pij in Oakland w/bleeding wing

[feralpigeon]

Hi folks,
Was driving when I saw two construction workers crossing street w/a pigeon in hand. I looped around and stopped to ask what was happening. They had it wrapped in papertowels & it was bleeding. Said it walked into the building they were working in.

Does anyone know of a place in area that won't euthanize?
fp

[bklowe]

You say the wing is bleeding ? Do you see any bone exposed ? Has the bleeding stopped ?

[AZWhitefeather]

"They had it wrapped in papertowels & it was bleeding"

Hi fp,
Is the pij now in your possession?
Can you do a quick evaluation for any additional injuries & post your findings? Could be he was grounded due to illness & was nabbed by a cat, etc. I would also check his mouth for possible canker.

Then. . .
I would suggest placing him on a towel lined heating pad, set on low. This will help to maintain his normal body temperature in the event he is in shock, etc.

Cindy

[feralpigeon]

Hi Bruce,
I put hydrogen peroxide on the wing, and underneath where the wing is affected, there appears to be another wound which I also treated as well. The bleeding is not profuse but I'm concerned that there maybe internal injuries.
fp

[feralpigeon]

Hi Bruce,
I put hydrogen peroxide on the wing, and underneath where the wing is affected, there appears to be another wound which I also treated as well. The bleeding is not profuse but I'm concerned that there maybe internal injuries.
Now that it is washed I can see some bone.

[Birdmom4ever]

Here's a link to vets and rehabbers: http://www.pigeons.com/prd.htm
I see there is a Dr. Harris in Oakland listed. I don't know him, but I do know that my two avian vets here in San Jose will take a pigeon and treat it if you relinquish your rights to it. If you can't find anyone else, let me know and I'll give you their info.

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley also takes pigeons, but again, that's quite a drive for you.

[bklowe]

Hi fp,
Do the wounds appear to be puncture like ? Does the injured wing " droop "? If you have cardboard box you can put a towel [ no strings ] in the bottom and cover the top with another towel or oven rack. Offer seed and water, watch the color and consistency of any droppings for signs of blood. If you can open it's mouth and check for blood or any type of growth inside. Mouth should be pink and unobstructed.
Someone should be along shortley to advise of recue people near you. Keep the bird warm [ on a heating pad wrapprd in a towel and placed under the box] or a 40/60 watt light above.
Thanks for your concern and rescue of this guy.

[bklowe]

Does the pigeon have a leg band[s] ?

[feralpigeon]

.

I would suggest placing him on a towel lined heating pad, set on low. This will help to maintain his normal body temperature in the event he is in shock, etc.

Cindy [/quote]

Pij is on towel lined heating pad on low. Wound @ outermost and top part of wing with steady drip.Hate to bring to Wildcare because of the wing injury in case the bird doesn't fully recover. I can call around for vet w/Assoc.ofAvian Vets but I need to get off-line.

[bklowe]

Can you tell if the bone is fractured or just exposed ?

[bklowe]

Use a piece of gauze or clean cloth and apply pressure to the bleeding to get it stopped.

[feralpigeon]

[quote=bklowe]Hi fp,
Do the wounds appear to be puncture like ? Does the injured wing " droop "?

Injured wing slightly drooped, looks like a grazing on wing, and a round spot on chest underneath.
If you have cardboard box you can put a towel [ no strings ] in the bottom and cover the top with another towel or oven rack. Offer seed and water, watch the color and consistency of any droppings for signs of blood.

No blood in droppings.

If you can open it's mouth and check for blood or any type of growth inside. Mouth should be pink and unobstructed.

No growth, pink and unobstructed.

[bklowe]

It sounds as if this bird may have been attacked by a hawk or falcon .... if you can get the bleeding stopped and s/he is eating and drinking, warm and in a quiet spot I am sure help will be on hand shortly.

[feralpigeon]

Here's the update!!

Thanks to all who jumped right in with helpful advice and information.
I printed out the listing that Birdmom4ever posted the link to and called around. The Boulevard Hospital in Castro Valley did rehab and said it was rare that they euthanized unless the quality of life would be so poor that there was no other reasonable choice. God knows I don't want it on a ventilator!!!

They said they placed them for adoption if they couldn't return to the wild.

When I got there an elderly gentleman came over to the car and offered to help w/the carrier. Turns out he's the vet. The gals at the front desk told me when they can'tmake it in the wild he normally takes them home and has a group of such pigeons at home.

He looked at the pij immediately and came back out to say wing was fractured. Said he'd take xrays, I should call back tomorrow.

He also told me that I could adopt it if pij were unable to return to wild--and I guess you could term Oakland as wild!
He said he'd check to see if it had been shot.

I'm starting to wonder now. Second fractured wing in the space of two weeks. Went there a few days back & there was hardly a pij in site. Someone had dumped a good 25lbs of seed and birds weren't touching it. I went home and got broom, dust pan and garbage bag--returned and started sweeping into piles for collection. At which point the pigeons started coming out to watch with occasional arial acrobatic stunts of approval. When I picked up the last pile and dragged it to my car, they all came down from their watching spots and seemed ecstatic.
My mouth was burning but I couldn't smell anything on the seeds.
Next day, someone dumped tons of litter there. I picked that up too, so noone could complain to the City of Oakland that pigeons were roosting and it was an eyesore. Now this.
I'll post the vets findings tomorrow.

Thanks again to one and all.

[Reti]

Thank you so much for the update. I am so glad the poor guy is getting professional help.
I hope and pray he will be alright.

Thank you for keeping an eye on these beautiful birds.

Reti