# Found a sick pigeon - Percy



## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

Good evening all

On tuesday at 5.30pm I left my meeting and there on the ground on the road to the car park was a injured pigeon. His breathing was very very shallow and it looked like his chest had been injured. I scooped him up (he didn't argue) and brought him home with me. His breathing got shorter and shallowerer on the journey and i really didn't think he's survived. 

I put him in the garage with water and blankets etc and kept checking on him. When it came to bedtime he'd made it half way down the driveway. We put him in the garden over night so he couldn't escape as he evidently couldn't fly.

He was living quite happily in the garden and Thursday morning we woke up to a whole loads of feathers everywhere and no sign of Percy 

This afternoon i've come home to find Percy pecking around the garden  I've since found your site thank goodness. He's now in a large crate with newspaper, blankets, water and some seeds and peanuts. He's lost a bit of weight since I first found him.

I've taken a few pictures of his chest, not sure how good they are, to see if there's anything i can do to speed his recovery. Any suggestions are welcome. Just want to see Percy well enough that he can fly again. Although i can' see anything obvious wrong with his wings.

THanks in advance.

Fi

















http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0915.jpg


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Percy is a Wood Pigeon, and a handsome one at that. For now I would not give him peanuts, unless they are cut/chopped into small pieces to make them easier for him to digest. Please do no let him loose for now, until we get things sorted out for him, he may be able to get to a place you can't get him back from. Do you think you could post a photo of him just standing on his own and also a photo of any fresh droppings (poop) he may be producing. Some UK members will be along before too long to offer further assistance with local resources for you. Might be best, with the lead of feathers your found in your garden and his original injures (he might have been attacked by a predator) that Percy be put on a course of antibiotics. Thanks for rescuing him and caring.

Karyn


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi and Welcome to you and Percy. 

Well he's an adult Woodie which rules out him just being young and unable to fly yet.
Ideally he needs to be kept warm and confined. Is he outside in the crate?

What we need really is to see what sort of poops he's producing. It helps to see if you put him on some white kitchen towel or similar then you can tell the colour etc. Don't worry we're not freaks, it's just a way of seeing if he's sick or not.
Now he may have been injured or caught by a preditor, if so is in danger of infection.
Can you try and look inside his mouth first and see if there's any signs of yellowy, cheesey growths or mucous. The throat should look pink and clear.

Can you then have a look under his feathers on his chest, or where you think he's been injured. It can be difficult to get through the plumage to see the skin. If so just wet a piece of cotton wool and dampen the feathers, This makes it easier to part them and check for injuries.

woodies can get quite stressed when handled so you can wrap him in a towel keeping his head covered and this will help keep him calm while you check him over.

Is he eating the food you've left for him?
To make sure he's getting some sustainance you can feed him defrosted peas or sweetcorn. Warm them up and with him on your lap, gently open his mouth and pop one in at a time, push it towards the back of his throat, and should swallow.
Obviously if you find anything yellowy etc first, don't feed and come back for advice as to how to treat this.

Right, that's enough homework for now, let us know what you find out and we'll take it from there.

Janet


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Thanks Karyn, posted the same time.


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

thanks for the prompt repsonses. the crate was in the conservatory but i've just let percy out to be able to take a photo of him and he seems to like the pile of wood at the top of the garden (the garden is completely enclosed so he can't escapes and is supervised in case of cats etc). there's a pic of his poo too  I've managed to get to the pet shop today and buy some proper seed for him too. he seems to be much happier moving his wings now and can fly a little to get onto the ledge. will try to take a close up pic of his stomach this afternoon once he looks a little less terrified

fi

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0922.jpg

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0924.jpg

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0924.jpg
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0922.jpg


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

If you can try and have a closer look at his right wing when you've got him posing as those wing feathers don't look all there!

Janet


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Fi, he looks quite alert, which is good, some is amiss with the feathers of the one wing I can see (though not quite as well as I would like ) that kind of indicates, perhaps, some kind of accident or predator attack. Do you think you could get a few more photos up showing both wings/sides and the tail feather area better. If he was attacked by a cat/dog Percy should be put on a course of antibiotics as a preventative measure. There is a certain kind of bacteria predators carry called Pasteurella, and if they do, even a small scratch or puncture can cause an infection in birds that will prove deadly to them, unless prior treatment with antibiotics is given. Keep seed and water in a few dishes around the enclosure to give him a choice of where he can feed/water.

Dropping has some solids in it, indicaing either he still have some food in his system from when you found him or he has eaten a little while with you.

Karyn


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi again, sorry just went off the eat!

I hadn't noticed the poop pic, that looks ok.
If he's safe from preditors then he'll like being on the wood as that's a more natural feel for him but I'd have him back in the crate later for safety.

