[NickP]

I found a pigeon that I believe was shot in the wing with some sort of an airsoft gun, the back of the wing is a little bruised. It's been a couple of days now and it seems to be doing fine, I'm just not sure if it will die from infection.

What should I do?

 

[Whytpigeon]

I found a pigeon that I believe was shot in the wing with some sort of an airsoft gun, the back of the wing is a little bruised. It's been a couple of days now and it seems to be doing fine, I'm just not sure if it will die from infection.

What should I do?

A bruise usually does not get infected. As long as he is eating and drinking and his droppings look healthy, he can be released when he can fly. When that may be I can't tell you. The only way to see if it is broken is to have an X-ray done by the vet. But you would have to say he is your pet and name him and pay the bill. Iam not sure about you're country but in many places they would just euthanize a disabled feral pigeon. Because they are considered a pest.

 

[NickP]

Hello Whytpigeon, thanks for the reply. He eats and drinks, I guess he'll be fine. Thanks a lot for your help

 

[Skyeking]

Thank you for rescuing the bird, I would hold onto it a little longer until wing is completely healed. Are you certain there is not any foreign matter inside wing? Is he holding the wing normal and able to fly well? do you have a room where he can practice flying before released? Please check before releasing the bird.

 

[NickP]

Are you certain there is not any foreign matter inside wing?

Well unfortunately I'm not sure but it doesn't seem like it has

Is he holding the wing normal and able to fly well?

He can't fly and he's not holding his wounded wing properly, it's a little lower than the other one if that makes sense, quite loosen.

do you have a room where he can practice flying before released?

I have him in my office next to my room, he can practice flying here when he heals up completely.

The main thing that concerns me is how can I tell if there's anything inside his wing.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[cwebster]

Would give him several days to see how he heals before releasing him. Thank you for helping him.

 

[kiddy]

Just hold him firm from one hand, stretch his wing from the other hand, try to see/feel if it seems like a little hard or like a lump or try to see/feel if something inside by parting the feathers off the spot.
If seems bad/infectious , wash with saline water and cover it with antibiotic cream.
Drooping the wing could be because of injury or a broken bone but only X ray could reveal it for sure.

 

[Skyeking]

If he cannot fly and is not holding his wing properly, as like the "good" wing, then he cannot be released.

 

[NickP]

Hello everyone,

I put a magnet on the lump under his wing and it seems like there's something metal in it, I can't get him to the vet because that would be too expensive for me. I don't know if I should try to get the bullet out by myself or leave it the way it is.

 

[cwebster]

Depends on where it is, how big it is, whether it is in the feathers or deeply lodged. Could you possibly post a photo? Thank you very much for helping this bird Our first pigeon had a broken wing from flying into fans and was nearly decapitated and recovered.

 

[NickP]

That's the lump under his wing. It turns out that it doesn't have anything inside that a magnet can attract. We cleaned his wing but still not sure what's wrong with him.

 

[Jay3]

Very sore and maybe infected. He may have even been caught by a predator. In any case should have antibiotics, so an infection doesn't spread.

 

[NickP]

So will it be able to heal itself? All I can do is to clean him and feed him

 

[Skyeking]

Not if this is a broken wing/wound and/or there is still foreign object inside wing. He really needs to be seen by a local rehabber or an avian vet asap.

 

[NickP]

Sadly I can't take him to a vet it would be too expensive for just a random pigeon. All I can do is to take care of him till he gets well or dies of infection

 

[Whytpigeon]

Sadly I can't take him to a vet it would be too expensive for just a random pigeon. All I can do is to take care of him till he gets well or dies of infection

I think at this point it could be more humane to Relinquish it to a vet. At least he won't suffer. The vet may even be allot like ours here in the US, all that I work with do not euthanize pigeons for no good reason, even if the law states they should. You could try calling any zoos on the island, they could have connections to a person who is trained to rehab animals and birds. Even the veterinarian could know of someone.

 

[cwebster]

Do you have access to any antibiotics?

 

[Marina B]

Do you have a pharmacy close to you that sells Betamox tablets for humans?(contains 500 mg amoxycillin or sometimes 250mg). That's the best to use for the infection. You'll have to weight the bird and administer 0.12 mg amoxy for every gram birdweight once a day for 7 to 10 days. Best will be to disolve the tablet in 5 ml water and get one of those medicine droppers to give to bird. Just stir the solution very well before drawing it up in the dropper. So if the birds weights 150 gram, you will be giving 18 mg of amoxy (you'll have to work out how much of the solution to give).

From looking at the feet, birdie looks like a dove to me. Is he still eating and drinking? That will be a good sign.

 

[NickP]

He eats and drinks normally and it seems like he's getting better, he's moving move often that he did before and eats more, he also crapped the whole place but I guess that's normal.

One thing that I thought was a minor injury might be very serious, the top of his wing is pretty much a little scratched, it seems like a tendon is cut. I'll send an other picture when I'll clean him up.

And @Marina B I might do that too

Thank you all for helping me out

 

[cwebster]

Please do post a photo. Pigeons have a remarkable ability to heal. I hope he is better soon. Thank you for helping him.