[minimonkey]

This has been an eventful week --

I'd asked MickaCoo to keep an eye out for a suitable mate for my splay ring-neck dove, and they got a call on a one-eyed white dove at the humane society. MickaCoo is full and cannot take any more rescues, but asked if I might like to take this dove in and see if it was a match for my little guy.

So, today I took in a beautiful little white dove, missing one eye, and apparently mostly blind in the other. I suspect she suffered a head trauma -- she'd been at the animal shelter for 8 days.

The remaining eye is bulging and not very responsive to changes in light, though I do think she (?) can see some light and shadow. She also appears to have an injured beak, or nerve damage to the beak -- and she protested wildly when I opened the beak at all to medicate her. I'm giving a course of Baytril since I can't rule out a predator attack -- though I am rather suspecting this was the result of flying headlong into something.

She is eating and drinking on her own, as long as she knows where her bowls are. Her eating is strange -- careful and labored -- I can't tell how much of that is from the vision issue, and how much is due to beak problems.

She's extremely tame (not just hurt and docile, tame.) She jumps right up on fingers, and happily scampers up to shoulders, and seems quite used to being touched and stroked.

He gait and balance seem okay, and her strength and weight are good.

Droppings are a bit off, but that might be the result of transport stress.

I'm letting her rest this evening -- she's on low supportive heat (the injury is at least 8 days old) and she's getting baytril for the possible predator wound and metacam for the swelling and pain.

I tucked her up tonight and let her rest, without any undue amount of poking and prodding -- but will get a really good look inside the beak tomorrow, and check well for any other injuries.


Edited to add: The supplemental heat is mainly because it is truly cold in our place right now-- I know applied heat isn't a good idea if there's swelling present, but it's honestly cold, and the injury is over a week old, at least. She's perching on her bowl, in any event, so she isn't on the heat source.

 

[Bella_F]

She sounds so cute; I haven't known a pigeon or dove that tame. I'm glad she found her way to you, it sounds like she needs someone who will touch her and love her, like you (and hopefully her new mate)

I don't have much to offer with this kind of wound. But one thing perhaps to look for in the remaining eye are signs oif ulceration. If there are ulcers preventing vision, they can sometimes heal up with antibiotics and potentially restore some vision. The carer who taught me this used antibiotic eye drops, not sure what type. She healed up one eye of a crow I gave her who I thought was blind.

 

[minimonkey]

This dove had to have been a pet -- it's clearly used to being in contact with people.

What would I look for in terms of ulceration, Bella? The bird has red eyes (uh, eye) -- but there's an area around the pupil that looks too red, like there had maybe been a bleed in there at some point. The swelling around the whole eye area seems to have gone down some this morning.

Antibiotic eye drops are one of the few things I don't have on hand, but I am sure I can get some if need be.

 

[mudsow]

The only thing I know about eye drops is that you can not use the type with steroids in them when you have an ulceration on the eye. That is why vets stain the eye first to be sure of no ulcer when prescribing drops. So if you are going to treat with eye drops, DON'T use steroid ones.

Vetricyn also has an eye gel, that will not interact with anything and it is safe to be used in birds so they say. I have only used it on dogs, (and myself ) and I think it does a good job in helping to rid unwanted pathogens. Yeast too.

Mudsow

 

[minimonkey]

Thanks, Mudsow -- that's good to know. Do you know why that is?

I am a big fan of vetericyn for wound cleaning, and have looked at their eye gel, but don't have any. I can get it easily if I need it -- Petco near us has it.

Dove looks like she has one small laceration below the missing eye, but I didn't see any other wounds. It was a bit hard to tell if the scab there was just blood from the initial eye injury that had caked below, but it did seem there might be another small wound. I'm thinking maybe cat attack rather than a smack-down with a wall.

The remaining eye is a bit better looking today -- definitely not as swollen and she does seem to have some vision in it, albeit poor.

Poor gal doesn't want me anywhere near her beak, and after a look inside, I know why -- she has bad canker in the throat. I suspected that from the way she was moving her head, as well as opening her beak and eating so guardedly. Poor little girl She sure is a love muffin -- likes to snuggle right up under my ear and chatter and chatter. She also let out a full-throated coo this morning

 

[Squeaker]

Thanks, Mudsow -- that's good to know. Do you know why that is?

I am a big fan of vetericyn for wound cleaning, and have looked at their eye gel, but don't have any. I can get it easily if I need it -- Petco near us has it.

Dove looks like she has one small laceration below the missing eye, but I didn't see any other wounds. It was a bit hard to tell if the scab there was just blood from the initial eye injury that had caked below, but it did seem there might be another small wound. I'm thinking maybe cat attack rather than a smack-down with a wall.

The remaining eye is a bit better looking today -- definitely not as swollen and she does seem to have some vision in it, albeit poor.

Poor gal doesn't want me anywhere near her beak, and after a look inside, I know why -- she has bad canker in the throat. I suspected that from the way she was moving her head, as well as opening her beak and eating so guardedly. Poor little girl She sure is a love muffin -- likes to snuggle right up under my ear and chatter and chatter. She also let out a full-throated coo this morning

Shes such a good girl, and so sweet. I miss her lol. Got my fingers crossed for her. Hows the canker and eye swelling comming along?

I can vouch, Faith truely wants to hang out with people, shes so trusting its amazing.

 

[minimonkey]

She's doing great -- canker is gone, eye swelling has gone way down, and she seems to have some limited vision. She loves to sit on my shoulder and COO! COOO! right in my ear.

I adore this little gal -- she seems to enjoy the company of the other birds nearby, but she definitely prefers my shoulder or hand over all else. She must have been hand raised -- I can't imagine her being this human-bonded otherwise!

 

[altgirl35]

Nice save, she sounds awesome

 

[Squeaker]

She's doing great -- canker is gone, eye swelling has gone way down, and she seems to have some limited vision. She loves to sit on my shoulder and COO! COOO! right in my ear.

I adore this little gal -- she seems to enjoy the company of the other birds nearby, but she definitely prefers my shoulder or hand over all else. She must have been hand raised -- I can't imagine her being this human-bonded otherwise!

YAY FAITH!!!! I bet theres a very sad dove owner out there. They lost a total gem of a bird. But luckily for you [and her], now youve got a sweet little girl.

 

[minimonkey]

I know, I thought about that-- there's no way to know who the owner was.

Yes, she's a completely awesome little bird, and I'm delighted to have her.