The PMV Thread with Pina, Willy, Jimi and Winnie

Pina and Jimi are doing pretty well - with little step-backs from time to time but altogether they are doing well. Especially Pina make good progress: yesterday she could sit on my hand without falling down. And she is very sneeky again - bites into all and everything - my fingers, my toes but she is so very sweet too...

I am still worrying very much about Willy. Although he has not vomited any more I put him on peas today instead of the baby food. He was urinating too much to my taste because he drank vey much and his poops of course are very fluid. I was also a bit concerned about the high sugar level due to the banana flakes which are part of this baby food - at least it tastes quite sweet. But on the other hand he needs the calories and the nutrients in order to not losing too much weight again.

So what should I do? Continue with peas in smaller quantities but feeding more often? Mixing? One dish peas, the next one baby food?

It's really difficult to know how to advise you with out knowing what products are available to you there. Here, I buy rice cereal for human babies and will mix it with warmed applesauce for human babies. If the Pigeon has been vomiting, both are easy on the crop.

Sugar itself is not too good for birds. I would use honey with some baby cereal. What I used in the past is coffee grinder to grind seeds until fine as flour and making a porridge like mix with warm water honey and vitamins. You can put in boiled egg yolk, mashed carrot (cooked), cooked rice etc. All these are easier on digestive tract and contain useful ingredients.
It is normal at this stage for them to drink lot water as they loose fluids through stool. Let them drink (I use water from cooked rice as electrolyte replacement).

Charis and Plamenh - thank you very much for your tips. The baby food I bought is a cereal with lots of nutrients for 4-month olds and it does not contain regular sugar but 17% dried banana flakes which makes it quite sweet (to my taste) which probably caused Willy to drink more than usual - that's why I was a bit irritated. So it should be okay then.

Yesterday I started to give Willy mixed food: in the morning the baby food, then 20 peas for lunch and another 20 peas for supper (he absolutely did not want to take more). But his poops were much better this morning! So I will continue this program but try to give him more peas then. Strangely this time he ate them - when I tried last time he did not like them at all!

Thank you both again for your help

plamenh wrote:

Sugar itself is not too good for birds. I would use honey with some baby cereal.

What I used in the past is coffee grinder to grind seeds until fine as flour and making a porridge like mix with warm water honey and vitamins. You can put in boiled egg yolk, mashed carrot (cooked), cooked rice etc.
All these are easier on digestive tract and contain useful ingredients.

It is normal at this stage for them to drink lot water as they loose fluids through stool. Let them drink (I use water from cooked rice as electrolyte replacement).

And generally within arms reach, in that these are items we usually have in the kitchen and not items that we have to go out and buy special.

I'm glad to hear Pina and Jimi are doing better, Petra.
I hope Willy continues to eat his peas.

Bless you all.

Cindy. It is quite nervewracking when you try to do everything for your darlings and there is no real progress.

But today I think is a good day where all the poor sick babies are doing a step forward:

Pina - sneekier than ever and she is able to make little jumps and little fights too - not just helicoperting. So she is really trying hard to get in shape again. She's got so much will to become better. Admirable for this little sweetheart keeping her weight of 335 gr.

Jimi - is still grumpy, especially when Pina comes too ear - then he starts cooing immediately and pecking at her. Although she only wanted to play with him :For Shame: But Jimi's digestion is very good and his poops are excellent. There is still that lump sticking in his wound but despita of that it looks good. I think eventually this will fall off. He is keeping his weight of 390 gr.

Both, Jimi and Pina were outside their box the whole day today which did them really good.

Willy is doing better today. He even started helicoptering again but his weight is still too low. But I think he will get better soon. He is currently on 340 gr. So he lost about 15 gr in the last few days which is not too bad I think. And he started cooing again which is a very good sign. :Yes:

Appreciate the update, Petra.
Willy is at a good weight, even having lost a few grams.

Wow is Pina, Willy and Jimi doing, Petra ?

Sorry, Charis, for not answering earlier. So much to do these days and first thing are always our dear pijjies - so I have to cut down computer time greatly.

Here is a short update on our little patients:

Pina - she is really doing very well, running through the whole appartment when she is outside her box. She is eating well, makes good poops but still has to be handfed as well as the other two. She exercises her flight muscles often and can lift herself from the floor in the meanwhile by about 20 cm now, even doing little circle flights and working on re-gaining her skills such as balancing etc. What worries me still, is that she still has absolutely no flight reflexes which means when you put her on the hand and move her downwards quickly she does not open her wings as a baby pigeon would do. I really hope that this reflex is coming back one day. I am trying and exercising with her each day...
She is still stargazing a lot but also manages to bring up her little head quickly again. At least no seizures any more.

