Asking for advice for pigeon

[DonnaBudgie]

Are there vets that treat livestock like chickens that would treat him?

 

[rheashard2]

I relooked this up after comments about using honey on birds. Don't know if read or told that raw honey wasn't safe for birds. So never did avian use. I did know about honey in wound healing. Antibiotic resistant infections is causing alternative and 'natural' alternatives to antibiotics. The correct honey to use is medical grade. It's been sterilized. It's used on humans and animals. First cleansing area gently with saline. Again my collection of useless information kicked in. I wanted a reason why. Honey is a form of sugar. Sugar is sometimes used to grow germs. Well there's actually two types of medical honey. Plain that aids in producing accelerated healing. The other somehow produces a small percent of hydrogen peroxide that does the same. Now I have to look for purchase sites and prices. May add it to med chest. Medical grade honey is supposed to work well on many types of wounds.

 

[Jcas]

Thank you for the info. There is no open would so would it still draw out an infection?

Yes! It can draw it out through the pores of the skin or if it’s an abscess it will draw it to the surface.

 

[rheashard2]

Yes, it can draw swelling. It has anti-inflammatory uses. Swelling, arthritis, blisters and many more uses.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

He came back after being gone for a few days looking like he had gotten in a fight. You knew he was your pigeon because he was trying to get back into his cage that you left outside for him. Now he needs to be healed.

I don't usually pick up wild birds. I saw a post about a pigeon on Facebook in a local group that was just hanging out with a hurt leg on an apartment landing. It was 2 minutes away so I went and got it. The pad on its foot is swollen pretty bad, it won't use it at all. No vet will see it or give me antibiotics or pain meds for it. It also looks like it was attacked by a cat. It's missing a huge chunk of feathers on its rear end. It's in a spare cage and is calm around me. Apparently pigeons do not bite

What can I do to help its foot? I don't see any wounds it's just swollen at the knuckle. Could it be filled with puss?

Is the pigeon able to move his toes? Can he grip them around a perch? Are there any pigeon Facebook clubs you can ask around for help in your area?

Yes it is eating, drinking, pooping normally. I just saw it preening itself and it cooed a little bit! But that foot must really bother it. He won't put any pressure down on it. What could cause the knuckle to swell like that and stay swelled?

Why not call the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center in Fort Collins, CO (970) 283-7822. They rehab and rescue injured wildlife. Cheyenne is just over the CO border. It's only a 45 minute drive from Cheyenne to Fort Collins CO. If they can't help maybe they can point you in the right direction.

Can he grip with his bad foot at all or is it just limp? If you touch the sole of his foot with an object does he appear to have any reflexes? I'm not convinced it's infected so much as injured (broken or dislocated). Infection would tend to make him overall sick unless it's walled off which isn't much better.