[Dave the Dove]

Hello everyone, my 12 year old son has been training to do magic and he was given a dove by a magician for his act in November. We have no experience at all with birds but have quickly grown to love this dove who he calls Dave. Through searching some symptoms he is having online I am realizing that we have a very sick dove... he has been puffed up and listless for 2 days, strange coloured droppings (rust colour and/or green/black). I have also noticed over the past few months that occasionally he has some red (possibly blood) on the hole in his beak. Does this sound bad, is it time to break the news to the family or do you think that there is anything that can be done to get him better? I had given him a warm bath in a shallow dish a couple of days ago, could this be the cause???

thanks so much!
Andrea

 

[whytwings]

I can't say for sure what is going on with your dove , but an avian veterinarian would be the best option .
I don't believe the bathing would be responsible for the birds current condition , it is important to keep the bird warm ...if you have a heating pad ....set this on low with a towel on top and keep the bird warm .

hopefully some other members maybe able to offer some ideas as to what might be going on with your dove .

 

[Skyeking]

Hello everyone, my 12 year old son has been training to do magic and he was given a dove by a magician for his act in November. We have no experience at all with birds but have quickly grown to love this dove who he calls Dave. Through searching some symptoms he is having online I am realizing that we have a very sick dove... he has been puffed up and listless for 2 days, strange coloured droppings (rust colour and/or green/black). I have also noticed over the past few months that occasionally he has some red (possibly blood) on the hole in his beak. Does this sound bad, is it time to break the news to the family or do you think that there is anything that can be done to get him better? I had given him a warm bath in a shallow dish a couple of days ago, could this be the cause???

thanks so much!
Andrea

Birds will normally bathe by themselves if healthy, please do not bathe the dove.

Please follow these instructions asap: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f108/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-8822.html He needs to be kept WARM and out of drafts, then HYDRATED and HAND FED if the bird is not eating or eating enough, because it can very well die of dehydration/starvation. Once the bird is stabilized the bird should be seen by a qualified avian vet.

 

[Dave the Dove]

thank you!

Thanks to you both! I have a lamp beside his cage and a heating pad in the cage, I took out the perches so he has to stay at the bottom and put flat water and seed bowls to make it easy for him to access. He is drinking water - I added sugar and salt. He still isn't eating seeds though. I don't know how to get the seeds in his little beak, is there an easy way? His droppings are no longer copper coloured, but still liquid, now they are just greenish white. I will look for a local aviary veterinarian. Do you think that the bath itself would have caused this illness? Clearly I messed up, I had read somewhere online that they can be bathed and he was dirty. Can birds recover if this is the case and he is sick from being wet and cold?

I appreciate all of your help,
Andrea

 

[whytwings]

Andrea .... I don't believe by you bathing him that this has caused his illness , something was happening prior I suspect , having said that it isn't a good idea to bath an unwell bird ... warmth is important when a bird is unwell .

I suspect that there is something bacterial going on here and usually a short course of antibiotics can help them get back to good health .
A veterinarian can diagnose and give you the medications required and there is a good chance of recovery .

My experience is with pigeons mostly....and when a bird is not eating , frozen peas that have been thawed in warm water are given ...anywhere between 20 -30 peas , and this would not be given again until the crop empties. They are easy to give as you gently open the beak and pop them in . Hydration is your first priority. ...I would even pop a blanket that covers the back and sides of the cage to keep warmth in.

 

[Skyeking]

Thanks to you both! I have a lamp beside his cage and a heating pad in the cage, I took out the perches so he has to stay at the bottom and put flat water and seed bowls to make it easy for him to access. He is drinking water - I added sugar and salt. He still isn't eating seeds though. I don't know how to get the seeds in his little beak, is there an easy way? His droppings are no longer copper coloured, but still liquid, now they are just greenish white. I will look for a local aviary veterinarian. Do you think that the bath itself would have caused this illness? Clearly I messed up, I had read somewhere online that they can be bathed and he was dirty. Can birds recover if this is the case and he is sick from being wet and cold?

I appreciate all of your help,
Andrea

Thank you for the update. Please do make sure the heating pad is set on low and that there is a towel between the bird and pad, and make sure no drafts of air can get to the bird.

You need to start force feeding the bird once he has hydrated. You can use dove seed or peas as mentioned above. Make sure peas are drained and warmed.

You might also try a drop of organic apple cider vinegar in the water to help generate good gut bacteria and get the PH back on track. This is by no way an alternative to taking the bird to the vet, but it most likely will help.