Feeding a blind pigeon

[Monica]

Five days ago I found a pigeon on the sidewalk near where I work. There was a young bird (3-4 weeks old) sitting on the concrete. His eyes were dripping blood. There was a small dollop of blood near him. My suspicion is that he somehow smashed the front of his skull just above the eyes, but that's just a guess. He does look a little flat on the top of his head.

I've been taking care of him. I thought he would probably pass away in a few hours, but he was alive the next day, walking about but clearly blind, his eyes covered with dried blood. I thought about using something to loosen up the clots, but I was afraid. To be honest I wasn't sure if there were still eyeball underneath all that blood.

Now one eye is partially open. He keeps it closed most of the time. I don't think he sees through it at all. The other eye is still scabbed over. I ordered some ointment from Jedds to ward off infection, and I hope it's helping. I don't think his eyes are infected at all.

He walks about his little box. He seems, if not alert, certainly responsive. His sense of balance is fine.

Here's the problem . . . getting him to eat. I haven't been able to coax him to eat on his own using any of the techniques mentioned on this site. I wonder if not being able to see is making him resistant to eating? I wonder if a knock on his head changed his eating response? I've resorted to holding him using the burrito technique and making him eat baby bird formula a drop or two at a time. I think I'm getting better at doing this and I am slowing his weight loss. Today he is down to 230g from 240g when I weighed him two days ago. I know he was heavier when I first got him. When I first found him he was a bleeding mess, but he felt normal weight.

I think I will eventually get good enough at feeding him so that I can keep him from wasting away. I've also forced seeds into the side of his beak, but that's so slow, and I worry about him not getting enough fluid, so I like using the formula. I keep his box's floor almost covered with bird seed in the hope if he pecks anywhere he might get a seed. I have a small bowl that I keep filled with seed in one corner, and a watering dish in the other corner. I think he does occasionally drink on his own.

Any suggestions as to how I can help him any more? I really want to get him eating on his own.

Thank you,
Monica

[upcd]

to pigeon talk. And thank you for help the baby pigeon. Someone will be along shortly with more help. It is good you ordered someone for his eyes. If you could look up tube feeding it maybe quicker. I use to have a pigeon named Birdie and he was attacked by dogs. They chewed on his head. He became blind. I tube feed him for a month til he got the eating thing. He healed up and behaved like a male, alittle aggressive, sweet. God Bless

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Monica,

Welcom to Pigeons.com and thank you so much for helping this pigeon..I'm sure others with more experience will be along to offer good advice and suggestions. A few of our members have blind pigeons so they would be the ones that would be able to offer you the best advice.

In the meantime, since he is losing weight and you are having difficulty feeding him, I think this suggestion may be helpful.

You can take dry puppy chow nuggets and soak them in warm water till they are puffy. If the pieces turn out to be large, you can cut them into bite size pieces and feed those pieces to the pigeon. The puppy chow is good for extra nutrition and good for putting weight on a bird that needs it. Several members have used puppy or dog chow with success and have recommended it.

Okay, I'm sure others will be along with good suggestions....good luck and thanks again.

Linda

[Pidgey]

Okay, Monica,

We need to get a little specific here. Please go to this page:

http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm

...and figure out exactly how old this bird is. Just look at the pictures and make a basic comparison, then post your observation.

You said that he was three or four weeks old, if that's the case, he still doesn't know how to peck and wouldn't likely do it if his eyes were perfect (some when starving learn pretty quick).

I have a blind pigeon that's been blind since she was three weeks old and she's two years old now. She lives in the house with us and she flies. I've told her story in brief in a different thread before and later I'll look it up and post a shortcut here.

Anyhow, you're going to have to force-feed this youngster for awhile in any case. It'll help us to better know how to help it when we know exactly how old it is. I used a product called Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula that can be gotten at most pet stores, but that's not the only thing you can use as has already been pointed out. The trick is getting enough down without overdoing it, especially if he's the age you're guessing.

So, get back with us and we'll go from there.

Thanks so much for your kindness to this bird and welcome to Pigeons.com,

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

Here's the thread with that story--it's on page two, but read the whole thing if you've got the time:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=10550

Hopefully, at least one of his eyes still work when all's said and done, but they certainly are capable of living blind with some help. Make sure that he's drinking some water by dipping his beak into it--sometimes you have to hold them and do that just a little bit. It might take longer for him to get to know his new surroundings and be able to find the water successfully than he's got time if he starts getting dehydrated.

Again, if he's as old as you said, they aren't used to drinking water yet, either. They pick it up if they have to, but it doesn't come natural for them yet.

Pidgey

[AZWhitefeather]

God Bless this sweet baby, & you for taking him under your wing.

I taught my blind pij, Rae Charles, to eat by first placing a 'low to the ground' perch in front of her food. I set the food dishes in their respective order, never rearranging them, then I would tap on her seed dish, which eventually got her attention. She learned that once she stepped onto the perch, her food, grit & water were right in front of her.
Rae Charles has been with us for over a year & is doing wonderfully, considering she was nothing but feather & bones initially.

Once your new found friend is able to eat on his own, this might be an option you can try.
Please do keep us posted.

Cindy

[Monica]

Thanks for all the responses.
I believe Izze (I've named him) is petty close to 28 days old at this point.

One thing that has amazed me is how quickly the swelling around his eyes went down. He had a sort of space alien look about him for three days, but then that went away.

