Another injured pigeon -SW London

[harpy]

...found by the side of the road, in SW London.

It doesn't look at all well I'm afraid, and isn't very mobile, but rather than leave it to be eaten by a cat or fox I fetched it home in an old cat basket. It was frightened of being handled but a passing schoolgirl managed to catch it in my jumper.

Now it's in the box in the only cat-proof room in my house. It doesn't seem interested in food or water although it pecked at some bread while it was still out in the street. I have put some water and some rice and seed in the box and tried to interest it in some on a spoon but couldn't. I don't know if I have a syringe but am not sure how to set about feeding it with one anyway.

I don't want to take it to the vet or RSPCA as I can guess what they will do and it seems quite peaceful at the moment. If it's still alive in the morning I will try and get it to the vet, but in the meantime is there anything I can do to make it more comfortable/improve its chances? What room temperature is best for them?

Any advice gratefully received as I don't know anything at all about pigeons. I can't even tell if this is a baby one. It doesn't seem fluffy though it isn't particularly big. I did wait for quite a while just in case before taking it and there didn't seem to be any potential parents around.

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you for helping this needy bird.

Here is a thread to stabilizing a bird:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

Please follow instructions carefully.

We have several members in your parts, they may be able to help, they should be along soon.

Sorry about the link...

[harpy]

Thanks - I can't get that link to work but I found a thread about Basic Steps To Saving the life of a pigeon or dove - am heating up a heat pad for it but am not sure whether/how to attempt rehydration.

[pdpbison]

Hi Harpy,


Yes, provideing 'warmth' can be very important for the ill or compromised Bird.


This might be a youngster who in fact has not yet become proficient at eating and drinking on his own, or, it may be an ill or injured adult.

Are there any poops being made? And if so, would you describe them for us?

Too, the Pigeon on his front chest area has a Crop, this is where they store their food initially when eating, for it to move on at liesure totheir stomach.

Sometimes an ill or injured Pigeon will have food in their crop which is not moveing on as it should, oweing to the injury/trauma or illness...and, of course, one would not wish to force feed them in such cases.

See if you can feel their Crop area and determine if it is empty or if it seems to have anything in it...

Adult Pigeons will typically have prominant White 'Wattles', this is the soft fleshy small protuberant area where their Beak meets their forehead. Ill Birds may have damp greyish looking ones...

Immature or older juvenile ones will have usually pinkish and not prominant ones...or none noticible at all.

This can be a handy rough guide to tell an adult who one would expect to self feed, from a sub-adult who was possibly just learning to self feed.


Let us know?


Good luck with him..!

Phil
Las Vegas

[harpy]

It looks slightly perkier after a few minutes on the pad. I think it tried to peck water from the spoon so I'll try and make some of the rehydration stuff for it.

I don't like to keep checking up on it too often because presumably it needs a bit of peace and quiet?

[harpy]

Thanks Phil - I posted at the same time as you. I'll print your message out and try and do the checks, though I'm a bit worried about handling him as it seems to scare him.

I think he did produce a dropping which seemed to be yellowish and watery/slimy, but I didn't get a good look.

[Feefo]

Hi Harpy,

I have copied this from one of Tania's posts (kittypaws):

I too am in London, Barnes, which is South West London but have no experience of nursing sick pigeons, but I know somewhere you can take Romeo to. In Wallington ( which is near Croydon/Sutton) there is London Wildcare. They are open 24 hours every day and will take sick pigeons in. They do not euthansase unless the bird has absolutely no future whatsoever and I don't mean can't fly etc, I mean is actually dying which Romeo sounds as though he isn't but that he has an infection and is feeling unwell. A course of antibiotics could put him right.

The man who runs it, Ted, is an absolute angel and I know he will take the pigeon from you and.... as with an injured pigeon I found, I was able to take collect my pigeon when well again and release it in the place I found him or London Wildcare will take it back to the park you found him.

Their website is www.londonwildcare.org and their phone number is 020 86476230. Either give them a ring and say you are on your way or just turn up - the desk is manned 24 hours.

If you don't drive, the nearest train stations are Wallington or Waddon which both are about a mile walk to the hospital although you can get a bus from the station and you can get the connections to these two stations from Clapham Junction.

If you can prepare the rehydrating solution you can encourage the pigeon to drink by dipping its beak in.

Don't attempt to feed it. The glucose in the rehydration solution should be enough for the time being. I have found that if I keep a pigeon overnight before feeding (but provide the warmth and hydration that they need) they are more likely to survive.

As for the age...what colour are its eyes? Is it making a cheeping noise when frightened?

Cynthia

[kittypaws]

Hi,

I too am in London, Barnes, which is South West London but have no experience of nursing sick pigeons, but I know somewhere you can take the pigeon where he can be checked over. In Wallington ( which is near Croydon/Sutton) there is London Wildcare. They are open 24 hours every day and will take sick pigeons in. They do not euthansase unless the bird has absolutely no future whatsoever and I don't mean can't fly etc.

The man who runs it, Ted, is an absolute angel and I know he will take the pigeon from you and.... as with an injured pigeon I found, I was able to take collect my pigeon when well again and release it in the place I found him or London Wildcare will take it back to where you found him.

Their website is www.londonwildcare.org and their phone number is 020 86476230. Either give them a ring and say you are on your way or just turn up - the desk is manned 24 hours.

If you don't drive, the nearest train stations are Wallington or Waddon which both are about a mile walk to the hospital although you can get a bus from the station and you can get the connections to these two stations from Clapham Junction.

