# Pigeon Hit by car



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So I was driving home from work last night and I saw this pigeon flapping on the side of the highway and of course I swerve over and pull over and grab my shirt from my gym bag and run back to see if I can get this bird without getting us both killed. The first time he flew but only a couple of feet before slamming back into the concrete barrier and I was able to fling my shirt over him/her? and grabbed him up. 

So now I have a pigeon in my lap. So I get him home and of course it was cold and rainy so I set him up in the hospital cage I use for various rodents that my cat brings home alive and let him warm up. I mean I figured if he died at least he would die in a nice warm place rather than in the cold and rain on the highway. He made it through the night so today I got a chance to access his injuries. I had made some calls today while I was at work but the vets were quoting $500-$1000 depending on the injuries and to be honest I could barely pay for my rent this month and the bird rescues I called refused to take a pigeon and said they would just euthanize him. 

Well I know pigeons are tough little birds so I figured I would at least see what I could do. 

So the skin was torn across the breast on one side and muscle was exposed but there wasn't any torn muscle except around the crop area, from what I could see. The biggest problem that I could visibly access is that there was a hole torn in his crop on the side of the injury.


So I get out my supplies and I scrubbed down the injury area with surgical scrub betadine and flushed the debris and seeds from his crop. I was able to pull the edges of the torn area of the crop and sealed it with surgical glue. (saw this type of repair on another site on the web).Then I took what skin I could and pulled that over the wound as much as possible and sealed that with the surgical glue as well. There's still some muscle tissue exposed so I just covered it in neosporin and wrapped sterile gauze around the bird to keep the area clean. 

So Mr. Bird is awake and alert and seems to realize that I'm not trying to eat him. I had bird antibiotics, doxycyline on hand so I mixed that into his water and he drank a small bowl of water. I checked the wound and there was no leaking from the crop area. 

Now there could be some other injuries and the bird does have difficulty in standing but that could be because of muscle bruises in the chest area. The legs themselves don't seem to be broken and the feet can grasp. 

So I've set him up to be as comfortable as possible. I'd like the little guy to pull through but who knows. Anyway if anyone has any other suggestions that would be cool.


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

wow good job! only advice would be keep going for a whole round of anti biotics.
if you can pick up a little nolvasan, dilute it with water and put it in a squeeze bottle, you can flush the area twice a day, it really helps speed up healing and kills bacteria without being drying like betadine.
limit his mobility if you suspect fractures that are not obvious


----------



## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

In the event there is a fellow member, rehabber or affordable vet near you that could possibly assist, could you give us your general location?

Cindy


----------



## yopigeonguy (Oct 22, 2009)

Hi,
Looks like that is one very lucky and happy pigeon! Thank you so much for helping this helpless creature you will be thanked. Make sure he is warm and that he is eating well. You can put some defrosted peas and corn for him to eat. If he is not eating just open his mouth and plop about ten peas and corn one by one. If he has trouble swallowing it, you can rub his throat gently to help him swallow. Can you post some pics so we can see his condition?

Thanks again for helping him!!!


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Hi LV426, Sounds like you did a real nice job. Like Altgirl said, do a full round of antibiotics. And watch that it doesn't abscess.
For open wounds on poultry (that can't be stitched), the vet I work for uses a paste made up of equal amounts of honey and sugar.
I'm sure he's pretty sore from the trauma, which could account for his being unstable on his feet.
Good job, keep us posted please


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes well - amazing job so far ! Childrens Advil or Childrens Motrin (*not *lnfant formula - Childrens formula) could be used as an anti-inflammatory-painkiller (.02cc per 100g of pigeon assume a weight of 250g for the bird- 2x day) Better still is Medacam but l dunno if that is available to you. lf so - 1.5 mg per ml suspension - doses .06 cc 2x per day for avg. pigeon size. Medacam (aka meloxicam) has an advantage being it won't make the pigeon drowsy & is a stronger painkiller.....but l have seen avian vets prescribe the Childrens lbupropen as well. Also concerns about eating if there's an injured crop


----------



## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

LV426 I think you have done a great job and thank you for trying to save this pigeon. Lets hope he can pull through. If he can't at least he was warm and cared for. 

