Rehabbing a concussed bird

Hello, i'm Rabbit and i'm new! Please forgive the following novel while i give some background on Walter.

A coworker of mine brought me a window-struck pigeon last Thursday. He'd smacked into a second story window, fallen to the ground, and laid there in the sun in 100˚F weather for a few hours before the coworker realized that he was still alive and shifted him over to the shade. From there, the pigeon was outside for a day and a half with no food and a little dish of water before the coworker realized that the pigey wasn't going to die nor was it going to walk away and asked me to take the poor thing home for rehab.
He was in a bad shape. Nothing broken, but he was obviously heavily concussed. His eyes were dilating unevenly and he had no balance. Couldn't walk, barely able to stand.

I offered pigeon seed mix and water, but the bird wouldn't eat. I had some chick food (probably not the best thing but it's what i had on hand) so i mixed up a watery batch, grabbed a syringe, and force-fed him. After the second syringe he struggled out of my hands and started eating seed and drinking water like he'd just remembered what they were.
Now he's convalescing nicely. We're at day three together and he's eating and drinking on his own and able to walk, groom a little, and balance on one foot to relax. He's still a little unsteady on his feet and not making any attempts to fly yet, and he doesn't respond to bathing. I spritz him with a spray bottle or rinse him gently in the sink and he just looks at me like i'm stupid.

We've seen rollers in the sky near my place of work and i know somebody in the neighborhood is breeding birds, but this guy doesn't have a band. He growls at me and shies a little when i go to pick him up, but as soon as he's in my hands he relaxes and lets me hold him and pet him. Right now he's sitting in a cat carrier with the top off about two feet away from me, just hanging out. He's not showing any fear but neither is he coming any closer. This is pretty much how it's been unless i initiate contact.

He's a gorgeous dark grey with yellow/orange eyes and bright red feet. He's got a flip of feathers on the back of his head like a spoiler that he seems to like having rubbed. I really like Walter but i have no clue what kind of pigeon he is, if he's feral or a lost pet, or if i'm even doing the right thing. I'm giving him pigeon seed and i have pigeon grit but i'm not sure when or how to offer it. He's currently in the cat carrier with the top off when i'm around and the top on when i'm not, and i encourage him to walk around the house with supervision (i don't have any predatory pets or dangerous stuff he could get into). He's also been taken outside for sunshine about 20 minutes every day while i'm holding him. He seems to like it but i can't tell if he's actually comfortable or just brain damaged.
Other than the concussion he's in great shape. His feet and beak are clean and pretty, his feathers are gorgeous, he has few parasites that i've been able to see, and now that he's eating he's like a poop machine which i assume is a good thing.

Could he be feral? Should i plan to set him free or keep him? If the latter, would he be okay being an indoor bird? Other than pigeon food and grit, should i be offering anything else?
There are so many resources online that i'm a little confused as to where to start. I want to do right by little Walter and i figure if anyone could help me it would be you folks.

Thanks for having a forum like this. I'd be completely lost without it!

Hi Gorabbitgo,

Thank you (and your coworker too!) for taking in Walter and looking after him.

From what you say, by the time you got him he must have been badly dehydrated, hence the fact he was too weak to eat or drink, but your quick thinking in syringe feeding him did the trick! And yes, chick food in an emergency works just fine!

Most cases of birds hitting windows don't produce serious concussion, but there are some things to look out for:
1 - Is there any swelling on his head? Feel his skull for bumps, as it should be smooth and symmetrical.
2 - Did he damage his beak? See if there are any fine fracture lines, or any other damage. If so, these can be gently filed smooth with a nail file.
3 - Concussed birds don't do well with heat, so it might be better not to expose him to direct sunlight for a few days, to be on the safe side.

Would it be possible for you to post a picture, to give us an idea of his age and what type of pigeon he is? From what you said of his behaviour, he's either very young, or a pet (or a girl, lol!), otherwise he would be a lot less tame. But as you mentioned 'yellow/orange eyes', he can't be that young, or they would be grey. Also the flip of feathers on the back of his head suggests a fancy breed. If your neighbour bands all his birds, this one may well be the offspring of a runaway. He sounds gorgeous!

