Need help with my disabled / amputated pigeon

[lighthouse]

Hi there.

I need help with my dove.

Three months ago my dove broke his left leg and due to lack of vets where I live I performed myself a cast on him. I did that very wrong and two weeks later I was heading to the capital with my dove to a very reputable birds vet.

He said he would try and save his leg but when he opened he called me to tell me that he had to amputate. He did and I took my dove home with some antibiotics.

I guess the $600 I paid the vet wasn’t enough money for him to follow up the case because after a week he just stopped answering my messages and daily reports with pics and videos of the leg.

Anyway three months down the line here we are, me with a very unhappy dove and unhappy myself through his suffering.

(I can’t attach the videos here but if you ca help me I’ll just send them to you the way you choose.) As you can see in the videos he can’t keep balance and stretches the leg back and to the outside. After trying many different systems to keep him quiet and in front of the food while eating I ended up building that cage you can see where I put him when it’s time for lunch. He’s eating better now.

I got a female dove to try and cheer him up and it has worked but only a little. Now she attacks him sometimes, when he’s flapping uncontrollably.

He doesn’t care for hygiene and I need to wash his butt daily and a whole body bath weekly.

My questions are:

1. Is it right the place where the vet cut? Because what I can see is that that length doesn’t allow y dove to walk but either to lay down quiet. He’s feeling uncomfortable all the time.

2. Is that scab normal? Is it normal that the leg is so wide at the end?

3. What kind of rehabilitation could I do with him?

4. How can I get him to keep balance?

5. Is there a better method to feed him?

6. How can I cheer him up? What do doves like? He’s my first dove ever.

I’ll answer all the questions here or you can PM me and I’ll take all videos and pics that you ask me for.

Please share this post if you know someone who could help me. Unfortunately I can’t invest any more money in my dove.

Thanks in advance.

 

[biophiliac]

Hi there.

I need help with my dove.

Three months ago my dove broke his left leg and due to lack of vets where I live I performed myself a cast on him. I did that very wrong and two weeks later I was heading to the capital with my dove to a very reputable birds vet.

He said he would try and save his leg but when he opened he called me to tell me that he had to amputate. He did and I took my dove home with some antibiotics.

I guess the $600 I paid the vet wasn’t enough money for him to follow up the case because after a week he just stopped answering my messages and daily reports with pics and videos of the leg.

Anyway three months down the line here we are, me with a very unhappy dove and unhappy myself through his suffering.

(I can’t attach the videos here but if you ca help me I’ll just send them to you the way you choose.) As you can see in the videos he can’t keep balance and stretches the leg back and to the outside. After trying many different systems to keep him quiet and in front of the food while eating I ended up building that cage you can see where I put him when it’s time for lunch. He’s eating better now.

I got a female dove to try and cheer him up and it has worked but only a little. Now she attacks him sometimes, when he’s flapping uncontrollably.

He doesn’t care for hygiene and I need to wash his butt daily and a whole body bath weekly.

My questions are:

1. Is it right the place where the vet cut? Because what I can see is that that length doesn’t allow y dove to walk but either to lay down quiet. He’s feeling uncomfortable all the time.

2. Is that scab normal? Is it normal that the leg is so wide at the end?

3. What kind of rehabilitation could I do with him?

4. How can I get him to keep balance?

5. Is there a better method to feed him?

6. How can I cheer him up? What do doves like? He’s my first dove ever.

I’ll answer all the questions here or you can PM me and I’ll take all videos and pics that you ask me for.

Please share this post if you know someone who could help me. Unfortunately I can’t invest any more money in my dove.

Thanks in advance.

I am sorry I don't have any ideas to share. I think I would be quite dissatisfied with your results from that vet despite his 'reputation'.
@Pyxis - Do you have any thoughts about this problem.

 

[lighthouse]

I am sorry I don't have any ideas to share. I think I would be quite dissatisfied with your results from that vet despite his 'reputation'.
@Pyxis - Do you have any thoughts about this problem.

thank you.

 

[Pyxis]

That doesn't look good to me at all. Are there any other vets in your area at all who can take a look at that?

I don't like the swelling, it almost looks like it's infected. Did the vet give you any antibiotics to have him on after the surgery, to prevent infection?