Jaye, I love reading all your posts, I learn so much. min


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

I'm in Kent, Washington. 

Well so far I haven't offered any food just water. The glue seems to have held because his crop is no longer leaking water when he drinks. I'm more concerned about fluids for now and since he drinks on his own I'm happy. He's had another dose of antibiotics in his water today and seems to be doing better. He's holding himself more upright and trying to move around more. I was worried that he might do some damage so I wrapped him in a soft towel to keep him as still as possible but still able to reach the water bowl. 

His eyes are bright and clear and he's alert. So here's just hoping that he will bounce back on his own.


----------



## Guest (Oct 31, 2009)

your doing a great job , Im keeping my fingers crossed for you and your little friend ,good luck and good healing


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Agreed - can't ask for much better care than you are providing. Just wondering aloud if Doxycyclne is the most appropriate antibiotic in this instance - any thoughts from the Forum Also any members in WA ?


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Jaye said:


> Agreed - can't ask for much better care than you are providing. Just wondering aloud if Doxycyclne is the most appropriate antibiotic in this instance - any thoughts from the Forum Also any members in WA ?


I was told clavamox was the choice for cuts and wounds.


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

I only had access to doxy and I do have some injectable Tylan but I wasn't sure the dosage on him so I didn't want to cause more harm.


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Tylan is more for intestinal problems.


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i think doxy is better than nothing, wounds don't always get infected, if it was an animal bite it would be a different story.
i prefer baytril myself
if you can us tell us the mg/ml of doxy and the weight of the piji we can figure out the dosage, for birds it's 25mg/kg 2xday


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

LV, I am in SF...if you'd like, I can send you some Clavamox or Cipro (= Baytril); either of which might be more appropriate....it'd only take a day or two to get there...until then, keep with the Doxy; I agree, it is certainly better than nothing. PM me with your mailing info if you like.


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

*Just some drug info*

Clavamox, Dose- up to 125 mgs TID orally up to 3 weeks.
Used to treat severe or deep puncture wounds, and helps greatly in preventing the spread of necrotic tissue.
This drug has a much broader spectrum than Baytril and therefore will treat a much greater range of ailments.

Baytril, Effective against small surface wounds containing aerobic bacteria, oral E.coli and salmonella (paratyphoid) and some respiratory infections involving the bronchial tubes.
It is *ineffective* against *anaerobic* bacteria and should NOT be used for any gut bacterial problems or deep puncture wounds which involve *anaerobic's*.

I'm looking up Doxy - I'll get back to ya


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

*Additional drug info*

Doxycycline doesn't mention anything about being used for wounds.
If using doxy, you do have to remove calcium containing grit. Calcium will bind the drug and decrease absorption.

I think clavamox would be best if you can get some.


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

Ok so Day 5 after pigeon was hit by car. The pigeon is able to stand on his feet now and sort of shuffles when he walks but he's not flapping helplessly anymore and he's able to stand on his own. He's still drinking water. There's been some minor leakage of water from the area I sealed with the glue around his crop when he drinks but I'm pretty confident that he will be ok. He drinks more water than leaks out so I'm hoping the injury will heal over with time. The muscle tissue exposed has scabbed over. There doesn't seem to be any infection so far. A little minor bleeding from where he cracked the scab when he was trying to walk around but I just apply neosporin and hope that will suffice. So far he's pooped 4 times. I'm feeding him a mash instead of seeds because I figure that will be easier for him to digest since he has a crop injury. There has been minimal food intake but he's still drinking. 

I know he's in some pain because he does the ruffled feather thing where he stands all stiff and pulls his head in but that's to be expected when you are hit by a car. I gave him some childrens ibuprofen but not sure if it helped. 

I don't think there are any major internal injuries because I would think he would have bled to death by now if there had been. Every day he stays alert and alive is one more day he has to recover and get better. I'm hopeful that he will be ok. My chukar sort of keeps him company during the day and watches him. The pigeon responds to him when he peers at him through the bars and chooks at him. Maybe he won't feel so isolated with another bird around even if it's not his normal kind of bird. 

Anyway thanks for everyone's advice. I've spoken with my vet who gave me some cypro for him and gave me some dermaskin bandage things for his breast exposure but I'm not sure if I should put it on now that it's scabbed over. 

