# Pigeon with throat problems and not eating



## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

I got a sick pigeon from a animal market and I am trying to treat it .

I cleaned up his eye which had excess pus and put antibiotics on it.

He has been coughing and I think it is canker. I checked the throat there was a bad smell but I couldn't see anything. I gave it metronidazole and the cough has decreased. 

Also his appetite is really bad. Like he doesn't eat and I have to force feed him peas+ giving him pedialyte. 

Other than that he is flying well and seems like he will make it through. Is there any thing that can soothe his throat and encourage him to eat more ? .


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Make sure to isolate this bird from any other birds you have as he is contagious. Also, you should NEVER fly a sick bird. He requires all his energy to heal, and he needs rest, warmth and pigeon seed.

Try a good probiotic to get the good gut bacteria back on track and increase appetite.

Have you given him the canker med for recommended time?

Sounds like the bird may have a respiratory infection from the symptoms you describe (pus in eye and coughing). 

Check this link for more info and products: http://siegelpigeons.com/asked-respiratory.html *


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Skyeking said:


> *Make sure to isolate this bird from any other birds you have as he is contagious. Also, you should NEVER fly a sick bird. He requires all his energy to heal, and he needs rest, warmth and pigeon seed.
> 
> Try a good probiotic to get the good gut bacteria back on track and increase appetite.
> 
> ...


I don't have other birds so no worries and I can't order those products cause I am in U.A.E . Its hard to find good bird products here. Like I went to a vet before but they aren't that good with birds I noticed. Just have antibiotics +vitamins in powder form . For the canker med I plan to give it until the cough goes away. I give him once in a day. I give him a very small dosage everyday. No I don't make him fly, I mean he flies away from me when I try to feed him.

Does that mean that he has a low chance of surviving  ? I read the link you provided and those are the same symptoms he has.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

puff said:


> Does that mean that he has a low chance of surviving  ? I read the link you provided and those are the same symptoms he has.


*Thank you for rescuing this poor creature.

He has a good chance to survive, but you have to give the bird what he needs. His immune system is low and he needs strength and the meds below to fight off infection, or something close.

Doxycycline and tylosine is an excellent product for respiratory infections in pigeons.

If he is thin and keel bone is sharp, he will need to get weight on. A good pigeon seed will do. It will provide the nutrients the bird needs. Peas do not provide everything the bird needs. Hand feed until weight is back on and he starts eating well on his own.

He needs access to warmth and sunshine. Keep bird out of drafts of air.

If I had no access to meds, I certainly would give this bird probiotics, if you can't get that, give him some unflavored plain fat free yogurt, preferrably greek that will help regenerate good gut bacteria.

For infection, get some human grade garlic caps (natural antibiotic), one tiny cap per day (slick it down with a tiny bit of water). Colloidal/nano silver-one drop in each eye per day for infection. 

What kind of antibiotics have you used in the eye? You have to use an opthomolic antibiotic ointment otherwise. *


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Skyeking said:


> *Thank you for rescuing this poor creature.
> 
> He has a good chance to survive, but you have to give the bird what he needs. His immune system is low and he needs strength and the meds below to fight off infection, or something close.
> 
> ...


I use Genta Dex for the eye. Okay will get Doxycycline from the pharmacy =). I have garlic caps and Greek yogurt at home so I will start feeding him that. He isn't skinny but I might be wrong cuz of his breed. He is an indian fantail so they are kinda large. Thank you so much for your help <3. Will keep you updated on how his health is =).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

IF you are treating with canker med, you need to give the right amount for the right length of time. If you under dose, then you are helping the tridh to build a resistance to the drug. You don't want to do that. An adult pigeon would get about 50 mg of Metronidazole once daily for 7 to 10 days. You can't always see canker in the throat. Sometimes does take longer. But you don't want to give lesser amounts or for shorter amount of time. If you give the Doxy, make sure it is the correct dose, or it will do more harm than good. Less or more isn't better.
If he doesn't eat, then hand feeding him frozen peas which have been defrosted and warmed under running water would be pretty easy to do. Here's how.

If you need to feed peas to a pigeon, hold the bird on your lap and against your body. This gives you more control. Reach from behind his head with one hand and grasp his beak on either side. Now use your free hand to open the beak, and put a pea in, then push it to the back of his throat and over his tongue. Let him close his beak and swallow. Then do another. It gets easier with practice, and the bird also gets more used to it, and won't fight as much. If you can't handle the bird, then use the sleeve cut off a t-shirt, slip it over his head and onto his body, with his head sticking out. This will stop him from being able to fight you so much. Just don't make it tight around his crop area. It helps if you have him facing your right side if you are right handed.


