep him inside for a few days at least till he regains strength. What kind of animal could have done this to him??


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria,

Most likely the scalp will grow back, but it will take a long time. I don't think the bird should be released until the scalp has regrown. It's pretty cold to be running around with bare skull exposed. You also want to give adequate time to be sure no infection sets in from the wound(s).

Hard to say what may have gotten the pigeon .. hawk, cat, dog, raccoon ..

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hi Terry,
thanks for your message. is it ok to leave him in a cage indefinitely till the scalp grows back? I have cats here and can't leave him out in the open.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

While it would be good to allow the bird some flight time inside, it will do fine in a cage as long as there is sufficient room to fully extend and flap the wings. Thank you so much for helping this bird.

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

ok great.. thanks for your help!


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## Bird_girl(Ronni (Nov 29, 2004)

HI! I am really glad your bird is doing better! What kind is it? Take a picture of it then put it on here!  


Bird_girl(Ronni)


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

*update on bald pigeon*

Hi again,
here's some pics of the descalped pigeon. I'm a little worried because it looks like he also has a broken rib (you can sorta see this in the pics) and i don't know how to properly set it back in place, plus i'm scared to try it anyway. Can i just leave it as it is?


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## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

The scalp will scar over but for the most part won't regrow the feathers there,at least not like normal. As far as the scalp goes he'll be fine.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria .. Wow! That really is some kind of "hole in the head" .. poor bird. As Scott posted, the scalp will heal just fine with time. The bird may well end up with a bald spot though.

Is there a bone sticking through the flesh? I do see a spot that looks like a wound in the picture but couldn't be sure what I was looking at.

Terry


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## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

Actually these are not all that rare, It happens when a youngster ends up in anothers nest or nesting area,you gotta watch youngsters once they hit the floor as they can easily end up in anothers nest . Or it happens when a cocky cock tries to take over anothers nest. That one wasn't nearly as bad as they can be.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Scott - fascinating, i can't imagine how another bird could pluck so much skin off the little guy. Pretty gruesome but good to know it'll heal.

Terry - the pics aren't the best but from what i can see the bone isn't poking right through skin. But it sure looks broken and pressing against the flesh on his belly, kind of like a sharp protrusion. You might be able to see it as a small bump in these pictures on the left side of his chest.... I'll try and take a better shot of this later and post here.

Maria


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## turkey (May 19, 2002)

Hi Maria,

I see that you live in a cold winter climate. This pigeon's feathers will not grow back. If you can find him a home somewhere in a warmer climate he will out live this winter. 

Julie
(wishing I had more room)


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## Gretchen R (Jan 23, 2003)

*Pigeon with scalp problems*

Hello, Maria. My name is Gretchen and we recently had the same experience with a pigeon that a rehabber friend of mine had. The scalp should back nicely. The one she had was dropped by a hawk. He's all recovered and looks like he never even had that awful experience. Bless you for helping that pigeon. If you have any questions that I should ask the rehabber, please feel free to let me know! Good luck!!

Gretchen


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## turkey (May 19, 2002)

Hi Gretchen. Are you saying that the feathers grew back also or just the skin? I have had two scalped pigeons and neither of them grew their feathers back. 

Julie


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## Gretchen R (Jan 23, 2003)

*Pigeon with scalp problems*

Hi, Julie. I just called the rehabber who had the pigeon with the same problem. She said even his feathers grew back. She said it took about 5 weeks but you would never know the pigeon ever had a problem. She used something called BagBalm. Hope all goes well.

Gretchen


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hi Julie, Gretchen,

Thank you both so very much for replying, i need all the help i can get with this one.

Julie - I have him in my bathroom which is the best warm space he'll get around here without worrying about my cats. I was planning on leaving him in there till the scalp grows back, i don't think i have any other options so he might just stay there for the winter... too long to keep a bird with no sunlight???

