Sick pigeon/s

[Hillybean]

Hey Everyone,
I have have been quite busy the last few months. Then the last two weeks, I suddenly have more time.

Ok,
Well Alice (Al) my pygmy pouter, with the leg problems is dieing as I type this (I'm holding her). The past week Alice has been off balance more often, more flapping with her wings, and not wanting to eat as much. The balance and wing flapping I ignored, because she has always had problems due to her legs. The not eating as much I thought was because of the wierd weather we have been having (cold one day and 70-80 degrees the next). She also has some shimmers to her head (little shakes).

I checked her mouth and there seems to be a couple white dots, not very big (I don't know if that will help). I'm feeling really bad right now, because Alice is dieing most likely because I ignored the signs...... I feel so horrible.

I have 10 other birds I also have to worry about. They are all allowed out 4-8 hours a day, and normally get an average of 6 hours. I am in the room the whole time, which makes this all worse that I didn't notice this sooner. They are all pets, and are very people friendly.Their cages are cleaned daily.

Ember (Pretty Lady) is also sick...maybe I can save her and the others.

Pretty Lady (Ember) is not wanting to fly, she normally always does. She too is not wanting to eat, and won't drink. I let them out for their daily bath and she wouldn't even hang with the others. She stumbles when she walks, is wanting mostly to lay down, and sometimes extends the neck downwards and shakes/shimmers happen when she does this. She also has a few white dots in her mouth.

Does anyone know what this could be?? Is there anything I could do to help her??

Thank You,
Hilly

[Pidgey]

Well, if the spots that you're talking about are very small then they might be simple sialoliths and not necessarily diagnostic. Do you keep any medications, Hilly?

Pidgey

[Charis]

I'm so sorry to hear from you under these circumstances.
Offer both birds supportive care... heat, hydration and hand feeding.
What medications do you have?
Any other symptoms...color of poop...any swollen joints...any thing else?

[Pidgey]

It kinda' sounds like there's a neurological component. If it's bacterial, then something better get done pretty quickly. Do mice ever get into your aviary?

Pidgey

[Charis]

Originally Posted by Pidgey

It kinda' sounds like there's a neurological component. If it's bacterial, then something better get done pretty quickly. Do mice ever get into your aviary?

Pidgey

That was going to be my next question.

[Pidgey]

Hopefully, Hilly has an antibiotic that can cross the blood-brain barrier.

Pidgey

[Hillybean]

Alice passed away a couple of minutes ago.

Pretty Lady is breathing hard, mouth open, eyes closed to mear slits.

Supportive care I can do.

I have baytril (liquid), clevamox (liquid), then I have Metronidazole (pills and liquid). The pills are 250 mg tablets, the liquid 50 mg.

I have been meaning to get others, but hadn't gotten around to it. I do have a vet that I can get them to tomorrow afternoon, so if other meds are needed...I bet I could get them from the vet. I just don't know if that will be too late.

No swollen joints, the poos of these two birds have been on the dark side and a bit watery. I do feed dark leafy greens. The other pigeons also sometime have dark poos, BUT are solid.

They are in the house, and have a room of their own. As far as I know we have no mice. There are pet rats in the house...but they are in a different room and story.

Thank You,
Hilly

[Littlecoo]

Sounds suspiciously like your birds are suffering from canker. If so, this is a serious problem requiring urgent treatment-get your birds to a vet. The condition is easily managed with medications such as Metronidazole (flagyl). Please get prompt attention for your birds...it sounds like they are dehydrated/starving!
Here are some info links:

CANKER/TRICHOMONAS;
This is a protozoan infection and is very common in pigeons. Adult birds can get it but it strikes mostly the squabs in the nest, symptoms of
this canker are lesions in the mouth or throat with a yellowish-white substance.
Links that help.
http://www.wingswest.net/pigeons/health/canker.html
http://www.internationaldovesociety....Trichmouth.jpg
http://www.pigeonvideos.co.uk/pantex/pantex_health.htm
http://www.britishwildlifehelpline.c...nes_birds.html
http://www.albertaclassic.com/tricho...ichomonas.html
http://www.medpet.co.za/crop_canker.htm

[Hillybean]

I have dealt with canker before, about a year ago with Junebug and Charlie. I really don't think this is that.

-Hilly

[Pidgey]

Which liquid Baytril? What concentration?

Pidgey

[Littlecoo]

Originally Posted by Hillybean

Alice passed away a couple of minutes ago.

I'm so sorry to hear that Alice is gone, my heartfelt condolences to you.
Poor little girl.

[Hillybean]

Pidgey to tell you the truth, I don't know.

I got it from the vet when I got the knew metronidazole liquid. He mixed it up for me and flavored it. I believe it is 50mg.

The birds all went for a check up, and poo samples in Feb. They were ok then, but that was a couple months ago.

-Hilly

[Pidgey]

Better tell us how much you've got, too, on the Baytril and the Clavamox (concentration on that one, too). Baytril and Beta-Lactams appear to work synergistically so we might try combining them.

Any other symptom that you can possibly think of... what did the poops look like? Any odor? What does the grain that you feed them look like? Any odd dark colors in the seeds? Has it ever gotten wet?

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

Did the vet put any kind of dosing information on the label for the Baytril? Do you think that the 50 mg means 50 milligrams per milliliter? If that were the case that would be 5%, which is one of them (there are quite a few).

Pidgey

[Charis]

Did the vet put dosing instructions on the medication?