[phillychad]

Hello, our pigeon just got bit by our pet squirrel. I am pretty sure nothing is broken... She can move the leg and walk on it but it obviously hurts her because she is holding it up. It looks like the both the top and bottom teeth got her. Not much blood... we trimmed her feathers away, cleaned the wound with peroxide and put on Mupirocin ointment. The ointment is a prescription strength neosporin. What should I do? I am really upset and worried she is in pain. Will she regain full use of the leg? What can I do to keep it from becoming infected? Does the wound have to be covered? if so, with what? Was the meds I used OK for a bird? I have added a few pics of the wound after we cleaned her up and applied the ointment...

Also, she is a about 3 years old and for the last year has not stopped laying eggs. Never been around another bird so I assume she thinks she is doing something wrong because after she sits on the eggs for about 3 weeks she gives up. Wait's about a week or so and lays another couple. Is this normal and healthy? Her diet consists of Kaytee Dove mix, grit with calcium, sometimes bread, dried split peas, pigeon peas, dried corn and water.


PLEASE HELP! she won't even sit down and relax, she is sleeping standing up... Chad

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[Pidgey]

Well, we'd better get her on a systemic antibiotic. What have you got?

Pidgey

 

[phillychad]

I have nothing on hand...

 

[Pidgey]

As to the wound, it'll eventually heal. We have to worry about an infection from the bite. It'd be good to get the bird on Baytril in case of a Paratyphoid (let's face it: a squirrel is a rodent, and rodents carry Paratyphoid strains that infect birds) and Amoxicillin (Clavamox) in case it's carrying Pasteurella.

Pidgey

 

[John_D]

I'd recommend you take the pigeon to a vet, if there's one around who knows and deals with birds.

If we have a pigeon with a wound from a cat or a hawk we'd give it 'Synulox' which would be Clavamox in the US.

Squirrels, all I know is if I got bit by one I'd get an anti-tetanus shot.

John

 

[phillychad]

I looked and all we have on hand right now is a 500mg. Amoxicillin pill. As far as the squirrel, she is all up to date on shots, had her from a kit, never been outside, so I assume she is safe that way. If they can transfer infection through a bite then what should we do? I can't afford the vet right now so if there is anything I could do at home, PLEASE let me know... Thank you SO much, we are really worried. Good news is she is eating and drinking and seems to want to use the leg more and more.

 

[Pidgey]

I'd recommend you take the pigeon to a vet, if there's one around who knows and deals with birds.

If we have a pigeon with a wound from a cat or a hawk we'd give it 'Synulox' which would be Clavamox in the US.

Squirrels, all I know is if I got bit by one I'd get an anti-tetanus shot.

John

Well, here in The States, you'd get a rabies shot. Tetanus is actually more likely from getting a cut by some old rusty iron thing around where horses have been kept (Clostridium tetani is common in horse bowels and horse dung).

I'm not sure about birds and rabies and the squirrel's a pet anyhow (right?) so I think we're down to the usual suspects.

Pidgey

 

[Pidgey]

Well, if Amoxicillin's all you've got then so be it. Can you weigh the bird?

Pidgey

 

[phillychad]

No I have no scale but tomorrow morning I will get one of the food scales so I can weigh her. She is a pretty big bird, I believe someone on here said she was a king flyer. If I get the weight will you be able to tell me how much pill to give her? Should the wound be covered? Is there anything else I will need?

 

[Reti]

This is a pretty big bird, my guestimate would be 550-600gr.

Reti

 

[Pidgey]

Oo. Big bird. Mucho drugs. I'm thinking that Amoxicillin goes in at about 100 milligrams per kilogram, twice daily.

Gotta' check the formulary.

Pidgey

 

[Pidgey]

Well, the reference goes from QD to BID, so how about 50 milligrams per kilogram of bird, twice daily? That'd give you a few days. If he's a 500 gram bird, that'd be 25 milligrams per dose, twice daily. That'd make that pill last through a ten-day course, right?

So, you could mix the contents of the capsule into 10 milliliters of water (that's the same as 10 cc) and give half a milliliter morning and evening (shake well) for the next 10 days.

Pidgey

 

[maryjane]

Good luck with her, I'm sure she will be just fine. I used to have my rescued pigeons and rescued rats in the same house and no matter how hard I tried to prevent it, once in awhile a bird would land on a cage and get their toe nibbled. It is a pretty strong instinct for even a tame, well-fed rodent to "jump and attack" anything feathered that lands nearby. Just follow the advice so far given and she should be fine. As for eggs, the best thing to do is replace them with fake eggs if you can, or hard-boil her eggs the day they are laid, and this might stop her from producing so many.

 

[Maggie-NC]

She looks like a King to me and ours weigh in the range Reti gave. She is really pretty.

 

[phillychad]

Just so I'm clear... I'll get a scale in the am. to confirm the weight, then should I grind the pill into powder and mix it with the 10 cc's of water (hot?)... how do I administer it? Should I keep it cold when storing? Do I heat it up to give it to her? Thanks a bunch, she's my buddy and I worry about her.... Ok, wife just found the pill... it's powder in a capsule, that should make it easier right?

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[Reti]

Refrigerate it and don't rewarm it before giving it. You can also put 5cc light Karo and 5 cc's water (instead off 10cc's water). It binds the medicine better, but water works just fine, make sure to shake well before use.
Do you have a 1cc syringe?

Reti

 

[phillychad]

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[Pidgey]

Yes, the wound itself is very superficial, even though it initially hurt enough for the bird to favor it. It doesn't look infected and that's not even the kind of infection that you'd worry about in a bird--you're more afraid of an infection that goes places in the blood stream, colonizes odd places and starts doing secret damage that shows up later.

Pidgey

 

[phillychad]

I wasn't able to find a scale cheap enough yet, how important is it that we nail down the weight of the bird before giving her the meds.? Her leg is much more swollen today but I guess that would be expected, right? Should I mix up the pill and give it to her? How does she take it? I do have a syringe...

 

[Pidgey]

Yes, get her started. Just hold her beak open and try to squirt the stuff down the throat further down than her airway. It's best if you hold her head and neck somewhat pulled out straight and up-ish to do that.

Pidgey