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Is this pox?

3K views 75 replies 4 participants last post by  Casperry 
#1 ·
Hello,

One my ferals has a layer of yellow crust completely covering its left eye (see photos). I assume this is pox? He appears to be well otherwise and is full of energy. I didn't see any cancer growths in the throat. I have a DAC pox cream at home. Is it safe to apply it on eyes? Would the condition warrant taking him in or would it be too much extra stress for the birdie? I'm feeding it a budgie mix that has extra vitamin A as I've heard that it's beneficial for the skin.

Thanks
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#3 ·
He doesn't belong to my main flock, can't say how long exactly he's been like that. It can't be canker can it as it can't proliferate outside the body and form lesions like that? Ok, I'll have to bring him home then. My plan is to apply the cream around the eye to kill off whatever germs are left there and give him harkers 3 in 1 soluble for the prescribed period just in case. It's not terribly strong and I think he should handle it fine. What do you think?
 
#5 ·
Alright, thanks for the advice. I'll leave him be for now but keep him under observation. It doesn't look like canker, his mouth looks clean. Behaviorally you can't tell him apart from a healthy pigeon. It's possible he had pox and is now on his way to a full recovery. Granted he may be blind in one eye but this doesn't worry me too much. One of my most daring ferals has a missing eye and he always gets first dibs on food and he stands up for himself like no other. Here's Pirate :D

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#7 ·
Thank you. I'm monitoring him and giving him seeds and peanuts. He seems ok apart from being stressed out by other birds who aren't impaired and can pick up seed quicker. Terrible location for them. Next to a busy road. The birds are dirty and smell bad. Still pondering if it's a good idea to maybe take him in for a week and let him rest and recover and get a good clean. Feed him a budgie mix with vitamins, rather than let him eat the junk people feed them. I'm aware that this would cause him extra stress too so I'm hesitant to do that.
 
#8 ·
i think you should take him inside
do you have any other pets?
and make sure he has enough space, i.e. the space should be a little wider than thrice his wingspan, and 2 feet tall (60 cm/0.6 m).
budgie mix is good enough for him, but try as much as possible to get designated pigeon feed for him.
even seeds would be good for him (corn, some fruits, cereals (and dont worry, pigeons do NOT explode when they eat rice), etc.)

and about the disease itself, check everyday if the growths have spread on to the bill and nostrils (pigeons' nostrils are a little above the beak, covered with feathers that have bigger gaps between the small barbules.)

I hope he recovers! 🙏
 
#9 ·
After some deliberation, I think so too that he should spend some time inside. He knows me and trusts me enough to eat out my hand (or perhaps he's just famished) so having someone he knows by his side will hopefully put his mind at ease. I actually bought a big dog cage because I couldn't stand not having any means of helping my ferals when they got sick. He would be staying in my room and I have no pets. Haven't been into pigeons for long (the universe sent them to me this August to help me with my depression haha) and I'm yet to buy all the essential medicine they might need. I feed them wild bird seed. They go absolutely nuts for it. Do you know if I can spray water on them and would they start doing their bathing ritual?
 
#11 ·
I've named him Rocky. I want him to defeat his disease. I know that pigeons like to bathe if you present them with a shallow bowl of water. The problem is a logistical one as I can't fetch much water to their site so I thought maybe I could spray water on individual pigeons. Or perhaps pour it with a watering can. If I leave a bowl for them it will probably be nicked by the end of the day knowing where I live.
 
#14 ·
I consulted a pigeon rescuer on Instagram and she thinks my pigeon has canker so I'll be giving him spartrix and I'll try to obtain clavamox or its equivalent here in the UK in case canker causes infection. She saw that his dropping has some yellow around them and apparently that can mean canker. They were back to brownish today after he ate. You're right. 3 in 1 seems to be a jack of all trades, a master of none. But what the hell is the point of it if it says canker, worm and coccidiosis treatment on the bottle. A preventative maybe? Thought a good immune system should prevent any illnesses from developing.
 
#17 ·
She said that due to deworming chemicals in it, it's a bad idea to give it to him as they're toxic and can weaken the birds immune system further. That makes sense so the strategy is to deal with one disease at a time if you can. I suppose it has its use cases - when canker is mild or the bird is healthy and you want to deworm him. So this morning I gave him spartrix and saw that some yellow pus was on his eye and nostrils. Didn't see anything inside his beak. He doesn't like to be handled at all and slaps me. If he has canker in his eye, wouldn't that mean that the entry point is somewhere inside his beak? Surely it didn't start in the eye? So the other guess is that he got wounded in the eye. Do injuries there typically produce yellow pus like that? I don't know how long his eye has been like this. I first spotted him about two weeks ago and his eye was like that already. His poop had some yellow in it this morning so could still have canker.
 