Anyway we'll keep fingers and wings crossed that he comes out on top.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

All sounds great except the *eating thing * Pigeons drop weight extremely FAST - lf they go only a couple of days wth little food they will seriously weaken - 5 days of signficant under-eating can really compromise the birds strength & ablty to heal -ls the chestbone protruding dramatically  lf you are feeding a mash he needs to get a good 25cc a day at least - lf that's not possible due to crop situation l might suggest veggie-popping maybe just 4 or 5 pcs per meal (so as not to extend the crop) & 5 meals a day - use thawed slightly warm peas corn carrots & pop them into the back of his mouth being careful not to block the trachea open'g- he should recognize & swallow - BTW unless the scab looks really icky l'd leave the Dermaskin off


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

Well the breast bone was sticking out anyway because of the damage from the car hitting him so I can't really use that as a gauge. But tonight I came home and he's eating his mash and has eaten at least 1/4 cup. So I'm going to take that as a positive sign. I have some critical care that I added to his mash. Anyway crossing wing feathers that all progresses positively.


----------



## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Your doing a great job with trying to save him. Crossing wing feathers here to. min


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Heck - a whole quarter-cup's very good ! Any way you can weigh him


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

Not really. He's feeling better so he tries to fly when I get near him. I don't want him to flap around and tear anything. I don't think I could get him to sit on the scale without trying to fly off. He's eating and pooping though so I think he's good. His crop was full of seeds when I sealed it up anyway so he wasn't completely without food for 5 days and I've had food in his cage that he was nipping at off and on. Now he seems to have more of an appetite and I'm feeding him game bird starter mash with critical care mixed in. I also mixed in pedialyte with his water.

I haven't used the derm askin, it was just given to me in case he kept breaking open the scab but he's done ok so far. I just keep neosporin on it so the skin stays more supple and won't crack. He's been preening his feathers today too which is also another positive sign as I see it. He's not huddled all fluffed in the corner but moving around more on his own.


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

LV426 said:


> Not really. He's feeling better so he tries to fly when I get near him. I don't want him to flap around and tear anything. I don't think I could get him to sit on the scale without trying to fly off. He's eating and pooping though so I think he's good. His crop was full of seeds when I sealed it up anyway so he wasn't completely without food for 5 days and I've had food in his cage that he was nipping at off and on. Now he seems to have more of an appetite and I'm feeding him game bird starter mash with critical care mixed in. I also mixed in pedialyte with his water.
> 
> I haven't used the derm askin, it was just given to me in case he kept breaking open the scab but he's done ok so far. I just keep neosporin on it so the skin stays more supple and won't crack. He's been preening his feathers today too which is also another positive sign as I see it. He's not huddled all fluffed in the corner but moving around more on his own.


Sounds reasonable to me - Good Job! I'm keeping my feathers crossed for him, He was very lucky that you came along


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I agree..don't force the weighing...sounds like things are going pretty well if he's eating and you have the Cipro going now. The Tegaderm (dermaskin, same thing) is good stuff so, yeah, it works well on birds so keep it handy as a backup.

Just keep an eye out for any turn for the worse ~ lethargy, loss of appetite, sleeping a lot, eyes closed a lot, fluffing....


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So I got a picture of the injury although it really doesn't show the entire extent of the injury but you can get the gist of it.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Pretty nasty - l have seen better - and worse lMHO it appears that the bird can recover from that - providing the crop is still functioning Ok (besides leakage - is he pooping fairly regularly  Trying to determine if the food path is still going via the proper channels) At this stage just preventing infection and maintaining nutrition/strength is about the best one can do  Also keep an eye out for any subcutaneous (below-skin) fluids which may begin to pool in vicinity of the wound - if so you may need to lance w/a needle and let it drain - BTW how's he breathing - does it seem laboured at all  Hey - keep it up you are doing an amazing job !


