I don't know how this story will go and it could be a unhappy ending but I don't know at this point. I always leave plenty of water down for the wild pigeons during the day and I usually don't feed them but in the last month I have been putting food down to attract Bettys mate. Bye the way I saw Betty and her mate this morning and she just looks beautiful prettier than when I had her and her mate is a very large checker bird that drives her a lot....Well back to the story.. For the last few weeks there had been this pigeon limping around and at first not too bad and I tried to see long distance what the problem is but can't see that good. It has been coming early in the morning and (of course) I put some feed down for it and (of course) all the wild pigeons come down to eat with this pigeon...This morning I put a small amount of seed in my fly pen trying to attract it there (with all the other 20 of them) and it went in and I was going to just shut the fly pen door on them but a car backfired and out they flew... So I hosed the area down and got my birds bath pans out and unlocked their guards on the windows and they are bathing as usual. Then I of course put some seed out in the yard and filled their water containers and that where we sit at this time (with no bird)...I notice all the wild birds out their eating and drinking and having a ball but I was not successful on my first attempt. It flys really well but its limping is getting worse each day and I might have to just leave it come down and stay down. But I will try again....almost had it...darn....This bird just might disappear too , who knows, so the story might not end up good...But I will try again....and in the meanwhile these wild pigeons are having a ball eating and this is something I don't want to encourage for I would rather they find food on their own....So we will see.....c.hert

I got the bird about a half of hour ago. I examined it the best I could and I can see nothing wrong with the foot from leg to stomach and the bottom of its feet looks wonderful but the toes do curl up (slightly) and she is limping really bad today..Mouth looks healthy but the color is not as pink as one would think a healthy bird should be but there is no evidence of Canker in vent or mouth or anywhere....Abdomen is swollen but it does not feel like a fluid swollen type and the bird muscles are beautiful and wings beautiful but seems lethargic but have not had long enough of watching to see where this will go--abdomen not swollen a lot but heavier feeling to it. Have not see the droppings yet but the bird does not have any kind of smell to it..I have it in a isolation cage draped and it is getting used to be captured...Just thought I would let you all know this stage of the rescue....The pigeon looks very very unkempt but can't find anything wrong with its feet or legs but toes doe curl a bit on the one foot...Its a checker type bird..c.hert

This pigeon is completely relaxed and not making any kind of escape attempt out of the cage. Right now it is cleaning itself and sitting on the edge of the pigest nest ring pecking at the seeds on the paper.. I am beginning to think that I released this pigeon a few years back because it looks famaliar to me..(This is silly after awhile all these checkers looks alike lol). It's very alert and doe not seem to be in any kind of distress and just for now "hanging out" and there is absolutely no fear of being in the strange cage at all--just hanging out having a relaxing day....?????? I am checking my bird files and pigeon book to see if I released a bird like this one and here is where pictures would be a big big help---so many released----I am getting a camera this month....Just an update.....c.hert

c.hert...any possibility this new one is egg bound?

Can you give it extra calcium in the grit? Perhaps finely crushed eggs shells? Scraped cuttlebone?

Leg problem could be related to above...

Sending our BEST and hope all goes well!

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi and the gang

It's a good suggestion but I don't think so but I will check your idea out and I will also give it a lot of calcuim--just in case....Thanks....c.hert

This pigeon"s poops are absolutely wonderful--perfect as I see and I have been watching this pigeon for a few weeks now waiting for it to get better in the wild but it is not going in that direction..Today its limp is really bad and I am so glad I was able to trap it..I believe this is a male pigeon that I released in June of 2008 by the name of Joshua and at that time he had pnv the virus form and had him in the house since Nov of 2007 but I am not sure--the notes do refer to one characteristic that he had and this is he stretched all the time and his wings stretched out full and after he did this he russtled his whole body and started cleaning his chest. This bird does that characteristic and it looks so famaliar to me so I do believe it is a male named Joshua in my files from that year...,,but maybe not,,he sure looks like a bird I tended to at one time..If I have to guess I would say its a male and I would guess at nerve damage but I don't know and he is fine in all other ways so far...Pretty soon I am going to wash the feet in Epson Salts and get my magnifying glass and take a real good look at that foot...Tomorrow after observing him some more I will make an appointment for the bird at the vets...He is eating and drinking and stretching and cleaning and just "Hanging out" not afraid , not trying to break out of the cage--he is perfectly relaxed and very alert...He seems to like soft music as well..???? c.hert

I just dipped this pigeon in Permectrin 2 and I checked out the right foot really well. I can see nothing wrong with it--the white pad on the bottom seems a little bit larger but nothing at this moment of concern and right now it is drying in a cage in the sun and I dried it off good as well. It does use that foot to walk flat on it and the toes don't curl when walking but when holding it up the toes do curl tight...Tomorrow I will make a vet appointment and this is a guess but I think it is something to do with the nerve in the foot..It's not a happy camper right now because of the dipping and it looks like a drown rat but it is drying nicely on this hot sunny day..c.hert

Will be looking forward to your updates about Joshua(?) and hope the Vet visit doesn't show anything serious!

