Dazed pigeon found

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by Camrron

Ouch!

Is that normal. I will take back my words about her being elderly then. Hers is at most double the size of Buddies and my guess is she is about 50% larger than him weight-wise. Buddy is still a very young juvenile though.

Cameron

Not all elderly pigeons get such large ceres, but it's not considered abnormal, and it doesn't appear to bother the bird one little bit. This guy's name is Squiggy, and yes, there is a Lenny that keeps him company .. a somewhat strange pair. Both are males and both have leg disabilities. Lenny is about a year old.

Windy is probably an adult pigeon, but it's hard to say how old she might be.

Terry

[mr squeaks]

Are you able to post pictures? I can't remember if you can or not...

Hopefully, Windy will recover nicely. Be interesting to see what a fecal check says.

Once a clean bill of health, maybe Buddy would like a companion??

[Camrron]

Hi all,

I did check on Windy just a short time ago and gave her a good overall look. She is so calm, no struggle at all and that has me concerned. I cannot get any visual clues at all to what might be wrong. Checked wings, legs, feet, inside of mouth and throat, eyes and vent. There is no traces of blood or wounds of any sort nor canker or any broken bones. She has been sitting on the heating pad all night and went back there when I put her down. She has not moved really since I got her home except to warm up on the pad.

What to do. The only problem I noticed was some dried poops on her feathers otherwise she is really a beautiful, well feathered plump bird. Could she have crashed into a window or something and is just a little stunned.

Oh her poops do look different than what I see from Buddy. Quite white actually in general appearance. Does that mean anything?

That is all I can say for now. Any thoughts are welcome.

Cameron

[kgmartens]

My neighborhood has a little gang of kids roaming around and sometimes, depending on the group members, they can be nasty little buggers. They have been outside (next door to where Windy lives) these last few days when it has been warm, and I'm wondering if perhaps they haven't inflicted injury upon her...? I'm thinking rocks or sling shots? Maybe she has injured ribs? Could that dissuade her from taking flight? Last night she was bobbing her head back and forth without walking -- maybe she has a concussion and her balance is way off?

Last year, a group of kids were harming a pigeon that had been grounded by a cat attack. I called the SPCA for the bird, but she was so injured that the animal control officer was certain she would be euthenized. I am constantly disheartened when I see how the local children treat animals. They seem to lack self-respect and project in such cruel ways.

And then yesterday I learned of Rosey on this forum, a young girl who has the courage and passion to keep and care for not one, but 30! animals. What a breath of fresh air! I really believe that this community has to incorporate programs that promote kindness toward animals. But here I am, preaching to the choir.

Anyway, I'm so glad she is in capable hands. I'll be watching for updates, and try to help out where I can.

Karen

[Camrron]

Thanks Karen for that added info.

That triggered my thinking. Windy is off balance and seems just about to tip over at times. Could be a result of blunt trauma and so there is nothing for me to see if there are internal injuries or any kind of head injury. Slingshots and rocks could certainly cause unforseen problems. Now I am a little more worried though.

But she is such an alert and bright bird albeit one who is not moving much at all. She seems to have accepted me which is amazing. We have been in a sort of person to bird communion tonight. I check on her frequently and talk to her when I do. Windy does not act scared and isn't showing any signs of stress that would cause me to think she might not make it. No fluffing up, open mouthed breathing, eyes closed or anything like that. She is a brave little bird making the best of her situation.

Perhaps she justs needs some R&R, good food and tender loving care.

Cameron

[Camrron]

Hi all,

Just a quick update on Windy, I think I have found one of the problems but have no idea how it was caused or how to fix it. I came across one of Pidgey's posts about testing the eyes and thought, I wonder, so I did the test. Sure enough, the pupils are dilated and there is almost no response from the flashlight. Now I am at a loss. I have a vet appointment tomorrow and I hope to get some answers.

She is not blind though. She watches me moving around the room and has flown up to a perch in my closet without trouble. The other thing I notice is weakness in her claw grip. She spends most of her time sittting down, unlike Buddy who sleeps even while standing.(and who by the way is a little jealous about there being another bird in the house)

She was off the heating pad this morning and is fighting back strongly compared to yesterday. It was a struggle to check her feet. Poops are now normal.

Can anyone offer advice about the pupil dilation? I would so appreciate that right now. Perhaps it is concussion from hitting a window. I am now posting under a new thread titled "Windy, possible head injury". Thanks all.

Cameron