No rest for the wicked

It does sound like Rambo may have a canker issue, for one.
He sure was going for those seeds, bless his heart.
Supplemental heat and a little hydration can, and usually does, make all the difference in the world.

Will be thinking, and sending, positive thoughts that he continues to improve.
Please do keep us posted.

Thank you, Cindy!

Rambo seems to be getting along well. He's setting new standards for feistiness, anyway! Today it's been raining very heavily, and I'm glad he gets to stay in a warm, dry place while he's recovering.

Teresa wrote:

Thank you, Cindy!

Rambo seems to be getting along well. He's setting new standards for feistiness, anyway!
Today it's been raining very heavily, and I'm glad he gets to stay in a warm, dry place while he's recovering.

I'm so glad he's safe and all snuggled in with you, rather than having to try to find shelter from the rain.

Teresa, I am soglad that you have some good news too. All these sad stories are simply too much..

Rambo is continuing to improve, but slowly.
I'm starting to wonder if he is releasable at all, as he tires so easily and makes no attempt to fly. I dropped him from a couple of feet off the ground and he opened his wings and flew, but not very effectively, only enough for a smooth descent.
He still eats little and often, and his poos are a much better consistency.

These are today's pictures. The tubes are changing to feathers on his head, but I worry about the tufted feathers on his neck, as he's more than half-way through his canker treatment course.



Exercise time, but he is one reluctant participant. The only activity he seems to enjoy is pecking me!



Finally, on this video you can clearly see that he wobbles and overbalances slightly when he changes direction. I'm still wondering if he took a blow to the head. If it was an ear infection, surely the antibiotic would have taken care of that by now?...

https://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m381/Skbllz/Pigeons/Sammy/?action=view&current=DSCNB3091-wobble.flv

Today I made him a deluxe nest, made up of strips of corrugated cardboard, and he seems to like it a lot.
I'm thinking of worming him Monday or Tuesday.

Appreciate the update, Teresa.
Even though it's slow going, I'm glad to hear little Rambo is improving.
He still doesn't look like he feels very well, bless his heart.

His feather coloring is absolutely beautiful.
Please keep us posted on how things progress.

Yes, he still does look really off.

Matilda wrote:

Yes, he still does look really off.

My thoughts entirely! That's why I was wondering whether there's more than salmonella/canker present. He doesn't have the kind of pulpy poops we'd associate with coccidiosis, so I thought maybe worms.
The Chevita site says not to worm during the molt, but it looks like he's about finished molting, so do you think it's safe to do it in the next couple of days?

Ivermectin and praziquantel are safe to use during the moult. I even used Ivermectin on squeakers infested with lice without affecting feather growth.

Many thanks. I'll use the Ivermectin.

The sweet little guy looks still very weak to me - that may be the reason why he is reluctant to fly and move around more. I really hope that you can make him healthy again, Teresa.
Sending all my healing thought into your direction

plamenh wrote:

You may also try Arnica pills for that leg.
I have injured Senegal dove with big lump on the wing joint. Two days on Arnica reduced swelling in half.

That was a fantastic suggestion!
After I saw the improvement on Penny, I tried it on me (sprained ankle) and it worked like magic. So when my daughter's drawing hand started to swell from the repetitive strain of completing a bulk order of art cards for Lucas Films against the clock, I suggested it to her. Again, it worked wonders. In fact she said, 'Make sure to thank Plamenh for that tip. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have been able to finish the work on time and I would have been in deep...
'

I can see you are early bird like me
I'm glad to be of help to all of you.
You daughter should also try sea salt dissolved in warm water. Improves circulation and reduces swelling. Just to keep hand in it for 15~30 min while relaxing.

plamenh wrote:

I can see you are early bird like me

Oh nononononono! I am a VERY LATE bird! I've been staying up until 4 am or so, then I take the dog out and do the last pigeon water patrol at the park, then -- finally! -- zzzzz. But I'm not doing that tonight: when I dozed off while holding little Rambo (who was cold and miserable and wanted attention) I realised I need more rest than that!

Quote :

I'm glad to be of help to all of you.
You daughter should also try sea salt dissolved in warm water. Improves circulation and reduces swelling. Just to keep hand in it for 15~30 min while relaxing.

Thanks again! I just went across to tell my daughter that and she's going to try it. She said it sounded perfect for those winter days when fingers feel too cold to draw.

I'm still concerned about little Rambo. Today he felt cold and was looking off-colour. He snuggled up and got cosy when offered a cuddle, so I've restarted putting a hot water bottle in his nest.
I'm waiting to see if the Ivermectin leads to a big improvement. He's also on a probiotic now. I spent ages to convince him to eat a little more, as he needs to gain weight, but his breathing still sounds a little laboured. (No sneezing or discharges, though.) Is it possible that Salmonella caused a sinus infection, and if so, shouldn't the antibiotic have cleared it?

