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Pigeon care?

MR. Mango

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Just wanted some general information on pigeon care and diet, plus the cage requirements, toys, etc plus the pigeon I’m asking for is a special needs bird who can’t fly due to an injury in his wing, he was a wild pigeon but unfortunately he’s going to be kept in captivity due to his inability to fly, FYI not my pigeon I’m asking for a family member
 

MR. Mango

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MR. Mango

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@Shezbug @Zara do u know any members with pigeons or special needs pigeons
 

Zara

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dovemom

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Have you taken this bird to a vet to identify the problem? Is it a broken wing, or just a sprain?
Pigeons take a lot of space. In their cage, they must have a ledge or box near the top of the cage. if the bird is unable to fly, make a ramp or staircase for it. A pigeon cage needs to be pretty good-sized, four feet long, and three feet high at the bare minimum. pigeons have softbills, so toys like shredders and colorful bells are not in their best interest, and could just scare a wild pigeon. you can still put colorful sticks and wooden toys to give him something to look at, but don't be surprised if it doesn't use them.
As for diet, my pigeons get a high-quality mix but many wild bird seeds from the store work well, and you can find lots of good feeds online. make sure to include bits of greens as well, just little slivers small enough for the bird to eat.
I would very highly recommend you bring the bird to a vet, to be treated for parasites and have the wing looked at. But please take into consideration that if the wing is broken, the bird will never fly, and you HAVE to spend time bonding with the bird so that it can be able to do things and not sit in a cage all its life. Pigeons are extremely smart and can get bored easily.
 

MR. Mango

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Yeah he got seen by a vet and the vet said that its likely a broken wing, and that even though its healing well, he likely won't be able to fly and definitely not for the next few months, ik they were given some antiseptic meds to apply topically to prevent infection but I don't know too many details
 

MR. Mango

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I got an image from them that clearly shows the wound, they live in an area that doesn’t have any avian vets, so they would appreciate any info they could get about treatment since the reg vet prob isn’t very familiar with birds
 

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Zara

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I don´t think you were very clear on your initial post. So they just found this bird now? Because that wound looks fresh. Looks like some sort of cat attack, or other predator (I don´t know what you have in that area).

so they would appreciate any info they could get about treatment since the reg vet prob isn’t very familiar with birds
Probably? Or they cannot help? Have they asked? Most vets are able to treat wounds, or at least help c lean up the bird and advise where to go for better treatment.

Please pursuade them to seek professional help for this bird. They will likely need pain meds.
 

MR. Mango

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They said that they started seeing the bird 2 weeks ago and managed to capture him just a day or two ago
 

MR. Mango

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They’re not sure what attacked him but there isn’t any open blood currently, I asked them if there were any avian specialists but they didn’t say there were any and that his wound was being cleaned with povidone iodine, the vet didn’t give any pain meds and they are not open to going to another vet cuz of the fees from the first visit, even after all of my pleading. I would love any advice for anything to ease the pain. I really hope they come around to another vet visit
 

Shezbug

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Sorry, I can’t help in any useful way at all.
 

tacotaco

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In this situation, without professional medical help, the most you can do is apply a thin layer of Neosporin if the bird will even allow you to touch the area without spooking it any further. And even so, this should only be done if the wound has been cleaned and is no longer open. If things work out, make sure to let the bird rest as peacefully as possible as any motion to the wing will be very painful :(
 

dovemom

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After seeing that picture, I don't think that bird is going to survive. it almost appears to be a bullet wound. I hate to say this, but it would likely be best to euthanize that bird. Another option could be a bird rehabber or licenced avian vet to help show you how to treat and dress the wound, possibly prescribe meloxicam or another painkiller/anti-inflammatory, and set the wing. Helping this bird is going to be incredibly expensive.
Where are you located? I can see if I can help locate a rehabber nearby that may be willing to help. I've got some connections in the avian rehab community that might be able to give you better answers.
 

