Pigeon with problems

Rachel25 said:

I had a look at that site you suggested and didn't really see any additional symptoms. Just the green poop, inability to stand properly on legs, kind of lethargic. He does not seem emaciated really but do you think I should hand feed still? Can you give pigeons pedialite for rehydration purposes? What kind of seed should I feed him?

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Is the keel bone prominent at all?

If the bird is not eating at least a tablespoon of seed per meal at least three times a day, he definitely needs to be fed, as hunger will cause them to go down quickly and cause the symptoms of weakness and lethardy. You can use pedialyte for rehydration, but it should be the clear one and I would dilute to 1/4th of human dose.

You can give Harrisons formula for pigeons, and if the bird fights it, hand feed pigeon seed. The point is to use whatever method is less stress to the bird. Probiotics would also be crucial to give at this time to help get proper absorption, and allow good gut bacteria to crowd out any bad bacteria that may hinder the bird from getting better. Once the bird gets stronger you can worm him. Put a small piece of garlic clove in the drinking water to start.

I found out it is sometimes harder to give a fully grown domestic pigeon formula then to hand feed it pigeon seed, seems less stressful to them and they are usually used to eating seed.

Please help - Paratyphoid?

I have modified my original post:

I work for a Wildlife Rescue group and we just got in a homing or fancy pigeon (it had a band around it). This pigeon is pretty young and a nice calm little thing. I have taken it home to care for it because it appears to be sick. Nobody with my group knows what is wrong so were going to euthanize. I stepped in and took pigeon home to see if I can fix his problems. Somebody please tell me how to help him.

1. Has lime green poop which has tinged his butt area and underside of tail feathers.

2. Cannot seem to stand up properly. Kind of sits back on his legs and shuffles. Does not move around at all. Maybe his legs hurt because he just sits down all the time.

3. I could be wrong but he felt hot like he had a fever and was trembling a little earlier.

Otherwise doing ok, joints not really swollen, maybe a tiny bit by joints on legs. Was pecking at some seeds earlier, but does not seem to eat much. Keel is not prominent. Can I feed him exact or is this for babies only. He makes a noise like the babies do sometimes but does not look like a baby.

Please help asap. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Our group has access to anitibiotics such as clavamox and amoxicillan if either of these would help him.

Thanks
Rachel. H

Rachel25 said:

I have modified my original post:

I work for a Wildlife Rescue group and we just got in a homing or fancy pigeon (it had a band around it). This pigeon is pretty young and a nice calm little thing. I have taken it home to care for it because it appears to be sick. Nobody with my group knows what is wrong so were going to euthanize. I stepped in and took pigeon home to see if I can fix his problems. Somebody please tell me how to help him.

1. Has lime green poop which has tinged his butt area and underside of tail feathers.

2. Cannot seem to stand up properly. Kind of sits back on his legs and shuffles. Does not move around at all. Maybe his legs hurt because he just sits down all the time.

3. I could be wrong but he felt hot like he had a fever and was trembling a little earlier.

Otherwise doing ok, joints not really swollen, maybe a tiny bit by joints on legs. Was pecking at some seeds earlier, but does not seem to eat much. Keel is not prominent. Can I feed him exact or is this for babies only. He makes a noise like the babies do sometimes but does not look like a baby.

Please help asap. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Our group has access to anitibiotics such as clavamox and amoxicillan if either of these would help him.

Thanks
Rachel. H

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You can feed this bird exact. It is for babies, but many rehabbers use it to feed adult birds that won't self feed for whatever reason.
Someone asked in your other post to give the band information.
If you are like most rehabbers, you may have this pre-concieved notion that notifying the owner is a death sentence for the bird. I am a pigeon racer myself, so believe when I tell you that I understand WHY you might feel that way.
However, not ALL pigeon fanciers are that uncaring. MOST do want to know where their lost birds are and ARE willing to try to get them back home. If the bird is banded, it does belong to someone, and anyone who finds a lost pigeon is, IMO, obligated to try to return that bird to it's owner or at the very least, notify the owner that the bird has been found and go from there. I know if it was MY bird, I would want to know that you have it and would do what I could to get it back.
If you would like to send me the band info in a PM, I would be glad to send you the contact information and let you take it from there.
I suspect, from what you've posted, that you have a young (this year) racing pigeon that has become lost while out loft flying or maybe training. It's very possible that the bird isn't really that far from home.
Just from what you've told us, I would also suspect that the bird is just simply hungry from being lost and not knowing how to find food. Of course I could be wrong as it's hard to determine these things over the internet.
So.............my offer stands if you want to take me up on it.