He sounds like he's quite happy staying with you!

Sending positive thoughts with Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi

Thanks Desert fire,, and I will keep us all posted on his condition...c.hert

Joshua has a appointment with the vet on Sept 7th at 11:00am and I could of have it earlier but I work the rest of this week and at this time there is no emergency.. I know this bird is Joshua for he had breakfast at the table with me this morning and complete strange wild pigeons do not do this...so its vet time next week to check things out...Joshua is wonderful and alert and looking better after his dip but still has that awful limp to him but he is eating and drinking and "just hanging out", very calm and very peaceful....just an update....c.hert

Hi everyone, Well you are not going to believe this but there is a second pigeon out there with the same problem as Joshua with limping badly with the right leg. I am glad I am taking Joshua to the vet next week. This new pigeon is another checker and I will try to contain it. I need to work a lot this week but I will try early in the morning if it comes down. I will share with you that I am very concerned at this point because my worse fear of all is Paratyphoid which is Salmonellosis--the bacteria kind not the virus, and this is gram negative rod and very serious and it takes Baytril to help get the bird well (if it gets well)--I wondering if this is the beginning of something like this??? I am glad I am taking Joshua next week to check him out. If this is Salmonellosis-------then------My whole loft could be in danger....I will keep you posted and everything is okay here and Joshua if just fine eating and drinking and alert and no sickness at all except the right leg....I am very concerned and this is my worse fear.......c.hert

Until you get some confirmation from the Vet, c.hert, the gang and I are sending

OUR VERY BEST WISHES that all will turn out well and, whatever this is, can and will be treated and healed!

We will be anxiously awaitng new information!

Hope you can catch this new one!!

Love and Hugs

Shi and the gang

keeping my fingers crossed for you c.hert

Just a thought nothing down pat as of now---just a funny coincidence so far with a second bird with a hurt right foot. There is no sickness of any kind with this first pigeon and Joshua goes to the vet on Tuesday. If you discover this sickness no you do not wait to administer medical help or drugs but you know what you are treating for--so far nothing....Thanks Gladys Chardon for the post....c.hert

There are about 15 or 20 birds on the electric pole up high and this pigeon is among them. I am going to make a attempt to trap this bird into the open fly pen with food and I can't say at the moment that I will be successful. One thing it is cool here and those pigeons up there are hungry but this bird is very leary with humans not like the first one who was less afraid. In the meanwhile my pigeons in the loft want out to the fly pen but they have to stay in for now at least until I am able to make the attempt at capture. C.hert

I did not make an attempt at capturing this second pigeon because its foot is very much improved and for now I am just watching this situation and let nature heal its foot.. It is very much better today --not limping like yesterday so I am just watching for now.. One thing good about this I cleaned out the front of the fly pen (outside) while I was waiting for the pigeons to maybe come down for some seed and I found a small screw on the concrete area that came out of the latch on the door. This could have been real dangerous for my birds. When you have birds one must keep a careful look out for things like this---keeping your finger on these types of things at all times. Pigeons are gone now for they must have another feeding area because I only put a handful out to just attract them down and now there is no one pigeon out there. I let my pigeons out and everybody is a happy camper...For now I am just watching this second pigeon and it has really improved with its walking---I think it was just hurt a little..."Our Joshua is doing wonderful but still has that really bad limp and will go to the vet on Tuesday." c.hert

Hi c.hert,

Wishing all the best for good recovery for Joshua. I'm glad you managed to capture him and keep him safe and well cared for till you find out what is wrong.

Thanks for keeping us informed.

Good luck with Joshua. Hoping that the vet visit will go well and that the problem turns out to be a minor one.

Linda

Joshua had breakfast with me this morning at the kitchen table and he flys really well from the table to the counter and back again but he does have a bad limp and I am glad that I could catch him.. Bye the way he had a little bit of scabbled eggs and toast with me as well as some small pieces of crisp lettuce and he is gaining a lot of weight. He ate all three items and this does point to him being Joshua from about 3 years back...The second pigeon wild with the limping right foot is holding steady not getting worse and not getting better. He or she is usually the first one down to eat the seed I put down for him and I keep water out all the time for the wild birds. This morning I put a handful of seed into the fly pen before I let out my birds and he walked in and ate but the problem is he won't let me get too close to close the door and if I stand there and let him walk past me he won't go in---truely wild....So my plan is to get him used to eating in the fly pen and then one day when he is really really hungry he will go in and lose his mind with eating and I will shut the door.....(thats a plan) but in the meantime he is a very strong flyer and remaining stable....I just need to get this second bird used to things so that I can be close enough to "shut the door""....Everything fine..all birds are well....c.hert