Pigeon with hurt wing. Please help!

[mozart]

I was wondering if anyone in the Pigeon-talk community can help me and my little friend. I found he/she yesterday on the road. It is not old enough to fly yet , so it would be hard to say what it is capable of in the way of flying. Upon closer inspection it seems the injury is to the wrist, it is swollen and fevered near the joint. The wing is drooping; however, when he or she goes to stretch it can move the wing up and out as it stretches. I looked online last night for help and found instructions on how to apply a body wrap to keep the wing immobile, but woke up this morning to find that he or she was clever or determined enough to remove it. There is a wild bird care centre about 1 1/2 hours from me and I gave them a call today, but they said they couldn't say anyhting without seeing the wing first. It was to late in the day to drive up because they close at 4pm. By the way, he or she is eating and drinking well. My questions are 1) what does everyone think the possibility is that they will put a real effort in to save as most people would say "just a pigeon" 2) Is there anyway to tell a fracture, dislocation and sprain apart in a birds wing? 3) Any other suggestions on how I can immobilize the wing? Any other suggestions are appreciated as well. We thank anyone who responds.

[Bertie_Bud]

Hello:

I don't recommend taking injured pigeons to wildlife rescues. They only have a limited budget to care for injured wildlife and that means focusing resources on rare wildlife and generally healthy, easy to care for cases. I would bet anything that they would put your bird down if it couldn't heal up completely and fast. I brought a crow with a broken wing to the wildlife rescue once and they put it down. My recent injured pigeon suffered the same fate.

I just wish that they'd be willing to make an assessment and return the bird to me if they plan on putting it down anyways, but it is apparently against some law to give the bird back to us once we give it to them.

There are a lot of wonderful people on this site that could probably instruct you on how to help and care for it. I would recommend that route over taking it to the rescue. The bird definitely has a better chance of living with you.

Just my opinion,
Marie

[Reti]

Hi Mozart,

there are several ways to wrap injured wings. Pidgey is our injured wing expert, hopefully he will see your post soon.

Some wildlife centers will care for injured and sick pigeons, most though don't and the ones which do nurse them back to health, they might not provide long term care. If the pigeon won't be able to fly again, they might put him to sleep.
Best to ask all those questions when you call them.

Where are you located? Maybe we a have a member who can help you nearby.

Thank you for rescuing this poor bird.

Reti

[Pidgey]

Well, it sounds more like you need an antibiotic than a splint. It's possible that you're describing a Paratyphoid boil rather than a break. With breaks, they don't swell much at all and they don't seem to get a local fever but with Paratyphoid (actually Salmonellosis) in the arthritic form it makes joints swell. Sometimes it can resolve on its own and you'd think it was a break. Other times, it can make the joint itself enlarge and then the bird's flying ability is limited for the rest of its life. Paratyphoid boils can occur in just about any joint although they happen most frequently in the wings.

However, that's not the only possibility here. Therefore, you can go here:

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/skeleton.html

And take a look at the skeletal drawings to figure out what's where.

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

For a Figure-of-Eight dressing:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...87&postcount=3

Personally, if I determine that an injury requires one, I usually do it with masking tape so that it won't come off. I only do one round and make sure I've got the resting geometry right before it do it, though, because stopping and doing it over is a real pain in the... . Anyhow, when it comes time to take it off, it's best to hold the tape still, pinch the feathers and pull them loose from the tape.

Pidgey

[mozart]

Hi everyone,
As for the wild bird care centre I spoke of in my initial post they told me that the Pigeon's fate depends on the injury. The lady I spoke with commented that if it can be treated they will, but if he or she won't be able to fly or she made it sound "too complicated to treat" then they will put the bird down.
As for the injury itself, I believe it's involving the wrist. The best way to describe it is when the Pigeon is resting if you gently place your hand along the back and wings there is a bone on each wing that you can feel poking up a bit (as mentioned earlier I believe this to be the wrist) well it is this bone poking up that is enlarged. It actually is poking ever so slightly through the feathers. Pidgey has me curious about the Paratyphoid boil that was mentioned. Do these boils cause the Pigeon's wing to droop? And where would I get antibiotics to give the little one? There are no vets around me that will see birds. I'm so confused what my next move should be; I don't want to see the little one lose its life needlessly. If anybody is willing (maybe you Pidgey) I would be more than happy to try to photograph the wing best as possible and email. Thanks again

[Pidgey]

Yep, that sounds more like a Paratyphoid boil than anything. The drug of choice is called Baytril (Enrofloxacin) and is the veterinary equivalent of Ciprofloxacin. You'd need to get it from a vet or a local pigeon fancier. The dosage is 15 milligrams per kilogram of bird, twice daily. It may come in a pill form from a vet but it's often in a liquid form and there are many concentrations. You'll have to check and see if you can get that.

