broken leg and maybe foot

[4zpigeons]

I have a young pigeon (PlacidoPigeon) with what appears to be a broken right leg and possibly a broken (or damaged) left toe. Placido can stand on one leg and does move about a little bit. This lil' one was rescused from traffic on a freeway exit ramp. I am wondering how to care for the damage. I am quite apprehensive about taking this one to a Wildlife rescue as in the past I have known them to put a pigeon down with a broken wing. I have since assisted a different pigeon in healing and he has rejoined his flock. Placido has a safe space (shelter/cage/etc)... If anyone has advice as how to help this lil' one I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

[Pidgey]

Where, basically, are you in case we've got some resources in your area?

To help you discover and describe the injury a little better, you can study the skeletal drawings here:

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/skeleton.html

This picture can show you splinting techniques:



Pidgey

[Jaye]

Hi and thanks for rescuing him/her.

It's a tough call, because you are right...wildlife rescues have an unfortunate tendency to put birds down (particularly feral pigeons) who have sustained quite reparable and nowhere near mortal injuries.

Do you happen to have an avian vet in your vicinity ? If so, you can possibly bring him there and tell the vet it is YOUR bird, not a feral....as well as get an assurance of no euthanization. Vets, as opposed to wildlife rehabbers, will tend to treat the injury regardless if it is straightwforward/easily treatable or not.

The downside...avian vets are pricey. So, I dunno if you have the funds for that. For an x-ray (needed) and likely a splint or wrap...probably several hundred dollars.

The toe's not a big deal. Matter of fact, plenty of pigeons can even survive OK with only one good leg...but it's important to stabilize and treat the injured leg properly and get some meds....because it's the complications that can arise from a broken bone which can cause add'l problems....and that's not all that easy for someone w/o a lot of experience.

As Pidgey asked, tell us where you are.

In the meantime, do what you are doing. Keep him warm and dry (if you have a heating pad, place it under some towels in his box/cage and turn it on low). If not, just keep him in a room which is warm. Warmth is good for supportive care...it helps birds heal.

If he is eating on his own, give him some seed mix and other stuff (crunched up cereal, peas, corn, etc.) plus a dish of water, and see if he is eating that OK. If he is pooping, that's also good. If he seems alert and bright-eyed, that's great.

Caution signs:

1) if he is NOT eating/pecking at the food on his own...or
2) if he is not pooping regularly and fairly often...or
3) if he seems listless, closes his eyes a lot, fluffs his feathers up all puffy a lot...

Then these are signs that he is not doing well.....so you may have to go to some sort of handfeeding and hydration method., and he will definitely need meds ASAP. An injured bird needs to maintain weight; he may also be fighting infection and in significant pain.

So let us know what you observe. Don't worry, if it sounds too overwhelming, we hopefully can find someone experienced near you. You've already done a great job !

If you can click a pic, that'd be useful to post here, too.

[pdpbison]

Originally Posted by 4zpigeons

I have a young pigeon (PlacidoPigeon) with what appears to be a broken right leg and possibly a broken (or damaged) left toe. Placido can stand on one leg and does move about a little bit. This lil' one was rescused from traffic on a freeway exit ramp. I am wondering how to care for the damage. I am quite apprehensive about taking this one to a Wildlife rescue as in the past I have known them to put a pigeon down with a broken wing. I have since assisted a different pigeon in healing and he has rejoined his flock. Placido has a safe space (shelter/cage/etc)... If anyone has advice as how to help this lil' one I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

Hi 4zpigeons,


There is a current thread about a broken Thigh...which has some related info and general broken Leg info going on...

For which see -


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/bad...mur-28401.html


Make sure he has Bird Seed, good Water, 9 and that he is eating and drinking, 0 and a soft rumpled little Towel bent into a "U" couch for him to lay on...


In fact, keep him on a light color Towel as cage floor, so you can see the poops and how they are looking.


Good luck..!


