PLEASE I don't want him to die!!!

ann

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A very young, and obviously sick pigeon approached my families car while we were in a parking lot tonight. he is banded and somewhat tame. i assume he is a male because he is very robust and stocky. he also is starting to grow iridescent neck feathers, and seems fairly large. from his leg band, i gathered he was born sometime in 2013, but i didn't get a close look yet. i caught him with a blanket and brought him home. i gave him some pedialyte, and a drop of calci plus in his water. all i had on hand was finch seed, so i gave him a dish of that too. he is in a glass fish tank with a heating pad, and a blanket over the lid. i also will give him a little grit. he is very fluffed up, a little thin, and his dropping are green, so he's definitely sick. The worst part is, he has feather parasites, and allot of them! They are tiny, thin, and are crawling through his feathers, the poor baby must be so itchy. however, his feathers are healthy, clean, and soft??? I'm really freaking out because i don't want my birds to catch anything. I am going to get him looked at tomorrow. i have heard there are powders to kill parasites...ugh i don't know if they're in my hair or not! can they survive on humans!? im so afraid they'll spread to my other pets. ive helped sick and injured birds before, but i just really feel close to this one. the poor thing is a lost baby, covered in mites, hungry, and sick! he is beyond adorable, white with a grey head with white patches around his eyes. he is just so big, but so baby like. its killing me! i recently tried to save a red winged blackbird, he was expected to die within minutes, but made it all the way through the night, only to die in the morning D:. (dont worry i was going to call a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as i could). i have him stable for now, im just looking for extra advice/venting. ill start putting up "found bird" signs tomorrow.
 

MarciaLove

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ok forst off calm down. You can buy things to get rid of mites but they arent instant best way to get rid of them is a really long good bath for the birds and then some powder to get rid of the mites but if this baby is sick and cold i woudnt give him a bath right now praying he makes it through the night take him to an avian vet ASAP and no they cant survive on humans but will transfer from you to your birds so cha get clothes and wash really well before you go near your birds!! Keep us updated!!
 

Featheredsamurai

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If the pigeon has bird mites they can affect you but I don't know if they'll survive long term, I've never known anyone who's had them but I'd assume they would have a scabies like reaction(mange mites transferred to people).
Maybe you should keep him in the garage so he's no were near you own birds, set up a heat lamp for him or something to keep him warm until morning.

here's a link about bird mites, if he's covered in parasites it's likely he has these too http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/bird-mites
 
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ann

ann

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i did some more research and it looks like feather lice
 
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ann

ann

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i have him in my basement with a heating pad. my birds are two floors away, and i'll put my clothes in a plastic bag until they can be washed. im starting to calm down, once he starts regaining his strength, ill give him a warm bath and see if i can pick up some powder. i have a picture ill try to upload.
 

Featheredsamurai

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Here's a video I just found with some info on feather lice

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3kn7B6EVv8]Feather Lice on pigeons - YouTube[/ame]
 
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ann

ann

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hes resting now and seems very comfortable. i really think he has a good shot. his eyes are crystal clear, and his beak and cere are free of any discharge. however, he flops whenever he tries to walk, and hasn't flown, even to escape. Also, i wont put a picture of him on the flyer. i don't want someone to see a cute free bird and pretend to be the owner. i'll just put "pigeon found" and his band info, the real owner should recognize it. tomorrow i'll see of i can contact any pigeon breeders or clubs in my area and see if they can help me find the owner.
 

MikeyTN

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Just make sure you keep your hands sanitized!!! What you need to worry about is airborne virus, as long as it's using your same air system, it can transfer to your other bird! One major thing you need to think about is Psittacosis as it is pretty common for pigeons and such to carry the disease. I just told someone not long ago on here that someone here locally took in a pigeon that belonged to someone but he was tested positive for psittacosis. You and your family can catch it too, that is something you need to be aware of before taking in outside birds. IF you do, always keep them in a completely separate building and keep yourself sanitized. Can never be too careful since you have your other birds to care for.
 

crimson

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Outdoor birds are immune to mites. the bird sounds like a homing pigeon, due to the band on his leg.

since lice suck blood, my guess he's anemic, among other issues.
if you had Ivermectin there, I would administer it to the bird immediately.
Scatt is not the same as Ivermectin, yes it is a good product, but if you want 100% results, go with Ivermectin.

It's good to have on hand to Ann since you have finches as they are prone to air sac mites.
 
