Squab lost use of legs!

[jak2002003]

I found one of the older squabs in a state this afternoon, when I checked the nest box.

It has lost control and movement of its legs and feet.. and it has to move around my using its wings to pull itself forward.. and the legs are dragging straight out behind it.

It has thick sloppy green poops (with a little white in them) and stained feathers around its bottom. The other squab is fine.

It looks really bad.. I think I may sadly have to cull it if it has not passed away in the night (and I have no idea how to do that!!!).. It was fine yesterday. It is not related to the other squab as it was a foster bird from another nest.

I looked up the typical pigeon disease and can't seem to find out what it is.

I also have another adult pigeon (not related to this one) that is sick, but has very different symptoms.. this one is off the feed and water and weak... and has lost a lot of weight over the last 2 weeks. It still can fly and walk about, but not strong. I have this one isolated in the house on antibiotic treatment... It has normal droppings (but very small as it eats so little). So I hope this is not related to the sick squab.. because I had a devastating disease outbreak about 4 years ago when I lost most of my birds to young bird sickness virus... but after a couple of generations breeding from the survivors everything was OK again up till now.

Also I have added NO new birds to the flock at all.

Thanks for any help....

 

[biophiliac]

Hi Jak2002003, So sorry you are having trouble. If you post a link in the Emergencies /Diseases Section that might help you get more responses or maybe you did already. Good Luck

 

[laughingdog]

Darn bad luck, hopefully doesn't spread, if they are culled just pull head off fast as pet soothing it when do holding body downward facing chest down to drain blood off from making mess in seconds takes as drains. Sounds ghoulish but it's responsible as can't remember what is but they are in pain from and pulling head off fast least stress and pain on birds and responsible. They MAY be able to be brought back but it's slim hit or miss as if done but birds died badly later then and before then never right and couldn't stress at all or they'd get sick.
I've stopped having these troubles now mostly song bird proofing my remaining and new birds cages.
Good luck if you can get heat suppliments and layer type feed kept down not going right through, doing therapy that may help temp.

 

[jak2002003]

Darn bad luck, hopefully doesn't spread, if they are culled just pull head off fast as pet soothing it when do holding body downward facing chest down to drain blood off from making mess in seconds takes as drains. Sounds ghoulish but it's responsible as can't remember what is but they are in pain from and pulling head off fast least stress and pain on birds and responsible. They MAY be able to be brought back but it's slim hit or miss as if done but birds died badly later then and before then never right and couldn't stress at all or they'd get sick.
I've stopped having these troubles now mostly song bird proofing my remaining and new birds cages.
Good luck if you can get heat suppliments and layer type feed kept down not going right through, doing therapy that may help temp.

Thanks for the advise.
The squab was dead the next morning. I have cleaned the nest box really well and keeping my fingers crossed this was a one off thing.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I looked up the typical pigeon disease and can't seem to find out what it is.

At first I thought it was a case of splayed leg. Then I realized it was more serious.
It may have been just a bad dip into the gene pool of the parents.
Hoping it does not repeat for you BYC buddy.

 

[jak2002003]

Thanks Hokum Coco.

I think it was some kind of bacterial infection. When I found the squab dead the next morning it was covered in nasty green mucus... where came from both ends. The other squab is really healthy thankfully.

It was a bit of a shock seeing how quickly the bird got sick and died, from being in full health and very strong less than 24 hours earlier. Keeping fingers crossed this was just a one off thing.

 

[laughingdog]

It's considered more of virus vs bacteria and hope goes good for you. Some squeakers are just not strong enough to deal with it.

 

[13ChickenGirl]

It's considered more of virus vs bacteria and hope goes good for you. Some squeakers are just not strong enough to deal with it.

We had a rooster who had bright green poop and wasn't eating. We took him inside and gave him plain yoghurt with oregano. We were so sure he was knocking on deaths door! Somehow he managed to pull through and survive. He was in the house for a week