Help with a wild pigeon we found.

[Ferdie]

Hello,
We have teenage we think little pigeon. We found him in our yard, he doesn't seem to want to fly. We have to keep him in a cage on our pourch because we have two outside cats that would certainly harm him.

He has seemed to not have much energy and he now has diarreaha. We have been feeding him store bought wild bird seed and he has a water bowl (which he ends up using mostly for bathing).

If anyone can provide us with information on what we can do to get him well, it would be greatly appreciated. We aren't sure if he is laking something in his diet, or maybe even lacking activity as he stays in the cage.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
FYI, we are located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Thanks,

[Charis]

Hi Ferdie,
My concern with the pigeon you have found is this, it may be a young pigeon that hasn't learned how to eat on it's own. If that is the case, you are going to need to feed it until it learns.
Another concern is that you have left it outside on your porch. Even though it's in a cage it is still vulnerable to night time and day time predators.
I'm going to ask you to bring it inside.
Also, it would be helpful if you could post a picture of not only the pigeon but a picture of the poops too.
I've sent a private message to one of our members in Arizona to read your thread. I suspect you won't hear from her until the morning.
I've noticed that you have posted your question several times and in the process creating several different threads. You can respond to this one by clicking the icon on the bottom, far right at the end of each post. It can be confusing but you'll catch on in no time.
A moderator needs to delete the other threads you've started.
Bring the pigeon inside please.
Thank you for your kindness.

[TAWhatley]

Hi Ferdie and welcome to Pigeon-Talk. Thank you so much for assisting this needy young pigeon. We do have members in the Phoenix area who may be able to assist you, but there are also wildlife rehab groups that can also help you. What part of Phoenix are you in? East Valley Wildlife is in the Chandler area, Liberty Wildlife in another part of town, and so on. If you can kind of zero us in, we'll try to get you some help.

Pictures of your little bird would also be very helpful.

Terry

PS .. just read your post again .. I suspect your little one is starving .. doesn't know how to eat on its own. If that is the case, then you need to be tube or syringe feeding or soaking dry puppy chow and feeding that along with with thawed frozen green peas.

[Ferdie]

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

Hi Ferdie and welcome to Pigeon-Talk. Thank you so much for assisting this needy young pigeon. We do have members in the Phoenix area who may be able to assist you, but there are also wildlife rehab groups that can also help you. What part of Phoenix are you in? East Valley Wildlife is in the Chandler area, Liberty Wildlife in another part of town, and so on. If you can kind of zero us in, we'll try to get you some help.

Pictures of your little bird would also be very helpful.

Terry

PS .. just read your post again .. I suspect your little one is starving .. doesn't know how to eat on its own. If that is the case, then you need to be tube or syringe feeding or soaking dry puppy chow and feeding that along with with thawed frozen green peas.

Thank you so much for replying. We really hope that he (?) is not starving as he seemed to be eating the seed previously. Tomorrow we will try what you are suggesting in regards to the puppy chow and green peas. Thank you so much for giving us additional information. My wife had contacted (and in many cases prior dropped off birds at) Liberty Wildlife, they are not too far from us. We live in Central Phoenix but, do not mind driving wherever is needed for the health and well being of our little bird. My wife really had her heart set on keeping him as a pet when we couldn't get him to successfully fly away.

Thanks for any info .

[Ferdie]

Charis,
Thank you for your interest and response. Is there any possible health issues that the little pigeon could pose to our dogs and cats that are in our house? We have two inside dogs, and four inside kittys?
Thanks,
Steve & Melissa.

[TAWhatley]

OK, we've gotta get all our threads together there .. Ferdie .. if you folks want to keep this youngster as a pet then more power to you! Please post back what you really want to do .. the care of the bird is the same regardless, but we have many, many members here with pet pigeons .. myself included.

