# Badly Injured pigeon



## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

My friend brought me an injured pigeon yesterday, and after it made the night in a dog crate, I explored its injuries by bathing him. 
He's got a gaping wound on his chest in front of his breast bone, I can see between his crop(maybe) and other muscles. I think it needs stitches, and I don't know how to, and what string or fishing line or what to use! 
Thankfully no internal damage seen, but the skin is torn at least 3/4" wide, which is big for such a small animal. 

He also has an injured wing which I need to bind, and not apply friction on the injured area.

Injury on the back too, but not that bad, so I think a hawk or smaller raptor got him. He lived in a tourist area and was fed be people, so I think a person might have scared the hawk off after the pigeon was brought down. 

I just took my gecko to the vet and I don't have the money to take a feral pigeon too. 
I'm from Monterey CA, the local wildlife center euthanizes injured pigeons.


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## bootface (Jun 29, 2017)

If you can't get veterinary care I think it would be kinder to euthanize. Stitching up an animal with no experience or anasthesia is inhumane. He needs pain meds and antibiotics, which you may have to get from a vet. 

I would post on the Palomancy Facebook page to see if anyone in your area can help.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A vet really would be a better option.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

We take our pigeons to Medical Center in Oakley. Would contact palomacys facebook page to see if they have members near you. They rescue injured pigeons. Also Monterey SPCA takes in pigeons. If you want to keep him, would ask a vet there is they can help with a payment plan. Our first pigeon was a critically injured feral who was nearly decapitated, with a broken wing. We got a vet to stitch yer up and she was our dearest love for eight years. BTW the inmates where i work stitch birds injuries with dental floss. But a vet would be better. Pigeons are tough and with tlc your bird likely could recover. Can you post a photo? There are two reportedly good avian and exotic vets in your area. People here on this forum might be able to suggest how to wrap the birds wing. Depending on the size of the chest would dont know if stitches would be needed. Antibiotics mught be needed along with pain meds such as meloxicam.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Thanks webster, I've requested to join the FB group, but I'm not sure how long it will take. 

Good news though, he's eating, drinking, and pooping as usual. He growls at me when I go to treat him and has plenty of will to live.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Sounds like he is doing well! Hope you get an answer back from people at Palomacy. They are in the bay area. Or try emailing Elizabeth. Her website is on google.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Unfortunately, Palomacy is pretty useless to my injured pigeon. They suggested I take him to wild care which is far away from where I live, the next day I have time to drive up there is Tuesday. By then, he's either going to be dead(not likely with his improvement), or healed enough for me to keep him. 
I've added pictures, I'll add a pic of his chest injury tomorrow when I smear salve all over it. 
I just got my pay check, I think I can afford taking him to the vet as long as its just for med and stitches/glue/staples, so I'll be taking him Monday morning.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Hope he does well. Make sure you tell the vet that he s your pet and that you want him helped, not euthanized, as some people just dont care about pigeons. Thank you for helping him!
I am not a vet but to me he looks fixable. Our poor rescued girl had a badly broken wing and her head was just hanging. She was being fed by people i got her from through the hole in her head/neck, but she recovered and we kept her and we became her flock.
The bird will need to recover. Do you want to adopt him? Lovely bird. Also very lucky bird to have found you.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He's a pretty little thing. If he does heal well, and can fly well, no reason why he shouldn't be able to be released later on. I hope he does well. He was lucky that you got him.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

Hi, glad to hear that you are going to take him to the vet tomorrow, just be careful as cwebster said. 

Just to get you an idea I rescued too a dove who had a hole in his chest: the vet stitched it and gave an oral antibiotic and a pain med.

To treat my pigeon Fabio who was badly injured by a predator (broken leg, injury on the back, etc) and needed surgery and a bandage, the vet gave him an oral antibiotic and a pain med; I also had to disinfect his wounds with Betadine, apply an antibiotic cream and a small amount of honey too (as it works as a natural antibacterial and disinfectant and helps to heal the wounds). He is now ok and has a happy and relaxed life (he spends his days singing with his wife and eating  ) but his health is delicate: if he flies more than usual in his room or fight with my other pigeons he starts to breathe heavily; he is also really sensitive to any weather change (he starts to cough, etc).
If you think to release him, you need to be sure that he is not in a similar condition (other be sure that he can fly properly and wait until the wounds are completely healed up).

Please keep us updated.

Good luck for tomorrow  .

Ps: he is a really cute pigeon


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I've had quite a few with pretty rough holes in them that did just fine in the long term. Pictures will certainly help. Pigeons are capable of healing better than us, that's for sure--don't lose hope.

Pidgey


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Before I went to the vet, I contacted my vet tech friend up in Washington. She explained to me that after 8 hours the edges of the skin die so stitches will no longer work(it would form a puss pocket?). Instead, she told me to get Vetericyn antimicrobial gel to keep the wound moist and that keeping the wound moist and no infected is the priority now. 

