How many mls of food for 4 week old?

[Hekie]

Hi all,

I found a baby ring-collared dove yesterday. I wasn't 100% sure she was even sick but a couple of things seemed off so I took her to the vet. It turns out she was a couple of hours away from dying which really surprised me. She has very advanced canker.

I'm injecting medicine directly into her muscles (not sure what: vet prescribed) for the first time because she's too bad to receive it orally. She started fading earlier today and I wasn't sure if it was aspiration issues because of the canker or starvation. Long story short, I have managed to get food into the small hole into her crop via syringe and she's livened up considerably, so clearly I can at least address her starvation which is a huge relief. She's old enough to eat on her own and has been pecking at seeds, but nothing's going in until those sores subside.

My question: I am using a very liquid mix of the baby food (vet's recommendation). Does anyone know approximately how many millilitres a day she should have? I can feel her crop for fullness, but just to get an idea. Thus far, I've given her 3.5mls in the past hour to top her up from nothing, and will leave it now for a while. She's very thin. My main aim is not to fatten her up, but to keep her alive to heal. I need to avoid irritating her poor throat as much as possible.

I've named her Stefania. She's absolutely adorable, this one.

[Ladygrey]

If the first 3 mls get digested and the crop empties , I would give 3 ml three times a day , AM , afternoon and evening. Keeping her warmish on top of a heating pad, that is under a towel. Be sure to sterilize the feeding tools between each feeding.

Reminder, only give the next feeding if the crop empties.. if it is slow, then just feed when the crop has emptied that last feeding.

[Marina B]

I would start feeding him more every day. Do the 9 ml (3ml 3 times) a day, and if he is able to digest that, start feeding more. Day 2 you can try 5 ml 3 times a day. If the meds are working, the canker will start to disappear and feeding will become easier. Always leave a bowl of small seed with him, if he starts eating by himself then you know he is recovering.

[Hekie]

Thank you both, very helpful. I was worried I might overdo it but I think if I carry on as I do now, if anything it will be underdoing it.

Ladygrey, I only have a plastic syringe to use and I don't know how easily that can be sterilised. I'll see what I can do. What's the risk. Bacteria in the crop? I'll Google. I could get one of the special metal feeder things to attach to the syringe (I only know the name in Spanish) but honestly the size may be way too big for the small hole I'm working with into the crop and around the growth.

[Hekie]

And yes, she has seed and sometimes tries pecking when she's more lively. And there are two electric pads in there with her except I'm having her outside in the sun when it's out in the afternoons and monitoring her closely (I can put the electric pad in with her if needed).

[Ladygrey]

Originally Posted by Hekie

Thank you both, very helpful. I was worried I might overdo it but I think if I carry on as I do now, if anything it will be underdoing it.

Ladygrey, I only have a plastic syringe to use and I don't know how easily that can be sterilised. I'll see what I can do. What's the risk. Bacteria in the crop? I'll Google. I could get one of the special metal feeder things to attach to the syringe (I only know the name in Spanish) but honestly the size may be way too big for the small hole I'm working with into the crop and around the growth.

Keep using what you are using , see if she makes it. The most important is not putting more food in if the other is still in the crop. If other things come up deal with IF it happens.

Wash the syringe in hot soapy water between feedings.

[Hekie]

Thank you. I'm washing the syringe and in fact I just had a realisation that I have a spare one and can probably buy fresh ones from the pharmacy tomorrow. If so, I can use a new one each time. I'm not used to living somewhere where meds (human and animal) are given via syringe as a normal thing, so I hadn't thought of it earlier.

[Hekie]

This is Stefania and here is a video of her, my cat Beth and Gael (the other pigeon I have in care) in the late afternoon sun today:

https://youtu.be/ZGWuXA_dAsg

[Hekie]

Stefania died this morning. RIP to this sweet girl. She was incredibly dear. I'm so sad.

[Marina B]

I'm sorry you lost her. Just a tip for future: if you want all of them to enjoy some sun, rather put the cages with the birds in a higher spot where they will feel safer when the cat is around. Birds view cats as predators, and being watched by a cat the whole time must be very stressfull.

Thanks for trying to help her.

[Hekie]

I'm aware of that. That was the only sunny spot late in the day and I watched Stefania to check her reaction. She was nervous of my cat earlier in the day when she first saw her but not bothered later.