Pigeon Funk

Pigeons suffer from a variety of ailments peculiar to themselves, the most common being the Paramyxo virus and throat canker. The virus causes birds to appear fluffed up, unbalanced or dizzy. They may walk in circles, throw seeds in the air when eating, hang their heads upside down (star gazing) or have fits. No veterinary treatment is available as far as we know but the pigeon can recover after a lengthy period of rest and care. However, he or she must be kept separate from other birds for at least 6 weeks. Canker or Trichomoniasis seems most common in young pigeons aged between 2 and 5 weeks. It is detected by a swollen throat containing yellow/white button-like cheesy growths, wet or bad smelling discharge from the beak and unwillingness to fly. Depending on the severity, it may be very difficult for the bird to eat or breath. This disease in young birds is fatal but can be treated with drugs such as flagyl (metronidazole) or spartrix (carnidazole). Crop-feeding may be necessary while healing is underway. Please do not attempt to scrape away these growths unless they are severely restricting breathing, as this may damage the lining of the throat. Keep the patient away from other birds. As with dealing with any animal, please observe common-sense hygiene. Wash hands throughly before and after handling any wild pigeons.