I would really rather avoid the tube feeding if I can. I'm not a vet! I'll try the dry puppy chow suggestion.

Again thank you for the responses.

Monica

[Pidgey]

Monica,

I essentially taught Unie to eat the same way as Cindy taught Rae Charles. She was a little combative so I would bump the food bowl to her breast and she'd peck down at it. Eventually, she got one down, then another... It may take awhile. She really likes dried peas and popcorn most of all--I think it has something to do with the size.

A bird's metabolism is so much faster than ours that wounds do heal incredibly fast unless an infection sets in.

Pidgey

[AZWhitefeather]

Originally Posted by Monica

One thing that has amazed me is how quickly the swelling around his eyes went down. He had a sort of space alien look about him for three days, but then that went away.
Monica

I'm always in awe as to how resilient pigeons can be.

Cindy

[Monica]

I just want to thank all of you for caring. Pidgey, I read your thread about your blind pigeon -- it gives me hope! AZWhitefeather, upcd, Lin Hansen, all your advice came quickly and it's useful information. I am greateful.

I'm getting better at feeding Izze, and he (she?) is getting more cooperative. I don't think he really likes the actual feedings, but when I get back from work my husband has noticed that Izze perks up. I think he likes the way he feels after he is fed. My husband feeds him a little, but he prefers to leave most of the feeding to me. He doesn't think Izze likes him as much as me. His weight seems to be holding steady, and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting him to gain weight soon.

Thanks
Monica

[Pidgey]

Monica,

I'm working on a big post about Unie, my blind pigeon, that will tell her story and how she learned to fly. It shouldn't take me too many more days.

But, I'm wondering, how are Izze's eyes looking at this point? Can you tell if the actual orbs are still intact? You'd said that one was beginning to open a little. Is the other one still crusted over? I have read of one where after a few days, the scabs were removed and two perfect eyes were uncovered. Tell us about it and take pictures if you get a chance!

You're doing great and we want to thank you again for your kindness to this bird!

Pidgey

[Monica]

Izze's eyes are now both clear of scabbing. Neither eye actually sees. The left eye is normal looking. The other eye just had it's scab fall off a few hours ago. There is an eyeball in there. Things are still swollen with the right eye, but no pus, oozings, or anything like that, but there does seem to be some cloudy stuff on the eyeball.

I think he is gaining weight now. Geee a pigeon can hold a lot of food. I just have to be patient feeding him. He is getting a little more patient with me. He drinks a little bit on his own. He occasionally seems to try to eat on his own.

I have been taking photos occasionally. I'll post some soon.

It's really interesting watching him walk around his box. He carefully extends his beak feeling for things. Sometimes he slowly lowers his beak to the ground not to eat, but to feel the terrain in front of him.

One thing sort of distresses me. He doesn't squeak. I haven't heard him make any noise since I've found him over a week ago. What does that mean? I worry he is miserable.

[pdpbison]

Hi Monica,

As pidgey and others mentioned, this youngster may not yet have learned to eat on his own yet, aside from his injury.

Certainly, any time we see eyes infected or enflamed or with blood in them, an application of antibiotic Eye salve is a good idea to stave off or combat what ever infeciton may be in the Eyes themselves.

Probably, along with opening his Beak and popping Seeds in there, you could try having a little bowl of Seeds and direct his Beak into them also...

The Blind Pigeon I had some time ago, oweing to his injury, would not eat and I had to feed him directly into his Crop via a thin soft tube, while also doing seeds-inhto-the-Beak pops for some tine also, and once he was feeling better, he began pecking on his own, but he was an Adult Bird before his injury, so...he already knew how to do it, just had to re-learn to do it without sight.

The sound pf me 'pecking' with my finger-tip into the Seed Bowl, also inspired him a little bit...something to bear in mind...

Golly...

Good luck...

Phil
las vegas

[Pidgey]

Monica,

I've had quiet birds before that could see just fine. They don't usually squeak in the dark because of their instincts telling them not to bring attention to themselves. I think it takes awhile for a blind bird to realize that this is the way it's going to be and that it's safe.

Take a bright flashlight and shine it into the eyes, one at a time, then flick it away and then back. Watch the pupil to see if it alternately constricts and then dilates. If it doesn't respond then the eyes aren't working. If they do, then he might just see a bright haze. You might want to consider putting him on Baytril for two weeks because there could be a complicating illness.

I have recently found out that both trauma and paratyphoid can cause cataracts to occur in birds of all kinds. He's certainly had the trauma.

This is looking enough like Unie's story that I'm going to have to fastrack getting that one completed. Unie lives with us in the house and is, as I have more or less said, one of the family, although she still won't eat her spinach.

Pidgey

[Trees Gray]

Monica,

Thank you for your care and dedication to this bird. The bird is going thru a lot, but with your help I'm sure he will adapt.


Thank you Pidgey for your story, we want to hear all the steps you took to heal the bird both physically as well as psychologically. That had to be a very difficult time when you gently but lovingly showed the bird where his food was, day after day. We will make that one a "sticky" to keep for everyone who shares this difficult kind of trauma.

I have three birds with only one eye, I can't imagine a bird completely blind, as you and Cindy and Monica, and the others have. My rehabber friend has a lot of pigeons that were "dumped" on her overnight with all kinds of eye issues, that have been going on for months from neglect, and she is using homeopathic remedies strictly for eye trauma that is getting results.

That is very interesting about Paratyphoid and trauma causing pigeons to have cataracts.

Treesa