#25 ·
That looks similar to my situation, albeit the crust isn't as thick in my case. I know that pox looks like bubbles but can anyone confirm that when they dry out they form crusts like that? This morning I can see a bit of skin under the crust and just a drop of pus was coming out.
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#26 ·
His dropping are mostly dark green with a white cap and some yellow around it, sometimes less, sometimes more, not too watery. Sometimes they're more brown than green. I let him out of his cage at noon yesterday and that's when he had his last proper meal. I take it they become dark green when a pigeon hasn't eaten in a while? Should I be worried? I gave him another pill of spartrix this morning just in case.
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#23 ·
Hello all pigeon lovers, i have made this post in this website few times but i continue to spread the awareness . In my city Vancouver Canada, in most of skytrain stations they set trap cages, they lure pigeons by putting seeds around cages, and once they are trapped they starve to death, or killed by placing them in containers, closing the lid and suffocating them. In this harsh weather when these birds are already in desperate need of food in cities, they are luring to kill them. Help me fight against this cruelty by signing my petition. Currently i have 2 petitions please sign and share
Petition 1 Sign the Petition

Petition 2https://chng.it/YgPMd4xL
 
#27 ·
Hello all pigeon lovers, i have made this post in this website few times but i continue to spread the awareness . In my city Vancouver Canada, in most of skytrain stations they set trap cages, they lure pigeons by putting seeds around cages, and once they are trapped they starve to death, or killed by placing them in containers, closing the lid and suffocating them. In this harsh weather when these birds are already in desperate need of food in cities, they are luring to kill them. Help me fight against this cruelty by signing my petition. Currently i have 2 petitions please sign and share
Petition 1 Sign the Petition

Petition 2https://chng.it/YgPMd4xL
Signed, I love pigeons. Humans are actual pests on this planet.
 
#32 ·
That's a relief! You're supposed to give just one pill of spartrix (Carnidazole) and that's the entire course but I looked through forum posts here and the consensus seem to be that one pill is rarely enough. It has a wide safety margin (32 times the dose) so thought eliminating canker fully was well worth the risk. He's spending today inside the cage and is eating a bit more. Still looks a bit fluffed up. I think he's judging me. He doesn't like my hands but doesn't mind my face. I've ordered enrofloxacin (baytril in a pill form) and doxycycline just in case. I'll get amoxycillin too when it's back in stock to cover all my bases as far as infections go.
 
#35 ·
It did look like it came from his mouth. He was shaking his head and making sounds as if he had something wet in his throat. It had watery texture rather than cheesy one. I didn't see more mucus this morning so perhaps the drug caused that?

His nostrils and mouth looked clear this morning. I can see pink skin under the scab and on the neck. He scratches there and I applied the pox cream around the eye and on the neck as it's basically an antiseptic. I didn't try to remove the yellow crust as it's firmly attached still and by removing it I might cause bleeding. He's preening himself and is alert so behaviourally he seems ok.

Unfortunately metro in any form is a prescription drug in the UK. I will have to make do with spartrix for now. Supposedly it's as effective as other canker drugs. I haven't given him any more though as it's a single pill course and he's had two pills. Perhaps it takes time for canker to clear? I was learning about yeast infections last night and how quickly they can take over immunocompromised birds so I've adjusted his diet - I put nuts and flaxseed in his bowl and removed the seed mix that has grains. Apparently yeast feeds on carbs and it can be managed better by reducing carb intake. I've also put apple cider vinegar in his water (5ml/1 litre).
 
#38 ·
You could be right. He still has fresh pus under the scab. Canker of this magnitude would have made him sick me thinks. It looks like his entire eyeball might be gone. His poop was dark green this morning. Not sure if it's something to be too concerned about or not considering that he's been under stress and doesn't eat a lot (maybe two tablespoons worth of food a day). Behaviourally he's been doing ok. Actually he has been since I first saw him so I'm assuming the infection is only external? Should I leave the pus clear out on its own? I apply the antiseptic cream and spray colloidal silver on the area. I've also sprayed him with anti-lice/mite spray. He's scratching himself and has been dropping a lot of feather lice after I sprayed him.
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#44 ·
Here's hoping that the customs don't confiscate my medicine. I rushed into buying it from another country not even understanding where I stand legally. Vets won't prescribe anything without seeing him first. There are no avian vets nearby and moving him around would cause too much stress. I'm waiting for hypochlorous spray and probiotics to come today. Not sure if the eye is getting better, there's still some pus coming out but not as much. Maybe supportive care will be enough?
 
#45 ·
Hopefully he will be ok. Boost his immunity with probiotics and apple cider vinegar in the drinking water twice a week. You can also wet his food and sprinkle on a bit of turmeric and cinnamon twice a week.

Have you asked around amongst your friends and family for any amoxycillin based meds? Someone might just have some.
 
#46 ·
Thanks for the turmeric and cinnamon tip, I got him some. Unfortunately I'm unable to get amoxycillin at this time. I'll watch how his condition progresses. With the exception of his poop being green, he doesn't show any typical outward signs of being sick so I'm hoping that his body is managing to keep the bad bacteria at bay just fine. He's a bit more lively today after I gave him probiotics yesterday. The scab has hardened and it's just as well as he cannot reinfect the site easily when he scratches it. One question. He hasn't had a bird bath for two weeks. Essential that he gets washed? He's in my bedroom so him washing here wouldn't be ideal. Didn't know that pigeons can be so dusty. My air purifier is working overtime lol.
 
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