It's string injury season again

I've been keeping an eye on 6 pigeons I saw walking awkwardly or with a limp for a few days now.

Two of them have healed injuries: one has a missing foot and the other has part of the leg missing. Nothing to be done for those, as there's no infection and no swelling. I'll just make sure they get fed.

The other four are string injuries: a large black male and a brown hen that hang around the popcorn stall on my street -- very good at evading capture so far. The most seriously injured are two proud males, a check with black thread on his feet and a blue bar with fishing line, both from the local park.

Yesterday evening I managed to catch the check bird. He looks so much like Nightflier (who hasn't come round for days) it's unsettling. But I can't be sure, as he's going through a heavy moult.
This bird had a badly infected foot, was covered in pigeon flies (them again! ), has terrible diarrhea and the inside of his beak is mucosy and grey.
Freeing him from the thread took almost 6 hours, and was only finished today.
He's on Metacam for 3 days, Baytril (in the morning, for 7 days plus, we'll see) and Flagyl (in the evening, for 7 days in principle).
He's been a great patient, but considering how hard it was to catch him, I look forward to seeing him turn feisty!



Photos taken at the beginning of the treatment... (and yes, those are knots!!! )







... and after freeing the toes. At this stage there was only string left round the top of his foot. The colour of his toes had already started to improve, but the middle toe was almost severed, by no less than four separate layers of thread embedded in dried blood, pus and callous. I don't know, at this stage, whether that toe can be saved.



Tonight, when I gave him the Flagyl, he looked much more comfortable, and the swelling had gone down quite a bit. I wish him a restful night!

Four in the same place all with string injuries.

The pictures show an incredible transformation. Teresa.
I can only imagine how much better the little guy feels.

I hope you are able to catch the others so they can also be relieved of their pain from these awful injuries.

Please keep us posted.

AZWhitefeather wrote:

Four in the same place all with string injuries.

The pictures show an incredible transformation. Teresa.
I can only imagine how much better the little guy feels.

I hope you are able to catch the others so they can also be relieved of their pain from these awful injuries.

Please keep us posted.

I hope so too, Cindy! This one was the worst of the four, so I'm glad he's rid of that string now. The one with the fishing line I tried to spot this morning, but there's an antique fair going on at the park, there's a huge crowd, and the pigeons were staying away.
Same problem with the ones near the popcorn stand. Far too many people, they spook them constantly. I was going to try at sunrise, but the drunks were still coming out of the clubs and fighting in the street.

The patient this morning, after his foot spa and having had the vent feathers cleaned.
He looks distrustful, but not afraid, and he is a dead ringer for Nightflier, if not himself.





As you can see, there was string on his right foot too, but that was minimal by comparison.

He is looking great!!
His foot has good color.

It's so sad that any pigeon has to endure string injuries. It would be twice as sad if this were in fact Nightflier.

I just cleared away the first reasonably formed poop! Faeces still very soft and light green, but perfect, white urates and not too much liquid!

When I gave him the Flagyl tonight he got up grumpily and stood on both feet! Problem is that the back toe was pointing to the front with the others. I'll have to wait until the foot has healed considerably more to see if it's possible to tape it in place, but I doubt it.

I spoke too soon about the poop improving -- today it was more liquid again, but there's no smell and the urates are still white.
I got worried that the diarrhea wasn't letting him absorb the meds properly, so I'm crushing the tablets and giving them to him with a syringe.

He's drinking lots, and it seems excessive even considering that it's very hot, so coccidiosis is a possibility (those pesky flies on him, they could have transmitted all sorts ) but I didn't want to interrupt the Flagyl after only 3 days. Let's see how he does with the liquid meds.

Here's a timely warning: beware of a feisty bird with diarrhea!

The last time I picked him up to give him his meds he was in no mood to cooperate. As I put my hands in the basket to pick him up, he wingslapped the newspaper at the bottom of the cage, sending out a spray of right into my eyes!

But be assured that I smell a lot better now!

Teresa wrote:

Here's a timely warning: beware of a feisty bird with diarrhea!

The last time I picked him up to give him his meds he was in no mood to cooperate. As I put my hands in the basket to pick him up, he wingslapped the newspaper at the bottom of the cage, sending out a spray of right into my eyes!

But be assured that I smell a lot better now!

I'll bet that was a shock.

I kept a respectful distance today...

Well, he's not Nightflier, so my nephew chose the name Stuart for him -- thinking he must be Scottish, because he's a check (tartan)...
Stuart is improving visibly. He's had physio, beside his foot spa, for the last 2 days. And his 3rd and 4th toes both have mobility. Today I taped his 3rd toe, to prevent it from bending under the pad and piercing it with the nail (I also trimmed that nail). I'm pretty sure the back toe can go back to its proper position too, especially now the swelling has gone down so much.

