Baby dove- where to from here?

[bystander]

Hi everyone

Last weekend while I was meant to be working with one of my horses a baby dove managed to fly into the mirrors around the outdoor. I went over and scooped her (?) up so the dogs wouldn't eat her and she was obviously in shock, so I took her into the barn, sat her in my cap and put the cap in a milkcrate while I dealt with the feral (the horse I mean).

Afterwards I noticed that not only was she in shock, but she was bleeding from the mouth too, so not being very hopeful I put her in the car and took her home, since I wasn't sure of the extent of her injuries.

Well, the cute little thing pulled through Her beak is on a little crooked (I'm guessing that's what the blood was from), but other than that she seems fine and has been squeaking and wandering around when I let her.

My problem though is that she appears to be losing weight instead of gaining it. In the evening, when she seemed recovered I offered her millet sprays, budgie mix (only thing I really had small enough, pigeon mix looked too big), powdered Crumbles, then damp egg and biscuit, grass, and grass seeds. I haven't seen her eat any yet, but she's stabbed. After the first evening I figured I'd better rehydrate her anyway so made some dilute rearing mix and syringed 0.5/mL of that. She really is only small, from head to tail about as long as my hand (and I have small girly hands) and I don't know what species she is.

From then on, every 3 hours during the day I've been syringing 2mL into her and she's pooping regularly and is very active, preening and hopping around.

Since she's so small (about the size of a large budgie) I don't know if I should be feeding her at all (since she's had her first flight... sorta) or how much.

I'll get pictures when I get the camera, but any insight appreciated Am I feeding too much, too little?

Oh- and I've only ever reared cropless birds before- mynahs- so really don't know what/where the crop is or how much to fill it, especially since she's feathered except for the bald tummy but I'm very good at not aspirating babies. I know that mynahs still need to be fed after fledging, but not sure what the go is with doves. My pigeon I found as a juvenile, so all the hard work had been done.

[pdpbison]

Hi bystander,



Oye...


Well, if she broke her Beak or cracked something at the root ( upper? or Lower Beak was bleeding, or seems crooked?) it would make it possibly very hard for her to eat, assuming she knew how and had gained in her experience since fledging...where, as you may know, after they are flying decently, mom and dad still feed them for some time, till the youngster gets the knack themselves for pecking and grazing and so on...


So, any use of force ( even the smallest amount ) to open her Beak, in order to tube-feed her, would be injuring it further, or, interfering with it's healing...and, ideally, it should be 'set' in some gentle manner, so it is rightly aligned, in order for it, and her future pecking potentials, to be as best they can be.

This might not be easy to achieve...


If she is willing to 'nuzzle' your fingers, in asking to be fed, I can explain some safe methods which would allow her to feed, and which would not strain her Beak, or, require any use of force or manual Beak opening...but, she has to be asking for you to feed her, for this to work...


Any 'yellow' in her Poops/Urates?


If you can keep her on a White Towell, it will be easy to see, count, and evaluate the poops...in a Box even, with a soft cloth over the top...


Tepid Water would most likely be best for her drinking occasions, if she is indeed young, and keeping her hydrated...

She is dinking as active agent, if Water is presented to her Beak?

Their Crop is above their Keel, at the front of course, centered,and,below their Throat...so, in effect, the 'front' of the Dove, is where their Crop is.


Do post some images if you can?


Best wishes!


Phil
Las Vegas

[bystander]

Thanks Phil!

I'll try and describe her beak until I can get pictures and see what people think. It just looks like instead of the upper and lower bills mirroring each other, when looked at from above one is set more to one side than the other. Her mouth still closes, but the outlines just don't *quite* match up, if that makes sense. They're only off by maybe half a mm. I'm getting the camera this evening, so will post pictures then. I tried to see if it would move back when I first discovered it a few hours after the accident after she'd stopped bleeding and was moving around again but it didn't seem to want to. I couldn't see where the blood was coming from and it didn't drip out of her mouth but you could see that her mouth was filling with blood, she'd swallow and a short time later it would be back again. I was freaking out thinking she'd done her internals so to find out that it was (as far as I can tell) just her beak was quite comforting.