If he is an adult it's sufficient to offer food twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. A proprietary pigeon seed mix is best, and it's good to also give him a salad once a week: shredded lettuce or spinach, shredded carrot and thawed frozen peas and corn. He may not know what to do with it at first, but if he can be persuaded to eat some, it's got very important vitamins, which the seeds are poor in.
Fresh water and grit always available are just as they should be!

A very simple idea to increase immunity to intestinal problems is to put a little apple cider vinegar in his water once a week (5ml/litre).
As for feather mites, it's good that you can't see any. You can double check by opening his wings against the light and checking for pin pricks on the feathers.

Hope that helps!

Thank you, Teresa!

Walter doesn't seem to have any bumps on his li'l noggin or any chips out of his beak. He does tend to tip forward on his toes when he's standing still, though, and stumbles a little when he walks. He's grooming today, which i hope means he's feeling better.
Per your advice, i did a more thorough search for feather mites and did find three or four under his wings. We'll have to remedy that tomorrow. I assume i can use the same anti-pest stuff that is sold for parrots?

I don't know whether or not the neighbor bands their birds. Logic would state that he or she would, but i don't work in the most, ahem, savory neighborhood. It's possible that the birds were passed down from a long-gone parent or grandparent, or that they just don't care about banding their babies.

I managed to get a bunch of pictures! He's been walking around the living room all afternoon and was in a patient and indulgent mood. Very indulgent, as you will see.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.195574850491561.47391.100001171434574&l=dbd9131be6
He got a spoonful of thawed corn and canned pumpkin as a reward. He seemed to like the pumpkin yesterday. Tomorrow i'll put a drop or two little apple cider vinegar into his water.

Thank you again for your reassurance and guidance.

Hi Rabbit,

The two of you look soooo cute in those photos!
And 'indulgent' is hardly the word for it... I've never seen a pigeon content to be on his back!!! One of our members posted about a method for sexing pigeons which involves some similar yoga position, and according to that males immediately right themselves up and females don't. I bet he'd say Walter is a girl!! But we'll keep calling him 'he', and the future will tell...
(I thought I might try that method on Hercules, my bad boy, but decided not to, on the grounds that I prefer to keep my fingers!)

Yes, you can use the parrot stuff, but if it is a 'spot-on' half the pipette is enough. If it's a spray, I'm sure you will know not to get it in his face.

It's great to know he's grooming and continuing to improve. If there's no swelling in his skull, that's very good news and there's nothing an avian vet would need to do. It's just a matter of time now for the unsteadiness to disappear. Beware, though, that some infections, as well as thread worms, can cause similar symptoms to concussion. It's important to continue monitoring his poops and watch out for seizures. A gentle wormer (Ivermectin, Moxidectin, that kind of thing, but never Fenbendazole and the like) would be a good idea.

Keep us posted!

An update on Walter!
He's still recovering, but more slowly than his initial three days. His balance is slllllooooooowwwwly returning. He can stand on his right foot well enough to relax, but sometimes he has to brace his tail against something to help him stay upright. He's been inquisitive and attentive to everything. He gets along okay with my boyfriend and neighbor, but has been most tolerant with me. He doesn't like being petted when he's on the ground or picked up but likes being held and carried around, and he'll lean into pets and gentle head scratches while he's being held.