Willy - he is slowly gaining weight again. I am feeding him still each morning and evening with baby food so that he gets all the nutrition he needs. Lunchtime I am feeding him with peas now. This seems to work quite well. His poops are quite good and enough, which means that his digestion is functioning. He coos often and likes to be with Pina. I let them together in "small doses" so that he does not get too agitated but also to make him happy.
He is still circling a lot when he is outside his box not to speak of the stargazing. But he has learned better now to hold his head against something and his seizures are subsiding quicker now. He is preening himself often and also training his flight muscles. The heavy trembling of his head has subsided entirely. He has gained a lot of strength which is amazing.

Jimi - is more and more active - not as listless as before. He even manages to jump from the bottom of his box to the brim and even balances there, climbing even sidewards. He then jumps from the brim with an elegant leap. It's an 11 inches jump which is quite high for a bird that cannot fly - don't you think? He also trains his flight muscles as soon as he is outside the box. He eats well although not by his own yet, but he can drink on his own - as well as the other two.
And Jimi has started to coo - we had a real concert today: Pina, Willy and Jimi all singing. Was so sweet

What was also sweet this morning: I currently have all cages on the sofa during the night because it is warmer there. Jimi was outside the box and Willy still inside his. Jimi climbed the sofa upwards and sat in front of Willy so as if he wanted to wish him a good morning. Isn't that sweet???

So you see I have still a lot of work with our sick pijjies. And there are still the ones outside the balcony which needs to be cleaned several times a day too as we have a lot of visitors are the moment. But they all seem to be healthy. Pete and Emma are doing very well, Winnie is still sitting on her plaster eggs and her new lover, Bubi, is also still there - sitting on the eggs during the day and sleeping in pigeoncity during the night.
Angelo comes still every day and is feeding from my left arm while Winnie is sitting on my right arm while I hold the food bowl. I still have no photo - which is a shame

And there is my work and my housework and my hubby who wants to be fed as well
The days are going quickly.....

Thank you for the up date, Petra. I know what a busy time this is without sick Pigeons to attend to and so I worry about all of you.

I know how busy you must be, Petra, so we truly do appreciate your updates.
You are doing an awesome job. lots!

Matilda wrote:

Thank you for the up date, Petra. I know what a busy time this is without sick Pigeons to attend to and so I worry about all of you.

No you need not worry, Charis, everything is okay. How sweet of you to say this.

Fancyfeathers wrote:

I know how busy you must be, Petra, so we truly do appreciate your updates.
You are doing an awesome job. lots!

so much Cindy - I know how much you care - that's why I am writing those updates - it's the least I can do and maybe it will help a tiny bit for someone else....

I really enjoyed the update, Petra. I'm so happy to hear that all your patients are improving and the balcony pigeons are healthy!
You are doing a wonderful job managing to look after the pigeons on top of all the other work you have!

Teresa wrote:

I really enjoyed the update, Petra. I'm so happy to hear that all your patients are improving and the balcony pigeons are healthy!
You are doing a wonderful job managing to look after the pigeons on top of all the other work you have!

Teresa - I try what I can. If someone would have told me 10 years ago that there will be a time where I would have 3 sick pijjies inside I would have called him nuts

Despite all the stress and additional work it is so heartwarming to see those little angels improve a tiny bit day by day. Even with some setbacks from time to time it is a good feeling to know that without taking them in they would have been dead by now.

Here comes another little update:

Jimi - he is doing the best progress. But then his symptoms were not as bad as those of Willy and Pina. He had hardly lost any weight and I could catch him at the right moment. I think weight is the most critical point when pigeons are getting PMV or any other illness.
Jimi is training his little flight each day. He loves to sit on the edge of his box and looking outside. He has become very sweet again - not so aggressive as at the beginning when he was feeling really bad. Now he is nearly his old self again. The only thing that fails now is he still cannot eat by himself - I hope this will come back soon. I think he is a candidate to be free again one day. Since a few days he is not showing any symptoms any more.
I am still not quite content with his poops either - so the whole thing is not over yet. But there is hope.
He's put on even more weight - now on 405 gr.