I've seen her yawn, preen and chirp so I don't know that it hurts her but if it was injured in the accident then it probably would. There wasn't much blood, so it would make sense that it was just from rearranging her beak, luckily. She just doesn't seem to know what to do with food yet. Today I watched her trying to eat seed by stabbing it with her mouth closed, then opening her beak as she lifted her head up- sorta like a reverse peck so perhaps she's getting the idea after all... slowly. She's also been moving things AROUND- just not eating on her own (I have nothing better to do than birdsit all day lol!). She's still very soft around the base of the beak, so I really was hoping it could be manipulated back, but no luck.

I tried to get Fluffypants, my pigeon to demonstrate the concept (from another cage) but she was too busy staring at the little one to eat anything. My pigeon thinks she's a person so was quite unsettled by seeing another bird and had an attack of the shakes (she's a very special bird, scared of everything but me).

She doesn't nuzzle to be fed, but when she's hungry she starts chirping and climbs on top of her cage and stares at me pointedly. I take her out, sit her on my knee and hold the base of her beak with one hand and she opens wide to be fed.

Droppings are fine, clear distinction between solids and liquids and no discoloration of the urine. A little wet, but considering what I've been feeding her that's not surprising.

I have seen her drink, however (yay!).

Ah, ABOVE the keel, gotcha. I kept reading everywhere, the front of the bird and only feeling keel lol. I found it on her (easy when I knew where to look ) and am now using that as a guide as to how much to feed. She managed 5mL a few minutes ago Such capacity for such a tiny bird! No wonder the poor dear wasn't putting any weight on! I feel like such a bad caretaker but at least I know better now. I'll also use it being empty as an indication of when to feed next unless she's cheeping beforehand.

I had a feel around and I don't feel any seed-like things in there so I'm guessing she hasn't been eating that I've missed.

Is there any way to encourage her to nuzzle instead of opening her beak? I just don't want her to hurt it further.

Thanks again for your help!

[pdpbison]

hi bystader,


This does not sound like the Doves I know...


Are you quite sure this is in fact a Dove?


Where are you ?


And, could you consult some fast 'goole searches for "Birds of _____" your region, and see what species this is?



Phil
l v

[bystander]

I'm fairly sure.

I'm in Australia, so we might have different species?

She's dove-like, at the very least lol! When my camera rocks up I'll get some pics.

[pdpbison]

Hi bystander,


Baby/Juvenile/youngster Doves, feed by inserting their Beak into the Throat of their parent, and, 'gobble' fod which the parent brings up for them from their Crop.


All in all, Doves do not 'gape' as Songbirds do, when wishing or asking to be fed.

If the Dove is not afraid or intimidated or too confused, one can invite them to accept one's interest to feed them by softly massaging their Beak, on the sides and root area, with one;s slightly moist warm finger tips...and, if the young Dove accepts the invitation, they will 'nuzzle', which is to say, they will probe one's fingers wiht their Beak...


Phil
l v

[pdpbison]

...some images and captions/texts of a Baby Dove, and a method of feeding them -


http://public.fotki.com/PhilBphil/baby_dove_-_july/


This was a pre-fledgling...but, this is a very good method for them to eat and be fed...


Fledglings ( those who are flying, but not yet self-feeding ) usually require particular gentleness and positive direct gestures to make the 'deal' for them to accept being fed...

If the Bird you have is opening their Beak and 'chirping' ( unless it is opening their Beak form the injury hurting) it is not a Dove, but a Song Bird of some sort...


A Dove, if it were asking to be fed, would slightly pump it's shoulders, and faintly 'peep' or 'squeak' softly...and would be searching for a parent's Mouth, or somehting like one, with it's Beak, n order to put it's beak into it, to be fed...