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> IF you are treating with canker med, you need to give the right amount for the right length of time. If you under dose, then you are helping the tridh to build a resistance to the drug. You don't want to do that. An adult pigeon would get about 50 mg of Metronidazole once daily for 7 to 10 days. You can't always see canker in the throat. Sometimes does take longer. But you don't want to give lesser amounts or for shorter amount of time. If you give the Doxy, make sure it is the correct dose, or it will do more harm than good. Less or more isn't better.
> If he doesn't eat, then hand feeding him frozen peas which have been defrosted and warmed under running water would be pretty easy to do. Here's how.
> 
> If you need to feed peas to a pigeon, hold the bird on your lap and against your body. This gives you more control. Reach from behind his head with one hand and grasp his beak on either side. Now use your free hand to open the beak, and put a pea in, then push it to the back of his throat and over his tongue. Let him close his beak and swallow. Then do another. It gets easier with practice, and the bird also gets more used to it, and won't fight as much. If you can't handle the bird, then use the sleeve cut off a t-shirt, slip it over his head and onto his body, with his head sticking out. This will stop him from being able to fight you so much. Just don't make it tight around his crop area. It helps if you have him facing your right side if you are right handed.


I stopped using Metronidazole and switched him to Doxy. Will check the proper dosage and give him. I am giving him bird seed mixed with greek yogurt( fat free and unflavored) + vitamins +peas. Thank you for the tips and info =).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I don't think you should have stopped it. That can make the canker stronger if present. And inflamed throat, not wanting to eat, and respiratory symptoms can be canker. So you may have been correct when you first thought it was canker. If you feel that you must give the Doxy, then do so in the morning, and Metro at the end of the day. Metro can make a bird vomit on an empty crop, so feed him before giving it. 

I would have treated with the right amount of Metro for the 10 days first. If no change after a week, would have added the Doxy.


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> I don't think you should have stopped it. That can make the canker stronger if present. And inflamed throat, not wanting to eat, and respiratory symptoms can be canker. So you may have been correct when you first thought it was canker. If you feel that you must give the Doxy, then do so in the morning, and Metro at the end of the day. Metro can make a bird vomit on an empty crop, so feed him before giving it.
> 
> I would have treated with the right amount of Metro for the 10 days first. If no change after a week, would have added the Doxy.



Okay so I can use the Metro in combination with Doxy ? So Doxy in the morning and metro in the night.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes. I think the problem is probably canker. Did you find the dose for Doxy?
Metro dose is 50 mg once daily for 7 to 10 days. It can take longer however.


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> Yes. I think the problem is probably canker. Did you find the dose for Doxy?
> Metro dose is 50 mg once daily for 7 to 10 days. It can take longer however.


Yeah I found the dose =) , its 50 mg for doxy.
Along with Metro. Can you give me an estimate on how long the pigeon will take to heal ?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Where did you get that dose for Doxy? Sounds high. It does depend on the weight of the bird.
I don't normally use Doxy, so don't know.
How long it takes, depends on a lot of things. There is no one answer, but I would expect to see some improvement in a week.


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> Where did you get that dose for Doxy? Sounds high. It does depend on the weight of the bird.
> I don't normally use Doxy, so don't know.
> How long it takes, depends on a lot of things. There is no one answer, but I would expect to see some improvement in a week.


I got it from this site-http://www.homingpigeon.com/article/Dosage.html
The pigeon isn't super skinny and he seems plump to me.
Also thank you for help =).

Yeah I think it would take a week too.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It may take longer, but I would think you would see some improvement in that time. It can take time though.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How many peas are you giving him?


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## puff (Mar 16, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> How many peas are you giving him?


I am giving him pigeon seed mix with Greek yogurt ( fat free and unflavored) right now.I didn't want to give keep peas only cause it isn't nutritionally sound for him.

Before I could only get 4 or 10 peas down before he would start getting fussy  . The seed mix with yogurt is easier to get down his throat and is more nutritionally sound . But I will give him peas also sometimes.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Too much yogurt isn't good, as it has milk products and they can't digest them. Only a tiny bit now and then for the probiotics.


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