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Stock Dove With Possible Canker.I have been watching a Stock Dove that has been hanging around my garden for the last three days.
I thought it didn't look quite right from a distance as it was very slow at eating and just stayed put longer than normal, but still flew away if I went out. Yesterday I found it at my back door where I have a bird feeder, just sitting on some slabs where some seeds had fallen. It flew away again but was back in the evening. This time I watched it from indoors and it is eating seeds but slowly, then it stretches his neck and shakes his head as if it is having problems swallowing. It is drinking a lot from a bowl on a table, then sitting fluffed up. I sense it might have canker but can't see how I can catch it as it still flies. Is there any point in putting some Spartrix in the water bowl in the hope he will come back today and drink from it or is that going to be too diluted to be of any use? It's the only way I can think of getting some meds into him. Janet 
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Hi Janet
With Spartrix it would need to be crushed into no more than 1 ml of water to still be effective. What is availablehere is Chevi-col, which is intended for treatment via drinking water. It's a 5 day course, and the birds it is for should only have access to the treated water. That means it will be a bit hit and miss with the Stock Dove. One ofus can send you the 5 sachets needed, tho they won't arrive before Tuesday now. The dose is 1 per 2 litres, fresh mix made up daily for the 5 days. If you want to give it a try, I assume Cynthia has your address. No doubt there are other treatments, but you'd have to order them from somewhere (like Boddy & Ridewood). John
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John  "Pigeons know more than we think - and think more than we know" ~ John D.
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Hi John,
It's back again today and I've just spent nearly an hour on my hands and knees crawling inch by inch trying to get near enough to catch it. It has been standing next to my bird bath for so long and just when I get a couple of feet away it flutters off a few feet. I can't see me getting it until it can't fly, but probably past help. I'd like to try anything that might help. Cynthia has got my address if you don't mind. Thanks Janet
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I've got so close to catching it this afternoon but delayed one second and missed my chance.
It has been taunting me all day. First it was sitting still by my bird bath, then flew off. Later it came down as I was cleaning the bird feeder, but flew again as I turned. Next I saw it drinking from the waterfall by the pond. I crawled up behind it but no, it heard me russle the bushes. I then fixed up a box on the table outside the back door, banking on the fact if it came to feed and drink again like yesterday, the box would shield me from his view to allow me to get close. As soon as I saw it hop on the table I crept up and was just about to pounce, when it saw me in the reflection of the window. It's got me sussed. I wish I knew bird language for.'let me help'. 
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Hopefully, better luck next time.
Cynthia will post off the stuff, anyway - I have to be at work, so Cynthia will be closer to a post office. Trouble usually is that while they can still fly, they will be real beasties to catch, shy as they are John
__________________
John "Pigeons know more than we think - and think more than we know" ~ John D.
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Tell me about it! Inches this morning between us. He was under a bush, how could I miss, so frustrating, but he still heard me.
Thanks John/ Cynthia, he seems to come to the back feeder later in the day and that's when he'll drink from the bowl, so worth a try. Janet
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