Vets tend to have little experience of pigeons and therefore they would probably tell you that it would need to be put too sleep, but at London Wildcare they are specialised in dealing with wildlife.

It is a wonderful place and they always have sick and injured pigeons there. They are a charity and would be grateful for a small donation when dropping the pigeon off.

Re the RSPCA, they aren't that helpful - somtimes they will rescue pigeons who are trapped etc but if the pigeon is sick or injured they tend to euthanse unless the injuries are fairly superficial and the bird can be released with a day or two.

Let us know how you go.

Tania

NB - I actually posted a lot of this the other day to a lady called Cecilia in Wimbledon who took her sick pigeon there. The receptionist was a bit grumpy but don't let that put you off - at the end of the day this is probably the best place in this area that you can take the pigeon.

[harpy]

Thank you all very much. He has warmed up a bit and has drunk some of the rehydration mix from the spoon. (Any suggestions as to a way to give him more without sitting there all evening with the spoon? He ignores the plastic dish I've put the solution in but seems quite thirsty.)

His wattle is greyish-pink, I'd say, but doesn't look damp. I wasn't able to feel anything in his crop.

I think his eyes are dark brown or black, but I'll have another look on my next visit. I haven't heard him make any sounds at all.

I will give London Wildcare a ring.

[pdpbison]

Hi Harpy,


Make sure you offer their water and or electrolytes/re-hydrating solution 'tepid' ( as a kindness) and also in something deep enough for their Beak to reach into for it's length, so, use some little bowl or Tea Cup that is at least an inch deep or a little more.


Now, the 'yellow', here anyway where I live, is an almost a conclusive sign of Trichomoniasis, or 'Canker' as some of it's forms are called.


This may be a primary illness, or a secondary one opportuning on a Pigeon which is already ill or injured and whose immune system is overtaxed already.

At any rate, it can kill them if untreated, and reliably will, too, especially if one sees it in a 'ground bird', meaning, a Pigeon who is not anylonger flying.

It is easy to treat and a variety of meds are avaiable for it.


Really, unless you have access to an experienced Avian Vet, re-habber, or Wild Life Hospital familiar with Pigeons, your best bet is probably to get with one of our members who is somewhere near you, for them to either provide you with the appropriate medications for this, or, importantly as well, to determine if there are other illnesses or injuries present which also need remedial attentions and treatment.

Birds who are handed over to most Vets or other Animal care places are merely perfunctorily euthenized, so, best if you either insist to keep and care for the Bird as your own, or to at any rate find out the score with whomever you are going to be dealing with if you can obtain an examination and evaluation.

Of course, if you can get with any of our members near you, that would be ideal...!

For now, keep them warm of course...and if you can, mix up 1-1/2 Tablespoons of Raw Apple Cider Vinger to a Gallon of Water, and offer that solution for their drinking Water. Provide them with a little dish or small Bowl of good Bird Seeds, and begin seeing if you can locate a friendly Vet or rehabber or Wild LIfe Hospital amenible to kindness to Pigeons, or, a fellow forum member to get with as soon as possible.

Your Bird probably does not have much time left if not examined, diagnosed and treated with appropriate meds for either their Trichomoniasis, or additionally, whatever else it may be which is effecting them inury or illness wise.


Good luck to you both!


Phil
Las Vegas

[kittypaws]

Cynthia - snap!! As soon as I saw SW London I though - hello.

Harpy, I don't have much experience with nursing sick pigeons and I guess its whether you decide to keep him overnight or take him to LW - there will be someone there if you fancy venturing out tonight - anyway I am sure if you decide to keep him overnight - the previous information given will help - good luck!!

Reading Phil's post about Euthanasia I am absolutely sure that LW will give your pigeon their best shot. When I visit there sometimes they often have pigeons in little "cubicles" with "contagious" outside their cages and some of those poor babies look pretty sick - they do try and it will relieve you of the nursing.

I don't know if there are any members in London that have experience - I know Cynthia who is in Norfolk and Karen in Northants!!

Tania

[harpy]

Thanks - I just phoned the Wildcare place and they said I could either take him tonight or in the morning. I was thinking that I'd leave it until the morning so he can get a bit of peace in the meantime but if he's got a disease maybe I should take him there now? Not sure if they would do anything tonight though...? What do you all think?

[pdpbison]

Hi Harpy,


Oh!

I see other message have appeared as I was editing my usualy many typos!


Sounds like a Juvenile or sub-adult Pigeon...who possibly has little or no experience eating for himself yet anyway...

Canker/ Trichomoniasis is certainly a very probable prospective diagnosis, and, could account for his having gone hungry also for some period as the parents usually sense, at some point, if their youngster is ill, and cease feeding them if they are, which will occasion the little one wandering untill they are too exhausted to do so any more when they then sit and wait and perish.

He is very luck you found him...!


Phil
Las Vegas

[kittypaws]

Harpy,

They would treat him tonight or at least stabilise him. Either Ted the director is there or a qualified veterinary nurse is always on hand - as you can imagine a lot of wildlife casualties happen at night ( foxes, badgers, deer etc getting hit by cars).

Personally I would take him tonight just in case he doesn't make it through the night.Sorry to sound morbid.

They are at Beddington Park, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7NN and you turn into Church Road and follow a long and windy little road - quite dark - and there is a green building at the end - LW

Good Luck

Tania

[pdpbison]

Yes...

Make haste...


Phil
Las Vegas