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

that looks awful, how is his wing hanging?? looks like the shoulder may be involved, is that bone i see??
i think he defiantly needs antibiotics, if you can get some from your vet ask him for a little chlorhexidine (nolvasan) and rinse it at least once a day with that, twice a day would be better, but i know he's stressed, dilute it down to robins egg blue, it really speeds up healing and kills bacteria.
your going to have to dose him twice a day anyways with anti biotics.
i missed what your keeping him in, but i would keep him in a cat kennel so you dont have to chase him.
as for weighing, find a small box put it on the scale with a towel then put him in it and cover him with the towel and do the math, unless you can tare the scale, but it needs to be a gram or ounce scale to get an accurate weight on him.
i'm glad he's eating well, thank you for taking such good care of him


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

His wings are actually fine and there's no bone exposed. I think you are looking at my finger. 

As far as I can tell there is no fluid build up and it looks like everything is working ok. He eats and poops. So I figure as long as food goes in and poop comes out that it's pretty much working ok. His crop isn't leaking anymore so I think that wound has at least sealed. He's on antibiotics til next week at least.

He's being kept in a rabbit cage actually on care fresh bedding so I don't have to chase him around much and I can clean up any mess easily without taking him out of the cage too much.


----------



## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

WOW, Although I haven't seen to many injury's that looks pretty nasty. Just wanted to give you props on doing a great job at taking care of him. Looking at the bird he looks pretty alert which is good. Keep up the good work and can't wait for other pictures during his healing process. min


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh the poor thing. That looks awful. I hope you can get him well. That's quite a challenge.


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So someone on another forum said that I can get a fungal infection that will kill me. Does anyone know if this is true?


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

No, it isn't. But as with handling any animal, good hand washing is important. Both before you handle it, and after.


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

I always wash my hands because I have other critters in my house and I don't want cross contamination to happen. I have hand sanitizer by the door in every room so when I cross into a new habitat I can make sure my hands are clean for the occupants of that room.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well, you needn't worry about catching anything from him. Sending healing thoughts for your bird.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

LV426 said:


> So someone on another forum said that I can get a fungal infection that will kill me. Does anyone know if this is true?


   You may wanna nicely suggest that this person do some reading up before making stupid comments like that....

...as mentioned above, just wash up after handling and maybe change whatever clothes may have contacted the pigeon....

typical stuff which I an sure you are doing anyway.....


----------



## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

I agree with Jaye, The way some people think is the reason why some people don't stop and help pigeons. Very sad. Your more likely to catch something from a person than a pigeon. Common sense and everyone will stay healthy and happy. 

LV426 great job on helping this little guy out. min


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So now he's an ungrateful wretch that attacks me when I reach in his cage. I guess he's feeling better. lol


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well that's a good sign. Don't feel badly about it, it means you're doing something right.


----------



## Guest (Nov 8, 2009)

LV426 said:


> So someone on another forum said that I can get a fungal infection that will kill me. Does anyone know if this is true?


if that were true many of us would be dead already lol


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

This girl just told me that wild pigeons carry a fungus in their droppings that gets in the air and will kill me. She told me to suit up in a hazmat suit to deal with the pigeon. Mask and gloves and change my clothes. I've cleaned out any droppings at least 3 times a day because I wanted to avoid wound contamination and I've washed my hands before and after treating sir pigeon. I thought that would be enough. I looked up some sites but the only thing I found was prolonged exposure to excessive pigeon droppings in an enclosed space.


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

*The fungus she was talking about is in our everywhere in our environment and not exclusive to dried Pigeon poop.* Exterminators use that one to frighten folks into buying their service to exterminate Pigeons and there fore make money for themselves. 
Don't worry. You will be find.


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

LokotaLoft said:


> if that were true many of us would be dead already lol


LOL - I was going to say that! 
We'd all be dead and wouldn't have this forum LOL


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

WELL DONE, LV!! Sounds like you are doing one fantastic job and your pij will recover nicely!!

Well, since I sleep in my bedroom with 4 pigeons, I guess I'm dead and now a zombie if what that girl said was true! NOT!! 

AND, so far, none of my friends have commented that I look more pale and less animated!

Proper precautions and common sense are the keys, as has been suggested.

