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Barrdwing wrote:
I want you to know that even the experts have trouble with these problems. You’re not a bad person . . . just having some bad luck. 🙁
This is absolutely true. These things happen to everyone, just as a child with the best of care can still get sick sometimes. Don’t feel too badly Pam!
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My art: featherdust.comNot trying to be judgmental or inflammatory here but why didn’t you think to take that chick to the vet first thing? :S
Thank you to all who offered support and advice.. My baby did not make it through last night. Most of my day today was just spent trying to clear my mind… I wish I had posted earlier. I had no idea it might be his crop. It just never crossed my mind.. I waited too long. I feel dead inside right now… It must have been some sort of impaction, like you said. I am always careful to check that the food is not too hot.
Kreller, I did not take him to a vet or anything because I was convinced it was in his lungs. Not for a second did I think it was his crop. The fact that he could not squeek had me 100% sure it was in his lungs.. I did not even want to think about what the vet bill might be for lung surgery on a pigeon. I just don’t have that sort of money. Don’t think that I never considered taking him, but at the time, thinking it was his lungs, I knew I could not afford to have him healed. I probably would have been in dept for life. Actually, I was pretty dounbtful as to whether or not anything could be done anyway, even by vets. My mom had always said that if it gets in their lungs, they will die and there is no way to save them. I could have done something maybe if I had known at the time that it was not his lungs, if I had thought it was a crop problem, but I just didn’t post soon enough. I didn’t think there was any hope at the time. I never looked for advice on healing him because I was sure I knew what was wrong, and I did not think there was any hope. I posted last night because I had spent the entire day trying to act like nothing was wrong, trying to pretend to everyone around me that all was fine, and I finally just broke down. If I had posted earlier, maybe I could have saved him….
I could not have taken him that first day even if I had wanted too.. At the time he got sick, my parents were the only ones able to drive me anywhere (I can’t drive). My b/f was at work, and could not have helped. My parents were the only ones that could have driven me that day. Unfortunately, had I asked them to drive me and the bird to a vet or wild-life rehab center, they would have laughed in my face. Their solution for a sick pigeon is “slam it.” There would not have been any way to convince them. They tease me for rescuing starving ones, they just don’t understand why I like these birds. My mom, when she sees me trying to feed the little babys, says something like “why do you waste your time with that, just take it out back and slam it!” That is what she says whenever I find any hurt or sick animal!!! 😡 For almost every sick or hurt animal that I have ever rescued, I have litteraly had to guard it to keep my mother from taking the animal out back and killing it to feed to something (a hawk, an owl, or one of our many snakes). My parents just don’t get why I “waste my time” with sick/hurt animals. There is absolutely NO WAY I could ever have gotten them to help me the day my bird got sick. I had to hide THIS ONE from my mother.
I had hoped to take the chick to a wild-life rehab today, after I read this morning that it probably was a crop problem, NOT lungs. My b/f was coming over today and could have taken me, but when I went to check on the baby it was too late.Please don’t think I neglected him… When he got sick, I thought it was in his lungs and that there was probably no hope unless I had thousands of dollars of vet work done on him. My parents would not have taken me on that first day regardless. By today, by the time I learned that it was likely a crop problem, that my b/f was coming over, that I might be able to get him to a rehab place that could fix him… By that time, it was too late.
I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes. You did what you thought was best. If I had thought it was in his lungs I wouldn’t have taken him to a vet either since there is nothing a vet can do to help him. Don’t beat yourself up over it.
You did the best you could! I know I could not have afforded it either and birds are so hard to nurse back to heath once they become sick. I think you did a great job trying to help it to begin with. Our mothers sound alike when it comes to trying to save something sick, but in your heart you know you tried your best and thet’s all anyone can ask.
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Dreamscape, Orion, Poison Dart, Fireberry, Spangler + Tigerberry DragonsPam, you did what you thought was best, and I applaud you for trying to save the birds that everyone else thinks are ‘trash’.
The following is in no way aimed at you, Pam! You were taking in the pigeons to save them. I respect that greatly! But I see a lot of people that buy pets (just to have them) that complain that they cannot afford vet care…
This is a good reminder for everyone that wants a new pet. A lot of people will buy or adopt a pet without factoring in the costs of vet bills. To buy a pet and willfully ignore the fact that vet visits can rank into the hundreds of dollars can be considered not only irresponsible, but a form of cruelty. To buy a new pet then watch it suffer because ‘I can’t afford the vet’ is unacceptable, to me. I’m not talking about rescuing an animal in need, but willingly buying or adopting a pet because you want it. I have several parrots and they are one of the reasons I cannot afford to buy Windstones. I have a thousand dollars set aside just as emergency vet money. I could tap into that, sure, and spurge on a Windstone or a new computer… but that money is for their care. These guys can live over 50 years and I intend to make sure they are healthy and happy every last one of those years. 🙂Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comPam, you did the best you could under very difficult circumstances. Even if you had taken the baby to a vet it is very likely that he or she could not have saved him. Baby birds are very fragile and if something goes wrong it can be very difficult to save them. So even if your dad was Donald Trump the end result probably would be exactly the same. And remember – even mother pidgeons sometimes loose their babies. You loved the little guy and you will remember him for the rest of your life. A lot of pidgeons don’t ever have that.
I was watching a Mutual of Omaha show about Wombats last night. There were 2 rehabilators who rescue babies (usually from dead moms hit by cars – sometimes deliberately 😥 )and they talked about Charlie, this really cute baby they saved and worked with for 18 months before releasing her into the wild. They said they try to remember that they gave her a better life and a longer life no matter what happens in the future (turns out a lot of people in Australia don’t like wombats and kill them). She could have died on the side of the road with her mom but they gave her a chance and they loved her. You did the same for the little pidgeon – you gave him a chance and you loved him. Don’t second guess about the vet (I know, easier said than done). I doubt it would have changed anything. *sends hugs and warm thoughts* I just hope you don’t give up rescuing animals.
