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  • This forum is for advice about initial treatment given to your injured/sick bird until a qualified avian veterinarian is available.
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Urgent Pigeon wounded by cat

green&grey

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It has a pretty nasty wound on its back and some wounds on its leg(foot and heel). The leg is warm, though not swollen, and its sticking straight out. The other leg has a small scratch/scab on the heel, but otherwise looks normal. Primaries on one wing all plucked out, I haven't found any other injuries.

I sprayed some antiseptic on the wounds and now I'm just hoping for the best. :( It's in a small bird carrier on my porch with some water.

A vet visit is probably not happening, sadly. Parents are against it, and we're a little short on money atm. The vets might not even take pigeons in. Is there anything I could do to help the poor bird? Any antibiotics or topical disinfectants or something? I know cat attacks can be deadly because of the pathogens they carry.
 

rocky'smom

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After cleaning the wounds, you can apply neosporin cream tiny amount to the ouchies, keep it warm hydrated @Birdbabe
 

Tiel Feathers

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Thanks for trying to help this bird, I hope he will be okay!
 

sunnysmom

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Is this a wild pigeon? Are there wildlife rehabs near you?
 

Feathered up

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Call and ask them if they can take in a pigeon. Sometimes they will make exceptions. My small animal vet does wildlife rehab and even though she doesn’t treat birds, she will take in wounded wild birds.

Cat saliva is very dangerous to birds so finding someone with experience is really your best bet. Even if they won’t take it, they may be able to provide you with appropriate meds and instructions.

Otherwise make sure he is warm, free from drafts and has easy access to clean food and water. Make sure he isn’t still bleeding if he is you can use cornstarch or flour to stop it.

You can add a heat source by putting rice in a pair of white tall socks and warming them in the microwave. Not TOO hot. Just a comfortable level of warm and add them to the carrier so he can sit on them IF he needs to. They will have to be rewarded frequently. If he stays off he is likely warm enough. If he’s sitting them, try to find a heating pad and put it on low under ONE end of the carrier and see what he thinks about it.

Other than that, neospin to clean wounds is about all you’ve got.
 

rocky'smom

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I'm not sure if your country has rehabbers. Just warm water and a little tiny bit of mild baby soap make sure to rinse well.
 
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SandraK

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Many rehabbers, even in the States, won't take pigeons because they are considered an invasive species (depending on the species - like rock/city pigeons).
 

Feathered up

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Many rehabbers, even in the States, won't take pigeons because they are considered an invasive species (depending on the species - like rock/city pigeons).
Truth and it’s ridiculous.
 

green&grey

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I had rescued a wild pigeon before - he wasn't wounded, just lost his flights - and had asked my biology professor if any wildlife rehabbers treated pigeons. The answer was no, and for that exact reason. He's a regular rock dove, not a woodpigeon or something that would be ''worth saving''. My mother keeps telling me the same, and Google searches haven't helped either, so I'll try calling a vet or one of the rehabbers tomorrow to see if they can help me in any way. I doubt anyone will take it in but it's worth a try. I might get some useful information on how to treat it if nothing else.

We put some neomycin-dexamethason on his wounds(closest thing to neosporin we have atm, and have treated small animals with it before).
I've brought him inside for the night, and put one of those water-filled heating bags against one carrier wall(its made of cloth). Crossing my fingers he makes it through the night.
 

Feathered up

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Please don’t put anymore dexamethasone on the pigeon without direction of a vet. It can predispose them to other problems.

The light in this is that because it is going to act as an anti inflammatory, it may help with the pain but best to know the dosage you’re applying which is tough in an ointment for a lay person.
 

green&grey

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It's not ointment, it's a solution with an eye dropper. It's a very small concentration too. We used it to treat our other small animals multiple times before, with recommendation from their vets. I know corticosteroid use over a longer time can cause side effects. I understand your concern, though. Tomorrow I will hopefully get help from a vet, if not I'll try looking for neosporin.
 
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Sylvester

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I found a pigeon in a very bad way a few summers ago. It was in the middle of the road and I could see that it was still alive so I stopped my car to get the poor battered little guy before he got run over.

I took him the wild bird society but he didn't make it, he was so injured. I wish you all the best.
 

Lady Jane

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@Birdbabe will know what to do. She has already been tagged so she will be here soon.
 

Feathered up

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Neopolydec ophthalmic solution
It's not ointment, it's a solution with an eye dropper. It's a very small concentration too. We used it to treat our other small animals multiple times before, with recommendation from their vets. I know corticosteroid use over a longer time can cause side effects. I understand your concern, though. Tomorrow I will hopefully get help from a vet, if not I'll try looking for neosporin.
I appreciate that you are making so much effort with this poor bird.

For future reference, (and concentration can vary) but opthalmic solutions of dexamethasone are generally a 1 % solution and will yield 1 mg of dexamethasone per milliliter of solution. The dose of Dex for a bird is 1 mg/kg. Even just a dropper full is a potential overdose. (I’m not chastising the OP, she’s making the best of a bad situation) I just know that these threads come up when people google and do want to be clear that dosing for a bird requires the right type of knowledge. Also, as a general rule, Birds should only be given steroids for 48 hours. I just want to Emphasize that people should be intimately familiar the meds you’re dealing with prior to administration.

I hope things work out for this little guy!
 

enigma731

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Can you call vets in the area and see if any of them take wildlife? My vet will care for them at their cost if you surrender the animal.
 

saroj12

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Don’t leave it on the porch!
 

saroj12

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My vet has a wildlife fund to treat wild life. She doesn’t charge but you can contribute if you like.
 

Birdbabe

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Wash his wounds with warm soapy water,,,"DAWN" is best but whatever you have will do. Can you get silver sulfadiazine cream or Neosporin spray/ cream? Anything. Bacitracin cream? Even aloe vera ...is better than nothing .Try dipping his beak in the water, or hold the water up to his beak to get him to drink..please dont leave him outside, bring him in and put him somewhere away from cold and drafts
He really needs Antibiotics if its cat wounds, is there a rescue near you? Dexamethasone is a steroid, used for inflammation, but you need a gram weight for exact dosage.. I know your trying, thank you for helping, let us know how he makes it through the night. I saw the DEX is a liquid, mmmm, cant hurt for the night..
 
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