Sending *Loving Healing Thoughts with Gentle Hugs and Scritches to Mr. Pij!)*

Shi and Mr. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

id be dead also, i have about 150-200 wild birds in and out of the house every year, and to be honest i only wear gloves occasionally, and that's usually when im dealing with a wound and i don't want bacteria from my hands to harm the bird.
plus i have 11 parrots and 1 pet starling of my own
i clean up with bleach diluted water 
common sense hygiene should be practiced, no poop to mouth.
practice good husbandry, and you don't have to worry
wild birds are much less dangerous to handle than wild mammals, most diseases mammals (like us) can get, birds cannot and visa versa, birds have a much higher body temperature. 
the fungus your friend is talking about is aspergillis and it is found in our environment, birds succumb to this disease when their immune system has been compromised for some other reason, i get seagulls every year with it and the occasional rare seabird that normally is only on land to breed and has ended up on shore because they are sick from something else and the asper is usually the final nail in their coffin.
here is a link to diseases that are transmittable to humans from birds and mammals, again remember that these diseases are rare, and like i said before if you keep things tidy (not obsessively so) you will be absolutely fine.
i clean the wild guys cages once every day, and sometimes every other day if they are a tiny little thing.
the parrots i'm a bit lazier with, they get just neatened up every few days and a big clean once a week
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS019


----------



## Aviephile (Oct 25, 2009)

It's kinda like the histeria, a few years ago, about "Bird Flu". The only way to catch it was to kiss a chicken on the lips so I wasn't worried. ;-}
Not worried about "Swine Flu" either, cause I barbeque them first. LOL
Of course, it IS best to take sane precautions, for your sake and your pets...
Best! Bill


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

and the chicken would have to have bird flu!


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

Ok I've never had a pigeon growl at me before but this one does every time I come near the cage and flicks his wing at me. The wing closest to me that is. He can use both wings but whenever I come up to him he will bat the wing closest to me and growl. At least it sounds like a growl. And if I reach in to fill his food or water he attacks me with his wings and pinches me with his beak and twists his head so it really hurts. Little demon. Doesn't he know you shouldn't bite the hand that glues you back together?

Anyway is this normal behavior for a pigeon?


----------



## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

LV426 said:


> Ok I've never had a pigeon growl at me before but this one does every time I come near the cage and flicks his wing at me. The wing closest to me that is. He can use both wings but whenever I come up to him he will bat the wing closest to me and growl. At least it sounds like a growl. And if I reach in to fill his food or water he attacks me with his wings and pinches me with his beak and twists his head so it really hurts. Little demon. Doesn't he know you shouldn't bite the hand that glues you back together?
> 
> Anyway is this normal behavior for a pigeon?


LOL. Most definitely, must be feeling a lot better then.

It does seem disappointing when you've spent all that time caring for them and all the while they've been quiet an docile.
However, it's also a compliment as he must be feeling more like his old self now.

Janet


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i know they are ungrateful little why i oughta's! i love when they practice wing fu! makes me laugh, just be glad you didn't rescue a hawk instead of a pigeon!


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Uppity is always an excellent sign....


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So I am not really concerned with him recovering now as it seems he is doing quite well but I'm rather worried about releasing him. Obviously he has to heal over completely and grow back some feathers before I can let him go but I'm not sure he will be able to fly well. There was extensive muscular damage done to the breast area. The muscles were severed in one section and I'm hoping they will grow back but how do I know if he's ok to release? I wouldn't want to release him just to have him end up someone's dinner because he wasn't able to fly as well as he should and are there any exercises I can do to help him improve his muscle strength? I don't have a garage for him to practice flying in and my apartment is small. Even if I locked up the cats I'm not sure he would have enough room to really get flying time in to help build up his strength. 

I also am not sure if I need to change his diet. I've been feeding him game bird starter. I figured with the crop injury he needed something easy to digest and I could make a mash out of it for him. It's what I feed my chukar. It's somewhat like chick starter but has higher protein and I mix that with whole grain wheat. My chukar lives on that and does fantastically but I don't know if that's ok to feed Mr. Pigeon permanently. I know when I was cleaning out his crop after the damage it was full of sunflower seeds in the shell but I read somewhere that feeding all sunflower seeds is bad for birds because they are hard to digest. I have rabbit pellets I can feed him or chinchilla food if that is better than the game bird starter. Or I have wild bird seed that I feed to the birds outside. I also have cracked corn I can feed him. 

Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks


----------



## StanelyPidge09 (May 22, 2009)

Hi LV426. That is quite impressive work you have done for Mr. Pigeon. He is lucky! (We actually just got a pigeon recently that was hit by a car and suffered similar injuries at the rehab center I work at. Poor little guys. We need less cars in the world )

So at the rehab center, we feed the pigeons a mix of game starter pellets, safflower seeds, millet, popcorn, and sunflower seeds. 
I feed my pigeon, Stanley, a mix of seed that I get from a natural food store or any grocery store. Its a mix of lentils, wheat, millet, barley, canadian peas, yellow split peas, brown rice, and buckwheat. You can also give him some greens once a week for added vitamins.


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

game starter is okay, no to the bun and chin food, you could go pick up pigeon and dove food, don't forget the grit.
i sometimes mix game crumble in with the seed.
once his injury is completly healed the only way to find out if he can fly is to let him fly around the room, or try to find a rehabber that has an aviary for him to practice in, he should be released back where you found him,(if he can fly) his mate is waiting


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Also, rabbit pellets could be OK, too...had an interesting discussion about them in another forum and the concensus was positive.

WHOLE corn kernels (like popcorn kernals) are MUCH better. Cracked corn in not recommended. UNshelled sunflower seeds.

Some add, as had been suggested, lentils and split green peas.

I buy packaged Kaytee's Supreme Fortified Daily Blend for Colombes/Dove/Palomas at Petco (5 lb bags). BUT, I only have 4 pigeons. 

I give Hemp and (extra)Safflower seeds as treats...plus Song Bird Health Blend seeds.

ALL THE BEST WITH LOVE, HUGS, and SCRITCHES

Shi 

Sounds like your pijie IS feeling better with all the beak strikes and Wing Fus!  AND, oh my YES, pigeons DO growl!! Squeaks is quite proficient at times!


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

aren't bunny pellets just pure timothy hay??


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

Here's what is in the mazuri rabbit food.

Dehydrated alfalfa meal, Dehydrated timothy meal,dehulled soybean meal, ground soybean hulls, ground oats, wheat middlings, wheat germ, dried beet pulp, cane molasses, soybean oil, dicalcium phosphate, ground corn, dried whey, salt, DL-methionine, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, choline chloride, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (natural source vitamin E), calcium pantothenate, zinc oxide, nicotinic acid, cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), riboflavin, manganous oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite.


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Personally, methinks he should stay on the mash for another 4+ days at least...the crop was leaking & punctured...I wouldn't start solids quite yet.

Lock up the kitties and let the guy test out his wings a bit. One or two rooms is a perfect 'starter' environment...maybe if you have some shelves or top of fridge or tables/counters and such, he might begin by taking small flights just 2 or 3 feet vertically. Again, IMHO, don't start with this quite yet...that was a gnarly injury, he needs at least another few days of healing.

Take it from there...it would likely take 3-5 days or so before he would figure out how much he can move around. If his flying seems compromised, then, yeah...we are gonna have to find a home for him...an aviary, a loft situation...because he could not be re-released if his flying ability isn't darn close to normal....


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Keeping the wound area thinly slathered in 'SilvaSulfadine' is very good to do for situations of this sort...

Keeps things antiseptically moist...lessens scarring...gives comfort...


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So just an update for those who were following. Satan Pigeon as he has come to be called is still alive. His wound has scabbed over and seems to be healing rather well. There are some new feathers growing in over the bare spots. He seems to have trouble walking but that could just be from all the muscle damage and hopefully will improve as he gets even better. I haven't tried to let him fly because I want the scab to be completely gone before he even attempts to spread his wings. He's still rotten and attacks me whenever I put food or water in and growls at me when I come near the cage. 

My dad came to visit and can't understand why I rescued a pigeon. He said I should have eaten him. But dad secretly knows he would do the same because when I was a kid he rescued a pigeon that had been attacked by a hawk. He just thinks I don't remember that.


----------



## doveone52 (Aug 3, 2009)

It has been so interesting to read about Satan and all you've done for him. You certainly took on a difficult injury extremely well. Pigeons are so resilient, thank God! I personally find the growling rather endearing!