Pidgey

[TAWhatley]

Hi Mozart,

Pictures would be very helpful. You can attach them to a post here or put them on a picture site like webshots and then post the link to them here.

Paratyphoid boils can cause the wings to droop .. some of the boils can be very, very large. If this is paratyphoid, then Baytril is usually used to treat the condition (Ciprofloxacin will work too).

Terry

[TAWhatley]

Hi Mozart,

Here's some pictures of a wing boil that was definitely caused by paratyphoid. This pigeon also had nasty growths in the feet from the paratyphoid. The bluish/purplish color is from Blu-Kote that my friend who owns this bird had used to try and treat the condition. The bird recovered well after a long course of Baytril.

http://www.rims.net/Paratyphoid

Terry

[mozart]

Hi,
I took some pictures of the wing that I am concerned about, hopefully this will paint a better picture. I studied the avian skeleton diagram and it turns out that I don't believe it is the wrist area (this is what the lady thought when I described it to the her at the rescue centre) it is the area between the Humerus and the Carpal/Ulna known as the Olecranon process of the ulna. For those of you wondering I live in eastern Ontario, Canada. Thanks in advance

[Pidgey]

Yep, that looks more like a squeaker with a Paratyphoid boil. It'd be best to get him on either the Baytril mentioned above or a Trimethoprim/Sulfa drug like "Bactrim" for a month or more and figure that he might not fly worth a crud for several months. I've got one that I got almost a year ago exactly that looked just about like that except the boil had burst. When that happens, blood and fluid leaks out. His shoulder still slumps today but he can fly. Not well enough that I'd let him out of the loft but he can get up on stuff. It took him about six months to do that.

Pidgey

[mozart]

Hi,
Your help is appreciated. One of my biggest concerns now is whether or not I can get my hands on some Baytril. My other concern is regarding two orphaned Pigeons I rescued this spring; they have since grown into beautiful, healthy adults that have decided to stick around on our property (we built a hutch for them) but leave them out during the day to fly and be free. What are the chances of them contracting this ailment? As well, are my other pets (cat and dog) and my husband and myself at risk? Also, since my initial post I have since been able to bandage the wing securely; since it is believed to be a boil should I take the wrap off? I am guessing so, but will wait for a reply.
Which brings me to my last question (I'm sorry I realize this is actually more than a couple) if I am unable to acquire Baytril from my regular vet that treats my cat and dog, who happens to not be an avian vet, is there someone in my general area that would be willing to help? Thanks so much

[Reti]

As long as the other birds have no contact with this guy it is ok. They won't contact the disease.
As for you and your house pets the chances are very slim to contact any diseases from the bird. Best to keep the cats away and humans wash your hands after handling the bird.

If he doesn't mind the wrap, leave it until it comes off. Just in case he also has an injury. If it comes off, then let it be.

If you can't get Baytril, an alternative is Cipro.

Reti

[Bertie_Bud]

Hello!

I live in Canada too, and although I haven't tried ordering any yet since my pigeon didn't require it, I've seen it on sale online via many pigeon supply stores.

http://www.globalpigeon.com/gps.php
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/ca...sal/index.html

Those are some websites I've seen listed here. They sell Baytril as well as many other similar medications.

Here is a site with some info on paratyphoid:
http://www.wingswest.net/pigeons/hea...ratyphoid.html

I love the pictures you posted. He looks so cute! I hope he will get better soon.

Cheers,
Marie

[Larry_Cologne]

I found this site today. Might be useful. It's fun and educational to click on.

http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~jc...m/Skeleton.swf

Larry