@casportpony, what do you think?

 

[Hokum Coco]

I need help with my dove.

I can sense you have a "KIND" heart and you may think of me as "cruel and insensitive."
Without knowing how the bird maneuvers;it's overall health or condition; and how it is adapting to it's situation.

I would be considering culling the bird.

i do not see any quality of life for this bird "ESPECIALLY" if it is in a flock situation.
The bird would be at the bottom of the "PECKING ORDER" and suffer untold abuse.

 

[Weeg]

It also believe it looks infected possibly. I do think it would be best to get another vet to look at him, but if you can’t get the swelling down and that nasty scan to go away you may want to consider culling g him. If you do manage to get him back to normal, you could possibly try and 3D print him a prosthetic! I have heard of that before but never done it. Good luck, Avery
@Wyorp Rock @casportpony @Eggcessive @Overo Mare

 

[Weeg]

The birds quality of life right now is not great, I don’t know how a dove would live with one leg. Next time you try and cast a leg, consider looking up a video or doing more research before doing. I highly suggest Dr. Oakley’s video on casting a turkeys leg with a finger splint. Good luck, and so sorry. Avery

 

[backyard pigeons]

Thank you for trying. I do not want to sound mean, but the pigeon doesn't seem to have much of a life. I would consider culling.

Just for your info, it is a pigeon.

He doesn’t care for hygiene and I need to wash his butt daily and a whole body bath weekly.

All pigeons care for hygiene. If he can't give himself hygene, he really won't be able to do anything.

I'm sorry i cant be more positive! I just want you to see some facts before you get more invested.

 

[lighthouse]

Hi there.

I need help with my dove.

Three months ago my dove broke his left leg and due to lack of vets where I live I performed myself a cast on him. I did that very wrong and two weeks later I was heading to the capital with my dove to a very reputable birds vet.

He said he would try and save his leg but when he opened he called me to tell me that he had to amputate. He did and I took my dove home with some antibiotics.

I guess the $600 I paid the vet wasn’t enough money for him to follow up the case because after a week he just stopped answering my messages and daily reports with pics and videos of the leg.

Anyway three months down the line here we are, me with a very unhappy dove and unhappy myself through his suffering.

(I can’t attach the videos here but if you ca help me I’ll just send them to you the way you choose.) As you can see in the videos he can’t keep balance and stretches the leg back and to the outside. After trying many different systems to keep him quiet and in front of the food while eating I ended up building that cage you can see where I put him when it’s time for lunch. He’s eating better now.

I got a female dove to try and cheer him up and it has worked but only a little. Now she attacks him sometimes, when he’s flapping uncontrollably.

He doesn’t care for hygiene and I need to wash his butt daily and a whole body bath weekly.

My questions are:

1. Is it right the place where the vet cut? Because what I can see is that that length doesn’t allow y dove to walk but either to lay down quiet. He’s feeling uncomfortable all the time.

2. Is that scab normal? Is it normal that the leg is so wide at the end?

3. What kind of rehabilitation could I do with him?

4. How can I get him to keep balance?

5. Is there a better method to feed him?

6. How can I cheer him up? What do doves like? He’s my first dove ever.

I’ll answer all the questions here or you can PM me and I’ll take all videos and pics that you ask me for.

Please share this post if you know someone who could help me. Unfortunately I can’t invest any more money in my dove.

Thanks in advance.

hi @Qwerty3159 @biophiliac @Weeg @Pyxis @Hokum Coco @backyard pigeons !

this is an update on el Cojo.

as someone here advised me i made a thingy for him to be more self sufficient and to learn to walk and to fly.

i only made this three weeks ago —shame on me but i’ve been busy with life.

as you can see in the videos he’s got definitely more strength in his good leg but still can’t keep control over his movements and forget about flying.

this here is me asking all of you what you can see in the videos that i could improve and how could i manage to teach him to walk.

ANY ideas more than welcome really.

thanks in advance!

 

[Weeg]

Consider making him a walker. Here is a video, and a picture with some ideas. That will help him get strength and get around. Is the infection gone/healed? Is the stump heathy? I hope the walker idea helps.