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ann

ann

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1 nanday conure Black Jack, 1 Brotogeris parakeet Whiff, 1 ring neck dove Eliza, and 6 society finches (3 are tame). RIP my parent pairs of societies and my little gouldian finches
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thanks, i would like to get some, i think my lady gouldian finches had a run in with air sac mites, but they're OK now.
i've heard of homing pigeons getting lost, which could be the case with my little guy since he's so young. its also been pretty stormy around here. heres a picture of him right after caught him~
 

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NeverBroken

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Aww, he's very cute! I hope everything works out. I had a similar experience once, I found a homing pigeon with an injured wing, otherwise alert and seemingly healthy, just couldn't fly. He was banded by a farm (or something similar, I forget the specifics, it was years ago) and I was able to contact them to come get him. Good luck to your little guy!
 
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ann

ann

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1 nanday conure Black Jack, 1 Brotogeris parakeet Whiff, 1 ring neck dove Eliza, and 6 society finches (3 are tame). RIP my parent pairs of societies and my little gouldian finches
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im taking him to get treated for feather lice tomorrow. i gave him a little more pedialyte today, and he's eating and drinking. he is also less fluffed up and getting plenty of rest, but his poo is very green. you can kinda see in this picture:
 

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Pajarita

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LOL - the poop is perfectly normal. You must feed pellets and are used to brown poop which, in reality, it's not what you would call normal.

Feather mites don't suck blood, they feed on protein (that's why they eat the feathers) and they don't jump out of the host animal so, as long as you are careful, your birds will not catch them. But you still need to get rid of them (if the bird bathes on its own -pigeons usually do- you can add a few drops of ivermectin to the water and this will take care of them).
 

crimson

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thanks, i would like to get some, i think my lady gouldian finches had a run in with air sac mites, but they're OK now.
i've heard of homing pigeons getting lost, which could be the case with my little guy since he's so young. its also been pretty stormy around here. heres a picture of him right after caught him~

Ann,just a note on your gouldians.... if I were you, I would get some Ivermectin pdq.

air sac mites live in a birds trachea permanently, so do the nymphs?(I think they are called that)
If your birds get stressed or ill, that is when they attack.

Ivermectin will kill the living air sac mites, but NOT the eggs or nymphs.so they remain in the trachea until they grow into adult hood.
3 treatments are imperative to kick those little buggers to the curb!....or they will kill your gouldians, not IF..when...and they die a slow painful miserable death :(:mad:

I've seen it in mine, treated them with Ivermectin, but forgot a dose, two of my gouldians came down with them, within a day of each other, separate cages, and died within 24 hours. I lost $200.00 in birds, and $200.00 in Necropsies.
A very costly mistake I'll not make ever again....
 
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ann

ann

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1 nanday conure Black Jack, 1 Brotogeris parakeet Whiff, 1 ring neck dove Eliza, and 6 society finches (3 are tame). RIP my parent pairs of societies and my little gouldian finches
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thanks crimson :), i have been meaning to get some ivermectin just to have on hand. at the time, i thought they had air sac mites, but it was just a respiratory infection. as a gould owner, i live in fear of the dreaded air sack mites, but my flock is clean :0).
my temporary pigeon, who i will be calling "Lawrence", is doing very well. he was treated for feather lice, is eating and drinking well, and is settling in nicely. i gave him a little more unflavored pedialyte in his water. when i was getting him sprayed for feather lice, i was told that he was half starved. i am trying to get him to gain weight. any suggestions? Also, i contacted some members of the Nassau Suffolk pigeon fanciers club. i was told that his band info showed he was from an independent pigeon breeder. A few members offered to take him, or for me to bring him to a pigeon auction they attend (so they can take him or find the owner, not to sell him). one gave me the name and number of two bird band distributors who might be able to tell me who they sold the band to. the hunt for the owner continues!
 

MikeyTN

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Good luck finding his owner ann!!!! Your doing a good thing helping out Lawrence!!! :)
 

MonicaMc

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Glad you are able to help the pigeon! Just a ward of warning though... some pigeon fanciers do not want their birds back. The reason being is that if the birds do not fly back themselves, then they are "worthless".

I hope the owner really does care and wants the bird back!
 

ruffledfeathers

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beautiful bird!!! it's great that you are trying so hard to help him!
 
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ann

ann

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1 nanday conure Black Jack, 1 Brotogeris parakeet Whiff, 1 ring neck dove Eliza, and 6 society finches (3 are tame). RIP my parent pairs of societies and my little gouldian finches
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Good news! I haven't found the official owner, but I have spoken to multiple people who are willing to take him.
Monica- if only they saw their birds as the sensitive animals they are. I hope his real owner agrees!
 

MonicaMc

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That's great! Hope he's still doing well and gaining his health back!
 

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