Phil
l v

[bystander]

Oh no- I don't think I've been particularly clear Sorry. She doesn't chirp with her mouth open, she sort of sqeaks and is quiet for a while and squeaks again- more like a squeaky whistle than anthything. No gaping at all, and it's a relief to know that they don't (if she is a dove, anyway) because truth be told I was worried about that

This morning she was gently pecking at my hand- could this be nuzzling? No noise at the time though.

Snapped this on the camera phone- not the best or the clearest, and it was ten thirty at night and she was half asleep (I was operating as a water bottle at the time, she got a bit cool) but it might be an indication of what she is?



You can also sort of see how her beak isn't on quite straight. She's fluffed up and at a funny angle here so looks a lot bigger than she really is too.

[bystander]

Wow those pictures are awesome! I'll try something like that next time, will have to find something like a nipple. Maybe an eye dropper top?

[Reti]

It is some sort of Aussie dove, similar to our Mourning Doves. What a cute little thing. Keep her warm and comfy and you can continue feeding her as s/he seems to be quite a baby still and might not know how to eat on her own.
I can't really tell about the beak, not too clear in the pic, but when she calms down in between feeding you can try to align her beak with some tape or a rubber band at the tip. She might not like it though and try to get it off.

Reti

[pdpbison]

Hi bystander,



Yes, you have a fledgling Dove there...


The 'Nipple' ( or 'Teat' ) might be a good deal for her, since she can in effect 'drink' her formula-foods, and not strain the injury while it heals...


I have to run now, but you want the formula to be watery, fine textured, and of course nutritious...

Very small whole Seeds might be worth getting also, a.s.a.p., such as Finch Seed or Canary Seed.


Baby Bird formula powders are usually sold at Pet Supply Stores, so check your phone book...

Easy to make from scratch also, more on that later when I get back...gotta run now..

Best wishes!


Keep her warm...she is not feeling well...


Let us know the color and consistancy of the poops so far?


Phil
l v

[bystander]

I managed to take these today, does she look any better? She really likes sitting in the sun, I guess it's warmer than the heater. She fluffs up again in the shade, but not as much as last night when it got cold quite fast.






Some I put in because it's easier to see the beak issue. Couldn't get any from directly in front, she kept moving.

So far poops have greeny solid, but are moist.

[Lady Tarheel]

What a sweetheart. It is a dove, though not quite like our mourning doves are here in the states. I can't really see the problem with the beak but it looks almost as if her "milk tooth" is still at the end of the beak. Since it is summer where you are, she may not be very old - particularly if she is still "whistling".

I hope that the damage to the beak is only temporary and that it may realign on its own. Poor baby, she must have hit head on.

Be sure to keep her warm. That is really important. In a pinch, you can soak good quality small dog food pellets until soft but not mushy, break into halves or quarters, open her beak and place the pieces toward the back of her mouth until she swallows. You can gently rub her throat to help it go down easily.

Thank you so very much for rescuing her.

[Reti]

She is so adorable. Absolutely, she looks much better than in the first pic. Keep her warm if that is what she likes, she is still a baby.

Reti

[pdpbison]

Originally Posted by bystander

So far poops have greeny solid, but are moist.

Hi bystander,


You should be seeing about 1/3rd "White" Urates, along wiht the 'poop' portion proper...


Probably she would drink more if the Water is offered at close to Body Temperature...even dissolve say a good pinch of common Salt, and one of Sugar, into a Tea Cup full...and encourage her to be drinking a lot more...


She seems very much at ease!


Mourning Doves ( a different species of Dove from the one you have ) are notoriously 'skittish' and flighty, even at that young age...and can be pretty hard to win over sometimes...far as them letting one feed and Water them.


She is very pretty..! And will be a LOT bigger once grown up..!


Phil
l v