Gretchen - do you think i could pick up that stuff somewhere here (bagbalm)? I haven't cleaned the wound at all because i don't want to cause any infection but there's bits of dried blood on the surrounding feathers. should i touch this? Could you also please please ask your rehabber friend about the broken rib, should i try and set it in place or leave as is?

Maria


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## Morgan Nic Greg (Jul 2, 2004)

Wal-Mart has Bag-Balm (it's in the health and beauty section)and most feed stores do as well. It's labled for use on the udders of dairy cows. It's good for chapped hand as well. You can clean the wound with Nolvasan solution, (the vet will have it, but I got mine from Foy's Pigeon Supplies) just spray on and leave to dry. The stuff is safe enought to use in birds drinking water!(wow) Good luck with the poor little thing.
Wendy


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Thanks Wendy, i will check today... who would've guessed Wal-mart carries these things?  
In the meantime, can i use polysporin on the wounds? I heard it's safe to use on animals too.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

oh and by the way, what can i do about his broken ribs? There are 2 bones sticking out through the skin. can anyone tell me how to fix them?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria,

I'll see if I can get one of our very experienced rehabbers to address the bones poking through the skin. I don't know what to tell you to do about that aside from keep the area clean and put the polysporin or other antibiotic cream on to keep things from drying out and to help avoid infection.

Terry


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Is there any way to could take the bird to a vet or rehaber?
Ribs sticking out need probably surgery and antibiotics for sure. I don't see any other way to fix it.

Reti


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## turkey (May 19, 2002)

Is there blood? Do the bones move around loosely? 

I don't know how experienced you are with pigeons or birds, but is it possible that these are new pin feathers starting up? (Just taking a wild guess)

Julie


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## turkey (May 19, 2002)

Also, can you get someone to help you take a good picture of that area. Hold the feathers back so we can get a good view. If no one is available please still take the picture. 

Julie


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello Maria,

This is really one for Kimberley and/or Nooti, but from what I remember bones must not be allowed to dry out so if there are bones sticking though the skin they should be covered with a damp piece of gauze. My vet gave me cream for this purpose but I don't know what sort of cream it was.

When I had a pigeon whose wing bone had been sticking out of the skin the vet filed back the dead bone and then sewed the skin back over it.

Cynthia


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hello,

I don't see any blood around the ribs but last night he gnawed on one of the bones and a piece fell off so i got a good look.

I'm not experienced at this but they're not pin feathers for sure, they are thicker and white and there's still one more sticking out of his belly but covered with feathers so i can't get a good picture.. he acts up when i get close to that area so i've only been putting polysporin on his head. 

The vets i have called in the past don't treat these birds. I also once called the SPCA about another injured pigeon i found awhile back and they were not interested. 

Cynthia, he's been like this for at least a week now so the bone may already be dry.  
I'll try to take another picture and post.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

ok, i got some pics, sorry the resolution is bad but you can see the bones better in these. The first 2 are before he chewed off one of the bones (last night) and the 3rd pic was taken just now.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks for the new photos Maria. It looks to me like the bone sticking out is either the end of the humerus bone or coracoid bone. (See anatomy drawing here: http://sprout.phpwebhosting.com/~feistyhome/anatomy.htm)

It would really be best to try and find a vet or wildlife rehabber to look at the bird and recommend treatment. 

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

yes, thank you Terry, those diagrams are very informative. i see what you mean. Someone on this site posted a number for a wildlife rehabber in the area a while back but i've called like a 1000 times and no one's answering the phone.  
guess i'll keep trying.

Maria


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Response From A Rehabber .. Good Info*

From: "Rebecca Duerr" <[email protected]> 
To: "Terry Whatley" <[email protected]> 
Subject: Re: [WLREHAB] AVIAN: Pigeon In Montreal - Help/Advice Needed 
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 15:16:04 -0800 
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 
X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.41 
X-ELNK-AV: 0 


Hi,
Couldn't see the pics cuz I'm not a pigeon list member. It wanted me to log
in.