He hasn't had the balance to preen himself so we've been having bathtime in the sink every other day. The mites had an all-out population EXPLOSION before i was able to find a pest spray that i was comfortable putting on him. The bird store i prefer is all the way across town so i tend to rely on places like Petco for the "extras" and the first two pet stores i tried had pest sprays that looked pretty sketchy. No listed ingredients, cautions that include "do not allow contact with skin" when the directions say to spray it directly on your pet, etc....
I know that these things are allegedly safe, but i also have known a few people who have lost cats to "safe" pest treatments. I'm a little paranoid, especially since i also have bunnies who could be sensitive.
Now that i've treated him, he has seemed very agitated. He's stretching his wings and trying to reach his sides to scratch with his beak but he starts to tip over and ends up just shaking his head and laying down in defeat. Poor little birdy. He's pooping regularly and the poops look very normal. He eats like a pig and makes a huge mess everywhere. I do not know how a bird who lives in a cat carrier manages to get seed clear across the living room. I've been trying treats like shredded organic lettuce and a little fresh organic fruit, but he takes it out of his bowl and tosses it. He also clicks his beak while he's eating, a very fast short chitter between seeds. Is that normal?
He tried flying yesterday while walking around the living room and got a few inches off of the ground before giving up. I think he needs more rest before he'll be a flier again.
He's also been super duper quiet. He'll growl at me (a noise like a brooding hen) when i go to grab him, and just once he announced breakfast with a "coo-cooDOOO-coo-coo!" almost like an underwater rooster!
He's ignoring the mirror i put up. Maybe he is a girl? I don't care as long as (s)he's happy and healthy. I'll probably stick with Walter, too.
Birds don't care if they have gender-inappropriate names, right?

This week's goal is to get a real home for my Wally-bird. Living in a kitty carrier has been great for convalescing but i'm sure he'd like to have a little more room to move around and to not have to stand in his poop all day waiting for me to get home and clean. I mean, i clean the carrier every day but this bird poops like it's going out of style.

He also LOVES this site. His carrier is on my desk so that we can see each other while i'm working or doing homework. Whenever i click on the Pigeon Angels forum and he hears the bird noises, he freezes and cocks his head to one side to listen!
Thanks for being here for us!

Hi Rabbit,

Thank you for the update on Walter. And I don't think you need to worry about pigeons having gender-inappropriate names... Now I felt an idiot when I discovered that my Venus was a boy and changed his name to Achilles, but he wasn't bothered one way or another!

It's good to know that Walter continues to get better!
The seed tossing is typical of birds who have seizures, as their neck muscles twitch when they're trying to pick up the seed, and they scatter a lot more than what they manage to eat. A deep seed bowl is very helpful, because it gives them a better chance to grab the seeds.

Something very important to consider is Walter's water container. It is possible for PMV patients to drown in their water bowls, if they have a seizure while they're drinking and immerse their heads in the water. One way to avoid that is by providing a narrow container, so that his beak will fit in there, but not his head. Even better is to provide a gravity water dispenser. This is what I use for my PMV patient Sammy, and it works very well.



That's Sammy's set-up. I put a loop of wire round the top of the water dispenser, tied to one of the bars of the cage, so she doesn't tip it. The loop easily slides up, freeing the dispenser, for refilling or cleaning, and when it's slid down it secures it nicely.
The food bowl is over 2" deep and set in a box that's secured to the cage wall. I did it this way because when she stands on the box it's like pecking from the ground, which she prefers. I have since added a piece of card, stuck to the left hand side of the box -- she's a VERY messy eater!

I'm glad you took your time chosing the right insecticide for Walter. Some of the stuff you can buy is not to be trusted! But if he's still trying to scratch himself, it sounds like he's got the kind of mites that burrow under the skin and inside feather shafts, and no spray will kill those. You will need Ivermectin for that. It is marketed both as a spot-on solution, to put on the back of the neck, or else as drops to be taken orally. Either will work, and will also kill round worms. Ivermectin is very gentle on their system and has no side effects like vomiting or nausea.

Do you have anyone in mind to adopt Walter? If you let us know your location, we may be able to help.

Oh! I just meant a more pigeon-appropriate cage. I plan on keeping Walter since it's become apparent he isn't a wild bird, but he's recovered enough to not need to be in the carrier anymore. As you can see, it's kinda small. This is our normal hanging-out configuration. I put the top of the carrier on at night or when i'm not around to supervise.




