Severe Canker In Fledgling Woodie

[amyable]

Hi,

I've started this new thread about a young Woodie brought to me last night. I had mentioned it in another thread I have.

I've started it on Metrondizole and it's had three doses so far. Also have given it a Spartrix, ground some up into powder and sprinkled it around it's throat area in the hope it might start to break up the large nodule blocking it.
There's hardly any opening visible in the throat, but I have put the syringe down as far as I can until it reaches some resistance and hopefully got the medication through.
Problem being I syringed some watery PolyAid as far down as I could as he's obviously starving looking at his poops. The first feed seemed to go down ok. The second time I tried later, no matter how slowly I did it or how small an amount I gave him, it seemed to 'back up' and he was in danger of aspirating.

When I went to give him his next dose of meds just now, he was almost frothing around the edge of his beak, and it was very sticky, so it must be the Polyaid coming back.
I thought I'd lost him as he started to stretch out his neck, (like I've seen in others when they're about to pass). I got a cotton bud and gently teased it down his throat to try and open up a hole, wiped the sticky off his beak, and luckily he's calmed down and is breathing better again.
He's lying quietly now but I'm concerned that I can't feed him anything, and if PolyAid won't go through, how can I sustain him?.

Rightly or wrongly, I've given him another half Spartrix hoping it will help start to disperse the blockage in his throat.
Is there anything else I can do for him?

Janet

[tomyascaddy]

sounds really bad, poor little guy must be seriously sick, hope he gets better soon

[Feefo]

Hi Janet,

Any chance of getting him to a vet? He could have Hartmanns injected subcutaneously to keep him hydrated (though with woodies there is always a risk of an adrenalin rush and a heart attack). A vet could provide the Hartmanns and show you how to administer it. But you would have to have him treated as a pet rather than as a wild animal.

You are also only 25 miles away from Burton Wildlife, maybe you could phone Lindsay and ask her if she can show you how to inject Hartmann's sub q?

I know the canker could already have done irrepairable damage, but as far as I am concerned "while there's life there's hope".

Cynthia

[amyable]

Hi,

I think I'm losing him.
I've just found him lying on his side and breathing through his mouth, he's so weak.
Also there's just green liquid coming from him. I've got him on my lap on a water bottle and I'm dripping Carbo Veg a tiny drop at a time into the back of his throat.

[amyable]

He's gone.

[Feefo]

I am so very sorry Janet.

With feral pigeons we can catch the canker at a much earlier stage, if we're lucky, because we can watch them feeding, but woodies and collared doves will only come to our attention when it is very advanced.

Cynthia

[TAWhatley]

I'm so sorry, Janet. Bless you for trying to save this one.

Terry

[amyable]

Hi,

I was so hopeful having the extra meds this time I could help it, but it was so bad. My daughter's boyfriend's mum found it in the school grounds where she works and I now remember another one I had last year was from the same place. Looks like it's still rife in that area poor things. I've told her to keep an eye out for more, but as you say, it's well advanced by the time they're found.

To make it worse last night, I happened to look out of the backdoor window and saw a Stock Dove sitting by the feeder. Just from the way it was standing I could tell it was sick, but was able to fly off when I opened the door. I had one like this again last year and it took two days to catch, but by then was too bad to help.
I hope this one keeps coming by to feed and I'll try and get it, but like Woodies they're not easy birds to get near.

Thanks for trying to help,

Little Jimmy can breath easy now bless him.

Janet

[Feefo]

Good luck with the stock dove. The ones in the woods will fly off if I even look at them.

You do a wonderful job, Janet, so many pigeons owe their lives to you. Not just the ones that you have rescued and nursed but also the ones that you have protected and liberated by friendly persuasion.