And, Nam, I couldn’t agree more about your point. Again, not talking about people who rescue an animal but someone who goes out and buys one and then has no money. Vets have tons of stories of people who spend a thousand dollars on a bird or a dog and then don’t get them vet care “because I spent too much money buying the pet”. Absolutely, sometimes people’s financial situation changes after they have a pet but to get one when you KNOW you don’t have the money to properly take care of it is completely irresponsible not to mention STUPID! *jumps off soapbox and slinks away*
I’m so sorry Pam. I am also sorry to hear your Mom is so without compassion when it comes to animals. It can’t be easy to try to save these animals with that kind of attitude hanging around and being a threat.
Even though this little one didn’t make it, you learned something from it, that could save the next baby, so while this experience was painful, it has value.
Try not to batter yourself too much, grieve as you need to though, and lean on us for support. We’re here.
I’m really sorry he didn’t recover, you have my sympathy.
Kyrin
I’m so sorry, Pam. You’ve been through a lot in the past few days; I hope you’re holding up OK. 🙁
Nam and ddvm are right: this would have been a difficult case for the vet, and probably would have been costly. I know we’re “not supposed to” weigh cost when it comes to trying to help an animal or a human, but the honest truth is that cost is a real and valid factor and it has to be considered. And when the patient’s problem is both high-risk and expensive to treat, that makes it very hard to proceed.
Once, not so very long ago, I misjudged while feeding a baby pigeon and put the formula into his lungs. He died within about two minutes. It was a horrible thing and I beat myself up about it for a long time. It made me recognize that there are a lot of things that I do that can cause harm to others if I’m not careful. So I’m more careful now, but I keep trying to help creatures that need it. I want to keep trying to even the balance. Humans take a lot from Nature; I want to put something back.
Yesterday I may have made it sound as if you missed a valuable window of opportunity. Well, there was a window, but it was narrow, and given the circumstances you were working under (the uncooperative parents) it would have been pretty danged hard to make that window. And even if they had been supportive, there still would have been a vet bill to contend with, and an outcome uncertain. It was just a bad situation all around. Again, you are not a bad person. You made a decision that was perfectly reasonable at the time, and in many ways your hands were tied. I’m just sorry that you had to go through something like this.
Hang in there!
I’m sorry he didn’t make it, Pam 🙁 By the way you describe the situation, you did the best you possibly could. By providing care in the first place, it sounds like you were giving the baby pigeon a better start to life it probably wouldn’t have had otherwise if just left to survive on it’s own.
Barrdwing wrote:Nam and ddvm are right: this would have been a difficult case for the vet, and probably would have been costly. I know we’re “not supposed to” weigh cost when it comes to trying to help an animal or a human, but the honest truth is that cost is a real and valid factor and it has to be considered. And when the patient’s problem is both high-risk and expensive to treat, that makes it very hard to proceed.
Forum members, just a comment on cost in relation to wild animals. If you have a Wildlife Center in your area, you should be able to drop off sick, injured, and/or abandoned wild animals. They usually have a vet on staff trained in treating wild animals. There shouldn’t be any cost to you except the gas it takes to travel there but you will be expected to relinquish the animal. Although, if they are a non-profit organization, it never hurts to give a donation even if it is just a few dollars.
Just call up the Center beforehand to make sure they are able to accept the animal.
He wasn’t really a wild animal though… He was a domestic homing pigeon. We have a loft of them. That is why I end up with so many. I check the loft all the time for babies who aren’t being fed by their mothers like they should. Sometimes my dad sells the pigeons to people and they will take a parent bird on accident, or one will get killed by a hawk, and so the babies have no one to feed them.
Pam Thompson wrote:He wasn’t really a wild animal though… He was a domestic homing pigeon. We have a loft of them. That is why I end up with so many. I check the loft all the time for babies who aren’t being fed by their mothers like they should. Sometimes my dad sells the pigeons to people and they will take a parent bird on accident, or one will get killed by a hawk, and so the babies have no one to feed them.
Pam, from the way you described the situation, you would have been unable to make the trip to a Wildlife Center (or vet) so it wasn’t a post aimed at your actions. Although, I wasn’t aware that it was a domestic homing pigeon you were referring to (so your family breeds them?) versus a wild sidewalk variety. It seems to me like you’re doing your best to help these little pigeons out. Please don’t stop!!! Ugh, your mother’s comments make me cringe 🙁
I was making a general comment to anyone who might be hesitant to seek treatment for a wild animal thinking it requires financial obligation. In MA, wild (feral) pigeons are accepted at the Wildlife Centers so I didn’t want anyone who found an injured or abandoned one to forgo appropriate medical treatment thinking it requires going to an avian vet and incurring a huge bill.
We don’t breed them intentionaly. It’s a big loft, and they breed on their own. We put food and water in there, but that’s it. They fly loose during the day. The loft has been there over 20 years. Sometimes lost homing pigeons join the flock, and every once in a while a wild one will come in and interbreed with the homers (it shows because the birds now are generally smaller than 20 years ago). We have around 50+ pigeons, with 10 veteran breeding pairs. I try to keep track of who is breeding with who, and also a rough lineage for each, so if one gets killed I will know right off if it has young in the nest still. It also helps so when people come to buy pigeons, I can try to keep them from taking nesting birds, or birds with good genetics. Since new blood comes in rarely, they can get inbred, so I try to make sure when pigeons are bought, they take the birds with the most common colors and patterns. Anything different, I like to keep back.
I can’t wait to get out of this house.
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