I never thought about him having seizures! I figured he was just tossing aside the less yummy seeds to get to the ones he likes best! Yikes!
So far i've been giving him a small, deepish water dish (a small dipping bowl) only about half-full of water since he seems to like to poop in it and i hate wasting the vitamins i put in there for him.
I really like the gravity water dish, though. I'll have to make a trip to the bird store this weekend to get one along with some Ivermectin. He's been a lot less itchy since his bath this morning so i'm hoping that maybe it was just the residue from the spray and dead icky bugs that were being irritating, but the Ivermectin sounds like a better alternative to the spray. Plus i'd like to make 100% sure there are no worms in his system. I haven't seen any in the poop but that doesn't mean they aren't in there!

Oooops, silly me! I thought you weren't going to be able to keep him!
I'm so glad he's staying with you, you're the best friend he could have!

Here's an idea one of our members suggested for a good pigeon home. It's meant for rabbits (sorry about the pun! ) but it can be accessorised for the most discerning pigeon!

http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=1266

Great JOB on caring for Walter!

Have you decided to keep him as a pet? If yes--- have a looksie here at this site- This is a fellow pijie lover who designs these and I can honestly say... I CAN NOT live with OUT these pijie pants! It makes housecleaning MUCH easier when you don't have to clean up poops all over

Link is here, http://www.birdwearonline.com Bonnie is who invented these. Once on the page you will see a white homer... That would be My little white homer.... Willow... she is my sweetie pie!

If it is okay, I'd also like to friend you on FB! if that's okay! If not--- no worries whatsoever!

Hugs to you and Walter!!!

OH MY GoodNESS I see you have Dutch bunnies! SO SO SO SO Cute! I had a pair as my first rabbits, named Mopsy and Flopsy!

Great avatar, Rabbit!

Jenn, thanks for the link to the pigeon pants!

Also If you need some ideas on cages... A few more would be a dog crate, I have Journey my king in a great Dane one.... and Willow my homer is in one that fits a large dog. Craigslist has many of these for a reasonable price. Also... If you can find the shelving units I have used those as well.... having bunnies Im sure you have seen the square crates that are supposed to be used as bookshelves.... but instead used for cage panels. It is how I have 5 of my other birds...housed, until the aviary is done!

Dog crate example: http://www.amazon.com/Elitefield-Guarantee-Satisfaction-information-EliteField/dp/B003TM7AG8/ref=sr_1_11?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1309573944&sr=1-11

shelving panels that can be used to make a cage: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://2img.net/h/i329.photobucket.com/albums/l363/Shahbazin/Colors/CageFront612.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/about-cages/60311-stand-design.html&usg=__hLDCsxVgt9r0idX1QvK3UhtiDf0=&h=396&w=489&sz=44&hl=en&start=48&zoom=1&tbnid=xgsZhtX-eNxzrM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=144&ei=4YMOTsuFKM7WiAKyzNThDQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dguinea%2Bpig%2Bcage%2Bmade%2Bfrom%2Bshelf%2Bsquares%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DZzq%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D531%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=416&page=3&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:48&tx=105&ty=86

*** I have added flat square perches ( Pijies appreciate flat ones) to both of the cages mentioned above...as well as shelves..as they love to be at the highest part of their cage! If you need any help, just let me know would be happy to help!

You have done a wonderful job of caring for Walter.

You were mentioning the seed tossing. It's true that pigeons will toss out the seeds they don't care for.
When they are doing that they generally will swipe their beak back and forth through their seeds.
If they are tossing their seeds during a 'seizure' they will toss their seeds in a somewhat uncontrollable fashion.
They will toss the seeds completely over their head.

Best wishes to you and Walter.

I absolutely LOVE you avatar.

