Found Pigeon, paralyized feet swollen eye

[texasblue]

HI I found a pigeon in deap south texas, he cannot use his feet, they are limp, he can flap his wings and move his legs. He drinks and tries to eat. He also has one swollen eye. His poop is bright green around the edges. I started him on a vitamin supplement, as well as some grit. I found one avian vet but he would charge me $42 just to look at him. I cant afford that at all...if anyone can tell me what to give him to help him get better it would be great. The humane society said they would put him to sleep, but I want to try and help him. also I am wondering if he will ever regain use of his feet? He has no visible injuries, or breaks in his skin. I gave him a bath saturday, he had bugs on him and was very dirty, then I blow dried him with a warm dryer.
Anyone able to help?
Liina

[Reti]

Thank you for helping this poor little bird.
You did good to give him vitamin supplement.
Since it is hard to tell what could be wrong with him, you can start him on supportive care for now.
Put him in a box or carrier with a heating pad set on low covered with a towel, check on him frecvently to make sure he is not too hot, if you see he struggles and tries to move, take him off the heat for a bit, then add another towel, so he won't get overheated.
Give him lots of fluids before you attempt any feeding. If he drinks by himself, put the bowl with water in front of him so he can drink as he wants.
You can add a little sugar and very little salt to his water.
Also if you have calcium, please give him some, you can give him human calcium about 100mg.

Later you can offer him seeds, hopefully he will eat on his own.

Can you tell if the feet are broken? You mentioned that he is moving his legs, but not the feet? Paralises of the feet without involving the legs is unusual.

Please keep us posted on this little one.

Reti

[Skyeking]

Hello and Welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you for helping this needy bird.

Please put the bird on a heating pad set on low for 20 minutes. Keep him in a warm moderate light room, in a box, with towel between the bird and heating pad.Please keep him calm and don't allow him to move, he needs to be confined for now.

You may want to start him on plain Pedialyte first to rehydrate him after the 20 minutes on heating pad. A cup of water with a pinch of salt and sugar mixed well, will do if you can't get the Pedialyte. Allow him access to seed after this.

Thank you for getting him grit and vitamin supplement. Can you also give him some probiotics, human grade? You can find them at a health food store. Also, a drop of organic apple cider vinegar in his water bowl. This will help tackle some gut bacteria as well as help him absorb his food.

We will help you address every issue he has. Now, the swollen eye, is there any blood? Can he move his legs? At the joint?


Others will be along with more suggestions.
Here is a resource site:
http://www.pigeons.com/prd.htm

[pdpbison]

Hi Texasblue,


Thanks for helping this Bird...

So far so good, as the above posts mention, keep him at about your own body temperature of 'warm'...no drafts from indoor air conditioning.

How old this Bird is, if sub-adult, might be important as for further care and feeding.

You could refer to the images of this link -

http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm to see roughly how old the little one is...

If still young, this Bird may not ever have eaten or drank on it's own yet and may benifit to be fed which we can go into later if needed.

Use a light color Towell to make it easier to see what the poos look like.

If the swollen Eye suggests infection or injury, you could go to any pharmacy and get a tiny tube of antibiotic Eye Ointment, or lacking that, use Neosporin.

Has the Bird eaten on it's own? Pecking Seeds and so on?


Till next, good luck...!



Phil
Las Vegas

[jami]

We also have a bird store here that specializes only in birds and their feed.

[feralpigeon]

Hi Jami,

Hard to say what may have happened to this little one, could you take a look at the eyes and describe the color of the eyes?

fp

[feralpigeon]

If the bird has had an injury, this may be the reason for the swollen eye and feet problems. Nutritional and vitamin support would seem the way to go for now until members have a chance to better assess the problem.

fp

[feralpigeon]

Originally Posted by jami

We also have a bird store here that specializes only in birds and their feed.

Was there any discharge around eye or nostrils?

fp

[Reti]

[/quote]
If the swollen Eye suggests infection or injury, you could go to any pharmacy and get a tiny tube of antibiotic Eye Ointment, or lacking that, use Neosporin

Phil
Las Vegas[/quote]



Neosporin is not indicated as ointment for the eyes.
I just double checked the tube and it states "WARNING: DO NOT USE IN THE EYES OR APPLY OVER LARGE AREAS OF THE BODY"

If you can find an antibiotic ointment or drops specifically formulated for eye infections or injury that would be great.
If you cannot find anything for eye infections you can try colloidal silver form the health food stores.

Reti