Having treated zillions of pigeon and dove scalp injuries, I would agree
with the person who replied and said the scalp would heal just fine,
feathers and all. In fact, if you treat the wound aggressively you can have
new feathers coming in on new skin within 2-3 weeks. I either suture or use
surgical glue to replace the scalp, or if it's old and the skin's not
stretchy I clean it off well with dilute betadine and then place a dab of
silver sulfadiazine cream (or antibiotic ointment) on the exposed bone with
biodres gel dressing over that. The cream needs to be just enough to moisten
the bone while not getting any on the surrounding skin or the biodres won't
stick. You can cut the biodres to tailor it into a domed shaped skullcap and
then change it every other day. Even old black crusty dried bone has healed
really well for me doing this. If the skin is stretchy, even superglue is
fine--but to be on the safe side it should be dabbed on with a fine stick
rather than risking gooping the bird's head with glue! If the exposed bone
is kept moist, the new cells can glide over from the wound margins. If it is
left dry, the wound has to heal by the skin edges contracting down around
it--takes a whole lot longer.


I'm such a sucker for pigeons!
Becky


Rebecca Duerr
DVM/MPVM Joint Program
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Davis


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Contact Information For Montreal Rehabber*

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X-MailScanner-From: [email protected] 
Approved-By: Lynn Miller <[email protected]> 
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 18:42:58 -0500 
Reply-To: Wildlife Rehab List <[email protected]>, 
Lynn Miller <[email protected]> 
Sender: Wildlife Rehab List <[email protected]> 
From: Lynn Miller <[email protected]> 
Subject: Re: [WLREHAB] AVIAN: Pigeon In Montreal - Help/Advice Needed 
Comments: To: Terry Whatley <[email protected]> 
To: [email protected] 
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Can you let the person know they can contact Le Nichoir, 450-458-2809 and
leave a message - we return messages daily.


Cheers,
Lynn Miller
Le Nichoir
Montreal


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*And Another Rehabber Response*

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To: [email protected] 
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 19:03:06 -0500 
Subject: Re: AVIAN: Pigeon In Montreal - Help/Advice Needed 
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From: Drusilla M Winters <[email protected]> 
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X-ELNK-AV: 0 


Terry,
The humerus is in the wing. It corresponds to a human's upper arm bone.
The corocoid is a single bone to the center. This looks like it is off to
the side. I would guess a rib or the lateral xiphoid process. I am using
Proctor and Lynch's book on avian structure and function. I am no expert.
From the picture it could even be a broken feather.
No one has mentioned antibiotics in the thread. With wounds like these I
would suggest it. I can't tell from the picture how old the wounds are.


I also want to tell you that the pigeon that wouldn't eat when I posted
last is doing well. I named her Fred. She can't be released because she
has one one eye, but she is eating and doing well. I named her before she
laid eggs therefore I called her Fred after the pirate king in Pirates of
Penzance.


Dru


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## turkey (May 19, 2002)

Wow, I wish I had this advice before. I was told to leave my scalped pigeons alone and they would heal and the feathers would regrow, but they didn't. Of course, I got them days after the attack. 

Julie


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Another Rehabber Response*

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:04:54 -0500 
From: Jacalyn Perry <[email protected]> 
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To: Terry Whatley <[email protected]> 
Subject: re: pigeon in Montreal 
X-ELNK-AV: 0 


It looks to me like the scalp is superficial and should grow back, feathers and all. I have had birds completely scalped to the skull and some grew feathers back if it wasn't too large of a chunk missing. DO NOT use any petroleum product on a bird, including Bag Balm. Use creams.


The wound on the side looks to me like an abscess. It is too far from the wing to be the wing. It should be treated by removing the dead tissue and cleaned with an antibiotic wash like nolvasan. If it has infiltrated the crop, then it needs to be debrided and sutured.


