My brave, brave boy!

Hi Teresa!

Thank you for introducing the handsome/lovely Merlin!!

Sure hate to hear about string injuries! So terrific that you were able to catch him/her and remove the line! Looks like thin fishing line, the bane of many a bird!!

All our best to Merlin. I know you will keep us updated on his/her progress!

Sending loving healing thoughts with hugs and scritches

Shi/Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/Woe

We seem to get a lot of string injuries this time of year. Perhaps it's because the birds are searching more actively for building materials. I've dealt with quite a few, including one two weeks ago, but that was quite an easy job.

It breaks my heart to think of anyone, pigeon, human or whatever, trying to carry on 'normally' from one day to the other whilst suffering terrible pain, when all that's needed to alleviate that is a pair of opposable thumbs and a little time!

Perhaps Merlin knew that all along. Perhaps he knows all sorts of things I can't even imagine, the way he peers at me, over his wing, with a very old, wise look. I don't even have to 'give' him the antibiotic; I just show him the pipette, mimic drinking, and after carefully considering the pipette and me, he drinks it, one drop at the time. And at treatment time he looks calmer than I feel. He's incredible!

Yesterday evening I realised he was going to lose another toe. Feeling unequal to the task, I phoned the vets, but the avian vet wasn't in, wouldn't be in all week. So I had to deal with it (the shaking and the tears came later). I also put a splint on the middle toe, which he had been curling and standing on.

He's very perky today. He's been walking a bit, much more easily than before, and the appearance of the toes is improving all the time. There's hardly any yellow now -- he's been on Baytril and the toes are cleaned and rubbed with a Bacytracin/Neomycin cream regularly. The splint has stayed in place overnight ( I used micropore tape and a shaped piece of card). Unless you think it necessary, I intend to leave the darkened areas alone and just keep applying the cream, as in previous cases they scabbed and fell out when the skin underneath was sufficiently healed.

Teresa, bless you for rescuing Merlin. I know it was a tedious job but looking at the before pictures vs. the after is pretty remarkable in how well the foot is healing.

The foam is truly wonderful for pigeons that can't stand. We have used one under our Mr. Humphries for a while now and it really makes a lot of difference. I am attaching a picture of how we set up Mr. H's cage. He sometimes likes to lay in his "nest" and that box is also lined with foam. We use a more shallow water bowl, filled to the brim, for easier access for him and put his seed bowl on a slant so he can eat better. I put a triangular makeup sponge at the back of the seed bowl which allows it to stand at a slant and not slip. We cover the foam on the bottom with a layer of newspaper that is covered in paper towels. Seems to give him a better grip. He can stand up about an inch to two inches.

Hopefully, your Merlin will only need his foam for a short period until his feet heal. He is lovely and thank you for sharing his story.