Terry

[flitsnowzoom]

No health threats to the inside pets from this pigeon. If the bird has any little mites, bugs, those are pretty much exclusive to birds (sort of like most bugs that bother dogs and cats are pretty much exclusive to mammals, except of course, our friend the mosquito ) . )

However, make sure the pigeon recouperates in a space that all the inside pets cannot get to. Predator animals and prey species create their own natural stress until it is all worked out. Even then, you must keep an extremely vigilant eye out. I have an elderly cat that has completely ignored our inside birds until once about 2 weeks ago. The birds went into a panic, so now, the cat is not allowed anywhere near the birds' cages.

[AZWhitefeather]

Good Morning Ferdie & Welcome to Pigeon-Talk.

How is your 'new found friend' doing this morning?
Any chance of a picture?

I would suggest replacing his 'bath size' drinking bowl with a smaller one, that he is unable to bath in. If he's bathing in it, chances are he's 'pooping' in it as well. And if he's experiencing diarreaha, you may not be able to see it.

I would also suggest offering a 'rehydration' solution (to a cup of room temperature water add a pinch each of sugar & salt) rather than plain water. This will help give him a 'boost'. If you're not sure if he's drinking on his own, you will need to assist him. Fluids are vital.

Could you also check:
* The inside of his mouth? Gently open his beak. It should be nice & pink & free of any obstructions.
* His keel (breast) bone. Depending on his age, there should be some muscle on each side. A very sharp keel bone is an indication of starvation.

Could you give us a bit more detail regarding the droppings? The color, consistency, etc. If he is still experiencing diarreaha, is it pure liquid, semi solid?

Here's the link to the 'Basic Life Saving Steps' thread. In part, it describes the degrees of dehydration. You can compare them with your bird. This can be very helpful when determining the condition a newly rescued bird is in.
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

Terry had mentioned East Valley Wildlife as a possible rehab contact.
Here is the link to their website.
http://eastvalleywildlife.org/company_info.htm

Please let us know how things are coming along.

Cindy

[Charis]

Hi Ferdie,
How is the pigeon doing today?

[Ferdie]

Thanks everyone for your concern. Ferdie seems to have less diarreah today.
I gave him a smaller water bowl so he cannot bathe (poop)in it.

Still not sure what to do with him. Wouldn't mind keeping him as a pet, but am also concerned about his ultimate happiness.

Do you think a single pigeon can be happy as a caged bird in a house with 3 indoor cats? Will he get lonley or depressed? Or, are they generally pretty happy with human attention & lots of verbal reassurance?

[Ferdie]

But it keeps telling me that my file exceeds the maximum amount allowed to be attached which is 100KB.

Any suggestions?

I have Ferdies pictures in my documents, but cannot seem to get them to attach.

[mr squeaks]

Hi Ferdie and welcome to Pigeon Talk!

Mr. Squeaks lives in a 1 bdrm apartment with me and 3 cats. He cannot fly due to a partially amputated wing. He has his own home for times I'm away and at night. When I'm here, he's out. He is either in daddy or mate mode. If daddy mode, he spends HOURS in his nest basket with his wooden egg and shredded paper that I give him as nesting material. He considers me his mate and will follow me around when he's in mate mode.

He grew up with the cats but it was awhile before I took the chance and let him out among them. Since we were all bound for life, I had to take a chance. He rules the cats with an iron beak and they respect him. Unless he is in a "territorial" mode, he will pass by them and they give him room. Of course, since he has quite an "ATTITUDE," that has helped also.

I posted his story in the STORY section after I found him 4 years ago.

Living with fur and feathers is a never ending adventure!!

Best of everything!

Shi

[Charis]

Ferdie,
My biggest concern is that the pigeon isn't eating on its own.
Do you have a way to post pictures of the pigeon and the pigeon's poop?
Or, could you describe the poop?

[Ferdie]

Mr. Squeaks and Charis,
Thank you guys so much for your support. We are contemplating the pet aspect or taking him to a wildlife shelter. Our the most important concern is the health of Ferdie. First and foremost.