He IS one mighty wingslapper!!! Yikes, I got myself another Hercules!

I'm glad to hear Stuart is doing better.
Are his poops improving?

AZWhitefeather wrote:

I'm glad to hear Stuart is doing better.
Are his poops improving?

Only a little, they're still far too liquid and he drinks LOTS! But his general condition is very much better. He's really inquisitive, proud and feisty. I'm still supplementing his food with peas and corn, and he fights me all the way, with his eyes firmly fixed on the window...
I'm starting to suspect that the bad poops may be wet droppings related to alterations of the kidney function, such as you get in birds who survived viral infections. That had happened before with Poppet, who was perfectly fine but always drank too much and had wet poops. Sammy's much the same.
However, considering that coccidiosis can also do that, I'll give him a tablet of Coximed when he's finished the Flagyl. Just a precaution, I think, as his poops don't smell at all and they're not mucousy or 'bubbly'.

Now he holds his head up and looks at humans disdainfully, he's a very handsome pigeon indeed. I've got some new photos, but I don't think I'll have the time to post them before Saturday.

I hope Stuart's poops normalize soon.
Look forward to seeing the new photos.

Stuart had his left foot bound today, so it's looking like a duck's foot.
He is one seriously annoyed pigeon (wingslapping AND pecking!) but if those two toes can be stopped from curling under his footpad he will be MUCH more comfortable.

I got him a rounded triangular-section perch, which must be easier for him to manage that a flat one, at least to begin with. I don't suppose he'll be able to use it just yet, but it's a chance to familiarise himself with the foreign object, and maybe he'll perch on it with the good foot for now.

Teresa - you are definitely Stuart's life saver!!!!
I am definitely looking forward to new pics - especially with the "duck foot". Stuart loves you when he is slapping you like that - believe me. Wouldn't it be the best miracle on earth if he ever will be able to walk on both feet again???

I pray for his complete recovery. What a brave little chap and what a brave pigeon angel YOU are...
Sending much love and

Thank you, Petra!

There's a new development. His Majesty decided that he was going to do things his own way:

Oh, the clever boy!!!!! The stubborn little terror managed to take his shoe off by wetting the adhesive and then proceeded to stand on the new perch with his toes perfectly positioned!!!
Which is perfectly fine by me. What a bird!

PS. He acts JUST like Hercules, to the extent of pinching a bit of skin with his beak and shaking his head to 'kill' my hand!

What a character he is!!

I really have to upload more photos, but I've only been half awake for the last two hours as it is... I'm just waiting for that awful noise in the street to stop, some sort of karaoke-like shrieking... thank goodness it's the last weekend of August, and after this it will get much quieter.

Teresa wrote:

He acts JUST like Hercules, to the extent of pinching a bit of skin with his beak and shaking his head to 'kill' my hand!

Teresa - that's the kind of game we always play with Pina - she is our little Ninja princess - with a hefty double wing slap and biting the skin and shaking the head like a little vulture trying to get some pieces out of the prey

I am so glad that Stuart seems tobe in "good mood" - sending more healing thoughts

pigeonwriter wrote:

Teresa wrote:

He acts JUST like Hercules, to the extent of pinching a bit of skin with his beak and shaking his head to 'kill' my hand!

Teresa - that's the kind of game we always play with Pina - she is our little Ninja princess - with a hefty double wing slap and biting the skin and shaking the head like a little vulture trying to get some pieces out of the prey

Warrior Princess, maybe you should have called her Xena!!!

pigeonwriter wrote:

I am so glad that Stuart seems tobe in "good mood" - sending more healing thoughts

Thank you, Petra!

Teresa - how is Stuart doing?. Do you have any new photos???? Don't want to press - I know you have lots to do....

Sending

He's doing really well, but of course Halo has been getting the lion's share of attention!

The third toe is fine now, it still curves just a tiny bit but sideways, not under his pad any more.
The back toe is getting there, gradually. Sometimes it still points towards the front a bit, but not often; most of the time it goes sideways, outwards, but when he perches on something angled it goes to the right position.

The swelling has gone down LOTS, and he's off all the meds now. The cuts have been moisturised daily to allow healing to start from the inside outwards and avoid problems related to new callous formation.

He's going insane to get back out there. My guess is there's a mate and a nest waiting for him. As he's progressing very well and can stand now without causing himself further injury, I think he's very nearly ready to release.