Sick pigeon in my garden here in Sussex UK

[vharve]

Hi I am in Peacehaven East Sussex UK. A local feral pigeon became ill and was just sitting in my garden yesterday afternoon. A few hours later it was still there, and as I have a dog, I put it in a box with water and some bird seed and left it overnight in the garage. I was hoping this morning it would be rested and ready to return to its flock, but although more lively when I let it go it flew to the ground and couldnt fly. It looked like its head was too heavy and kept falling forward with its wings out. I spoke to another bird friendly neighbour who said she had had 3 like that and her vet said someone was poinsoning them. But my pigeon looks better not worse this morning. Is there a volunteer organiastion/person I can take it to locally? If not what do I do now?
thank you

[John_D]

Have spoken with Val, and will shortly be going to collect this pigeon.

John

[Trees Gray]

Thank you for letting us know, John. I'm glad you are close by.

[Reti]

Thanks John.
Best of luck with the bird.

Reti

[John_D]

The pigeon has made it through another night. Yesterday I kept him on a heating pad in the carrier, and syringed drops of 'rehydration solution' into his beak every hour to provide a little energy boost and ensure his system didn't shut down. He managed some poops, dark green with plenty of white, though not well formed, plus a couple of paler brown ones.

Checked his weight, which was 230 grams. That's pretty underweight of course, for quite a decent sized pigeon.

He is now in a fairly roomy cage, with food and glucose-and-salt water. He started off very quickly into the food (conditioning mix) and just as quickly demonstrated seed tossing. From his general behavior he looks to me like another PMV pigeon! I caught him resting on one foot on the heat pad, though, and he even managed an attempt at a wing slap

I suspect the others Val mentioned also had PMV. It has really been running through them this summer

Well, time will tell for this one.

John

[Trees Gray]

It's good to hear the progress this bird is making, I suspect your hospital cages are full.

I'm sorry there seems to be a PMV outbreak, I hope it isn't going to be a major factor over the population of pigeons.

Thank you for providing such wonderful care for this bird and all the others. I appreciate the update too.

[cyro51]

Well, this particular PMV pigeon certainly ended up in the right place...the PMV express! It is sad that so many are being diagnosed as poison victim. Same thing happened here.

It just goes to show that we have to consider weakness due to starvation as another PMV symptom. After all, we have said often enough that if they are not rescued they will die of starvation , among other things. You mentioned on the telephone that vharve was convinced that he had eaten overnight, that is more in line with PMV than poisoning or any other mystery illness.

Cynthia

[John_D]

So far this one has managed to keep his head the right way up, so his primary symptoms are seed tossing, head tremors and zonking out very readily (so I'm calling him 'Sleepalot'). He was up to 260 grams tonight, before I topped him up with hand-feeding, but needs to put on a lot more yet.

The pic looks a little odd, but I had to hold the camera one-handed round the door, and he happened to be standing with one foot on a 'brick' (paperback book) and one on the floor. I had put him in a new chinchilla cage and he didn't seem to be comfortable somehow. Anyway, I got the heatpad from the temporary cage and put that in after I took the pic and within minutes he was on one foot, eyes closed and looking quite contented again

John

[TAWhatley]

Thanks so much to all of you in the UK that saved this pigeon! Love your "brick", John .. was that a book you really liked (or used to like)

Terry

[Trees Gray]

I'm glad to hear the bird is improving, thanks to your excellent care....I'm sure.

Thanks for the update, John.

Cynthia, I'm sorry to hear there are so many more PMV birds now.

[John_D]

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

Love your "brick", John .. was that a book you really liked (or used to like)

Terry

Nah, it was c**p, so it's in the right place

John