Jacalyn Perry
Lockport, NY
15 yrs licenses and permits


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

wow Terry, this is fantastic - I am so grateful!! I just got some Bag-Balm and have been applying it to his head to keep it moist and clean but i rather get him out to a rehabber for the broken bone. I will try to rent a car on monday and take him out there. I 'll let you know how it goes. thanks everyone,

Maria


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

oh crap... i just read that last post about not using Bag-Balm  
geeze, i better go wipe it off.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Maria,

Don't worry about the Bag Balm. As you can see, each rehabber has a somewhat different opinion and different protocol. I think at this point the protruding bone or abscess or whatever it is is of the most concern. If nothing else, if you can talk to the Montreal rehab folks and get their suggestions until you can get the bird to them, that would be great.

You're doing just fine, so hang in there, and keep us posted.

Terry


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

*Scalp wound*

There is another volunteer for the Wildlfe Rescue Staion I volunteer for has flock of pigeons @ her home and has seen this injury. Her bird was actually injured by loft mates attacking [ pecking @ the head ].
Has the scalp been " breached " .... it looks as if there is blood / puncture on the back of the head.
Bruce
[ Exeter, CA ]


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria,

The more I look at the pictures and think about this pigeon, the more I think that the spot on the side of the chest is a wound that has become abscessed. I think Jacalyn hit the nail on the head when she suggested this. The abscess may be forming a type of "plug" that is keeping food/water from leaking out of the crop, so it would be best to have assistance from a rehabber or vet in treating it.

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hi Terry, Bruce,

Terry, after reading your message last night i felt a whole lot better. i am still applying the Bag-Balm and i think he likes it. He 'bows' to my finger and sits comfortably throughout the whole procedure  but he still doesn't let me touch his rib.
About the bone/abcess... do you really think so? As i said, i found a piece of it on the floor a few days ago and it was rock hard, looked and felt like bone to me? It was little less than 1 cm long, pretty big i guess... maybe too big to be a bone? Anyway, i have no idea but i am waiting for the people at Le Nichoir to call me back, exciting!!

Bruce, i'm not sure what you mean by 'breached' but i can tell you that those pictures do no justice in describing his head wound. The pictures make it look relatively minor. The area actually covers the entire back of his head right down to his 'eyebrows' and he is totally descalped, no skin, nothing, just skull. But it looks like new cells are forming over the skull, there is a reddish film over it that was not there a week ago. 

Maria


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria,

Yes, an abscess can grow to be rock hard on the outside. I've seen this a couple of times with pigeons who had crop wounds where a sometimes small hole and sometimes gaping hole was left. As the bird eats and drinks, a little or a lot of the food and water (depending on the size of the hole) leaks out of the opening. Gradually the opening starts to get clogged with the leakage and whatever is exposed to air becomes very, very hard. If this is an abscess, when it is removed, you will see that the outside is like a rock and the inner portion will be softer and yucky for lack of a better term. There may be pus and/or bloody fluid discharged from the opening also. Once the plug of an abscess is removed there may be a very small hole remaining or there may be a sizeable hole that requires removal of any necrotic tissue, debris from the leaking/oozing, a through cleaning, and perhaps suturing. Again, if this is an abscess, the bird needs to be on antibiotics.

Keep us posted .. I'll be very interested to finally know what this injury or bone is.

Terry


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

*Scalp Injury*

Maria, what I meant by " breached " .... has the skull been penetrated or cracked ?
Bruce


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Terry, I think you are right. I just applied some polysporin to the rib for the first time and it moves around rather loosely, too loose to be a bone i would think. I will let you know when i find out.
I have also been trying to get my hands on some Nolvasan but unsuccessful. do you know of a suitable substitute? Is polysporin toxic to birds? 

Bruce, thanks for clarifying. I just rechecked him and the skull definitely does not appear cracked/penetrated anywhere, thank God. It is probably the lesser evil of the two wounds as people have been telling me.