You're doing great and if we can see if there are any injuries then hopefully he can be fixed up and sent on his way in a short while. 

Janet


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Glad Karyn spotted the wing as well, so pictures will help get some expert help for Percy.

Janet


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

thanks for all the advice so far taken a load of photos just now. the tip about the towel over his head made things sooo much easier he was very calm. But never realised just how injured he must be until i delved between all his feathers. he's now eating regularly and drinking too which is an improvement.

his eye looked like the pupil had run never noticed it before

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0935.jpg

right wing

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0935.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs71.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi150%2Flia01frm%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0934.jpg

left wing

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0935.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs71.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi150%2Flia01frm%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0933.jpg

top of right wing

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0935.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs71.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi150%2Flia01frm%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0932.jpg

his belly

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0935.jpg#!oZZ5QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs71.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi150%2Flia01frm%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0931.jpg

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0935.jpg#!oZZ6QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs71.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi150%2Flia01frm%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0930.jpg

thanks in advance

Fi


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

just seen the comment about the poo that's great

garden very safe while we're around if not he's in the crate


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Thanks for the photos.

I'm hoping someone with more experience will take a look but first observations tell me it's not that recent an injury as I can't see any smeared dried blood. The wing doesn't look inflamed but he's definitely lost some feathers that at the very least will need to regrow as they're flight feathers.

Now the one I'd want to investigate more closely is the stomach, especially the last picture.
I'm wondering if that's a puncture wound as it looks like there a two or three feathers that might be poking out from the centre. Hard to be certain but that's what would happen if it's been punctured and the feathers are pushed inwards.

Personally, with him wrapped up to keep him quiet, I'd get some warm saline water and cotton wool then gently bathe that area and see if there's a scab covering a wound.
Also, very gently pull one of the small feathers to see if it comes away and you may be able to tell if it's imbedded in a wound. Let us know if you think it is.

Also if he's still not getting too stressed, dampen the feathers around the edge of his wings as this helps you to see under to the skin area. Just need to see if there's an injury under there as well.

Let us know what you can see if possible.

I'm out this evening so maybe Karyn will see this again and be able to check it out. I'll pop back on and off until I go out and see if you've had any luck. Otherwise I'll check back tomorrow.
It seems he's bright enough so maybe, if it's not too recent, then he might just have avoided the immediate danger Karyn mentioned about bacteria etc if it's been scratched.

Good luck,

Janet

I've just zoomed in on that last picture again and I do think there's possibly a scab.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Me again!
I see what you mean out the pupil of the eye. Strange but doesn't look as if it's inflamed.
Can you check by waving your hand by that side of the head to see if he reacts. Just wondered if he can see ok. It may be ok.

Janet


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

seems percy is definitely feeling stronger as he definitely didn't want to be caught that time

his eyes react normally thank goodness

i've bathed the affected area on his tummy/chest and wing and taken two more photos. There was no residue of blood or fluid on the cotton pad. The feathers weren't inside the wounded area just the bottom bits that hadn't been plucked out properly. It looks like he's been skidded along a road/tarmac and has road rash (this my other's half's phrase) but all his feathers have been grazed away

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0936.jpg

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/lia01frm/?action=view&current=IMG_0936.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs71.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi150%2Flia01frm%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0937.jpg

thanks again for all your help so far 

Fi


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Fi, I am going to ask one of out members who is very good with these kind of possible injuries to have a look in on your thread and see what he thinks. Glad Percy is spunkier today, make sure he does not get away from you .

Karyn


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

thanks Karyn i appreciate your time


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yeah, I don't see anything glaringly obvious there to worry about. I'd tend to put him on preventative antibiotic therapy in case there was a run-in with a predator (like Clavamox/Synulox/Noroclav, which are Amoxycillin plus Clavulanic Acid), but little else other than keeping him safe until his feathers grow back in.

Pidgey


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

thanks pidgey  he seems extra perky today and is eating for england


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## ficake (Aug 12, 2011)

Quick Percy update 

His eyes are looking a lot brighter and not running anymore. He's eating well and generally a happy chappy. He pecks his way down the garden every night and puts himself to bed in the cage in the conservatory then in the morning he does the reverse. There's no sign of his flight feathers growing Bach but I'm assuming they take time. 

Fiona and Percy


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

It usually takes several weeks if they were plucked (or lost completely down to the root in some such manner) and would take rather longer if they were cut or broken. You'd have to take a pretty close look to figure that one out.

Pidgey


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Fi, thanks for the positive update. Yes, exactly as Pidgey says, he just needs time to repalce what was lost, or damaged/broken. It may take a bit of time, but he will sort himself out in the end. Please keep us updated.

Karyn


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