# Weak, puffed out baby Dove? :-( Help!



## Palomi (Dec 22, 2010)

Hi! 

I was hoping someone could help me with this baby Eared Dove I found. 

I found him last Friday, he was standing on the sidewalk without moving and it was getting dark so I took him home. We named him Michael  I believe he's 2-3 weeks old.

I noticed his crop was very full; it was evening though, so maybe it was normal. What did worry me was his temperature was quite high.

We gave him some water and put him in a cage.

The next morning I noticed his eye was deformed, his pupil wasn't round at all. His eye was sunken while the other eye looked a little popped out. His temperature was normal by then, though.

We fed him with Nestum (baby cereal) about four times a day.

He was doing fine during the weekend, always moving, and eating normally and his normal eye wasn't popped out anymore.
But from yesterday he got weaker and puffed out. He eats normally and looks fine when it's feeding time, but then when we put him back in his cage he just sits in a corner. He shakes his head very often, sometimes slowly. He also straightens his neck a lot, especially right after swallowing some food, as if something was bothering him inside his throat. His wings are dropped down. He also got a little thinner so I'm trying to give him more food.

His droppings are very watery with some white/light green inside.

Any idea what's wrong with him?
I'm still worried about his eye too. I hope it's not too painful for him 

I'll try to get some pics of the little bird asap so you can take a better look at him.


Thank you so much for your help! 


Jennifer.


I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sorry for my bad English.


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Do you have any antibiotics like a Trimethoprim/Sulfa combination (there are many different names for that stuff)?

Pidgey


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Have you checked down his throat? Do you see anything? Do his poops smell?


----------



## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for trying to help this little one. I sent a PM and an email to one of our members in Buenos Aires, Argentina who has some experience and medicines on hand to help this little one. Hopefully she will get my messages and be able to help you, but please see if you can get the Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (a few common trade names for it: Bactrim, Bethaprim, Cotrim, Septra) Pidgey mentions, just in case she does not, so treatment can be started.

Good luck with him,

Karyn


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Jennifer, have you contacted Clara Correa (*Pajaros Caidos*) or the other rescuers in BA? They would be able to advise you about the resources available to you.

If you haven't,*this* is Clara Correa's e-mail. And* this* is the link to their website with forum. 

Cynthia


----------



## Chiki (Dec 22, 2010)

Hi Jennifer, I'm from Buenos Aires too!
I was reading your post, and I think the symptoms he presents are quite generic. I mean it could range from PMV (Paramyxovirus), to canker (he streches his head when he swallows), and maybe internal parasites (green, watery droppings). Since he is a baby, I would recommend you take him to the vet ASAP. He could become very ill very quickly, and this could be diagnosed with a simple crop/feces exam.
I'm sending a pm with avian vet numbers so you can choose one near your home, send my best to the baby.


----------



## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi, guys I heard back from Pawbla, and she is going to PM Palomi.

Karyn


----------



## Palomi (Dec 22, 2010)

Hi! 

Yesterday Michael was a little more cheerful (and hungry!) but he was still puffed out and doing that thing with his neck after swallowing. I hope he gets better.


Karyn and Pidgey, I'll try to get the Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole today.




Jay3 said:


> Have you checked down his throat? Do you see anything? Do his poops smell?


His poops don't smell as far as I can tell, and I saw he had a yellowish thing on his palate? I'm not sure if that's normal.



Feefo said:


> Jennifer, have you contacted Clara Correa (Pajaros Caidos) or the other rescuers in BA?


Pawbla and Chiki sent me an PM. Thanks for the link! 



I took some (blurred) pictures of him. 









The yellowish thing on his palate





















Again, thank you very much for all your help!


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

That looks like *canker*. You will need some Carnidazole (Spartix) or metronidazole (Flagyl) or (if neither of the others is available) Ronidazole to treat it. It needs to be treated very quickly.

Cynthia


----------



## Chiki (Dec 22, 2010)

Hi Jennifer!
You can get Metronidazol in any "regular" vet, I mean, they use it for cats and dogs too, so you can go and ask for it anywhere.
I'll try to talk to my avian vet today and ask him what should be the correct dosage.


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Hard to say, could be canker and could be some other infection, I'd go with both the Trimethoprim/Sulfa AND the anti-canker meds. Best of luck!

Pidgey


----------



## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Pidgey said:


> Hard to say, could be canker and could be some other infection, I'd go with both the Trimethoprim/Sulfa AND the anti-canker meds. Best of luck!
> 
> Pidgey


Again, I agree with Pidgey's recommendations on giving both meds at the same time. It would be good to get a weight on this little one, but I would say 5mg of Trimethoprim/Sulfa and 5mg of Metronidazole, every 12 hours, would be in order. Palomi, if you get these medicines and are not sure how to mix/administer/dose them (you will need a 1cc syringe, the kind without an attached needle to gibe the meds, most drug stores will have them), let us know and we can help.

Good luck with him,

Karyn


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Of some interest, the area shown in the upper beak in the pictures above is the "choana" and is similar (same basic structure and function) as the tonsils in us. It's where the airways from the nostrils and from the mouth (beak) meet. There's some interesting immune system hardware there and that's why we often see inflammation develop there from a host of different diseases in birds, people and animals in general.

And, of course, a really sick animal or person can develoop a "polymicrobial" infection where some particular pathogen CAUSED the original sickness but other opportunistic infections then occurred so that the battle may need to be fought with a "shotgun" treatment. We, as rehabbers, have to do A LOT of that.

Pidgey


----------