Phil
l v

[4zpigeons]

Greetings and thank you...!
I have been looking at the links and photos / images you passed on. Ever so helpful ~ Thank you!...
I took some photos and hopefully attached them correctly ~ and hopefully they have value. I would attempt to name the bones that appear out of place / however the photo might do a better job at this than I. If you desire it I will try...
Placido is eating and drinking on her/his own and going to the bathroom. We are located in Minneapolis Minnesota / on the southern edge of downtown. Placido is currently in a cage (dog kennel) living in the 'secret garden'. The cage is off the ground and I made a waterproof roof (painters plastic / tile / some wood and covered with a canvas tarp - sides are open for fresh air / it is located in a corner (off of the ground). - Yesterday we had a soft rain and I covered the front with an umbrella to keep water and rain out of the cage ~ Should I move everything inside? My reason for putting Placido in the garden is that is where everyone (birds / squirrels / bunnies) hangs out (eating / resting...fresh air etc.) Also thinking hearing other pigeons and birds would be good for health... But I admit I've thought of bring her/him inside. If you think Placido will recover faster indoors I will make a comfortable space for her/him.
As far as going to an avian vet ~ I unfortunately don't have the funds. I will do what I can. I was looking at the splint work and as challenging as it seems I think Placido will let me. I've held her/him a few times. 'Owly' (broken wing and always twisted his head round like an owl) my last injured pigeon let me remove a string that was tightly wrapped around his leg. (<The least of his problems back then). However, please take a look at the photos and advise...
For diet I haven't come across the liquid vitamins (nekton-s). Should I get pedialyte or gatorade? Currently I have a dish of various seeds / a dish of gravel / two water dishes ~one shallow and one deeper. The floor is flat (fabric) and then a large garden pot turned on its side for shelter. Nothing to really trip on or get caught on. Owly liked his pot so I thought I'd share it with Placido who seems okay with it.
Thoughts?... and
Thank you all so much for all of your assistance! It is so refreshing to meet people that love and care for these beautiful creatures ~ and who are so willing to share information.

[Pidgey]

It can be surprisingly hard to tell what's broken sometimes and most pictures don't actually do that well to illustrate it. By the way he's holding his foot up so high, it's not likely that he has a problem as high as the femur and I don't see anything obvious on the tarsometatarsus or phalanges (toes). I'd tend to guess you've got something wrong up at the tibiotarsus, but that is only a guess.

If a bird is going to behave very well, then you can literally keep them in a pillowed nest with food and water close at hand and such a break can easily heal in time with virtually no treatment at all.

Pidgey

[4zpigeons]

Hi Pidgey. Yes sorry about the photos. After seeing them they don't seem to give much assistance. When I tried gently pulling the leg down there was some resistance ~ as in Placido was holding the leg up. Are you suggesting that I create a softer floor, or leave it as is? There is a little give / however I can add something (like a towel) under the current fabric. For Owly I just let him do as needed (no wing wrapping etc.) Thank you. ~ 4zp.

[Pidgey]

Well, in a lot of cases, you can roll a towel up into a donut or form it into a deeply pocketed nest (roll all the edges inward towards the center on the underneath side) that they can lay in and they'll use it if they're not too scared of you. You can move very slowly and gently with reassuring falsetto comments, and that might help them learn that the soft nest is someplace they can stay in safety.

Pidgey

[Larry_Cologne]

Throwing in my two cents' worth, which with the inflation caused by getting older and closer to senility makes it close to worthless....

You seem to have experience with birds, so you can decide. When I brought in an injured pigeon, I let them see my rescued-as-a-baby and hand-raised pigeon Wieteke roo-coo, and pigeon-handle me, so they knew a pigeon was in charge and not some incompetent human.

If the pigeon is outside and feels vulnerable and has to maintain vigilance, that can absorb energy best spent on recuperating. Most hospitals try to keep us away from unnecessary stimulation so that we can rest.

Just a thought.

Hope he recovers.

Larry

[pdpbison]

Originally Posted by 4zpigeons

Hi Pidgey. Yes sorry about the photos. After seeing them they don't seem to give much assistance. When I tried gently pulling the leg down there was some resistance ~ as in Placido was holding the leg up. Are you suggesting that I create a softer floor, or leave it as is? There is a little give / however I can add something (like a towel) under the current fabric. For Owly I just let him do as needed (no wing wrapping etc.) Thank you. ~ 4zp.

