saving injured pigeons

Question
our wharf cat catches,kills and eats pigeons on a daily basis.If I can save them,I do. Right now I have a youngster with a few yellow quills unable to fly. He's fading ?He eats a little seed with alot of encouragement and I use astraw with mash and water. Should I put gravel in mash?I try to make him move around and I literally work his legs and feet as he becomes more inactive. He had an injury to his right wing which has gotten better but he doesn't try to fly.This type of scenario comes up occaisionly and I would appreciate any suggestions.There are reasons I try to save these pigeons which I won't get into here. Thank-you. Leslie  

Answer
Hi Leslie,

Thank you for saving this pigeon. I assume he has most of his adult feathers. I would first place him in a secure cage or box with a heating pad set on low or a hot water bottle, and place a towel on top of the heating pad or hot water bottle. Give him some time to warm up, which is especially important since he is injured and young. Just make sure he does not get too hot and provide him with an area where he can sit if he does, away from the heat.

I suspect this pigeon might have a bacterial infection. Cats have lots of bacteria in their mouths and saliva, and when capturing prey, they inflict deep puncture wounds that allow the entrance of bacteria. If you can, I would suggest you bring him to a veterinarian for treatment. You can try to flush out the wounds with a diluted betadine solution and give an antibiotic to help clear up infection:

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/multiple.html

I would wait for the pigeon to warm up first before trying to feed him. Just keep an eye on him and notice if he appears more active after warming. Offer it water before you feed it. You should also add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar to the water (or use pedialyte) just in case it is dehydrated. What do you use the straw for when feeding?

Keep me updated!
Stacie