Help! pigeon with string in foot

[celtic2]

Bonjour!

I found a pigeon struggling for food in the middle of the street but couldn't get out of the way of cars.
I car had just slowly driven over it but he wasn't run over. The bird continued feeding on a scrap of bread he and his flock had been fighting over.

I decided to bring him home. He would have been run over before the end of the day. He seemed alright because he was with his flock and trying to eat but he didn't fly away. Just stayed there trying to eat.


His feet are in REAL bad shape. He can't stand on his feet.
One foot is no more than a stub.
The other foot, the problem foot, is tied up in string. That's the one that is causing him pain and seems to be atrophied.
I'm hoping to get him back on that foot. I think he'd manage if that one was OK even if the other one is nothing more than a stub. But, I dunno...

I've put him in a cage and he's eating and drinking. His poop is green and white. Not very solid but not too liquidy either. Very green though.


My question is: if I manage to get the string out shoud I disinfect his foot with someting or protect it with a piece of cloth? ANY avice would be appreciated.

Also, and this is VERY odd.
His wings are fine. And I guess he manages to get around with his wings alone because he has NO tail feathers!!

Since I bought him home he's been in the cage, I want to fix his foot before releasing him in the apartment. I hope to release him again soon, outside.
For now, I have no idea what the outcome will be.

I'm wondering if his tail feathers might have been plucked out after being run over by a car and getting his tail feathers stuck under a tire!!????
I have no idea. Any clues?

Is it possible that he was born that way? Can a pigeon fly without his tail feathers? They will grow back, right? How long does it take?

Again. any advice will be greatly appreciated. Never done this before.

Thanks

Vive les pigeons!!
celtic2

[phyll]

Thank you for saving this pigeon from being run over.

Just wanted you to know that you will be able to receive help here.
Someone will be along shortly ~ keep checing back.

[cyro51]

Hi Celtic,

The saddest thing is to see a pigeon that is so hungry that it will not get out of the way of traffic and risks death.

It could be the string damage that has caused him to get into this desperate condition, but could you also check his mouth (to ensure he hasn't got canker which will show up as a cheesy yellow deposit) and also watch him eat to ensure that he is really picking up and swallowing food, not just trying.

Pigeons can fly without their tail feathers and the most likely cause in this case would be not getting out of the way of a car quick enough. The car would catch the feather and the pigeon would pull away trying to escape, leaving his feathers behind.

It would be grteat if you could keep him in just for a couple of weeks to get rid of any infection in his foot and to let him build up his strength.

THis is what I wrote earlier about dealing with thread injury:


We all have our own methods and tools for thread removal, these are mine:

I usually start by rubbing Bach Rescue Cream into the foot, this softens any muck and in my experience also loosens the string, probably because it reduces swelling.

I have some baby scissors with blunt ends, because these can be used to snip thread that is embedded into the skin without cutting the flesh.

I also use a seam splitter (a dressmaking tool for picking stitches which has a blunted end) for separating the thread from the flesh before cutting it.

I have antibacterial cream to rub in the wound and I use a single drop of Metacam in the inside tip of the pigeon’s beak as a painkiller:

I have cotton buds , sterile gauze and cornflour to treat minor bleeds.

I also have a pair of small sharp scissors to cut the thread.

When you examine a bird always ensure that the head is raised so that there is no danger of regurgitation that could cause it to aspirate and die. It sometimes helps to lay a piece of gauze over its face to reduce struggling.

In a lot of cases the thread or string is visible and therefore quite easy to remove just by patiently snipping and unwinding. It sometimes takes several goes , with rests for the pigeon and the rescuer in between.

Before you start examine the foot carefully. Yellow bits are a sign of infection that will need to be treated with antibiotics. Blackened flesh is dead and in my experience is dangerous to poke about in as it could cause a severe bleed..

If the string has done significant damage to the foot then it might be a good idea to take it to the vet who will have specialised instruments to do the job and also be able to provide emergency treatment if there is a bleed.

I always cut the bit that links the feet together first, so that if the pigeon escapes it is that little bit better off. Then I start with the loosest bits, snipping and gently unwinding, taking care not to pull so that the thread doesn’t cut further into the flesh.

If there is any bleeding at all I stop what I am, apply direct pressure to the area and hold the foot up in the air to inhibit the blood flow. For major bleeds I have had to use a tourniquet, but the pigeon has also needed treatment for shock.

When all the thread is removed I treat open wounds with antibacterial cream, otherwise I rub Bach Rescue Cream into the foot immediately and continue to do that 3 times a day.

I usually keep the pigeon for some time after the string removal, to treat any other related problems. Sometimes the thread or string will have tied the back toe inward, or twisted other toes and splinting will be required (for Helen's instructions on how to splint a toe see : http://community.webshots.com/user/jujubear29 The only times I release immedately is when there has been no damage to the foot because it has been caught early enough.

Cynthia

[celtic2]

Thankyou Cynthia for your advice.
I got the string out yesterday. Phew!!

I rubbed his foot with antibacterial cream.
It softened the string quite a bit and made it so much easier to untangle and to get under the string and cut it out.

Softening the string...that's the key. The bird was very cooperative. I was surprised. I guess he must have been weak and probably in pain. All went well. I didn't faint and the bird is OK.

He will rest here a little while as you suggested.
I hope he gets back on his feet. The problem foot is in bad shape. No life in it's toes it seems.
But, I'll be hoping.
And, he needs to let his tail feathers grow... They were plucked out.

Again, thanks Cynthia your concern and advice that gave me the confidence to tackle that string. I'm glad I did and birdy is too I'm sure. THANKS

[AZWhitefeather]

I got the string out yesterday
That's wonderful news. Many thanks for the update.

Cynthia's method of string removal is by far the least stressful on both the pigeon & the person removing the string.

Please keep us posted on how your little patient is coming along.

Cindy