Maria


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

*Scalp Injury*

Thats great Maria, sounds like you and Terry have things under control.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

yes, this bird is still alive and alert thanks to all the great advice i've received. Actually i'm quite amazed that an area as large as that can heal on its own without much intervention. Thanks to all.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

*Advice please*

I just heard from a lady at Le Nichoir, so i'll be taking the pigeon to the SPCA tomorrow where she will pick him up in the afternoon. I'm just a little worried because she told me the extent of his injuries and whether he can fly will determine whether he is to be euthanized.  
The bird can fly and i think he can be treated... maybe i'm over-reacting, i just didn't like that word. I will keep in contact with her to see how he's doing... should i be worried???


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Maria,
you are doing great, why do you want to hand the bird over?
I am concerned now, that if they think the bird is too much trouble to rescue they might euthanize him/her.
Pigeons that can not fly can have a good life in a home, but I understand that your bird can fly. Still some people are quick in their decision to euthanize a bird.
Can't the lady just look at the bird and treat it, while you still can keep it?

Reti


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hi Reti, I really don't want to hand him over but someone has to fix his chest. Maybe i'll just try and find a nice vet and forget this whole idea about the drop-off. I don't care if he can't fly very well, but he seems to get around fine. why do people always think euthanasia? 

By the way, i didn't like her 'matter-of-fact' attitude with me either.


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

*Pigeon w/ Scalp Injury*

Maria I would suggest that prior to turning s/he to a Vet, see if you can locate someone in you area that rehabs this species. I kow that Tery and others on th list will give the best in advice on how to care fo the bird until someone can be found to take s/he. It sounds as if s/he can be healed with a little amount of care.
I have email talked with a very nice person in Stratford, Quebec .... is that close to you ?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria,

While you should be concerned as to whether or not the bird might be euthanized, I think the group you are in contact with is quite knowledgeable and experienced. The fact that the pigeon can fly is an absolute huge plus in favor of the bird being treated for release. If it had a non-fixable broken wing, for example, it would almost certainly result in euthanasia as there would be no possibility of release back to the wild. Likewise, if it were so very, very ill that there was no liklihood of recovery, the odds for treatment for release would be slim. In this case, there are a couple of fairly significant wounds, but both look and seem to be quite treatable. Thus, I think the bird will end up just fine, but you need to satisfy your own mind about this. Talk to the rehab group again if you need to and be certain that you are comfortable with turning the bird over to them.

As to the polysporin .. I can't imagine that it would be toxic to the bird. If you were going to use the Nolvasan to clean the wound areas, you can use diluted Betadine (povidone iodine) one part to 9 parts water.

I truly think this bird has a great chance with the rehab group. If you think you are up to "pulling the plug" out of the side of the chest and dealing with things from there with our help, then let us know, and we'll be here for you. Do realize, though, that the bird still needs antibiotics, might need suturing, might bleed out on you, and possibly a host of other complications. I say these things not to try to push you towards giving the bird to the rehab group but to try and make sure that everyone understands what the options really are for this bird. Without someone there close to you to help, I really wouldn't want you to try to do what needs to be done and end up failing. That would be a tragedy for both you and the bird. I have about 8 years experience now in trying to rehab non-protected species of birds, and there are still plenty of things that are daunting to me .. will I do them on my own .. absolutely, but I have the luxury of having a kind and helpful vet nearby as well as several qualified groups of wildlife rehabilitators who can and will help when needed.

Just some of my thoughts.

Terry


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

*Pigeon w/ Scalp Injury*

Maria, did you post a picture othe other injury ? If you did maybe someone on the list could point me in the right direction,


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

bklowe said:


> Maria, did you post a picture othe other injury ? If you did maybe someone on the list could point me in the right direction,


Hi Bruce .. yes there are other pictures of the head situation and of the chest area .. look down at the bottom or at the top of this thread and go to each of the pages, and you will find the other pictures. I read from newest to oldest in each thread, so I'm not sure how my "pages" would equate to yours.

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Bruce, i'm not sure how close Stratford is to me but definitely a car rental would be necessary, not that i mind as long as the bird is treated with care.

