[birdofafeather]

Hello, fellow pigeon lovers. This is gonna be long but I wanted to include all the details. Yesterday (Thanksgiving Day) I found a wild pigeon sitting in the middle of a busy road. Didn't know it was a pigeon until my boyfriend drove right over it! Thank God it was sitting in the center of the lane and it didn't come into contact with the wheels. Another car did the same thing before we could turn around and get back to it. It does not appear to be injured, just sick. Yesterday it was very lethargic and puffed up. It couldn't seem to keep it's eyes open and they looked kind of watery and sunken. Shortly after I picked it up it started regurgitating what resembled small cherry pitts. Mouth looks clear and pink. I have been rehydrating with eye dropper. It will not drink out of dish when I put it's bill in the water and it won't eat (offering Thistle seed). Crop feels empty. Bird is in "good flesh", feathers in good condition. I have it in a pet carrier with a heating pad. Today when I checked on it, it had about 5 normal stools over night and seems to be somewhat more alert today but still somewhat lethargic and puffed up -- eyes look much better, though. I live in Wilmington, North Carolina. Can someone give me advice or direct me to someone in my area who can help me? I'm afraid if I take it to the vet they will put it to sleep, plus, I don't have the money. Thanks!

 

[Feefo]

Thank you for stopping and going back for the pigeon. I think that you are right to avoid a vet at the moment, most of thenm know very little about pigeons and (at least here in the UK) many see them as nothing but vermin and put them down.

I hope one of our US members can help, for the moment keeping him warm and making warm pedyalite available to him will help it a lot.

Cynthia

 

[Larry_Cologne]

Hello Birdofafeather,

Please check the basic how-to-help-a-sick-or-injured-bird threads in the emergency help section. You can read faster than I can type questions.

He is hydrated.

He is warm.

He is in a safe place.

He is pooping, somewhat. Perhaps you can describe the color and size and consistency of the poops. We revel in such details about poop.

Can you post photos?

Can you weigh him? (I use a cheap kitchen digital scale, measures in grams up to three kilograms, about ten dollars here in Germany, probably made in China). Might help us identify his previous nutrition history. He may have just got some bad stuff in him. They can feel "heavy" or "light," if you are used to holding pigeons. Fluffed up feathers sometimes mean the bird is starving and trying to retain body heat. But, not always.

I don't have the experience of seeing birds regurgitating, as do some others here on PT. I rescue wild pigeons also, but most of them have PMV Pigeon araMyxoVirus, or canker, or something else which I haven't always been able to diagnose before the birds died.

Maybe the pigeon was stunned, and the regurgitation is an aftereffect. Don't know.

Don't worry about your posts being too long. Better too much pertinent info than too little.

I will let others more knowledgeable handle this.

Larry

 

[Lovebirds]

I found these people. You might give them a call and see if they can help or know anyone that can.

North Carolina, Southeast region, Brunswick County (Oak Island)..... 910-278-1732

Jennifer Orlando, licensed home wildlife rehabilitator
Wildlife Species: small mammals, songbirds

North Carolina, Southeast region, Onslow County (Hubert)..... 910-548-1423

Jennifer J. Elliott, licensed home wildlife rehabilitator)
[email protected]
Wildlife Species: reptiles, amphibians, small mammals for continuing care
I>Comments: I will take all species in on an emergency basis and transport to
proper facility


WILMINGTON, NC
TALECIA ZIMMERMAN 910-815-0076

 

[TAWhatley]

Here's one more: Cape Fear Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
Wilmington, NC (910) 791-1222

Terry

 

[birdofafeather]

Hello, everyone. Good news for the ill pigeon I found in the road. I found a local wildlife rehabber who was happy to take it from me to give it the care it needs. I feel so good I was able to help the bird -- so many people dislike pigeons -- they are so close minded! Far as I'm concerned, it is one of Gods beautiful creatures and deserves to be treated with love and respect. Anyway, thanks for all the responses I got from people on this forum. It's an awesome site!

P.S. The telephone # for Cape Fear Wildlife Rescue & Rehab has been disconnected.

 

[TAWhatley]

This is great news! Sorry about the bad info for Cape Fear but appreciate you letting me know. Thank you so much for seeing that this pigeon got the help it needed.

Terry