Blueeyedsquirrel Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 Hi, I'm new here and I wonder whether you can help, I found a young pigeon 5 days ago and I have been trying to look after it. This is the 2nd pigeon rescue I have carried out and I still have the other two years on. The pigeon was sat out on the stairs in the dark puffed up large and hardly moving, it lt me pick it up with no struggle and I brought it in the house and placed it in a cardboard box. to warm it up slowly. This latest addition looks to be young with full feathering but still quite fluffy, it has a soft fleshy part to the nose and I think this pigeon is a Bar. It will drink water, but will not feed so we have to force feed it........it seems to have no desire to try on its own. It sleeps the majority of the day away and does'nt move around much, but when it does it appears to have serious co-ordination problems, Falling over itself or toppling over. It also has very severe head shakes when it appears to get agitated or excited.....not usual head bobbing. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be, her stools used to be quite watery they are now solidifying but probably due to being force fed. Can anyone give me an idea whats wrong and how to rectify it? Thanks
pjc Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 it may be worth posting a pic to identify what you have there but head twisting is associated with Paramyxovirus. Keep this bird isolated from your others.
Blueeyedsquirrel Posted February 13, 2009 Author Report Posted February 13, 2009 Thank you for your responses. Any ideas what I can do to help this pigeon? I will try and get a photo and maybe post a video so people can see the behaviour. She is very sweet, but is constantly puffed up.
Guest strapper Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 if you have a syringe squirt a small drop of milk(2ml) into its throat, do this at intervals ...maybe 5-6 times.if this pigeon has balance disorders, it may well be calcium deficiency....the toppling over made me curious. at worst as others have said para... if this bird is an hen it may have been on chicks and they have taken her balance of calcium from her.
Blueeyedsquirrel Posted February 13, 2009 Author Report Posted February 13, 2009 Thank you Strapper, I will try all the items suggested and will take to the Vet too. I don't race them, I just try and help them...so maybe it could live a good life if seen by the vet?
Guest strapper Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 glad to be of help, hope it turns out to be something simple....all the best ......paul.
Guest Owen Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 Your bird has probably got a virus desease. It could be paramixovirus or paratyphoid. Either way it is very sick and needs a Vet. I don't want to scare you but you need to be very careful with the hygiene. Paratyphoid is one desease that can be passed to a human. There are others. I have just guessed at what may be causing the bird to be ill and it is obvious that you need skilled help if you want to save it. You did not say where the bird came from. Is it a stray or a ferral pigeon? Does it have a ring? What sort of ring does it have?
Taylorsloft Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 give it honey melt it down in warm water
Blueeyedsquirrel Posted February 13, 2009 Author Report Posted February 13, 2009 Owen, Its one from outside my house, just a ferral....not a fancy or racing. I will take it to the vet, it is very loving but just so docile you can tell that it is not well.
jimmy white Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 Owen, Its one from outside my house, just a ferral....not a fancy or racing. I will take it to the vet, it is very loving but just so docile you can tell that it is not well. it seems really kind of you to take this pigeon to the vet, i should think that the best thing posible,, as there could be possibly something seroiusly wrong with it,,i certainly hope not, for your sake ,, but vet,, asap,, and best of luck
paul10121968 Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 Thank you Strapper, I will try all the items suggested and will take to the Vet too. I don't race them, I just try and help them...so maybe it could live a good life if seen by the vet? does he have a ring on,if he does it would be worth posting the number,so that the owner can be traced.
paul10121968 Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 Owen, Its one from outside my house, just a ferral....not a fancy or racing. I will take it to the vet, it is very loving but just so docile you can tell that it is not well. sorry you allready answered that question.
Guest Owen Posted February 13, 2009 Report Posted February 13, 2009 Well done man. It is really nice to hear of someone as kind as you are. Best of luck. Please let us know the outcome.
Blueeyedsquirrel Posted February 13, 2009 Author Report Posted February 13, 2009 Thank you to you all. By the way I am a female, my name is Anna. I have one other pigeon, who has been with me 2 years.....it was hit by a car in front of me and broke its wing....I took it home and splinted it. Its healed by cannot fly very well, so now she lives with me and bullys my cats relentlessly. I will let you know how it goes.
pigeonboyuk Posted February 14, 2009 Report Posted February 14, 2009 Take it to a fellow fancier who would have it humanely destroyed, vets will charge you just to open the box its in. feral don't give in easy so if its got to this stage its probably best to put it down as sad as it is.
Guest IB Posted February 14, 2009 Report Posted February 14, 2009 I doubt if this bird has anything simple, or survivable. As you probably know, anything that causes the head to shake has already got into the nervous system, possibly the brain. You have another bird and it is important that you keep the sick one seperate, otherwise will infect the other. Be careful of your hygiene too, in your dealings, see to the sick pigeon last and disinfect every surface you and it touches with household bleach like domestos. And if you are not wearing gloves when cleaning up after it, make sure you wash your hands afterwards.
just ask me Posted February 14, 2009 Report Posted February 14, 2009 i would advise to dispose of know it sounds cruel but all in all its the most humane thing to do as its most likely a virus there are some videos on YouTube with these virus i would post them here but i cant do the link thing its most likely the above two a search on YouTube should help or if anyone else can put a link here that may help too i know there are some on YouTube
Blueeyedsquirrel Posted February 14, 2009 Author Report Posted February 14, 2009 Thank you for all your comments guys, its so sad. I will be taking it to the vet, if it costs me then so be it.....but maybe, just maybe its something else. However judging by your responses and the subsequent research, you all look to be right about Paramyxo. I am aware that in the main, this is a site for racers...however I have to commend you all on being so kind and helpful. I hope this site continues to thrive and I will update you all at some point soon. Regards Anna
pigeonboyuk Posted February 14, 2009 Report Posted February 14, 2009 sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind Anna, none of us want to see a bird destroyed but its part of pigeon life and if it means saving other birds from catching a pretty nasty virus then its the best thing to do. just a word of warning with the vets, they will usually sting you for as much as they can get and often dont know much about pigeons, or at least thats my experience. do let us all know and if it is good news you'll hear us all cheer.
Wiley Posted March 6, 2009 Report Posted March 6, 2009 Be Careful with the milk idea, it will release alot of toxins from the birds system, all the bile ect, however its very dangerous for pigeons to engulf to much, if offering it to the bird only allow them to sip at it, and would MUST be given cold, 50% milk 50% water with a desertspoon of honey in the mixture, dont give this to the bird often,
Blueeyedsquirrel Posted April 26, 2009 Author Report Posted April 26, 2009 Hi People, Apologies for not getting back sooner, work took over. I took the pij to the vet, as you all said....they were less than helpful and could'nt/would'nt get involved. So I made the decision to try and help the pij as best I could and if I felt that it was suffering too much then I would have euthanaised it. To date, pij is still alive and no longer has the head shakes, she drinks water well but cannot feed herself, so I feed her as does my mother! Pij is very affectionate and snuggles up to me, it loves contact and is very friendly.....but I wish it would feed itself! Although it has a good weight, you can tell that it is not 100% healthy as it needs to sleep quite a bit more that my other resue pij. They do not mix as I worry that if the disease is Paramyxo then it will be contaminated, so I won't risk this happening. I hope that within time it will learn to eat on its own. Can anyone recommend what sort of suppliments I should give it to increase its immune system and give it a boost in energy? Thanks and I hopefully will get on here much more!
George UK Posted April 26, 2009 Report Posted April 26, 2009 kill it and bleach everything you touched
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