Terry, i certainly don't want to risk injuring the bird further by pulling the plug, no way, i don't trust myself that much.  
Perhaps i should just hand him over to her and stalk her by phone afterwards. Do you think i can afford to delay the hand-over for a few days in case i find a vet willing to take the injury on. In truth i rather keep him around and take him to someone nearby only for treatment but if the rehabber is the best option then that's what i will have to do. By the way, Le nichoir is closed for the winter and they take care of the birds from their homes.... does that make a difference in the decision?


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

*Pigeon w/ Injuries*

Maria,
Try sending the person below an email .... it can't hurt and she may be closer than you know.

Thanks Terry !

Her name is Kaaryn Gough
email ; [email protected]


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Bruce - thanks so much, I will contact her right now.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Maria,

Try Bruce's resource person as soon as you can, and let's see what happens. If you need to delay for a day or so with the rehab group, then just do it.

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Gosh Bruce! You looked a lot less like a pigeon the last time I saw you <LOL>! Great avatar.

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

I just sent her an email and my fingers are crossed.  
I do appreciate all the referrals, great teamwork!


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Bruce - wow, what a nice lady she is! She replied not 5 minutes after i sent the email and we are corresponding for the time being. I think i may delay the 'hand-off' for a day or so, she seems much more concerned than the other lady I spoke with today. It's too bad she doesn't live any closer but maybe I'll take a drive in that direction if i can.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

just my luck... I just realized Stratford is probably a 7 hr drive from here. I will have to think of something else.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Here is another response from a rehabber also indicating that the chest wound is abscessed. This is from Jen Norton:

Yes, it does look like an abcess of some sort. However, because of the positioning (where it is on the body) my first inclination would be that this bird had a ruptured crop that is now trying to heal and has encapsulated whatever crop contents may have leaked out. It definitely needs to be lanced and debrided and if a hole found in the crop, repaired. 


Thanks for the pics. 


Jen


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Terry, thanks.

Here's another shot, the best I could get so far of his chest. I spoke to several people today including a local vet, all of who recommended your contact (Le Nichoir) and i feel comfortable giving him to them to treat. So it's confirmed, I will meet her tomorrow and she will update me on his situation. I think it's best for the bird. wooohoo!! what a relief.

Maria


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria,

I'm so glad it's going to work out for the bird to get treatment. Thank you so much for your perseverance and for this last picture.

I'd say it's definitely an abscessed crop wound and should be easily treatable by the rehab group.

Please keep us posted as you get updates from them.

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

I'm having separation anxiety already... oh well, better that than sewing him up myself. I'm really glad you think this is an easy 'cut-n-stitch' sort of thing.
Anyway, i will totally let you know as things develop, let's hope it's all good from here.
hmm... maybe i can ask for him back when he gets a bit better.

Maria


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

*maybe i can ask for him back when he gets a bit better*

I would, it seems You and the Pij have been through alot.


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## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

That bird looks "rough" and definetly has better days ahead thanks to you , are you getting the bird back ?


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

I'm really going to try for him back.
I am giving him to her this afternoon, I hope these people are nice...


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

*Scalped pigeon*

I have only a few minutes before this internet cafe closes for the Xmas school vacation. Check out "cell migration" article at poultryyouth.com for info on treating skin injury so that feahers might grow back. I have (thankfully) no personal experience with this type of problem.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

*Pigeon with scalp problem*

I have only a few minutes before this internet cafe closes for the Xmas school vacation. Check out "cell migration" article at poultryyouth.com for info on treating skin injury so that feahers might grow back. I have (thankfully) no personal experience with this type of problem.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Hi, 
thanks larry for the info, i'll use it next time i come across an injured pij.

