# found dove died, why?



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm so upset! I found a little Whitewing dove in the yard, flapping around, not able to fly. I would have left it (let's call it a her), but the neighbor's cat was already eying it greedily, and I knew the cat would have it in no time, so hubby and I caught it and decided to feed it--either to release or keep, depending. 

She was doing fine with me handfeeding with the Kaytee formula. Doing VERY well, and unfortunately hubby was getting extremely attached. (We had a baby whitewing before we had DeeDee, and it flew into a ceiling fan we'd accidentally left on and we were devastated). 

Then, tonight, I was feeding her and had just fed her the last bit, gone into the kitchen and hubby was holding her. He yelled for me and said something was wrong. When I got there, she gasped a couple of times, her head fell over, and she was DEAD! 

Does anybody have any idea what could have happened? Could she have aspirated? It seems like THAT would've happened when I was actually feeding her.

We were both crying while we were burying her, poor little mite. We never even got a chance to name her.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

I am so sorry to read this  But we all know you've tried your best. If you hadn't had saved her, it would probably have been worse getting eaten by a cat.

Sometimes, when it's time to go, it's time. She was lucky she passed away in loving hands.

Don't be discouraged, you have done your best. She's in pidgie heaven now. Hugs!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, she could have aspirated. I'm not saying that is what happened, but possible. How were you feeding her?


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Miss-Sassypants said:


> I am so sorry to read this  But we all know you've tried your best. If you hadn't had saved her, it would probably have been worse getting eaten by a cat.
> 
> Sometimes, when it's time to go, it's time. She was lucky she passed away in loving hands.
> 
> Don't be discouraged, you have done your best. She's in pidgie heaven now. Hugs!


Thanks Sassypants. I guess all in all it was better than being eaten by the cat, but I still feel guilty.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> Yes, she could have aspirated. I'm not saying that is what happened, but possible. How were you feeding her?


I was feeding her with a syringe, but I wasn't squirting the stuff into her throat, because I was afraid of aspiration; I would just kind of lay a line of the mixture down in the lower bill and then let her kind of "munch" on it until it was gone.

Is it possible that I had the mixture too thick, or that I overfed her and she regurgitated and aspirated that?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Anything is possible. It's hard taking care of a little one. So many things can happen. But the cut off syringe with the self sticking tape or a balloon over it is just more natural and safer as it is more like how they are fed naturally. Or doing the same with a small baby or pet bottle. I'm so sorry you lost him. Thanks for trying for him.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks, Jay3.

I'm not sure I understand how to use the cut off syringe. By the time Tiny (our other Whitewing) got to the size this one was, she was eating a thickened paste off of my fingers, but of course this one wasn't used to me feeding her, so couldn't do that. I fed Tiny pretty much exactly like I fed this one, and she did fine. I suppose it was just bad luck, but it's still hard, and I'd sure like to know how to prevent the same thing happening in the future. If you could explain the syringe thing? I know they're supposed to stick their beaks into it like into the parents' mouths, but I don't know what you mean about the self-stick tape or the balloon.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Could it be your husband was holding her too tightly? Birds have many air sacs and in places many wouldn't suspect.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Charis said:


> Could it be your husband was holding her too tightly? Birds have many air sacs and in places many wouldn't suspect.


I don't know. I suppose anything is possible. I suspect, though, that I may have overfed her and maybe she aspirated that way?

If there's a next time, I'll try the method of feeding with a cut off syringe. At least that way, the bird seems to have more control over how much and how fast it eats.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

After feeding you need to be careful not to hold too tightly where the crop is, or you could force food back up and aspirate him. I'll post the link about the syringe feeding.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Here's a helpful link.
http://urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> After feeding you need to be careful not to hold too tightly where the crop is, or you could force food back up and aspirate him. I'll post the link about the syringe feeding.


Hm. Hadn't thought about that. I suppose that's a possibility, too. Thanks.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> Here's a helpful link.
> http://urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm


I couldn't seem to get to wherever the link was supposed to go.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Sorry. Does this work?

http://urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm


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## pigeon-lover0 (Apr 1, 2012)

Jay3 said:


> Sorry. Does this work?
> 
> http://urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm


Sorry, just to tell you in advance. It still doesn't work. 

Lucas


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Nope. Still doesn't work. However, I looked on another thread where someone had posted a video (actually a couple) of people feeding birds with the cut off syringe method. I think I get it. Thanks anyway, Jay3.

If I ever end up with another one to hand-feed, I'll try that way instead.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Here are some videos. Don't know why the link doesn't work. I have it in a folder on my computer and it works there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1aPHzKZaQE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3GPWhHeG4s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s5ZY3U2lKU&feature=related


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Go here and click on Baby pigeon and dove techniques and it will bring up the page to that link that didn't work.
http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> Here are some videos. Don't know why the link doesn't work. I have it in a folder on my computer and it works there.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1aPHzKZaQE
> 
> ...


Those are all interesting and informative, Jay3. Couple of questions, though. It seems like the baby would suffocate with as long as it keeps its beak inside the tube of food. Obviously that doesn't happen.  I would think, too, that feeding this way would tend to get food into the nostrils. How does that work? Also, what consistency is best for the food when feeding this way? Should it be runny? Semi-solid? What?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Go here and click on Baby pigeon and dove techniques and it will bring up the page to that link that didn't work.
> http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/


That works, 
For some reason or other, the board seems to be changing the "&" symbol in the original link to a "?", maybe something to do with it truncating links or maybe reading te "&" as a hex code


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks again, Jay3. I bookmarked a couple of these places just in case.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The consistency of the formula depends upon the age of the baby. A new hatchling would get a thiner formula . As the baby grows, I thicken the formula up.


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