[khairbear90]

Hi all!

I am SO glad I found this website, all of you seem so helpful and friendly! I would really appreciate any help!

So, here's the story:

I am in Waco, my dad and I found a baby pigeon (McFluff) lying on the ground on the suspension bridge. After checking everywhere for a nest or any sign of the parents (for a while in 108 degree heat), we decided to take the poor thing in. He was barely moving and was having trouble breathing. We immediately moved him into a box with towels lined and after taking a 15 minute crash course, put the box on a heating pad. I read that baby pigeons aspirate easily so we carefully gave him some water. We then called a wildlife rehabilitator to take him in. She agreed to take him in, but never called back with directions. I've tried calling back more than a few times because I have no idea what I'm doing! Its the second day and I havent heard back. I want to give McFluff the best chance at survival.

I did not feel comfortable with doing nothing while waiting for the call back, so I went to the pet store to pick up Lafeber Baby Bird Formula & have been feeding McFluff via balloon/syringe method. It gets everywhere! But its adorable. He eats but I am concerned about him drowning when he sticks his beak in or aspirating the food. He eats (formula & water mixed into a slurry) about every 2/3 hours. But I don't know how much is too much and its really hard to tell how much is given when it gets everywhere. Or when the crop is full vs empty. Does he also need water?

Problem:
His stool is green (sometimes mixed with white and sometimes with yellow), which from reading here is not good. But his crop has been full at every sitting & I have waited until its empty to feed again. His most recent has been what looked like yellow oil mixed with some green. What could be wrong?

Its been a day and a half now and I would appreciate any suggestions/help or if someone more experience could take him. What do I do??

Also does anyone know what he is & how old he is?

 

[khairbear90]

Pictures

http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy25/khairbear90/McFluff

sorry having problems making it clicky

 

[Pawbla]

He's very, very young. Less than ten days, I'm going to make a wild guess and say 6-7 days, but take it as a guess from an inexperienced person. Where are you located?

I assume you have read the basic lifesaving steps. Here they are if you haven't: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-11265.html

Here there is a guide you can consult: http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/caringforababypigeon.htm
There is a pic somewhere that shows a full crop. It will look like a balloon and feel squishy. Once it doesn't feel squishy anymore, it's empty.

Try to open his mouth and check if there is any cheesy stuff in the throat. Does he smell bad? Or just like "chicken" (i.e., normal bird)?

Can you post a pic of the poops please?

 

[khairbear90]

yes i will send a picture ASAP.

i have made sure to read the emergency guide & some other literature that i found. he will eat and ask for food, but doesnt really drink when offered out of the hollow side of a bottle nipple (cut off). i just really want him to survive!

 

[Dobato]

Hi khairbear90, welcome to Pigeon Talk and thanks for helping this little guy out.

Here is a link, to a few more links to get you started:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=475500&postcount=26

Use the search feature on the site to search for other threads with information on "feeding baby birds", it's sometimes good to read through how things went and the advice offered for other people who came for help with a very young bird like yours. Make sure any food or water is at about 104 degrees or you may run into/cause problems with his GI tract, don't ever use a micro to heat up anything, gentle heat on a stove or or a small bowl with the food into a larger bowl of hot water to warm things up. I test food to my check for correct temperature, should be just a touch warmer than for a human baby.

Good luck with him,

Karyn

 

[pdpbison]

Hi khairbear90,


If you can post some good, close up, in focus, images of the poops?


Sounds like you are doing pretty good with this!


It's a lot to hit the ground running with.


Fallen Babys, especially if they get chilled over-night, can soon develop a couple of common illnesses, which evolve from what otherwise are normal background Flora and Fauna in their systems.


One has to look out for these when dealing with a Baby one finds on the ground.


So, post some poop images, and please keep n with any questions?


If Baby is warm enough he will be 'pink'...if too warm, he will 'pant'.


Regulate Heating pad with layers of towelling between it and the rumpled soft cloth Baby is in or on...shelter that from any drafts from AC or other, still air...is best.