Before I made a decision I checked out pigeons wound and measured it, and it Has shrunk! Pigeon(dubbed Cupid) has been healing himself which I am ecstatic about. 

Cupid is doing great, and has plenty of personality. He growls at me the entire time, from the moment I approach his cage, while I smear salve inside his wound, to putting him back. He is so vocal about his annoyances and once I finish with his wounds he hops down and walks off like he owns the place.

This is a pic from Saturday night, GORE warning!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Glad to hear Cupid us doing well. Hope you will adopt him!


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

cwebster said:


> Glad to hear Cupid us doing well. Hope you will adopt him!


I would gladly give him a home, but... That's up to my landlords (*cough* parents *cough*) 
I already have an aviary for a flightless pigeon and his mate, another pigeon with flight problems shouldn't be an issue, My mom just needs convincing that a third pigeon won't be an issue(She loves my pigeons, they coo all the time). 

On a different note, I think one of Cupid's smaller puncture wounds has a feather stuck inside of it, so today I need to bath him and try to get whatever is causing the skin around that puncture wound to mound up, out. Thank god my mom was a nurse.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Keeping a third pigeon in with a mated pair will only cause problems. You would need a separate place for him.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> Keeping a third pigeon in with a mated pair will only cause problems. You would need a separate place for him.


Would it be okay for two pairs of pigeons in the same aviary? There's plenty of pigeons that need homes in my area. If I had my way I'd have a nice flock, so they could fly more often.

EDIT: I washed Cupids wounds today and found one on his wing, but thankfully no bones showing. I pulled feathers out of the wounds, all gnarly and icky feathers keeping him from healing properly. Cupid is friendly considering he is a feral! When I was drying him off with a blow dryer he cuddled up against my hand because he preferred me over the scary machine. 
My previous feral rescue would rather peck me and run off.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

2 pairs would be good depending on the size of the aviary.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> 2 pairs would be good depending on the size of the aviary.


5'-4' sloped high, 3' wide, 6' long. three shelves connected by a ramp and hopping sticks so my current handicap bird can get about, but they edge the aviary so my flighted bird can still fly.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

2 pairs should be able to live there. Hard to tell by that description. Is it an aviary (wired enclosure), or an enclosure with an aviary attached?
The first pair may be territorial for a while if they have been there a while. They will view it as theirs. But they will eventually get used to each other if 2 pairs.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Its a hybrid aviary, with the back and windy side closed off, and a half wall half mesh on the other side for when the wind reverses, the front is all mesh. We live on the side of a mountain so the winds come blasting around it. 

Today I brought Cupid inside and put him in a critter pen next to me. It took awhile but he relaxed enough to groom. 
Here's a picture of yesterday, he walked off into the kitchen, and man can he run. There is nothing wrong with his legs alright.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Awww......he's pretty. How's he doing? What about the wound on his chest?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Very lovely bird.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Thanks, Cupid is pretty bird, I do love his little bits of white on his face. 
His big wound is shrinking way faster then mine do, its about half the size now and no sign of infection. I'll upload a pic tomorrow of it for comparison. 

By the way, Hydrogel is amazing, I applied some to a puncture wound I had which was halfway healed with puffy red scar tissue around the edges. 24 hours later its no longer puffy, doesn't pull from tautness, and doesn't itch. 
I apply salve into his largest wound once or twice a day now to keep it moist because the hydrogel doesn't work long enough alone for such a large, deep wound.


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## Mogun rox (Nov 24, 2015)

Mix three teaspoon of honey in 1 litre water and feed them, It really helps in quick healing. It is an old way to treat pigeon.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Here's the promised pics of Cupid's chest wound before I liberally applied salve and hydrogel to it this morning. 
I always get a laugh out of how vocal he, he continues to growl at me loudly, and wing smack my when I go to pick him up. Recently I've just started walking him back to his cage so I don't have to grab him after I put hydrogel on his wounds.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Looks good, but would have given an oral antibiotic from the start.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> Looks good, but would have given an oral antibiotic from the start.


He's been getting antibiotic shots daily, because I don't have oral antibiotics on hand. Hydrogel helps the flesh meld together easier and keeps it moist, but its not my primary antibiotic. 
Bummer though, tractor supply stopped carrying the small syringes that can measure out for our pigeons and chickens. Where do you get oral antibiotics? I will need to switch over eventually. 

I've had animals since I was 4 and learned how to give shots when I was 13 after my lizard had his head smashed in the door. He wasn't even a year old, broke his skull between his eye and nose, and his jaw in three places. He lived 12 more years after that, so... Confidence builder, I've had to nurse quite a few animals since then.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Do you have another feed store near you such as Lemos Ranch? When i had to give our birds oral antibiotics i got them from the vet. When i had to give a sick guinea pig shots i got the syringes from the vet. But feed stores might have antibiotics and syringes.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I buy most antibiotics and syringes online. You can buy tablets which may be easier to give. Pigeon supplies are one place to get them.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

cwebster said:


> Do you have another feed store near you such as Lemos Ranch? When i had to give our birds oral antibiotics i got them from the vet. When i had to give a sick guinea pig shots i got the syringes from the vet. But feed stores might have antibiotics and syringes.


