# Pigeon Smells like Wet Dog?



## KasaraWolf (May 20, 2013)

Hi!

So, yesterday I adopted a Pigeon/Dove from Petco's adoption center. I brought the bird home and today gave him a bath...only to find out when he gets wet, he smells like wet dog. I am not sure if his previous owner ever gave him a bath-he was happy to take two today! (and the fact he also has an awful case of Feather Lice...yuk)

Has anyone else had this problem? Is it something I should worry about?


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

It may well be as you say, he hasn't had a bath.

If he has feather lice or anything in his feathers, best spray or powder him (sevin dust, maybe, in the US).

They usually smell quite pleasant if a little musty (or do I mean musky).


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LOL, yes John, I think you meant musky. 
Anyway, he probably smells as he needed a bath. And the lice need to be gotten rid of. A permethrin powder or Seven 5% garden dust, or even a bird spray from a pet shop should work. Get under his wings well and under tail, back and tummy. Keep it away from his face though. If I use the dust, I keep it in a tin, and use a powder puff, works great! Even a couple of cotton balls will do to apply the dust.


----------



## Sarahanne1984 (Aug 15, 2013)

my pigeon, i havent had any lice or problems like that yet, but when he's nice and clean he has always kind of smelled like wood chips to me, like cedar or pine hamster bedding and also nothing, and kind of a slight "bird" scent that i just know how they naturally smell from having them. ive never had a bird with any unpleasent smell. so there could be something going on that you might talk to a vet about. or id give him a few baths just to see if it was just that he was very dirty and one or two baths just wasnt enough to get him all the way clean. but if hes got bugs it could be something to do with that, because i would imagine excrement or something from the bugs causing problems in his feathers and skin could be causing an odor when it gets wet.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I think it is a wet odor. You can put in a spray bottle 1/4 listerine 1/4 witch hazel and the rest bottled water and spritz him .


----------



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

Wet feathers are smelly. All of mine have that smell when they're wet, but it goes away when they dry off. You do have to get rid of the bugs, though. Poor birdie, that must be miserable!


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

KasaraWolf said:


> Hi!
> 
> So, yesterday I adopted a Pigeon/Dove from Petco's adoption center. I brought the bird home and today gave him a bath...only to find out when he gets wet, he smells like wet dog. I am not sure if his previous owner ever gave him a bath-he was happy to take two today! (and the fact he also has an awful case of Feather Lice...yuk)
> 
> Has anyone else had this problem? Is it something I should worry about?


I see you asked another question in your other thread that never got answerd. .... "so far people have replied with a bunch of random things but no one answered my original questions which was the point of the post. other than yes if he is male he could be aggressive toward another male. i wanted to know if at 7 weeks i should start him on scheduled feeding or if he needs more food for continued growth, and if i should take away his basket."

I would leave his basket and feed him an amount he will finish in a days time or near finished, refill the cup or croc in the morning the amount he will eat that day. he will get what he needs but not overfed. 

everyone does seem to have their own ways of keeping pet pigeons. getting ideas from them can help decide what sounds good to you, but not forgetting facts of how pigeons are.


----------

