The many uses of the ziplock bag

I lost my first bird yesterday. A pigeon came in with a broken leg. This sort of thing isn't uncommon and many survive in wild just fine with only one leg. I don't mind splinting broken bones, but this leg was different... it was turned in the wrong direction, a completely different color, and the bones were stacked up on each other. The poor bird was trembling with pain and I did all I could not to pass out. All I could think of was my brother talking me thru this medical experience as I do with him and his blood draws. We ended up giving the bird a shot of pain meds in its keel and wrapping up the leg with vet tape and popsicle sticks. As I placed it on a comfy t-shirt, I noticed blood coming out of its beak. I don't think that's a good sign. Half an hour later, I give some seed and water in case it feels up to eating. An hour later, its head is down on the t-shirt. I give it another hour, but it's still in the same position. Not a good sign for sure. When picked up, it was as stiff as a board. So I fill out the appropriate paperwork and place the pigeon into a ziplock freezer bag. Unwilling to accept defeat, I stared at its chest to see if its moving. Nothing. I zipped it up and walked towards the freezer. It feels so so strange to place a warm body in a freezer. I felt like I was killing it myself. I triple checked the bird again, made sure that yellow and blue made green, gently laid it near a seagull popsicle and closed the freezer door.

Death is the one thing that kept me away for all these years. I somehow become attached so quickly. I hate that part of my job. But, I would hate it more if it didn't bother me at all.

Eat the tube, Pigeon

I learned how to tube feed pigeons the other day. Strange to think that you can safely shove a tube four inches down their throats and into their crops. The key is to wrap the pigeon up in a towel, sort of like a burrito, to prevent it from moving too much. Holding a syringe of Lakes formula under my chin, I slid the tubing into the left side of the mouth (their right side), watching their feathers slowly lift up as it went down. As soon as the tube was in place, I gave the syringe a slow push, followed by a swifter push. You want to make sure you can empty the contents pretty quickly to prevent any damage. Some birds can die during tube feeding, especially ones with Trichomoniasis ("trich"). If a piece of the trich loosens during the feeding, it can cause lethal bleeding. Some birds may die just from the shock of the procedure which is necessary for their survival. I somehow survived my first two tube feedings with flying colors... the first pigeon was malnourished and the second had trich.