If there is a sinus infection, AB should clear it out, but if there is a canker nodule in the sinus opening, it may take ages to clear.

Quote :

Oh nononononono! I am a VERY LATE bird! I've been staying up until 4 am

That explains why your user was still active early morning for me and late night for you We are more or less in the same time zone. Maybe you are on winter time now.

plamenh wrote:

If there is a sinus infection, AB should clear it out, but if there is a canker nodule in the sinus opening, it may take ages to clear.

If it's a canker nodule, does that mean the canker isn't treated yet (and in that case, shall I try him on Nitazoxanide, providing I can buy it)? Or can it happen that the canker is under control but the nodules take longer to fall off?

Quote :

That explains why your user was still active early morning for me and late night for you We are more or less in the same time zone. Maybe you are on winter time now.

I'm on GMT, so it's an hour earlier here, but winter time will start later this month.

Rambo likes his hot water bottle!

He has very unusual markings...beautiful!

Quote :

If it's a canker nodule, does that mean the canker isn't treated yet (and in that case, shall I try him on Nitazoxanide, providing I can buy it)? Or can it happen that the canker is under control but the nodules take longer to fall off?

When you have normal canker in the throat, when treated you kill it. Then growth just fells off. Bird either swallows it or spits it out. Sinus chamber on the other side looks like room with two doors on the opposite sides. When canker accumulated there, even dead will have nowhere to go. (You killed elephant and you can't get body through the door out)
Obvious solution is either to do incision - I do not like that, or cut/dissolve nodule.
I use warm water and a drop of Iodine in this case as nasal drops. Not pleasant for the bird and you need to be careful not to get solution in eye (stings) but worked in several cases I had. It will help with infection too if is not canker.

plamenh wrote:

I use warm water and a drop of Iodine in this case as nasal drops. Not pleasant for the bird and you need to be careful not to get solution in eye (stings) but worked in several cases I had. It will help with infection too if is not canker.

Right, I'll try that. I hate to do unpleasant things to any of the animals, but if that's what it takes for him to get better...

Another thought: I know someone who suffers from sinusitis and swears by warm saline solution for disinfection. But that wouldn't help dissolve the nodule, would it?

Teresa wrote:

I'm still concerned about little Rambo. Today he felt cold and was looking off-colour. He snuggled up and got cosy when offered a cuddle, so I've restarted putting a hot water bottle in his nest.
I'm waiting to see if the Ivermectin leads to a big improvement. He's also on a probiotic now. I spent ages to convince him to eat a little more, as he needs to gain weight, but his breathing still sounds a little laboured. (No sneezing or discharges, though.)
Is it possible that Salmonella caused a sinus infection, and if so, shouldn't the antibiotic have cleared it?

Teresa wrote:

plamenh wrote:

Sinus chamber on the other side looks like room with two doors on the opposite sides. When canker accumulated there, even dead will have nowhere to go. (You killed elephant and you can't get body through the door out)
I use warm water and a drop of Iodine in this case as nasal drops. Not pleasant for the bird and you need to be careful not to get solution in eye (stings) but worked in several cases I had. It will help with infection too if is not canker.

Right, I'll try that. I hate to do unpleasant things to any of the animals, but if that's what it takes for him to get better...

Another thought: I know someone who suffers from sinusitis and swears by warm saline solution for disinfection. But that wouldn't help dissolve the nodule, would it?

Hi Teresa,
Since there is no sneezing or discharge, is there any other indication that canker has invaded the sinuses or a sinus infection is present?
If not, I would be hesitant to put Rambo through any unpleasant treatment. JMO

Fancyfeathers wrote:

Hi Teresa,
Since there is no sneezing or discharge, is there any other indication that canker has invaded the sinuses or a sinus infection is present?
If not, I would be hesitant to put Rambo through any unpleasant treatment. JMO

That's precisely what's worrying me! He's been treated for salmonella and canker, and also wormed. But still something is not right:

- His breathing is sometimes raspy and he has to keep taking breaths when eating or drinking. He eats only the smallest seeds.
- He gets cold very rapidly, even in very warm weather, and the feathers fluff out especially on the front and right hand-side of his neck, and on his forehead.
- His beak is covered in cracks, the ceres look kind of scratched, almost scaly, and his nostrils are very pink (but I don't know if this is because of his colouring). His eyes look a bit squinty most of the time.
- When left to his own devices he neither eats nor drinks enough.
- His poops are a normal colour, urates ok, but still more liquid than they should be.
- He tires easily, and his balance is poor.
- He can't fly, or at least he doesn't try.

Having said that, two days ago he exercised his wings for the first time and started to groom. Was it because of the wormer? Or the probiotic? Or just the hot water bottle at night? I don't know. I feel I'm missing something important here. Maybe he suffered some trauma to the head and this is as good as it gets, but if not I'd like to see him get his health back.

Rambo has good poops at last!



It must have been the wormer followed by the probiotic! His general condition seems a little better too. Fingers crossed!