How are you keeping him?




Phil
Lv

 

[khairbear90]

hi!

thank you everyone for all of your help!

i will post the pictures of the poop as soon as i can get the picture clear enough.

location: im in waco, im a student at baylor but i live off campus so this is where mcfluff has been.

bird accomodations: he is currently inside a soft make up box (made of cloth) and sitting on top of a towel and these cottony strips the lady at the pet store recommended. it looks like a little nest. this whole contraption is ontop of a heating pad (what setting should it be on?) its on medium right now and he is not panting. all of this is in a drawer that is partially closed for darkness & isolation.

questions:
how do i get him to drink? ive tried dipping his beak in but he doesnt want to drink

does he need to be fed at 3 hour intervals throughout the night?

 

[khairbear90]

http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy25/khairbear90/McFluff/

i will post more pictures of the poop (hopefully with higher resolution), my camera died!

 

[pdpbison]

Press the underside of your Wrist into where the Baby will be...

Hold it there for 30 seconds.

If the temp feels about the same as your own Body Temp...it is a little too low.


If the temp feels j-u-s-t a little warmer than your own body temp, it is probably just right.


Otherwise, your arrangement sounds good.


'Yellow' Urates signal Liver problems or infection.


Usually, this is a Trichomona illness casually called 'Canker'.


If Baby only did a few yellowy poops initially, then none since, probably there is no issue, and, his system cleared things out alright on it's own.

If 'yellow' tinted Urates, especially if they are not a moist firm 'paste' on top of the fecal part, but are like Water Color Paint, then there is reason for concern.


Let us know?


Anyway, he does not need to be fed during your hours of normal sleep.


Water between Meals, must be close to bopdy temp, or he will refuse to drink it.


For him to drink this young, guide just the last 1/4 inch or so of his 'Nuzzling' Beak into a small thing of tepid Water, keeping your finger tips on his Beak as he drinks.

If he is not interested, that is fine, don't worry about it.


All in all, he appears to be a perfectly plump, happy, well fed, no histoy of privation, little Baby, whose Eyes are mid way into the able to be open phase.


Quite the little charmer!!



Phil
Lv

 

[pdpbison]

Here's another way to feed them -


This a little safer, far as avoiding inadvertent aspiration dangers, since no liquid is coming into their mouth, other than by their own voilition and reflexes.

They can eat-gobble Formula, or, Liquids, either way...by this method...with no danger of Gravity inadvertentl;y overloading their reflexes.


Formula should be fairly 'thin' anyway.


There are explainitory captions.


http://public.fotki.com/PhilBphil/baby_dove_-_july/


&


http://good-times.webshots.com/album/547324376ZDjOCU


They LOVE to eat...they LOVE to be fed..!


Phil
Las Vegas

 

[Dobato]

I also wanted to mention that at this age they are still about week from away being able to generate their own body heat, so it's important they be kept warm. 93-95 degrees, so this means although a room may feel warm to you, it will may be too cool for the baby to thrive. Use a 60 watt light bulb, or go to Walmart and pick up a cheap heating pad, the kind without an auto shut off to help supplement heat for him. Be careful, because too hot is just as bad as too cool, you can place a cheap outside thermometer next to him to get a gage of his ambient temperature, also set heat pad on low, with a small towel on top, as enough heat will come up through.

Karyn

 

[khairbear90]

thank you for all of the suggestions! i have set up a heating pad underneath a few towels in his box. he is also surrounded by cotton strips which he likes to be nestling him.

here is the picture i promised. it is still greenish.

http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy25/khairbear90/McFluff/?action=view&current=0826000925.jpg

 

[Pawbla]

Did you check his throat? Does it smell? Check its breath. Do poops smell?

 

[khairbear90]

hi!

he does not smell & neither does his poop. yes i checked his throat but didnt see anything yellow, all a healthy pink.

edit:
mcfluff is now with an experienced rehabilitator named jane thomas. i miss him already & wish him a wonderful life. i have gotten so attached but i know that she is his best chance at survival