Help!! Urgent

[STAR92]

i live in australia and today a friend and i found an injured piji. It was moving it self along the ground with the help of its wings. It dragged itself into a hole and topelled over head first. It seems to not want to use its legs to get up? We asked a few shops what to do and if they could ring wildcare or something but they redirected us to the pet shop.

So we went there and they helped us put it in a box and rang wildcare. All wildcare said is we don't treat pigeons and go to the RSPCA in the morning.

None of our friends live anywhere near there but since i am a animal freak i said i'll keep it for the night! So here i am at home with the pigeon still in its box.

I'm keeping it warm with a hot waterbottle underneath shredded paper. I have also put a dish of water in the box and some bread crumbs but i don't think the pigeon is eating that. I think it still may be in shock or scared of me. I have it in my room for tonight because im am really worried about it and i don't want it to die because that would be so sad!

Before when i was examining my mum noticed that it has maybe a bit of diarhrea because it had what looked like a wet streaked bottom. But i don't know if birds have that all the time because i dont tend to look at birds behinds! Also before it it just had its legs sticking out behind it. It does have a little movement and grip in its feet but i also notcied that it had long claws. Im not sure how long claws are meant to be?? It just tends to keep its feet curled up. THere are no cuts or blood on its feet or anywhere else. But when i put it back in its box it was standing up for a tiny bit. Im confused?


Im really sad and confused? please help anyone?? Any information??

p.s. i was going to give it some rehydration fluid because of reading some of the other forums but it seems to be hydrated i think? it did a poopie and it was wet!

[Trees Gray]

Thank you for helping this bird.

Please do keep the bird warm, and yes, you should try a little rehydrating liquid after an hour.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

The bird may be in shock due to a predator attack, injury -due to an accident, or is sick, or even malnourished.

Can you get some wild bird seed for it to eat, once it is rehydrated it can eat?

Please update us.

[STAR92]

Thank you very much for that information

i shall update you and yes i will get that rehydration fluid now


Yes we do have some wild bird seed and i will give that to the piji later!



THANKYOU!!!!!!!

[STAR92]

I have a question!

How would you like me to give the fluid to the bird??

Without scaring him to much

My friend has called him petey pigeon

[Reti]

You can give him fluids via ye dropper or a syringe (without needle). I doubt he is hydrated, as he seems to be pretty sick or injured and wouldn't have access to water. Also very wet droppings would cause him further to be dehydrated.

Reti

[Pidgey]

Can you feel this bird's keel (it's the knifeblade-like breastbone) and see if there's a lot of muscle on either side or whethere it's real easy to pinch the bone itself and almost hold the bird by it?

There's too many possibilities here and we need to try and narrow it down some. The sciatic nerve, which has leg motor control, runs through their kidneys and if they're suffering from a kidney infection, it can cause the kind of lameness that you're seeing. So could spinal trauma with inflammation and swelling. Don't give the bird any medications unless directed to, but do you have any antibiotics or can you get any?

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

By the way, you can make a towel donut (roll the towel into a ring with part of the towel forming a nest bowl) that you can set the bird into to help support him. Then you can put some folded toilet tissue under the back end to make cleaning easier (you have to check fairly often). If you've got some little bowls with flat bottoms, you can put one of the wild bird seed and the other of water (half-inch deep or more) in front of the bird within easy reach so that he doesn't need to move to get to either one. You can twiddle your finger in the water so that he'll know it's there and what it is.

You may have to keep putting the bird back in the towel nest for awhile but once he learns that he's safe there, he might settle in. We need to keep watch of his (or her) behavior for awhile to try and help figure out what to do.

Pidgey

[STAR92]

I got something to give it to him and he seems to be taking the liquid quite well. HE is even drinking out of the cup itself! He is so cute its a little bit warm and he is closing his eyes. He must be cosy! or tired? he trusts me a bit more now i guess because i gave him something that he likes?

Is there a limit that i should give the liquid?

With the bone and muscle he has quite a large bone breast? coming out the middle of him. He seems to have good muscle around there? supposing that i felt in the right place.

He is standing up a bit but he still is a bit wobbly!

STAR

[Pidgey]

Well, what you're hoping for is that he had some kind of a traumatic injury that's wrenched his back and it'll heal on its own. It's going to take some time, either way. You're doing great so far so let's see how he does and whether he picks up an appetite.

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

If he's really well-fed, the breast will be somewhat rounded on either side of the breast bone. If he's been starving on the other hand, the keel can feel more like the sharp bow and keel of a battleship (kinda' sharp and prominent).

Pidgey

[flitsnowzoom]

Hi Star and welcome to P-Talk. Sounds like you may have gotten to this pidgie in the nick of time. Maybe with a few days of R&R s/he'll be able to take wing and fly off again. Hope you can continue to take care of it as often the local humane societies are unable to deal with injured or ill birds and can only offer a painless death for them.
You will have plenty of coaching here to help you get him right again. Certainly, with the help you've given, this pigeon is on its way to recovery and without worrying about hiding from predators or trying to find food and water, its energy can be devoted to regaining its strength.

If you can feel that keel bone very well and it seems quite sharp, the bird has been unable to get enough to eat / drink for awhile. If the bone does not seem to be too prominent, then the bird was probably fairly well nourished and whatever grounded him probably happened within just a day or two of you finding him.

Continued good luck with this little one!

[STAR92]

Just one last reply before i go to bed!

I think that you are maybe right he might of had a back injury because more observing has led me to think that his feet are fine he can stand up and do a little waddle but everytime he gets frightened he falls over in the great escape. His wings don't look broken but can a broken wing cause him to stumble?

I've set him up for the night in your "DONUT WRAP" and i'll give you regular updates. Tomorrow!

p.s. his bone feels like the sharp (bad) one that you were explaining

i'll try to get him to eat stuff. Meanwhile he is pooping!good sign?


STAR

[flitsnowzoom]

pooping is a good sign. People love poop here!
Not really, but it gives an idea of what's going on inside of a bird. So don't be surprized if you're asked to take pictures of poop or describe it.
Pictures of your new guest too!!
Sounds like Petey's been grounded for awhile. If it's bedtime for you, it's bedtime for your pigeon. Don't let him get chilled and don't leave water or seeds right near if he's so unstable that he could fall right over into the dishes. The little towel wrap will keep him safe and warm. A big comfy box lined with papers will work as an apartment for now.
If you haven't read the "stickys" on rehydrating and caring for a downed pigeon, you might take a look.
It sounds like you have, give Petey a good night (or morning) pat, and tell him you'll see him later.

[John_D]

Just one extra ... maybe you could also check inside his mouth, just to see that it looks pink and clear with no obstruction which may prevent him taking more solid food (any kind of yellow(ish) color substance), in addition to whatever other problem he may have.

John

[Pidgey]

It depends on the poop. If the stuff coming out the back end of the bird is a lot of clear goo with the consistency of watery mucus, and there is a little dab of green paste that's like an artist's oil paint, then we're probably looking at a disease process like Coccidiosis and the bird is very, very weak. The condition of the breast and keel bone would suggest that he's either been unable to find food or too sick to really digest and absorb food for quite awhile. He might even have worms that are absorbing too much of the nutrition that he's been getting. So, given your situation, he's probably in real trouble and needs some tests and medicines from a vet.

Under those circumstances, your best hope (if you have no resources like a vet at all) is that he's just starving because he hasn't been able to find enough food but that he'll otherwise be okay with ready food, water, warmth and time. That's possible but the likelihood is greater that he's sick and needs something more.

Pidgey