# Update on baby pigeon w/ swollen crop



## mchambers (Jan 24, 2008)

I wrote in a couple of weeks ago about a baby pigeon I was raising who had a swollen crop. I got lots of great advice, thank you everyone. My vet sent me Itraconozole for what I suspected was yeast. It was, and he is now yeast free. Had to take him to the vet a few days later though as his crop just was NOT emptying. She cultured him and he was yeast free but had a lot of E Coli. Not sure where that came from-I'm really careful to rinse all utensils immediately and soak in soapy water. Wonder if it could have been from his being in the nest in the egg with it open longer than he should have been when he started hatching and mom abandoned him?
The Baytril for yeast helped, so did the shots the vet gave me to give him in his little tummy to stimulate processing of the food. 
Made the mistake of thinking it would be smooth sailing after all that, then had to take him to the vet this past Sat. as his crop had a hard mass in it about half the size of a golf ball. Impacted crop. Vet felt he had gotten dehydrated and it caused this. I guess it's possible because he likes to be pretty warm and I have a heating pad on under him all the time. He is STILL naked, but I think I finally saw the beginning of a pin feather today, so I've had to keep the heat on him longer than I normally would. The vet filled his crop with warm sterile saline and worked the mass until it was broken up into smaller pieces. Then he drew out what he could with a syringe and sent us home. I kept giving him warm water and massaging crop. Now, four days later,just a few tiny lumps are left. However, his crop still empties really slowly. Vet had me switch him from squab food for babies under ten days to regular baby bird food a couple of days ago. Still have to make it really watery or he just doesn't pass it. Very frustrating, but he's a trooper. He is 22 days old today and very underweight ( only a little over 40 grams now but at least he's gaining!) and very small and naked. On the plus side he is very sweet and eating 5 cc a feeding and strong. Oh and his right leg started going behind him and vet had me wrap his ankles with tiny strip of vet wrap so he's hobbled. Left it on for four days, then he got it off and both legs were great. Two days later the leg started going behind again so he's hobbled again now.
I have raised many pigeon babies and NEVER had problems like this. Ever. I've had yeast in some, but not problems to this degree. 
I got the flu during all this and had to crawl on hands and knees from bathroom to bedroom to mix his food and feed him as I would start to pass out everytime I stood up when I was at the worst. 
Sure hope he makes it after all this but vet did raise the possibility that something formed wrong inside and that's why he's not processing food as he should and growing as he should. He seems a little less active, but I'm doing all I can and don't know what else I can do. Having his legs hobbled may also make him less active, I would assume. 
Wish us luck!
Melissa


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, we had a case on here some years ago that's very near to a lot of our hearts. If you know how to use the site search engine, put in the name "Squidget" and read some of the threads, especially the oldest ones. It's possible that there's actually some Paratyphoid in the mix from when he was still in the egg or it may be something else, just don't know. By the way, you said "Baytril for yeast" but Baytril isn't for that--Baytril would be for Paratyphoid and some other bacterial infections. Did the vet give him Baytril besides the Itraconazole for the yeast?

Pidgey


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I hope he continues to do well. That's real dedication, crawling to feed him when you were so sick. I really hope you're feeling much better. It's awful to be that sick, especially with something depending on you like he does. Good luck!!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Both of you have been through so much. Hope you feel better and this sweet baby will improve very soon.

Reti


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## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

Wow, hopefully he will be feeling better soon. He is very fortunate to have someone who cares for him as much as you obviously do, and I am sure he appreciates it, too. It's been my experience that--somehow--animals really do know when you are trying to help them out, and both let you do stuff they normally wouldn't, and repay you with thanks and love.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm sure he had so many problems because of the E coli.
Thanks for extending yourself to this poor little baby. I hope you are both better soon.


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