[gigi]

Hello everyone,

I apologize if this has been brought up before, I haven't searched through the whole forum..

I've been taking care for a sick feral pigeon for a week now. Last friday I took her to the vet and they told me it was trichomoniasis, gave me medicine (efloran, marbocyl(m), meloxidyl) to take care of that but otherwise the prognosis was good; no physical injuries. I'd be able to release her after a week or two.

But after a few days as I saw she was gaining strenght and struggling to get free when I would give her the medication, I thought it was time for her to start flying again. So I leave her be every evening while I clean out her cage. She has more than enough room to fly around the bathroom, but just stands on the floor and flutters away from me when I try to catch her. I'm concerned that she might not be able to fly and am wondering if maybe she just isn't up to her full strenght yet or could there be something wrong with her wing?
The right one is held like 0.5cm lower and a feather is sticking out slightly on the top, but she flaps and folds them both okay. Her right eye was also hurt a bit, but is healing nicely so perhaps there was a hit to her right side from a car or something? Is it possible that the wing muscles are that sore? Or could she have hurt herself in the cage? It's actually a pet carrier box the clinic lent to me, so there's not that many grates where the wing could get stuck in.

I don't know much about birds but am really fond of them and would like to do anything I can to help her get back to her flock.

Kind regards,
GiGi

 

[cwebster]

Hi! Can you post a photo showing her wings?

 

[Jay3]

As cwebster has asked, a picture would help, showing how she holds her wings.
If she has canker, then she isn't feeling well, and probably doesn't want to fly. Also the medicine can make her feel sick. Better to give the efloran after she eats, as it can make them sick on an empty crop.

 

[gigi]

Hello,

Thank you both for your quick responses. Here are some pictures from this morning.
It was the first time she cooed while struggling to get away, when I picked her up for medicine, so she must be feeling stronger.

Her throat is clear now, although I don't know what it was like before as I been administring the medicine by slowly dropping it on the side of the beak and letting her drink. Her droppings are getting firmer too, only watery when I let her out in the bathroom - because of stress I suppose.

I'll try to give her efloran after eating. She has food freely availiable but mostly eats in the middle of the day and I have to give it in the morning before I leave for the day (as that is the schedule the vets put her on).


PS Sorry for the picture size, I don't know how they turned out this way. They are vertical and smaller on my pc.

 

[cwebster]

Lovely bird! Hope he recovers with tlc. I am not an expert. Sounds like PMV.

 

[Jay3]

Wing doesn't look broken, but he may have injured it. You can give the med any time of the day you like. Just start giving it at the different time, and give it at that time every day. Are you sure she is getting all the med that way? Birds will usually eat first thing in the morning and then later in the afternoon. Or they just graze off and on all day. Don't worry about feeding first if it doesn't seem to be making her sick.
I am not familiar with that drug, except that it is supposed to be the same as Flagyl. How much are you giving and for how long?
The bird is not showing any signs of PMV. She isn't flying because she isn't well. And she may have injured the wing, and it needs rest.

 

[gigi]

Hi,
yes, she drinks up all of the medicine. I'm giving her 0,1ml each, the first two in 24h periods and the third one once every 12h; so in the morning all three and in the evening just the last one. She doesn't appear to be sick after the meds, so that's okay then. I don't know for how long really, I imagined untill I ran out of it, but probably from one to two weeks considering that was how long the vet asked me to keep her.


I'll stop with the medication next week, but will keep her in until she can fly around the bathroom. Good to know that getting some rest will help her wing, I was beginning to worry. Thank you!

 

[Jay3]

I'm only saying it could Just need rest. She could not be flying because of being ill. With Metronidazole (Flagyl) she should get 50 mg once daily for 7 to 10 days. If it is the same thing then she should be getting that dose.

 

[gigi]

I see, okay. I searched for Efloran, it is the brand name for Metronidazole here. I have it dissolved in liquid so 0.1ml is the prescribed volume which is over 50mg, because the dissolving liquid (water I guess) needs to be taken into account. I've no doubt the vets took care of that, but I'll keep an eye out on any changes and stop with the medicine after 10 days. The other two are anti-inflamation/analgesic and antibiotic.
So far she's only been getting stronger and more vocal when I pick her up - which to me is a good sign. I'll keep you posted!

 

[Jay3]

Thanks. Hope all goes well.

 

[gigi]

Hi,

I've taken the bird to the vet again yesterday for a check-up and although she has healed from canker, they now noticed that her right shoulder joint is a bit loose and weren't able to say if she'll fly again. I am to give her 0,1ml meloxidyl for pain relief once a day.

I have high hopes for her and won't get her euthanised, so I took her back home for some extra rest untill she feels able to get back out there.

But I was wondering if there are any foods or supplements that you know of which would help strenghten ligaments, tendons and muscles? Right now I'm giving her common bird food and she picks out only wheat, red dari and millet.

Best wishes!

 

[Jay3]

You could give her bird vitamins that also contain calcium/vit D3.

 

[gigi]

Thanks, I'll check that out.

 

[gigi]

Hello,

I'm in need of some advice again. Gigi the pigeon is eating well, her poop looks healthy, but she doesn't seem to drink very much. After the 10 day antibiotic and 14 day pain-relief treatment I am now giving her Bach Rescue Remedy and homeopathic Arnica, which a fellow pigeon rescuer had good results with.

What worries me is that she is now sneezing, scratching and shaking her feathers (like a wet dog would)a lot and sometimes makes a snorting sound; it gets worse at night. Her throat and nose are clean, but she keeps one eye closed when I'm not looking (which may be a separate thing as this was the eye that had been hurt externally when I found her - it's healed by now but perhaps it still hurts).

The vet said that if there's no water or mucus coming out her nose or eyes, then it's probably just the inside air that's bothering her. But she's also a bit lethargic - puffs up and dozes off after eating in the morning, then later goes about fluttering around the cage. Her coos also sound a bit nasally when she's afraid; she doesn't coo otherwise.

Could it be that she is just resting as a part of recovery or should I do something?

I've also moved her into a bigger cage next to a window so she gets some Sun and fresh air. The radiator is on minimum and tonight I put a wet cloth on it and after she didn't sneeze for hours; it may be just that it scared her that much...

I'm posting a photo of her resting; she was puffed up, eyes closed and had her head straight down in her chest feathers untill she saw me.

 

[gigi]

Hi Jay3,

Just wanted to thank you again and let you know that an animal rescue society has helped me find someone that will take her in and try to help her recover. We've only just now noticed that she's lost vision in one eye, so chances of her release are even slimmer..
But this boy has helped two pigeons with bad prognoses back to the sky already so hopefully she'll get there too. Otherwise he has an outdoor place and some pigeon company for her so at least she'll have a mate, which I can't offer her.

All the best!

 

[cwebster]

Glad to hear you have found her a home. Thank you for helping her.

 

[Jay3]

Thanks for helping her. If she cannot see from one eye, then she cannot be released. She would not be safe from predators.