It was my mistake, Teresa. I realized after your post that i may have been misleading. After all i've learned about pigeons, and how fun Walter has been, i am very happy to be adding him to my strange little family. Thank you for the fantastic idea of using a bunny cage!
I do have bunnies, AZJourney, but they're not the ones in my avatar. I have a mini rex and a Japanese harlequin. Their names are Automatic Attack Rabbit Zero and Stone Barrington. We're also bunny-sitting a mini lop this weekend. I've got a kitchen full of bunnies. It's really funny that Teresa mentioned a bunny cage as a pigeon cage. Since my little crazies are litter-trained and only have a pen, i don't usually think about bunny cages. Then the little one that we're bun-sitting got dropped off in a big solid-bottom cage and i thought to myself, "that is the ideal thing."

Pijie pants are what i have been hoping for! So far i've been really lucky that Walter is staying on the hardwood floors and not pooing on my area rugs, but that luck can only last so long. Thank you so much for the link!

Yes! Let's be FB friends! I'm not super active and most of my posts are about bugs (i work in entomology) but i love having more people to network with!

gorabbitgo wrote:

It was my mistake, Teresa. I realized after your post that i may have been misleading. After all i've learned about pigeons, and how fun Walter has been, i am very happy to be adding him to my strange little family. Thank you for the fantastic idea of using a bunny cage!
I do have bunnies, AZJourney, but they're not the ones in my avatar. I have a mini rex and a Japanese harlequin. Their names are Automatic Attack Rabbit Zero and Stone Barrington. We're also bunny-sitting a mini lop this weekend. I've got a kitchen full of bunnies. It's really funny that Teresa mentioned a bunny cage as a pigeon cage. Since my little crazies are litter-trained and only have a pen, i don't usually think about bunny cages. Then the little one that we're bun-sitting got dropped off in a big solid-bottom cage and i thought to myself, "that is the ideal thing."

Pijie pants are what i have been hoping for! So far i've been really lucky that Walter is staying on the hardwood floors and not pooing on my area rugs, but that luck can only last so long. Thank you so much for the link!

Yes! Let's be FB friends! I'm not super active and most of my posts are about bugs (i work in entomology) but i love having more people to network with!

That sounds very interesting.

AZWhitefeather wrote:

gorabbitgo wrote:

It was my mistake, Teresa. I realized after your post that i may have been misleading. After all i've learned about pigeons, and how fun Walter has been, i am very happy to be adding him to my strange little family. Thank you for the fantastic idea of using a bunny cage!
I do have bunnies, AZJourney, but they're not the ones in my avatar. I have a mini rex and a Japanese harlequin. Their names are Automatic Attack Rabbit Zero and Stone Barrington. We're also bunny-sitting a mini lop this weekend. I've got a kitchen full of bunnies. It's really funny that Teresa mentioned a bunny cage as a pigeon cage. Since my little crazies are litter-trained and only have a pen, i don't usually think about bunny cages. Then the little one that we're bun-sitting got dropped off in a big solid-bottom cage and i thought to myself, "that is the ideal thing."

Pijie pants are what i have been hoping for! So far i've been really lucky that Walter is staying on the hardwood floors and not pooing on my area rugs, but that luck can only last so long. Thank you so much for the link!

Yes! Let's be FB friends! I'm not super active and most of my posts are about bugs (i work in entomology) but i love having more people to network with!

That sounds very interesting.

I agree!!! Bring on the BUGS, I say! Having an 11 year old and living in the desert.... perhaps you can identify the many buggies he takes pictures of! Wishing you and Walter well! Give him a "scritch" from us!

Isn't it marvellous the motley crew we get in a pigeon forum?! Entomology... that's so cool! I could just see you on the set of NCIS as Abby!

You may just be the person to know this: sometime ago I read (can't remember where) that the pigeon fly, Pseudolynchia canariensis, can be an intermediary in the transmission of Coccidiosis, but I haven't been able to find any more about it. Their bites do cause diarrhoea in very young pigeons, but is there more to it?
At this time of year in Portugal we get lots of them and at the same time there is the major yearly incidence of coccidiosis. A big problem, because the only med we can buy for it is Coxi Plus (Sulfadimethoxinum natrium) which doesn't do anything, because the nasty protozoa have become immune to it some 20 generations ago...