The feed store does, but now they only carry large animal syringes and needles, and when you need to measure out 0.01ml, a 3ml syringe with a large needle is just not going to work out. The next closes feed store also does not carry the correct sizes.
My exotics clinic does not give out anything with out a full exam and they charge through the nose for everything, and give glares to anyone who asks to take there animal home instead of leaving them there overnight for observation($30 a night, plus more for liquids and food and giving meds). 
My gecko had a small infected pocket in his jaw, the vet bill was $100, and that was with just one wipe on medication, no surgery, just exam. 

Thanks Jay, I'll need to bookmark that site.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Some have gotten them at a drugstore. If you ask, they may give you one. Where are you located?
That isn't a site. There are many pigeon supply sites. Just google pigeon supply.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Monterey county, a cesspool for drugs and gangs. 
Syringes and needles are never given out, and even tractor supply needs an id and your address to buy them.
Edit: I found a pigeon supply site that has the right size syringe and needles! Now I just need to decide if I would rather shove tablets down a pigeons through or shove a needle in their breast and which is more effective.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Think it's easier on the bird to give him a pill. We were talking about syringes without needles for giving medicine by mouth.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Can you get the pills then grind them up and dilute the med as a suspension? That is what most vets would give to people i think. Then syringes without needles can be used easily to give the med to the pigeon.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

cwebster said:


> Can you get the pills then grind them up and dilute the med as a suspension? That is what most vets would give to people i think. Then syringes without needles can be used easily to give the med to the pigeon.


I think time release is important for most pills, but it will usually say on the box if you can break them in half or crush them. 

When I had to give my dog mauled chicken pills, it was a Real pain. She would hide them in her mouth and then fling them across the room once I let go of her beak. It was almost easier to tube feed her, which was lining a lubed up rubber tube to go down the correct throat, make sure it was in the crop and not the lungs, and then squirt liquid food down it, but not to much.

Are pigeons less likely to hide pills and then fling them?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

First of all, the meds you would be giving your pigeons would not be time release. Many people do it the way cwebster suggested. Me, I would just as soon give a pill. Easy. If your bird flung the pill, then you didn't put it back in the throat far enough. You need to push the pill to the back of the throat and over the tongue. That way they will swallow it. Very easy.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Jay3 said:


> First of all, the meds you would be giving your pigeons would not be time release. Many people do it the way cwebster suggested. Me, I would just as soon give a pill. Easy. If your bird flung the pill, then you didn't put it back in the throat far enough. You need to push the pill to the back of the throat and over the tongue. That way they will swallow it. Very easy.


I suppose pigeons are not as apt with mouth motions as chickens are, but they also have shorter necks too. Chickens have a way of pulling their necks out of your hands and squirming out of your grip when you are trying not to pull out the seven staples they have in them. 
Personally, I feel put down by the tone you just gave me, in treating me like I was an idiot. Pigeons and Chickens are two different birds, with different needs.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Kayosa, hope you realize we are trying to help and never want anyone to feel put down. Whixchever way you can medicate your bird, am glad you care enough to try to do the best for them. Please let us know how medicating him works and how he is doing.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You might like this one:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/pierpont-fistula-and-injury-11512.html

(the picture links don't work anymore)

Pidgey


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

kayosa said:


> I suppose pigeons are not as apt with mouth motions as chickens are, but they also have shorter necks too. Chickens have a way of pulling their necks out of your hands and squirming out of your grip when you are trying not to pull out the seven staples they have in them.
> Personally, I feel put down by the tone you just gave me, in treating me like I was an idiot. Pigeons and Chickens are two different birds, with different needs.


There was no tone. Just letting you know what needs to be done to get the pill down. If you choose to put a tone to it, that is up to you.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

So Cupid is almost completely healed, but seems to have some... scab? on the inside of the wound, and I don't want it to heal over yet and just cause an abscess later on. I've dealt with enough abscess across several species to hate them thoroughly, nothing is more disgusting then cutting them open and having to clean them out constantly. I'm attempting to keep it open enough that it can drain and hopefully heal from the inside out. 

Also, I keep looking at pigeon antibiotics that come in tablets and I can't decide which would be best for open wounds and the like. I'd prefer them in tablets, but powder is okay as long as they can be dosed per bird and not en masse.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Very glad to hear Cupid is continuing to get better. Good job!


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

Any suggestions on antibiotics for wounds?
Oral prefer, then I don't have to go through the effort of getting needles.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oral antibiotics would be Baytril (Enroflox), Amoxicillin, Clavamox.
Clean wounds with saline solution and apply antibiotic cream. One without the pain reliever in it.


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