(Please ignore my dirty window - but it is too cold at the moment to clean anything )

Pina - she is so sweet but she is still stargazing a lot. Don't know what I could do? She is eating well but also her poops could be firmer. But maybe it's the diet they are getting - I am not sure. We have to wait and see. She is training little flights as well and coos a lot in her high pitched sweet voice - it sounds like a baby dog rather than a pigeon
Pina is running around the whole day so her weight is 330 gr constantly.

Willy - he has gained a little weight - he is now on 360 gr again. He is still a bit my little baby to worry about but I think he is on a good way. There are days which are better and others where he does not feel so very well. But this seems to be the nature of this illness. He is cooing and growling the whole day and seems to be quite content when he can cuddle with Pina. Today I have watched him drinking without moving like a senile old man - i.e. he did not tremble and jerking his head while drinking as he did before. So there is a little improvement too. He also does not really circle any more and keeps his head straight more often.

Sounds that you can take deep breath now. PMV is heavy disease and taskes long to recover, bur worst is over Petra.

wonderful to hear how they are doing
great pics too

Many thanks for the update and pictures, Petra.

Happy news, Petra about Jimi. I hope Pina and Willi are soon doing just as well. You have a flock of special angels sending positive energy to them and you.

Wonderful news, Petra!

Very best wishes for your babies' continued recovery!

Hi Petra, Just catching up with your news and am pleased to see they are still moving in the right direction. It is an up and down road with them but they seem to be thriving with all the wonderful care they're receiving.

My one PMV recovery has been perfect for just over a year now but last week she had her first little relapse, nothing too bad just a bit fluffed up and star gazing for a couple of days. Luckily she's sitting on dummy eggs at the moment and so when she's taking her turn she is at least resting lying down.

Looking forward to the next updates.

Janet

Happy to hear all your oijji babies are doing well Petra You have had such emotionally draining months...it's great news to hear they all are improving. You are doing a job. It gives me so much strength and courage seeing angels like you carrying on in the face of adversities and not losing hope, makes me want to do more
Sending healing wishes to all of them...i will have them in my prayers and i am sure they will continue on the road to recovery.

plamenh wrote:

Sounds that you can take deep breath now. PMV is heavy disease and taskes long to recover, bur worst is over Petra.

I hope so Plamenh, I really hope so!!!! It was just so nerve wrecking at the beginning

rattyfied wrote:

wonderful to hear how they are doing
great pics too

Thank you so much!

Fancyfeathers wrote:

Many thanks for the update and pictures, Petra.

You are very welcome, Cindy

Matilda wrote:

Happy news, Petra about Jimi. I hope Pina and Willi are soon doing just as well. You have a flock of special angels sending positive energy to them and you.

Charis, they have given me so much - I owe to them!

Teresa wrote:

Wonderful news, Petra!

Very best wishes for your babies' continued recovery!

Thank you so much, Teresa. I am still sad because of Velvet. This is so very unfair

jamy wrote:

Hi Petra, Just catching up with your news and am pleased to see they are still moving in the right direction. It is an up and down road with them but they seem to be thriving with all the wonderful care they're receiving.

My one PMV recovery has been perfect for just over a year now but last week she had her first little relapse, nothing too bad just a bit fluffed up and star gazing for a couple of days. Luckily she's sitting on dummy eggs at the moment and so when she's taking her turn she is at least resting lying down.

Looking forward to the next updates.

Janet

Thank you too, Janet. Sorry to hear about the relapse - I hope this does not happen again!

priya wrote:

Happy to hear all your oijji babies are doing well Petra You have had such emotionally draining months...it's great news to hear they all are improving. You are doing a job. It gives me so much strength and courage seeing angels like you carrying on in the face of adversities and not losing hope, makes me want to do more
Sending healing wishes to all of them...i will have them in my prayers and i am sure they will continue on the road to recovery.

You are very sweet Priya - thank you! You are doing already so much for your pijjies. I am so happy to be in such good company and that we can learn so much from each other

pigeonwriter wrote:

I am so happy to be in such good company and that we can learn so much from each other

100%, Petra.

Today Jimi has revealed himself: he can fly again . He flew through the whole room without any problems! Now I have to be extra careful. He still cannot eat by himself but I will watch this carefully during the next days.

I know he wants to get out again and he is terribly impatient what I can fully understand. But as long as he does not eat by himself there is no way out for him. But I also don't want to keep him locked in longer than necessary.