# Broken Wing (Open Wound)



## matadm939 (Apr 29, 2012)

Me and a friend found an injured pigeon. We took it in and examined it's wing which was hanging somewhat low. Part of the wing is split open and the bone appears to be snapped. We bought some gauze to try and hold the wing together and possibly let it heal for the next couple weeks, but we can't seem to get it around him because he panics. I just don't know what to do. I called around some vets and all of them have said they will just "humanely euthanize" him, but i just can't bring myself to do it. I'm also doubtful with such a large open wound that it will even heal period as well. Any advice on what i should do. Oh, and his wound it recent, like it happened maybe a few hours ago. I found him sitting on a stair steps of my apartments. He wasn't moving or attempting to flee as humans walked past.


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

Try again to wrap the broken wing, even if he panics. With a little patience and perseverance you will eventually succeed.

But you should really try to locate an avian vet who has the skills and is willing to treat the broken wing. If the wing is indeed broken, without professional help, he has almost no chance to be able to fly again.

What is your location? Maybe someone on the forum could point you to the nearest avian vet. 

But even if you won't be able to locate a pigeon friendly vet nearby, the wound should heal, but among other things you'll need some antibiotic, to prevent a possible infection. Do you have any antibiotics in the house or can you get some ASAP? 

And even if the pigeon won't be able to fly again, he can live happily as a pet. And by the way, if you don't want a vet to suggest putting the bird to sleep as the first option, you should tell them he is your pet.


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## matadm939 (Apr 29, 2012)

Thank you for your response, I'm not sure what kind of antibiotics a bird would need, do they need special antibiotics or would something as simple as neosporin work?


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## nycpigeonlady (Jan 22, 2012)

A topical like neosporin can help to heal but cannot prevent an infection. He would need an oral antibiotic, and many human antibiotics are fine for birds - what do you have on hand?


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

Yes, antibiotics are essentially the same as for humans, only the dosage is different.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

OK, if there are no Avian vets willing to do the splint, then try your best and do it yourself, understanding that (of course) he will never fly again but you may be able to stabilize the wing and have a combination of scar tissue and bone growth bind it together again.

Now, honestly, you could call anm Avian Vet and just tell them you wanna pay for a wing splint but you will not have them kill the bird, he will be yours and you will make an aviary/encloisure for him if he ultimately cannot fly properly again. I would imagine that if you are in the US...SOME Avian Vet would be willing to treat him as long as they get paid. It will be a few hundred bucks, though.

DO NOT take him to a wildlife rescue facility, he will be a goner for sure.

OK, so the other option which is you do the splinting:

Here is a link on how to wrap a wing...you need to got o a pharmacy and buy the typical stuff...bandage, gauze. I like using the colored sticky stuff as the most exterior bandage because it self-adheres and is hard for a bird to unwrap.

the trick is to try to get the wing boud so the 2 pieces of the wing bone are adjacent to each other, y'know ? You don't wanna leave a gap there. You CAN maybe overlap the 2 pieces a bit so they touch each other not on their ends but on the sides of each bone.

Kinda gnarly...but doable. Then you wanna hope that the bleeding stops and doesn't continue internally....

http://www.starlingtalk.com/fractures.htm#wingfracture

Antibiotic is a must. Do you have any human or pet grade antibiotics in the house ?

Penicillin, Augmentin, Amoxycillin, Ceclor, Cipro/Baytril, Cephalexin, anything like that ?

if not....go to jedds.com or foys and order some. Phone them as you would need to have it overnighted because antibiotics need to start in the next 24-48 hours.

Amoxycillin:

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/medications/paratyphoid/1311-foys-amoxicillin-tablets

http://www.jedds.com/-strse-1093/AMOXYCILLINUM-100-tablet/Detail.bok

Divet (second choice):

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/medications/e-coli-medications-and-treatments/585-divet-tablets

Also try to find some stuff called Neocalglucon or Calcionate Syrup....this is an OTC Calcium supplement which helps bone breaks regrow and bind. Easy to order online.

Keep us posted and thanks for saving your pal !


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

*Amoxicillin*

So how much Amoxicilin it's needed for pigeon? 1/2 tablet in water..how much water?it says one treaspoon powder per galon..What about tablet? Half a tablet smashed would be less than 1/3 teaspoon.I am new in medication matters and i would like to know exactly how...
Thank you in advance.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

You wanna give a 300-350g Pigeon about 60 mg/day, divided into 2 separate doses minimum 8 hours apart. So that means 2 doses of 30mg each.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

So .. 30 mg are to be put in the water for drinking or with seringe?


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Not in drinking water...it has to be administered via syringe so the Pigeon gets the full dosage. Drinking water antibiotics...although available at Pigeon supply places, is not a good idea because the dilution is too weak to be effective, one cannot measure how much each Pigeon is getting, and a weak dosage only results in a resistance to the antibiotic developing over time.

So, you can mix up a liquid (say you have a 250mg tablet ~ crush well and mix with 5 ml water so the suspension is then 50mg/ml. Then you wanna syringe dose about .6cc of the med twice a day....etc.). Remember to shake the mixture so it becomes cloudy before filling the syringe.

... or ...if it is a tablet/pill and not a capsule....some people also cut up the pill into pieces and then just have the Pigeon swallow the pill piece.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Thank you very much Jaye.

I hope is helpul for Matadm939 aslo. We didn't get any updates.


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