Baby pigeon w/ possible multi-fracture on his leg

Hello, all Pigeon Angels

I found a baby pigeon yesterday nearby my house. He probably fell out of the nest, I guess... Even though he already eats small seeds and drinks water on his own like an adult!

Well, when I found him he was lying on the floor, at a corner, and he wouldn't move his body. He can't move his left leg. He didn't even do much struggle when I took him in my hands. It was yesterday's late afternoon.

When I reached home, I put him in a little box, with a bag of boiled water bellow, and I was quite surprised to see that he ate on his own canary mix and drank water! His poops were very liquid and green, he was really hungry, poor thing... But now his poops are normal, and he even eats bigger seeds! I'm very happy because he eats and drinks water on his own!

When I examined his body, I was terrified to see his leg and foot: they were all shrunken, I couldn't see much.. But I suspected multiple fracture and I also saw some blood.. I didn't wanted to stress him much, so I put a bit of cotton underneath him with Halibut and Betadine to his foot and left him relax, eat and rest for the night.

During the night, I checked him twice and he was ok (he was obviously in much pain but I was afraid to medicate him, because he's really small..)

In the morning, I put him in a bowl with warm water to clean his injured foot and then I layed him on a towel to check it well for the first time.



I couldn't understand much, because there were lots of dirt and feathers covering it, but after I took it all out with the help of scissor, this was what it looked like:



Poor baby! It's a very bad injury... I think it's multiple fracture and some toes seem very hurt too... What do you think? You think I should attach a straw in adhesive bandage ASAP? What worries me the most is the HIPER swollen area at the upper part of the leg...



The best option would be to take him to a vet, I know, but the last time I took Balsa to the one nearby, I was surprised to see that I was more into the subject than the doctor, who was not even willing to help..

Anyway, the little one is eating well and on his own, but he must be in such pain... :S I also have to administrate an anti-inflamatory and/or bacterial, you think Sinulox would do?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Kisses,
Rosa

Oh my...... the poor thing! Definitely an infected fracture, or more than one.
Synulox is good, but Baytril is better for fractures (according to the surgeon at my vet's), and Metacam (one small drop a day). He's young, but I reckon about 5 weeks, so he should be able to handle it. Should he vomit, however switch to Synulox.

What he really, really needs is a vet. That leg needs surgery, and part of it may have to be amputated.
Can you get him over here? I'd take him to my vets, they're amazing with pigeons. I sent you an SMS.

Update: Rosa and I have been in constant contact and she's taking him to an avian vet tomorrow. If she's not happy with the outcome, she's gonna try and bring him to me.

Thank you so much for your precious help as usual, Teresa. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

I'm sorry I haven't wrote here for the last 2 days, but it's been a constant run, and I didn't turn on the pc at home since monday... Anyway, you already know the news, but I'm going to tell it here, so that the other members may know.

On monday afternoon I called my vet, that takes care of my cats, and she told me she couldn't help me because she had no formation about birds, and she didn't wanted to take a chance, specially because it was such a bad injurie. I told her about the other vet specialized in birds that I visited last year to check on Balsa, who said that he couldn't help me, because he didn't knew anything specific about pigeons, but only other birds (parrots and falcons, I supose! ) and all he did was to take out some bad feathers that he had on his injured wing, that really needed to be pulled, and nothing more.. He not even examined him well, either he showed any interest..

Anyway, my doctor advised me about a good clinic that had doctors specialized in birds. It might be a bit expensive, but it had a good service, and it might be the best option.

I called them and they said they'll be open till 8PM, so I tried to hurry. I only go out at 7PM, and the vet was still a bit far, so I left earlier, but still I couldn't make it on time, because the clinic is still a bit far from my home. I had to come back the other day...