If it's alright, I'll send you a Facebook friend request too. Watch out for the unpronounceable surname and the seagull avatar!

PS. Some time ago I saw the cutest picture of a bug (an Amazonian one) and posted it. I'll try to find the link.

Here he is: http://olhares.aeiou.pt/end_of_line_foto4213665.html

Teresa wrote:

Isn't it marvellous the motley crew we get in a pigeon forum?! Entomology... that's so cool!
I could just see you on the set of NCIS as Abby!

You may just be the person to know this: sometime ago I read (can't remember where) that the pigeon fly, Pseudolynchia canariensis, can be an intermediary in the transmission of Coccidiosis, but I haven't been able to find any more about it. Their bites do cause diarrhoea in very young pigeons, but is there more to it?
At this time of year in Portugal we get lots of them and at the same time there is the major yearly incidence of coccidiosis. A big problem, because the only med we can buy for it is Coxi Plus (Sulfadimethoxinum natrium) which doesn't do anything, because the nasty protozoa have become immune to it some 20 generations ago...

If it's alright, I'll send you a Facebook friend request too. Watch out for the unpronounceable surname and the seagull avatar!

PS. Some time ago I saw the cutest picture of a bug (an Amazonian one) and posted it. I'll try to find the link.

I just love Abby. There is an NCIS merathon on today, which I am watching. Love that show.

AZWhitefeather wrote:

I just love Abby. There is an NCIS merathon on today, which I am watching. Love that show.

Me too, she's so clever and so sweet! And the show is one of my favourites. Enjoy the treat!

Teresa wrote:

AZWhitefeather wrote:

I just love Abby. There is an NCIS merathon on today, which I am watching. Love that show.

Me too, she's so clever and so sweet! And the show is one of my favourites.

Enjoy the treat!

I am.

Heh. I assure you that my job is much less glamorous than NCIS. I work as a scientific aide in a lab and most of my days are spent in an office, gluing tiny bugs to triangles of paper for curation.

I can tell you that pigeon flies are known vectors for protozoa that cause disease in pigeons. That's the reason they cause diarrhea in young pigeons. It's not the bite so much as it is the transmission of parasites that the young bird's immune system can't fight off.
I didn't find any articles that specifically link P. canariensis and Coccidia, the protozoan that causes coccidiosis, but it's a very probable connection. Coccidia is also passed from animal to animal by contact with infected feces, and could be picked up by flies who have contact with bird feces and then passed to a host.

Sounds like your best bet for control is to use the same treatments as for lice and mites on your domestic flocks. Pigeon flies are very difficult to eradicate in feral and wild birds because the female fly rears one larvae at a time inside of her body and then "gives birth" to a pupa which then emerges as an adult fly, so you can't treat the soil or nesting sites to kill them as with other pests.

If you've got feral or wild pigeons in your area, it might be possible to give them seed that is mixed with one of the ingestable pest killing agents. It'll be a benefit for the birds and will kill the pigeon flies that are carrying the protozoa. I don't know how practical an idea that is in practice, though. It depends on your situation i suppose.

OMG that bug is so cute!! I always love seeing interesting specimens, especially neotropical ones.

Hi Rabbit,

Thank you SO MUCH for all the info on the infamous pest! I hadn't considered the mechanical transmission route but of course they step on one bird's poop and then land on another!

I love your idea of dosing the feral's feed. I have plenty of injectable Ivermectin, so it's a matter of trying to calculate the right dosage. My pigeons usually get one or two drops orally, depending on weight and age -- that's 0.04-0.08ml, so... an average of 0.06X60 pigeons gives 3.6ml drizzled on the feed. I'll go with that! Thanks a million!

My pigeons and I think you're a genius!

The information you posted about the flies is very interesting.

I have now given Ivermectin to the whole flock. Let's hope that will keep the flies in check.