Hi 4zpigeons,


Are you able to 'feel' along the leg with your fingertips, to decide if there is any point of swelling which is not found on the other Leg?


Sprains, Strains, pulled muscles, can see them keep their weight off of a Leg.


'Green' fractures, where the bone is not broken in a way that has seperated 'ends', will show localized swelling, but can be dealt with using the softly 'rolled' Towell "U" or 'Do-Nut' for the Pigeon to lay on without recourse to Splinting.


Phil
l v

[4zpigeons]

Greetings.
I've picked up Placido and looked and felt further... The lower area of the tarsometatarus might be a bit more swollen on the right side (the lifted side). I didn't notice anything higher in the leg (femur area)... I couldn't really straighten the leg as she seemed to be a bit aggitated or simply annoyed with my examination. ~ maybe tomorrow.
I've attached a new photo. Here she/he is with the special donut bed. I put it in the pot as she/he seems to like it in there. I have seen her/he eat today ~ standing on the left leg for at least 10minutes pecking away. When I last left Placido I'd moved the umbrella over to block sight a bit more ~ creating more privacy / plus there is a bit of a breeze ~ however still warm / sun shining... It appears comfortable. I also pushed some food/water... closer should Placido not feel like getting up. I'll of course continue to peek in as the day continues...
Many a fallsetto comment / coo has been shared... So much that some of the flock occassionally land on me to eat out of hand. I only hope this lil' one speaks the same language.
Thank you for the assistance and well wishes. All is ever so appreciated.
~ 4zp.

[Pidgey]

Well, he certainly seems comfortable, under the circumstances. Looks like a fairly young pigeon (this year's model) judging by the color of the eyes and the texture of the ceres (white part of the upper beak).

Swelling, huh? I suppose it's also possible that the bird has an arthritic condition making a joint painful. That can happen due to bacterial infections. Where did you feel the swelling--in a joint or somewhere more "midshaft"?

Pidgey

[4zpigeons]

For swelling location, I'd say closer to where the foot begins (ankle) / above the basal phalanx(?). < I'm looking at one of the drawings from the bird skeleton document (link from earlier). Hopefully I'll get better at this the more I study. The only reason I mentioned the swelling is because the ankle area looks slightly larger than the one that can be stood upon. It may appear this way because the foot is being held so high / away from the ground. If it is swollen it appears to be in the joint. I'll again look more tomorrow (and study).
Since earlier today I've added one more pillow case in front of where Placido is laying and placed a bit of food and gravel there. I also moved a taller water bowl closer to Placido ~ I am happy to share that Placido has partaken of the beverage. Tomorrow I'll change out the pillow cases with clean and see how the legs are... Is there anything else I should be looking for?
Thanks ever so much!
~ 4zp.

[pdpbison]

Hi 4zp,



Nice set up..! I really like the Flower POt on it's side for neing a nice cozy place.

Of course, if you wetthe Flower Pot, it will be naturally 'cool' then as the Water evaporates.


Poops should be brown-green fecal matter, and White Urates, ideally, about like a 'Raisen' in size and with the 'White' on top...and just moist enough to pick up gently with one's fingers.

If they do not lok as this, please describe what they do look like...



The set up you have should work fine for her to heal up with, if this is a sprain or green fracture of her 'wrist' or foot ( or other ).


Good going..!


Phil
l v

[4zpigeons]

Greetings.
Nice to hear the flower pot (aka 'pigeonpot') is appreciated ~ Owly certainly liked it and Placido seems quite happy with the set up and addition of the donut.
Placido was up and about since last night. It could have been as early as 5am < Thats when a few of the guys gather for breakfast.
This morning I checked the droppings as suggested by pdpbison (Phil) and all looked fine. I too moved them and they held shape as described. I'll of course keep an eye should anything change... In this time I also gave her fresh water and new seed...
As the morning continued ~ my feeding the birds / watering etc... Pigeons and others flying in for breakfast... Placido was watching and was soon up... hopped out of the pigeonpot and went to the water dish (the one that was further from the pot), stood and drank water, had a small snack and went back to her comfortable pigeonpot to rest ~ I too saw a bit of preening.
Thus far a good morning.
Thank you so much for the information, advice and support...!
~ 4zp.