Next day I went there earlier in the morning. Before I left home, this was the state of his leg: ( )



When I got to the clinic, I was amazed! As soon as I spoke to the receptionist and explained the story, she asked to see him, so I opened the bag/box where I transported him and I was really when she fondle him in his head! I was soo happy, I felt I was at the right place, at least!! After waiting a while, I was called by the doctor, that I loved! She was really kind and very sweet, she started to check the baby right away and she was talking in a very kind way. Then she took him in her chest and she KISSED HIM!!! I couldn't beleive I finnaly found a good avian vet who actually cared about birds and didn't descriminate pigeons!!!

She examined his legs, touching both legs and sensing the bones with her fingers, and then she said he had multiple fractures on his injured leg: at least two in the upper part of the leg, another in the beginning of the separation between the leg and the fingers and in the fingers too. She said that the leg was deeply infected and that he had a big hemorragy as well, and that the best option would be to amputate his leg, because even if we try to do treatments, it wouldn't be enough because the blood was already very dark and dry. The problem was the multiple fracture in the upper part of the leg, she said. If it was only the rest, he had chances to cure the leg, but this was the only option seemed to be to cut to cut it all of.. When she said this, I was really sad.. I knew it might be probable, but I still beleived that there might be a chance... Poor baby....So young and suffering so much... At first, he had many pain, now he was going to be without his leg forever.......I had to say yes....If it was the only way he would survive, so be it.....


I left him there to do the surgery. Then after a few hours I called and the doctor told me the surgery went fine and that I could go there and pick him up.

When I went to pick him up I was sad and happy at the same time. Sad because he had lost his leg and there was nothing I could do, but happy because it went ok and he was not in such danger anymore.

Before I left, the receptionist (it was not the same, it was another girl) asked to put him back in the box where I was going to transport him and she kissed him before she say goodbye and that she was gonna miss him!

As soon as the baby went home, all he wanted was to eat! I'll soon post a video! hihi

He has been eating a lot and he is taking Baytril and Metacam every 24hours. Today he took off the adhesive because he kept biting it! :( But I did another, not so perfect, of course.. I saw the leg, and it seemed like it was cicatrized... Is it normal? I didn't took a pic, but I will soon.

He will visit his doctor next Friday, I'll soon post news!

I don't know if I made the right decision by letting his leg be amputated, but I think so... It breakes my heart to see him so young without his little leg.. :( But still, concerning what the doctor said, he had chances to die if not...

Thanks a lot for all of those who helped and worried about little pij!

I leave you with some pics! Talk to you all soon!

Kisses and hugs,
Rosa

By the way, if anyone in Lisbon is looking for a good avian vet, you can go to Clínica Veterinária de Telheiras! They're very good, kind and gentle! I totally recomend it!! It's worthy! I'll soon post more info on the vets section. I'm just saying this because I had a bad experience before, and I didn't knew where I couldn ask for help for birds, but now I do.

Teresa wrote:

Update: Rosa and I have been in constant contact and she's taking him to an avian vet tomorrow. If she's not happy with the outcome, she's gonna try and bring him to me.

Thank you so much dear Teresa, for keeping all pigeon angels updated while I didn't came to wrote here!

I didn't read all of the story, But I clearly seen how you saved this Pigeon's life , I salut you And thank you for bringing such a amazing touchy story.

I agree with Chris, it's a very moving story, and thank you SO MUCH for everything you did to save the baby's life!

When I saw the photos you posted, and you told me about the way his little leg was hanging, there was no doubt in my mind that he could only be saved by losing his poor broken leg. That internal bleeding looked pretty awful.
Now he will live, and being so young he can adapt better than an adult would to living with one leg. I remember Cynthia saying once that puts a little extra stress on a bird's heart because of the way pressure is applied to one side of the ribs when they always stand on the same leg. So I would advise helping him by providing something he can lean on for support, like a rolled towel, so he can take the weight of the leg.

Great find in Telheiras! When you go back, please tell them they've earned a lot of international fans, and I hope to add them to our pigeon-friendly resource list, so when you have a chance please let me know their address, phone, avian vets names if possible, and an idea of charges for a consultation.
Thanks again, Rosa!