Hi Rachel.......The lime green poops sound like a sign of starvation. Even though you say he looks like an adult bird.........the fact that the sounds he makes (squeaking) means that he is still very young. He is propably a young fledging maybe 1 month to a month and a half old. At this age they start feeding one their own, with supplemental feedings and help from the parents. His parents have propably moved on to a new nest and he was left to his own resources and has not done to well on his own.

Is he able to fly well???

He definately needs supplemental hand feeding until he is strong enough to be out there on his own. Kaytee exact should be given to him approx. 15/20 CC's 3 to 4 times a day. At this age he will not like being hand fed. The best way to hand feed is to bundle him up burrito style and administer the Kaytee with either an eyedropper or syringe. You can also do seed pops and give him defrosted peas and corn. I would also make sure he has ample access to seed and water in his cage.

Once he has regained his strength, you will have to make sure he is able to eat and drink on his own. It should only take a few days of hand feeding for you to see great improvement in him.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

He is from Louisiana. I am going to call his owners. He is a 2009 bird.

He should be able to eat on his own right. Why would his owners have let him fly free if he is not eating on his own? or maybe he escaped.

I am going to feed Exact later but really feel something is up with his legs. Why would he not be able to stand? I mean weak birds can still stand right? I weighed him and he is nearly 300 grams. I have noticed since yesterday that he is not really drinking much and not eating much at all.

He sits on his elbows all the time and does not move. He can flap his wings but does not want to fly or just can't. He feels hot as I mentioned earlier. His wings and legs feel warmer than normal.

Is there anything I can do to help his legs. Is there an infection that can make pigeons unable to stand?

Sorry, I have many questions, I really want to help this guy.

Rachel25 said:

He is from Louisiana. I am going to call his owners. He is a 2009 bird.

He should be able to eat on his own right. Why would his owners have let him fly free if he is not eating on his own? or maybe he escaped.

I am going to feed Exact later but really feel something is up with his legs. Why would he not be able to stand? I mean weak birds can still stand right? I weighed him and he is nearly 300 grams. I have noticed since yesterday that he is not really drinking much and not eating much at all.

He sits on his elbows all the time and does not move. He can flap his wings but does not want to fly or just can't. He feels hot as I mentioned earlier. His wings and legs feel warmer than normal.

Is there anything I can do to help his legs. Is there an infection that can make pigeons unable to stand?

Sorry, I have many questions, I really want to help this guy.

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Yes, he should be capable of eating on his own. I suspect that the bird escaped from the owner. We put these guys out at an early age to learn how to return to the loft, but if a hawk dives in after them, they can take off in a panic and be so far from home before they realize it and simply not know how to get back.
I honestly don't even know how much a pigeon weighs.......guess that's something I should pay attention too............I go by how they feel in the hand........
So, maybe there IS something else going on with this bird. With the green droppings, my first guess would be starvation and my second guess would be coccidiosis...........and both could be so severe that he wouldn't be able to get around very good.........although I've never personally seen a case that bad....but I don't do rehab work either...........
Can you post pictures or a video of the bird? So, if the bird is from LA, how far is that from you?

So I have been feeding Exact and have tried peas and corn. Pigeon resists but I can get him to eat. He is not losing any weight and seems a healthy weight to me. No change in the condition of his legs though. Still sits down all the time. Poop is no longer lime green, now a much darker green with some white in it. Is this a healthy poop? I have him in a carrier and change his paper constantly as I don't want him to sit in any poop.

Have been unable to contact his owners so far. Tried their number all day yesterday. Will try again Monday.

Unfortunately our rehab organization is very small and we have no vet on site or ability to do a fecal float. Most birds we see are cat bite injuries which we treat with a regular antibiotic. Nobody knows anything about pigeons! Please, please does anybody know what could be causing his inability to stand? I know he can stand up slightly if he wants to but does not like to so I believe it must hurt or his legs are too weak. He also has been leaning on one of his wings slightly. I do not believe his inability to stand is due to overall weakness. He looks good.

Oh and one more question - do racing pigeons have thicker looking wings than the average pigeon?