Severe Canker In Young Mourning Dove

[TAWhatley]

This poor little one came in last evening. I started the canker meds and really wasn't expecting the bird to make the night, but it did. Pictures are not real pleasant to look at, so look at your own discretion: http://www.rims.net/2006Aug20

Terry

[Pidgey]

Is the beak jutting off to the bird's left as seen from above?

Pidgey

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by Pidgey

Is the beak jutting off to the bird's left as seen from above?

Pidgey

Yes, both the upper and lower beak are being bent to the left by the large mass of trich on the right.

Terry

[kittypaws]

Terry,

My wishes and prayers for this little one - I must admit, I don't have a lot of experience of canker - but I never knew it could make the dove's head puff like that I mean I understand that it is all inside, but that is truly awful. Poor little thing. If you can't pull her through it Terry, what hope have the rest of us.

Tania xx

[SweetSpirit]

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

This poor little one came in last evening. I started the canker meds and really wasn't expecting the bird to make the night, but it did. Pictures are not real pleasant to look at, so look at your own discretion: http://www.rims.net/2006Aug20

Terry

That is awful Terry! God have mercy!

[Reti]

Poor bird. Looks like my Lucky Dove when I got her. She pulled through and amazingly the only permanent damage is her slightly scissored beak which lets her upper beak overgrow and needs to be trimmed periodically.
Besides the Flagyl po (suspension) I used to apply to the inside of her mouth some Flagyl too with a little make up brush.

Good luck with this little one, hope the canker is not too advanced.

Reti

[Trees Gray]

Poor little thing....Sending good thoughts that you got the dove in time, and that that nasty canker can be eradicated without any further damage.

[karla]

My prayers to the little dove!
Poor little thing!!!!
Karla

[Rockie]

Hi Terry. I'm praying for this little dove and I know he's in the best hands possible. Please keep us posted on what meds you're using - or anything that you do for him that works - because I have a horrible outbreak outside my house of this same extremely horrible canker. I'm going to try to flock treat them. So far, only one is hanging on and he is at my favorite wildlife ctr. His beak is also disfigured from the pressure and size of the canker.

Do you think it could possibly be wet pox? Just asking because another well known wildlife ctr by me suggested it about my birds.

Hope to hear a happy update soon.

[Pidgey]

Well, I hate to the negative one, Terry, but about the only way that beak could be shifted as far as it looks is if the main structure of the upper and lower mandibles on that side are destoyed. If the bird makes it, the next phase may be that it will lose the stability of the mandible when the mass of spent leukocytes begin to dissolve.

I don't know what kind of scar tissue will grow in its place, but let's hope it can calcify. If not, you're going to need to create some form of external bracing. Can you take a picture directly overhead?

Pidgey

[Lin Hansen]

Originally Posted by Rockie

Please keep us posted on what meds you're using - or anything that you do for him that works - because I have a horrible outbreak outside my house of this same extremely horrible canker. I'm going to try to flock treat them.

Hi Leslie...when I read this, I thought you might find the following posts useful:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...17&postcount=3
and
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...38&postcount=3


These are older posts from Snowbird (Dano7), a member who hasn't been active here in quite awhile, but I always trusted his advice. I thought his instructions on flock treatment for canker sounded effective and fairly easy....but, if anyone has better advice to offer Leslie, please feel free to step in.

Linda

[TAWhatley]

Thanks all for looking and responding. The little dove is still with us at 11:30 PDT tonight .. not feeling all that keen but perhaps a tiny bit better than where we started.

Pidgey, I will try to get those pics for you tomorrow .. I'm super whammied with incoming, a major set of home remodeling projects, and trying to get things organized to go out of town for 5 days starting on Wednesday ..

Leslie, I am really hitting this hard with canker meds .. gave an entire Spartrix on intake dissolved in water. Waited three hours and gave a double dose of Flagyl (Metronidazole) and drizzled some on the growths as Reti posted .. waited two more hours and fed about 6 cc's of very thin formula.

I have now gone to "normal" doses of the meds but will be doing both Spartrix and Flagyl for another day. After that, if I see no lessening of the canker, I will continue with Flagyl and Ronidazole for the duration .. total about 7-10 days .. it's either going to get better or the dove will die during the process. To clarify .. I will suggest this protocol to my rehabber friend when I transfer the dove there tomorrow. If it were staying with me, that's what I would be doing. Since I am leaving on Wednesday, I have to turn this bird and a couple of others over to my rehabber friend to care for while I'm gone.

Terry

[Trees Gray]

Hi Terry,


I know you are doing everything you can for that dove, and I will continue to send positive thoughts her way.

Originally Posted by Lin Hansen

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...17&postcount=3
and
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...38&postcount=3

Lin,

Thanks for posting those links, I had forgotten all about them and will add them to feeding feral thread. Canker is such a devistating disease in the wild that some ideas for prevention and treatment should be shared.

I think there was also talk about using ACV in bird bath water, too.

[mr squeaks]

Terry, I too, add my healing thoughts and hugs to and for you and this little tyke! He/She has a tough road ahead and I sincerely hope all goes well!

Same healing thoughts, while you are away, to your rehabber also!

[Rockie]

Terry and Linda thank you for the info. I'm going to forward this info to the wildlife place currently caring for this dove w/horrible case of canker.

Those links were great. I have to rethink what will work best for the flock. I may have to stick w/water meds because I think in these severe canker cases the doves are not able to eat too well.

The info I get from this site helps me tremendously...you never feel like you're all alone, and you benefit from other people's experiences all over the world. It's a great thing.

Good luck to your relief care giver - tell that person we're all rooting for dovey.