# Head Shaking in baby feral pigeon- help?



## JimE (Aug 29, 2008)

My wife found a baby pigeon on the sidewalk two days ago. Apparently it fell off of the building, and bounced off an awning. She brought it home, and got some formula to feed it ( it has pin feathers, and weights 5.75oz) It can not stand on its own, but it can turn around a bit. When she tries to feed it, it violently shakes its head. We are feeding it using a small ear syringe to put the formula into its mouth. This take quite a while, but until tonight it worked OK. It gained 1/4 oz today, but I am afraid that if it stops eating that it will not have a good outcome. We are using a heating pad set on low to keep it warm, and bedding for it from a pet store. The head shaking looks really strange, and it did not do it much the first day The bird has pin feathers, and flapped its wings a bit tonight. It can neither stand nor walk on its own. Is any of this normal? I have no experience with birds.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Jim and welcome! Bless you for helping this little pigeon!

Firstly .. where are you located? We may have someone in the area that could assist you with the little bird.

Secondly .. the head shaking could be due to parasites (bugs) that the little one has or could be due to you having gotten some formula down the wrong way. Also could be due to trauma of some type.

Can you post a picture or two for us? That would be hugely helpful.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Jim, 


Yes, post some images if possible...


They will also shake their Heads if they do not like the food...

If they like the Food, they are glad to eat it out of the hollow side of a regular people-baby-Nipple, with one softly pinching the sides of the Nipple for them to feel the sides of it against their Beak.

Food needs to be about like thin Ketchup in consistancy, and needs to be close to body teperature, but never microwave it, always warm it in a cup in a pan of hot water.


Depending on if this Baby is making their own Heat or not, you need to keep him so he is through and through definitely "warm" so he himself is about 103 degrees, out of any drafts, on padding, padding on the Heating Pad...and, so he can get off the heated area if he wants...



If he feels like a little 'furnace' when laying in your palm, he does not need supplimental heat...

He may be injured from the fall, also...


Anyway, Images...if you can...


Lastly, how are his poops? How many per hour, what color and consistancy?


Best wishes!


Phil
l v


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## JimE (Aug 29, 2008)

Hi, thank you for your helpful suggestions. He seems much better this morning, he is warm enough, the heating pad is padded over with a towel, and he did not head shake this morning. He does seem very tired, though, so I will watch him closely today, and if he doesn't perk up, I will look for an avian vet to take him to tomorrow. I am not able to post any photos, Jim and I looked
up images of 2-3 week old baby pigeons, and he looks exactly like the photos. His poop looks normal, a combo of a little runny material, and dark solid stuff. I have lived many years in New York city, and Ive seen alot of pigeon poop! We are in Grants Pass, Oregon. We have Wildlife Images here, not 10 miles from
where we live, but they cannot take him. Baby pigeons are not on their list
of acceptable birds. Janice and Jim, thanks!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Well......they certainly are on OUR LIST of acceptible birds.

Have you tried these lists of resources?

http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactN.htm

http://aav.org/vet-lookup/


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

JimE said:


> Hi, thank you for your helpful suggestions. He seems much better this morning, he is warm enough, the heating pad is padded over with a towel, and he did not head shake this morning. He does seem very tired, though, so I will watch him closely today, and if he doesn't perk up, I will look for an avian vet to take him to tomorrow. I am not able to post any photos, Jim and I looked
> up images of 2-3 week old baby pigeons, and he looks exactly like the photos. His poop looks normal, a combo of a little runny material, and dark solid stuff. I have lived many years in New York city, and Ive seen alot of pigeon poop! We are in Grants Pass, Oregon. We have Wildlife Images here, not 10 miles from
> where we live, but they cannot take him. Baby pigeons are not on their list
> of acceptable birds. Janice and Jim, thanks!




Hi Janice and Jim, 


Is there any 'yellowish' tint or color to te Urates? Or are they liquid or 'drooly', and like thin flat paint, even if white?


Urates should be white and like a fine paste...


Fecal matter, depending on diet, would be greenish-brown or brown...


What are you feeding him?


Best wishes..!


Phil
l v


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## JimE (Aug 29, 2008)

Thanks to everyone for replying and trying to help. Janice took the little guy to the Vet, and many$$$ later it turns out that the bird has an infection in his crop, both fungal and yeast. Janice got meds for him and a proper feeding syringe, and already I think that he looks better. Time will tell.
The bird is pooping a lot more, and it is dark brown, with a little white. Looks normal to me.
So. If he makes it through the next few days, then I think that he will be OK. Right now, I see that his head is drooping, which it was not before, so it could be that we caught this just in time. On the other hand, maybe we are too late. Oh well, we are doing our best.
Jim


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

Thanks so much for all that you are doing for this little one. There's not many people who will take a wild sick bird to a Vet and invest $$$$ in fighting for it's survival. Both you and your wife are very sepecial people.

Hopefully you have caught his troubles in time and all will go well.

Please keep us posted.

Thanks again!!!!

Regards,
Louise


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Jim, 




Well...fingers crossed...


Those Fungal-Yeast Crop infections can definitely be very hard on them...


He might seem 'low' now for a while, and with the Meds starting to work, and needing time to work, he needs a day or so for them to get him out of the jam...so, it is not unusual for one at the phase he was in, to be droopy now, pending a revival...

Glad to hear he is pooping...these things can shut them down completely so their whole Digestive System is down...so, glad to hear he is not in those straights...



In fact, for now, I would consider to let him fast...let him Drink nice Water when he wants, but let him fast on the food for now, for a day at least...let the meds work with less burdon to his system...he has been pooping, so, he can coast a while now and fast with no harm.




Best wishes..!



Phil
l v


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## JimE (Aug 29, 2008)

*update*

We seem to be over the problems with this little guy. He is eating well, but he is skinny. We are giving him 5cc of formula every two to three hours by mouth, until he seems to be full, which he indicates by refusing the food, and a full crop.

Is this enough food for him to thrive on? He seem to be about 16 days old.
Jim


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

How many feedings per day total?

Pidgey


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

> Janice got *meds* for him and a *proper* *feeding syringe*, and already I think that he looks better.


Curious, what meds did the vet prescribe and type of feeding syringe?


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## JimE (Aug 29, 2008)

Hi, and thanks for the replies.

We are feeding him about 5 times a day,over about 14 hours. The meds that we were prescribed were Clavamox (amoicillin trihydrate and clavulanate potassium) and C-fluconazole/nystatin with doses of .28ml and 0.7ml every 12 hours. He takes it well, and it seems to have worked very well, based on the response from the bird.
Jim


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

So glad to hear the little bird is doing better. You are doing a great job with him.

Please keep us posted with his recovery.


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