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

Yes he has recovered quite nicely all considering. I'm still not sure if he will be able to go back into the wild since he still has trouble walking. He can walk slowly but if he tries to walk fast he stumbles and falls. I haven't tried flying yet as he still has the scab over the wound and I don't want him to tear it and bleed. 

If he can't be released I'm hoping I can find someone to take him in and let him stay in their aviary or something. I don't really have a place for a pet pigeon. Plus he hates me.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

LV426 said:


> Yes he has recovered quite nicely all considering. I'm still not sure if he will be able to go back into the wild since he still has trouble walking. He can walk slowly but if he tries to walk fast he stumbles and falls. I haven't tried flying yet as he still has the scab over the wound and I don't want him to tear it and bleed.
> 
> If he can't be released I'm hoping I can find someone to take him in and let him stay in their aviary or something. I don't really have a place for a pet pigeon. *Plus he hates me*.


 

Talk about a flashback!! I remember when I first found Mr. Squeaks with his badly broken wing. During the loooong healing process, I would tell people that he hated me! He would growl, beak strike and Wing Fu me with the best of 'em! AND, he was only a squeaker but looked like an adult bird! The wing finally healed _after_ his wing was partly amputated! 

FINALLY, AFTER he healed, we became friends and finally "mates." Yes, he considers me his mate and will not tolerate any other pigeons in "his" territory. He has to be kept separated from Dom, Gimie and Woe, when they are out for their exercise time!

Don't give up...

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi and Mr. Squeaks


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

shi is right he may come around with time and patience, or may choose someone in your household for his best buddy, i got 4 parrots, 1 hates me, 1 tolerates me, one luuuvs me, 1 loves everybody, but prefers men. the 1 who hates me and the 1 who tolerates me luuuuvs my honey, but the 1 who luuuvs me want to kill my honey on sight!!
you may also put mr squeaks in the adoption forum, where are you located


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

altgirl35 said:


> shi is right he may come around with time and patience, or may choose someone in your household for his best buddy, i got 4 parrots, 1 hates me, 1 tolerates me, one luuuvs me, 1 loves everybody, but prefers men. the 1 who hates me and the 1 who tolerates me luuuuvs my honey, but the 1 who luuuvs me want to kill my honey on sight!!
> *you may also put mr squeaks in the adoption forum, where are you located*



Uh, Jodi...are you referring to MY Mr. Squeaks??? I'm sure NOT... 

Mr. Squeaks nearly pooped in shock!!  He would never leave me, nor would I leave him...We've been together since 2003! 

Did you mean Satan??

Love and Hugs

Shi and a shocked Mr. Squeaks


----------



## LV426 (May 13, 2008)

So the scab is gone and he's healed over so I took him out of the cage today and let him test his wings. He was able to achieve a minor lift off and flew a bit across the room but had a rough landing. Once I got him out of the cage he stopped trying to bite the crap out of me and was focused more on flapping his wings. So we did some short across the room flights while the cats were locked up. I think he will be able to fly normally again so I'm just going to keep up a daily practice routine til he's got his strength back then I will take him to work and see if he can fly in the gym and if he can then I will set him free.


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

oh sorry!!! i meant Satan


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

altgirl35 said:


> oh sorry!!! i meant Satan



is awright! We kinda figured...

Squeaks and I are quite normal now... 

Love and Hugs
Shi


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

LV426 said:


> So the scab is gone and he's healed over so I took him out of the cage today and let him test his wings. He was able to achieve a minor lift off and flew a bit across the room but had a rough landing. Once I got him out of the cage he stopped trying to bite the crap out of me and was focused more on flapping his wings. So we did some short across the room flights while the cats were locked up. I think he will be able to fly normally again so I'm just going to keep up a daily practice routine til he's got his strength back then I will take him to work and see if he can fly in the gym and if he can then I will set him free.


*Perfect plan ! *Definitely take it slow. You are looking to see if he can turn corners, elevate high, and land without crashing. It will take several days, even a week maybe. If you have any doubts, hold off on the release.

Just beware if you let him go in the gym, make sure he cannot land somewhere where you cannot retrieve him


----------

