String foot problem

[Pete Jasinski]

Hello all!

I am posting this for Pijifan who is having difficulty posting.

Yesterday I picked up a feral pigeon and took it to my house. She (probably a she as I saw a male pigeon dance around her) was missing a foot and a string tied the remainder of the leg to the other foot. She would hop by using her wing as a clutch to get to the food and seemed in pain and hungry. The string was wrapped around her (only foot) toes and ankle many times. The worst damage seemed to be at the base of one toe where it was wrapped very tightly causing a deep cut. The end of that toe was black, however above the black bit there was pinkish skin. (Essentially the order is: base of toe- deep cut by string - pink skin - black skin- toenail). I noticed the affected toe was much warmer than the others. I managed (after 4 rounds) to remove the string and I applied (before and after removal) Savlon antiseptic skin healing cream.

I would be grateful if you could help me with my questions:

1) Is it safe to release her now ? She can now hop without (much) wing aid but I'm worried about the black toe. I suppose it's dead flesh (?), there could still be circulation (it's very warm) and maybe if it comes off there could be a major bleed. Is there a chance to save the toe - can I apply some cream ?


2)I am a bit worried about her becoming very tame (not helpful with cruel people).
I picked her up by placing some peanuts around my feet. At home I kept her in my bedroom (no cage) and she has been very sweet. She let me catch her with no protest every time I operated on her foot. She sat on a desk near me as well as my pillow. Both times I was very close to her and she didn't fly away when I moved my hands towards her. I wouldn't say (by her facial expression) she is happy being handled (like some of the banded pigeons I come across sometimes), just tolerates it.

3) If I do keep her a few more days to see if there is any progress with her toe, how can I make her life more interesting ? She spends most of the time sitting very quietly (on the wardrobe, the desk, my bed, the floor, the window sill) looking rather depressed. I have provided her with soft sheets, pillows, a mirror, a mixture of seeds, fresh water, crushed chicken eggshell, and a plastic container 5 inches deep with water if she wants a bath. She does eat and drink although not as keenly as she used to when I fed her at the town center.

4) How can I let her know that she is welcome to visit my house for her favourite peanuts and other seeds or for shelter if she wants ? My house is about a mile from the town centre, however I carried her home in a bag and she couldn't see which way we were going.

Thank you very much

Best wishes

pijifan

[Reti]

Hi pijifan,

thank you for helping this poor bird.
You did a great job removing the string and applying the healing cream.
For now, I would keep the pij until you are sure s/he is doing good.
The fact that s/he is tame might be due that s/he is still in pain and not feeling too good. I have seen this many times, when they are very sick they appreciate our help. Once they feel better they want nothing to do with us anymore.
You can apply the cream twice a day for a few more days and see how the toe does, even though if it turned black I don't think there is much you can do to save it.
Watch her is she is eating, drinking. She needs to be well hydrated.
Also watch her foot/toes for any infections that might still develop.

Hopefully all goes well and after that you might want to release her from your home, that way she might know how to come back for a good meal and some water. There is no guarantee she will, but there is a chance.

Reti

[Skyeking]

Hi pijifan,

Hello and welcome to our website.

You have been very devoted and loving to this pigeon,. We thank you very much!

Is there any problem for you to perhaps keep this bird, so you can keep an eye on it for now? She is easy prey to predators especially those human kind, that may have ill meaning for her. It may be best for her and you (not to worry) if she can't manage on her own.

Does she seem happy with you, or does she act like she wants to leave? Not eating as much with enthusiasm, may just be because she is getting enough to eat, not ravinously hungry anymore, or maybe she is feeling sick.

She probably will not find her way to your place should you take her back to where she was found. Pigeons need to see where they are, to memorize the location they are moved from and to. Also, this bird may not have the instinct.

Treesa

[pdpbison]

Hi Pete,

Yahhhhh...just as Reti mentioned...

You could hold her in your lap or something when you are doing things that allow it. Bring her with you in safe ways, one way or another, when possible if you are reading or relaxing or something. They sometimes like for us to do this.

Be gentle and affectionate, and see if it seems agreeable to her.

She has some mending time for mind and flesh to be going through, and no harm at all to keep her a few weeks or more to see how the Toe goes and so on. See if her health in general is or remains good.

Provide good nutrition and immune-boosters and comforts.

I never worry about a convelescing Bird being friendly, so far as them afterward being naive about people. As Reti mentioned, they often know quite well that we wish to help them, and they are acquiescent in their way for us to do so.

Once well, she will be poised to assume, instantly even, her wild ways when released again to her feral Worlds.

Infections in the black Toe might be of concern over time, but, time will tell what will go on with it. Idealy, her body would reject whatever does not regenerate, and the rejected part would fall off...you could keep in mind that if in some weeks, to investigate the possibility of having whatever is dead or 'bad' there removed by a qualified Vet...and just get that part over with so what remains may heal up correctly as for the interior bones and so on, where the most advantageous place for an intentional and proper amputation of some of the Toe, might be better than that the body's rejection occurs in the middle of a bone or something, prolongueing the eventual healing almost indeffinitely, instead of it having some way for the end to heal over...

Phil
las vegas