Update on PMV? pigeon 2 months later

As some of you may recall I've posted questions and even pictures regarding my feral found pigeon that has either a brain injury or some type of virus like Paramyxovirus.

I've been tube feeding him for 2 months now, 2-3 times a day and just before Christmas he began eating a pulvalized seed and legume mixture out of my hand in earnest, but still couldn't drink on his own. I'd put water down and he'd stick his head in, yank it out, and shake it vigorously and not go back.

A few days after Christmas I decided to try a warm foot bath again and this time he knew exactly what to do with that. And not only did he begin responding properly to the bath but he immediately began drinking the WARM water! Then I knew it was the temperature he'd been reacting to and not just an inability to hold steady and drink. Now that he could get his fluid this way I tapered way back on the formula (which I'd only been doing for the sake of the fluids for several weeks by then) and started transitioning him over to dry food only. He lost a little weight in the transition, but not bad.

He did this fairly well, but had a strange fixation on my hands. He had been eating by my hands alone for so long that he wouldn't eat without them. I shaded him from eating right out of my hand to laying my hand by his pink-towel-covered rubber food plate. If I raised my hand away from the plate he'd stop eating and wander off, as though I had literally removed the whole plate of food. I'd put my hand back and he'd run back over and begin eating. This took a full two weeks to get past. However, now he's eating off his plate whether I'm sitting down there with him or not! And he's drinking the warm (only warm) water I give him. I honestly think he would have drunk water some time ago if I'd realized the temperature made such a huge difference. But everything that'd been going into him was warm formula for so long, the cold water just freaked him out, I guess.

So anyway, now "Fred" needs a new name! I named him Fred because he was found by a dept. store called Fred Meyer and I was trying not to get too attached to him at first. But 2 months later this miraculous little bird (who I'm thinking is female, now) needs a name that reflects her amazing perserverance and stamina. An amazing name for an amazing pigeon. All ideas welcome!

Please offer what you can think of. Things that mean appropriate traits in other languages, whatever you can think of that would reflect what this bird deserves to be called, for I will now have her for the rest of her life. I wouldn't want to release a bird that could be a life-long disease carrier to the rest of the population, since we still don't know what had afflicted her. Also, she still can't fly and one wing is a little less extended than the other when she flaps around excitedly. So what's 3 birds in the house anyway?

Thanks,
Stacey

[Feefo]

Hi Stacey,

Wow! You have done so well to pull her through PMV and to interpret your baby's behaviour and react accordingly. You have both shown incredible perseverance.

My pigeons LOVE their warm bath, but even so i had never considered offering warm water instead of cold to one of my rescues. I will make a note of that.

I hope that someone comes up with a really appropriate name!

Cynthia

[raynjudy]

We keep many birds, expensive exotics among them. The four rescued pigeons are our favorites--one testy little male, in particular. I'm guessing you're hooked!

If this bird is male, Fred may be a better name than you know...

At any rate, you are most kind, and your futures together have all our hopes.

PIGEONS FOREVER!!!

--Ray

[Trees Gray]

I have a sweet little female I named "Anthony" before she showed her gender. She doesn't mind at all, and it's grown on her.

...or you can call her "Freddy"..?

Treesa

[Feefo]

Sisu means stamina and perseverance.

Maurice (Mo) means persevering.

Tenax means tenacious, steadfast and persevering.

Cynthia

[TerriB]

Stacey,

Congratulations on your perceptive and diligent care! This site is a wonderful resource, but pigeons are the best teachers!

I was struck by your comment,

"I'd put water down and he'd stick his head in, yank it out, and shake it vigorously and not go back."

I know of other animals react negatively to cold drinking water because of nerve sensitivity due to a bad tooth. Adult pigeons don't have teeth, but do their beaks contain nerve endings that could have been damaged?

------------------
Terri B

[Birdmom4ever]

Bless you, Stacey, for your perseverance and kindness to this little pigeon. Try this site for names--it gives the language of origin and the meaning. www.babynames.com

[JGregg]

Congratulations on pulling the little pidgie through!

I doubt pigeons care about what the're called as long as their loved and fed.

Even with that comment I'd suggest mazuku (pronounced ma-zoo-coo) as a name. It's Swahili for the cardon dioxide sinks found around volcanos.

Thank you all for your suggestions, they did give me some inspiration. While reading over Cynthias that were names meaning "perseverance" etc., I was reminded just of the name "Percy" which was a female character in the terrific movie "The Spit-fire Grill". So I was first drawn to that but reminded of the myth of the Pheonix rising from the ashes while reading JGregg's comments about the carbon dioxide sinks around volcanos. And I used to work for a company called Pheonix Materials that took recycled building materials to make new things.

So I'm trying on Percy or Pheonix as possible names right now, continuing to entertain other possibilities.

When asking for my husband's assistance here, he said, "A name? You're not planning on keeping him are you? This is starting to be a pattern with bird rescues...." Silly husband

Anyway, thank you all for your encouragement and suggestions. I'm sure something will stick pretty soon as I try on different possibilities.

Tonight "Fred" watched another bird eating regular seed out of a small dish and began doing so as well, slinging quite a bit, but eating regular seed. First time in 2 months for that! S/he's such a sweety, billing with my hand, sticking her beak between my fingers and playing with my hands. She's so endearing in her manner with me.

Thanks again,
Stacey

[Feefo]

Phoenix sounds right somehow. Was she very young when you found her? Only two of my pigeons stick their bills between my fingers and they were both still squeakers when I found them.

So many pigeons are put down because they have PMV, it is really inspiring to hear of another one that has been nursed through it.

Cynthia

I don't really know how to tell how old she is, although it wouldn't surprise me to learn she's in her first year of life. I thought the sticking the bill between my fingers might indicate youth, but then I also considered that a lot of reverting to baby behavior could possibly accompany whatever her problems were.

I'm actually thinking "Percy" is feeling more comfortable on her because she is soooooooo sweet and animated (read spastic) and "Pheonix" almost sounds too serious for her somehow. Although I could certainly see using it for someone later.

I'm giving her some formula every few days at night when she should be ready for bed but is still eating. She eats like she's got a hollow leg all day, but if she's still going strong late into the evening like that, I figure she needs a little help. She turns circles in her cage and gets the wood shavings all in any dishes I put in there, so I actually try to let her finish eating and drinking before putting her in there for the night.

I wonder what it would involve to have her tested at some point and see if PMV is what she's had. I'd want to know before I let her around my other pigeon and dove.

Anyway, thanks for your encouragement and assistance.
Stacey

I have a special one who recovered from so much. I called what I thought was a him, Mighty Bird. He turned out to be a she, but she will always be my "Mighty Bird"..