Bit sad this morning. Think I'm going to have to put down our little fantail :-(

[appps]

I picked him up this morning and realised he has developed a large swelling on the knee and can no longer bend that leg at all :-(. He is quite disabled in the leg department anyway but was happy enough and it didn't seem to cause him any pain and got round quite well by flapping but now at 12 months old this kind of changes things because if he is in pain with no chance of recovery due to the leg being disabled I won't keep him like that.

The lump isn't particularly red or hot to the touch though.

 

[N F C]

@appps so sorry to hear about your bird. I agree with your thinking that if he's in pain and no chance of recovery, it would be a mercy to let him go. Not as easy to do as it is to say though. It's a sad situation

 

[laughingdog]

He may have paratyphoid that can show suddenly and go away on own or once treated/recovered. It shows later symptoms sometimes of lumps on joints. I've found heat vitamins and probiotics work good to treat but some meds worked for others.

 

[appps]

Just to update I called in to the vet, mainly because I'm not a put em down yourself kinda gal but the vet felt it and the other joints and said she didn't think it was causing any discomfort for him. She did say to watch carefully though as if it gets a sore or ulcer on the lump from how he sits on it (like a bed sore I guess) there won't be much hope of treating it successfully due to his deformity. For now she thinks just watch and see.

I also realised while I was talking to her that he has been sleeping on the ground the last month and a bit. The ground is probably much harder on the joint to lay on. So I've put barriers where they'd decided to nest and been putting him in a nice soft nest box the last few days and this morning both of them were nestled in it. Hopefully lying on the softer straw will give it a break on the lump might receded.

Also off to google your suggestion laughing dog!

 

[laughingdog]

Try dried pine needles, soft pine shavings (like fluffy curly kind, not chips or ceder), sphagnum moss, are all lot softer than straw. I've seen people use peat moss pressed n dried into shape for soft cheap easy cleanable/compostable nest bowl liners.

 

[appps]

Thanks. Think I can get some pine needles.

I'm thinking it may be improving just because he's bending it to stand up yesterday.

 

[laughingdog]

Put apple sider vinegar in water, probiotics infeed, and keep poop really cleaned up to help prevent symptoms from showing in rest in cage (they'll spread by billing preening sneezing dust,walking in n in infected feces, sharing water and feed. By time one shows that bad basically all have just to lesser degree n secondary illnesses haven't taken over.
People make a larger deal than have to be, all birds usually carry but only show from secondary infections when stress creates immune problem. I'm saying incorrectly but hopefully jogs some old timers memories, as young people mostly don't know about and just cull.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope he will recover

 

[autumnpengu]

Sounds like Typhoid to me. Is the bird with others? Or is he an only pigeon

 

[appps]

Well I finally had to make the trip to the vets today and had him put down. The knee lump didn't really get much worse or better but the leg ended up not bending at all and just sticking straight out behind him and with the other leg not working properly either it affected his ability to fly about and get to the food and water. He was pretty much bed ridden in a little bowl the last couple of days and stopped drinking so it was time

Btw he was in with one other pigeon and there are two more in a cage next to it. It didn't spread to the others and I really think it was some sort of arthritis or such due to his bad joints (he could never stand properly from hatching) and the way he sat that joint took the pressure most of the time.

I've put all 3 remaining birds together into the one cage so his friend doesn't fret now he's gone. Will the odd number be ok? Or am I going to still need to prioritise getting it a new friend? I think I've got 1 male and 2 females.