Sick pigeon need help ASAP

[Ck42]

Hi, I have found a sick pigeon.
It is quite young but has feathers already so i wouldnt say it is really really young.
It has no energy (cant stand properly alone) and is breathing slowly and heavily. My boyfriend has been holding it's beak open while i use a dropper to feed it, I have been feeding it soggy cornflakes and then some warm water to wash it down.
I've only had it since thismorning but It's not looking too good, It's really sad to watch, what can we do?
I'm In Australia, In the City.

[cyro51]

Thank you for taking in this pigeon, sadly it sounds in a pretty bad way.

He needs to be put on a heat pad or under a heat lamp right away. Eg. On a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or under a 60 watt lamp. Alternatively you could put some uncooked rice in a sock and heat it in the microwave and lie the pigeon on that but please ensure it isn’t to hot to burn it!

Food is not a good idea at this stage because his digestive system will most probably be collapsed and unable to process it.

You could, however, make a solution of 1 litre warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and serve that to him luke warm (that is the International Rehydrating Solition) .

Put the liquid in a deep container and dip his beak into that to encourage him to drink. Otherwise drop it into the front part of his beak, so that he knows he has water in his mouth and swallows instead of breathing in. Little and often!

Keep it quiet , dry and draught free.

Cynthia

[Izzy]

Awww, poor little pigeon, glad you took him/her in. You've found the best place to get help/advice on helping him/her out, so please keep posting on any his condition.

If you have time, keep us updated, I'd like to know how he is doing and we are pulling for him.

Izzy

[cyro51]

Once the baby is settled, rehydrated and stabilised you will want to carry out an examination to establish what the problem is.

This is an estract from Marian's guidance on examining a sick pigeon that will help you:


Attitude and Posture? ( alert, normal behavior, erect posture// or still, fluffed, quiet,
eyes shut, uncaring of surroundings, slumped, drooping wings or tail)

Eyes? (clear, bright, open// or half closed, runny, dull, swollen area above, below or
around eyes)

Sinuses? (nares and eyes clean, without discharge, close-mouthed and effortless
breathing// or swollen area around eye, wet feathers around nares or eye, wet cere, from
any discharge, sneezing. Any open-mouth breathing, respiratory distress, overall body
movement when breathing. Any open-mouth breathing with slight exertion or fear.
Shoulder feathers may be matted with discharge from bird wiping its eyes)

Mouth? (beak edges and inside of mouth pink and free of discharge, lesions, trachea
clear and fully visible//or any paleness, dry membranes, swellings around beak edges or
in mouth, any clumps of yellowish or whitish growths inside mouth, any seeds or objects
lodged, any sour or other odor from mouth, weak jaw muscles)

Ears? (clean, no growths or lesions or blood)

Face and legs? (bare areas of body free of nodules//or nodules anywhere on face, legs,
shoulders under feathers, lower abdomen under feathers)

Crop area? (normal filling and emptying, no odor from mouth// or hard crop, crop that
doesn't empty, feels lumpy, enlarged)

Body mass? (plump, with fully fleshed breast area// or thin, with protruding keel,
bruising) You can check skin surface for bruising by wetting the feathers with a gauze
pad and wiping to reveal skin.

Feathers? (intact and free of parasites and parasite damage// or dull, breaking easily,
fluffed, evidence of parasites, cloacal feathers matted with discharge or feces, stress
marks on tail feathers, frayed feathers )

Wings? (held erect, symmetrical, smooth structure, folded over tail// or drooping, with
swellings or nodules at shoulders, enlarged joints)

Abdomen? (firm, flat//or swollen, masses, fluid-filled, egg-bound. Abdomen is felt very
gently. Vent should be free of feces, with dry feathers. There should be no protruding
mucosa from the GI tract.)

Legs and feet? (free of any nodules, pads of feet free of cuts, swellings, reddened
patches, or other signs of bumblefoot // or nodules, red or swollen foot pad, smooth areas
of pad surface, weak grip)

Neurological? (easy, coordinated movements and normal posture // or unsteadiness on
feet, inability to hold head erect, twisting, spinning, star-gazing, seizures, tremors,
uncoordination, head tilt, unresponsiveness to surroundings or stimuli)

Droppings? (white and dark portions clearly defined, no odor // or discoloration,
runniness, excess fluid, odor)