pigeon coughing blood: possible causes?

[piedsplash]

I've been fostering a feral pigeon that had a pecking wound on its head and missing wing feathers. It need stitches on the head, but made good progress in 3 weeks, to the point where it was flying around my bathroom and its head had completely healed and feathered over. I thought it'd be ready for release any day. This past Sunday I heard it making a series of phlegmy, coughing sounds on its perch. Then I noticed blood splatters everywhere. It had a few more coughing spells through the night, each time with more blood splattering. On Monday morning, an avian vet recommended an immediate dose of Clavamox antibiotics. Before I could get it to the bird, it had passed away sometime before noon. Less than 24 hours before, it had seemed a perfectly healthy bird except for a watery stool. I've been racking my mind trying to think what I could have done differently. Does anyone know what could have caused this? Most respiratory diseases I've been reading about involves open-beaked breathing and wheezing. This pigeon was breathing quietly and with closed beak except when it had the fits of coughing.

[Trees Gray]

I'm so sorry to hear this.

Well, any kind of gurgling or rasping noises or coughing can indicate a respiratory problem also. Other diseases can also quickly come about when birds are in distress, like greenish droppings and loss of weight. Also, if they aren't eating they need to be hand fed, because that will bring them down quickly.

Also, Did you ever treat the bird for worms?

Any kind of lesions inside the beak?

[plamenh]

Bartonella henselae bacteria and similar can cause this type of symptoms. Usually all wounded birds with unknown cause of injuries should be treated with Clavamox, beside usual wound treatment.

[piedsplash]

Thank you for responding so quickly. It had gotten a fecal test 3 weeks prior that came back negative for parasites. I was told to give it some organic "probiotic" yogurt because it's poop was "a little acidic." I did that for a few days, but had stopped for almost a week before its sudden coughing attack. I am shocked and still reeling at how suddenly and awfully it died. I detected no difficulty in its breathing until its first fit of coughing on Sunday afternoon.

[piedsplash]

To plamenh: Bartonella would be caused by a cat bite or scratch, right? That might explain its initial head injury and missing feathers. Can the bacteria incubate for so long (3 weeks) before causing the respiratory infection?

[Charis]

Unfortunately, parasites don't show in every fecal and so the cause could have been that along with bacterial as plamenh mentioned. As Teresa mentioned, the bird may not have been eating enough.
It's hard with birds to know when they are sick because it is their nature to pretend to be well even when they are not. A bird that is noticeably ill is an easy target for a predator in the wild.
I have no doubt you gave this poor bird your best. I wish it had turned out differently.
I'm so sorry the bird died.

[Jaye]

I am also sorry and send my best vibes. It does sound like it was incredibly acute...we can only make educated guesses at what it might have been.

Thank you for doing your best to save him/her. It is all any of us can really do. At least he is at peace now.

[Mindy]

piedsplash, I'm so sorry about the bird dying. You really tried to save this bird and reading the beginning of the story I was really surprised that it died. You really did your best and thats all you can do. Now that your a member to the site, if anything happens again like this you can come on here and ask advice and there are some really knowledgeable people that really knows there pigeons that can help you next time. Again, so sorry. min

[plamenh]

Originally Posted by piedsplash

To plamenh: Bartonella would be caused by a cat bite or scratch, right? That might explain its initial head injury and missing feathers. Can the bacteria incubate for so long (3 weeks) before causing the respiratory infection?

Within 3 to 10 days after a scratch, most patients develop an erythematous, crusted papule (rarely, a pustule) at the scratch site. Regional lymphadenopathy develops within 2 wk. The nodes are initially firm and tender, later becoming fluctuant, and may drain with fistula formation. Fever, malaise, headache, and anorexia may accompany lymphadenopathy.

I'm not sure that this is what your pigeon exactly had, but attack from predators usually causes bacterial infection in birds.

[naturegirl]

He could have had internal bleeding. Some birds can get very hurt and you don't see anything for a while, because they are very good at hiding things. Internal bleeding can start inside at anytime. If this pigeon got struck by a car or anything hard enough he could have damaged his organs. I am very sorry for the loss of this pigeon. try to remember without you he he wouldn't have had the loving touch of a human. Thank you for being so kind and helping him.