And to everyone else.... i am so very very    !!!! the chest turned out to be ok, none of you would guess what it was... his SKULL glued right onto his belly or so they say, so that's the good news. now for the bad: she thinks he should be put down because of the head, doesn't think he'll survive.. ggrrrrrrrr.... and won't give him back to me either. won't answer my calls now either  
i hate those people, i better get off this site before i start screaming like a mad psychotic lunatic. stupid people.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

oh yah and get this. when i told her i'd keep him indoors if the feathers didn't grow back, she said he'd hate to be confined inside forever, still wouldn't give him to me.. so IF he doesn't grow feathers back he will likely be put down.  /  

rargggrrr.....


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Maria,
I am so sorry this happened. Can you still try to get the pigeon back?
Could you go there and get the poor bird? It would be such a shame if they put him/her to sleep.
You can tell them you found somebody who has an aviary with pigeons and he will keep it.

Reti


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Reti, I'm still trying to get him back... but she's evil!!!!! this isn't the organizer by the way, but one of the volunteers, has him in her home and has an aviary too. i left a message for the organizer and complained... geeze what else can i do?? i don't trust her, she probably tossed him out to die already  ... and i've been so nice to her too. none of this would have happened if that frickin clump of whatever it was had fallen out when i had him here, and i really felt him up towards the end too but it never dislodged. At least 12 days the damn thing was stuck there. crap i'm soooooo mad...


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

Too bad there's not a way we can sign a petition to get her to give up the bird. That's just not right!


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

Kippy that's very sweet. i'll just have to burn crosses on her front lawn till she gives him up (kidding, ha i don't really even know what that means just that it's bad.)


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Maria and all,

I've e-mailed another person in this rehab organization to ask for an update and status on the bird. Let's try to be positive about things until we find out otherwise.

Terry


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

hi, it's all ok...  
i just went a little nuts before because i couldn't reach them. he's ok, they're keeping him till he regrows his feathers and will release him. she was just waiting for a specialist to see him first.
sorry guys, guess i really over-reacted. i'll keep my big mouth shut next time.


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## Maria (Jun 10, 2004)

please don't blacklist me... sorry, i just have really bad experience with montrealers (or torontonians), i don't know any who like these birds.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

That's great news Maria .. thanks for letting us know!

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*A Bit More Info On Maria's Pigeon ..*

Here's the response I received to my e-mail asking for an update on Maria's rescued pigeon .. things look good to me.

Terry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Terry,


If this pigeon we are talking about is the scalped one - I saw it yesterday.
There is a bit of debriding to do - very little - Judi was going to give it
pain meds and soak the bits to make it easier to remove the dried skin and
feathers. In my opinion it will fully recover and should have normal
feathering too - it will probably need to remain in care until spring - Le
Nichoir is going to do that. Judi is going off for Christmas and so she is
probably very busy trying to get everything done which may be why she has
not responded as yet. I will call her and see what is up.


The public does need educating that we are all volunteers trying our
damndest to get through the days, with little money support and time to
actually return calls unless it is an emergency daily. I also know Judi was
trying to rescue an injured duck too - sorry if I sound prickly - but we
are one of the few groups that respond to calls from the public in this
region - an area with a population of over 3 million people - there is just
so much of us to go around!!!


Cheers, Lynn


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you Terry and Maria.
This is great news.

Reti


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## Jack Wooldridge (Dec 28, 2006)

*Scalped*



Maria said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Another injured pigeon found. This one is missing its scalp completely, i'm sure you can see his little skull but the cut looks very clean. He was seeking shelter on my balcony last night and I so brought him inside. Although he seems weak, he made it through the night. I'm just wondering does anyone know if these kinds of injuries heal themselves? He's eating right now so that's good... I'd love to let him go if he's ok but it's pretty cold out and so thought it might be better to keep him inside for a few days at least till he regains strength. What kind of animal could have done this to him??


The animal that did this is most likely one of his own kind. Older birds sometimes attack babies if they wander into the wrong place and once they get started on the scalp seem driven to complete the bloody job.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

They can recover from what appear to be horrific injuries.

I have just finished publishing a web page on scalp injuries with two case histories and before and after photos, the second was a nestling. You can read it *here*.


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