MR. Mango

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As I mentioned before the bird isn’t mine but a family member found him, based off of info they’ve found online they believe the pigeon is a juvenile that was likely attacked by a crow or other bird, they said that the bird himself is fine and behaving fairly normal it’s just his injured wing that he’s keeping drooped, they also mentioned new feather growth in the area of the wound. They are located in lahore Pakistan, they took him to a reg vet originally but he wasn’t familiar with birds too much they weren’t willing to take him to another vet since they couldn’t find any avian vets and felt that a reg vet would be a waste, plus I did some own searching and it seems that most rehabilitates in the area don’t accept pigeons and consider them a pest.But any help would be appreciated. I am continuously trying to convince them to try going back or to another vet but they’re very opposed to it
 

Rekillkos

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They’re not sure what attacked him but there isn’t any open blood currently, I asked them if there were any avian specialists but they didn’t say there were any and that his wound was being cleaned with povidone iodine, the vet didn’t give any pain meds and they are not open to going to another vet cuz of the fees from the first visit, even after all of my pleading. I would love any advice for anything to ease the pain. I really hope they come around to another vet visit

Hi there,

I have a similar probelm right now. One of my pigeons is just a mess, he was rescued from another loft. Some things that I use to help are lidocaine drops for pain. It comes in a little bottle but theres also creams you can use. Calcium supplements help to heal bones faster, so if you get some for humans that arent flavored or colored you can add them into the water. The ony problem is that they settle to the lowest center of gravity but they still help. There's a website called Foys Pigeon Supply that has a lot of good water and food mix ins for vitamins and whatnot, a good diet for the pigeon is one of the best things to help them heal. Pigeons are extremely resiliant especially the feral ones, but you may have to euthanize if he doesn't heal at all after several months. My pigeon has a wound on his wing like this along with splayed feet, angel wing syndrome, and conjuntivitis. He eats by himself and whatnot, and he seems to have good quality of life despite all his ailments. I like to use Bacitracin for open wounds along with syptic powder to make a paste of sorts that can be applied to the wouund with a Q tip. Everyone has different methods for medical care but so far these have all seemed to help my injured birds.

I hope he gets feeling better soon!
 

Rekillkos

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Just wanted some general information on pigeon care and diet, plus the cage requirements, toys, etc plus the pigeon I’m asking for is a special needs bird who can’t fly due to an injury in his wing, he was a wild pigeon but unfortunately he’s going to be kept in captivity due to his inability to fly, FYI not my pigeon I’m asking for a family member
One really easy and fairly inexpensive cage option is a large dog crate. You might have to use wire to secure some perches, but for the most part they make great cages. You'll have to let him out for exercise and whatnot though. Even if he can't fly they still like to walk and flap their wings sometimes. They are very clean birds and like to bathe, so a large shallow bathing dish is needed. There's pine scented bath salts you can buy for the water that help with feather health. Pigeons are seed eaters mostly but they also like veggies and some fruits 1-2 times a week. Safflower seed is really good for them, sunflwoer seeds are a little high in fat to be an everyday food. Grains like brown rice and unmilled wheat are good, and so are dried peas. Whole corn kernels are good, and pigeons need grit to help digest. Some good grit includes oyster shells and calcium fortified grit. They're very curious birds, you can find lots of DIY toys online, using household items like paper towels, brown paper bags and so on
 

fashionfobie

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This thread is an older one, and you may not get a response. If you currently have an injured bird, please seek professional medical care. Feral pigeons are not magically more resilient. They are still living being who are worthy of getting help.
 

Rekillkos

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This thread is an older one, and you may not get a response. If you currently have an injured bird, please seek professional medical care. Feral pigeons are not magically more resilient. They are still living being who are worthy of getting help.
Thank you for your concern, however I am not worried about getting a response or not. As long as the information is there I'm happy. And no, feral pigeons aren't magically more resiliant, they simply don't have any options of medical care and as a result can seem that way due to surviving with their ailments. I have injured birds all the time and do in fact provide professional medical care, I am currently a veterinary assistant and own a very succesful rescue and rehoming program for all species of birds. Thank you for your comment
 
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