Severe Canker In Young Mourning Dove

[TAWhatley]

Thanks for all the well wishes for this little dove. S/he was picked up by my rehabber friend about an hour ago. I didn't get a chance to get any updated pictures nor the picture Pidgey was wanting to see. There has been a small reduction in the size of the canker mass, but this little one is still in very critical condition. My rehabber friend is vastly more experienced than I am, so the bird is in good hands. Even though she lives just a couple of miles from JEDDS, she had never been there until I clued her in to it and all the very helpful products that they have for doves and pigeons .. that's been a few years ago. I had this little dove simply because my friend has been quite ill lately and not really up to critical care birds so I was muddling along as best I could under a temporary sub-permit from her.

Terry

[pdpbison]

Hi Terry, Pidgey, all...


I was wondering the other day, whether correct doses of Asprin might aid in enhancing how well their circulaiton can bring medicines to the infection site(s) when they have or are suspected to have severe Canker of other infections that tend to localize?

As with definite ( 100 - 103 degree F or so ) 'warmth' being insisted on in some way, for the patient and their immediate surrounds, which likewise promotes circulation...


Phil
Las Vegas

[TAWhatley]

Interesting thought/question, Phil. I don't know the answer, however. I would tend to think that with the high metabolism rate the birds have that there wouldn't be much value in trying to use anything to "speed" things up. Plus, any prolonged use of aspirin would probably be deterimental to the bird. Hopefully Professor Pidgey and others will be along to to offer their thoughts.

This particular little Mourning Dove did die. I believe it lived for another three days after my rehabber friend picked it up.

Terry

[Reti]

Aspirin, all it does is interfere with platelet aggregation, so it inhibits coagulation. It doesn't speed up the blood flow. It wouldn't be helpful in this regard.
Also, I would avoid to give it to a canker bird or a bird with trauma since it can lead to excessive bleeding.

Reti

[Reti]

Terry, I am sorry this little mourning dove didn't make it.
They are such fragile birds and so tiny.

Reti

[Lady Tarheel]

Terry, so sorry about the little dove. We've had 3 from our yard in much the same condition in past years. I don't know why it seems to be worse in doves but I've never (knock on wood) seen a pigeon with such advanced canker.

[Pidgey]

I'm sorry the dove died but I also felt that the likely damage to both mandibles was going to be beyond help if the canker had resolved.

I really don't know all the finer points of the chemistry of aspirin, I've just used it on myself for years. For whatever reason, it does help with inflammation and pain. Does lessening the pain initiate the lessening of the inflammation, or is it the other way around? Anyhow, it's one of those things that works when it works. The worst part of a bad case of Trichomoniasis is the immune system overdoing it with the inflammatory response and destroying innocent and healthy tissue in the crossfire. Frankly, I don't know if concurrent treatment with aspirin would help or not and I think you'd have to conduct clinical trials with massive amounts of birds that were genetically very close or identical to figure it out. Seeing as how bleeding can be one of the problems with these really bad Trichomoniasis cases, it's a pretty tough call, eh?

Pidgey

[pdpbison]

Hi Terry...



I am sorry to hear...


These little Doves...the Canker can sure devistate them sometimes.

I get them similarly at times, where they are so far gone already, I hardly get past the initial set-up in the cage and initial meds arranged, when they are already fading away.


Phil

[xxmoxiexx]

...since the pidgey i found had it. he just died also. i jst really cant belive how damaging it can be. it is so horrible. i read somewhere that back in the day they almost had it eradicated, from a site someone sent me. they used tons of antibiotics but it just made it more resistant to it in the ling haul. i wish there was something we could do to get rid of it for good. as RETI said in a different post, i HATE canker.....

im sorry about your little guy.... even though im coming here late in the game im still sending my regards. i just found this wonderful site.

[TAWhatley]

Hi Moxie,

Some of these canker cases are just not saveable. You did way above and beyond with your bird, and I thank you and bless you for that.

Unfortunately, it is sometimes just not where you can see it but already into the internal organs. Once it is internalized, it is very unlikely that any of us could save the bird.

Terry