# Help for a baby mourning dove



## kmierta (Mar 1, 2008)

I found a baby dove just now while I was out walking. It did not move and I walked about 3 houses away and waited for about 10-15 minutes to see if mom or dad would come or were even around. I looked all over and didn't see any adult mourning doves. So, I went back and picked him up. I figured this time of night, it's already dark and the cats will get him.

Got him home and found his butt was covered in dried poop, so I held his butt under running water and cleaned him up. I do parrot rescue, so I offered him some baby parrot formula in a syringe and he ate about 20cc's. Weighed him after feeding and he's about 37 grams. Fully feathered, but still has some fluffy feathers here and there.

Does anyone have any advice on how often he should be fed and how much? General advice on what to do until I can get him someplace better equipped on Monday?

Thanks for your help...
Karen


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Read this and I'll go find you some other links.
You should feed the bird when the crop empties. Never add more food to a crop that already has food in it. Great save by thet way. YOu did the right thing in picking the little guy up.
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f23/b...e-providing-heat-to-orphaned-birds-13666.html


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Here you go...this should help. http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Recipes/handfeedinghelp.htm


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You still in Vegas? If so, the local rehabbers are... uhh...

Well, you'd be a lot better to call Phil. With such a dirty vent, it's likely that the little fellow is ill and needs some kind of medication. You can call Phil as he's awake right now, by the way. I'm sure he could take a look and either take the bird or give you some meds and let you take care of the little guy.

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks Pidgey, 




I just got a call from 'kmierta' and little Dove-Bunny is on his or her way as we speak.



I got Heat Sickness today and felt really yucky all day, so aside from basic Bird courtesys ( everyone inside here who wanted one got a free range Bath anyway in several deep Pie Pans of cool Water set here and there and re-done as needed, ) and a little Computer time off and on, I just been sleeping off and on and waiting for it to pass.


Seems to be passing now, so, finally, my Day begins..!


Lol...


I tuned loose about seven have-been-convelescents, out of their Cages and into the free-fly milieu in here, and seems like everyone is enjoying it.


Now, if I can only catch the however-many who are done with their post convelescent free fly time, and get them the heck "OUT", I would be happy(er) too..!



Lol...



Phil
l v


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Best of luck on that one.

On another note, why don't you rig yourself up an evaporative cooler? I made a super-cheap one once out of a box fan with a frame of rag strips held on the blowing side that were wetted by a pan above with strips in the water that went down to the strips on the frame. The water wicks down and wets the vertical strips that the blowing air moves through. It'll get you a few degrees, especially there where the humidity is non-existent.

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Pidgey said:


> Best of luck on that one.
> 
> On another note, why don't you rig yourself up an evaporative cooler? I made a super-cheap one once out of a box fan with a frame of rag strips held on the blowing side that were wetted by a pan above with strips in the water that went down to the strips on the frame. The water wicks down and wets the vertical strips that the blowing air moves through. It'll get you a few degrees, especially there where the humidity is non-existent.
> 
> Pidgey



Hi Pidgey, 



Well, the Birds have theirs ( Dedicated Swamp Cooler ) in the Front Room ( 'Aviary' ) and they do like it..!


They gather on the shelf in front of it like those 'Snow Monkeys' sit in the Volcanic warmed 'pools'...


For various reasons, I just have not got round to installing one in the Workshop.

I might put one in soon, I dunno...I could put a big Roof Mount one in easily enough.

Heck, I thought I'd be MOVED by now anyway..!


I got my woozies being at the outdoor Fleamarket for a few hours, and not by being here at home though.


Usually I do fine out of doors, even Working outside and so on, but for whatever reason, it got to me today.


Feeling pretty allrighty now finally...




Phil
l v


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well, little Dove-Bunny is set up in a Clean Cage pending further attentions.


kmierta is a really swell gal, wonderful Spirit, and was very gracious to drive the little one over here.

We got to talk 'Birds' a little bit and that was fun of course.

I am very glad to make her acquaintance.




Did a few 'Secret Masonic Handshakes' with the little Dove, and she then drank Like-a-Horse of some electrolyte Water and is resting poised and dainty now on a 'pink' Towel ( I hope she is a girl, I'd hate to have a 'pink' towell on the cage if it is a Boy...)


I'll whoop up some chow later and see is she is willing to pretend I am her long lost Uncle, and let me feed her.


There was one decent sized runny poop on the Paper Towell of the little cage which kmierta brought her in, so, not she was not starving anyway, even if the poop was 'off' looking.


Does not seem like any Canker is going on...

She's tired, possibly not feeling well, and probably had a rough day or two, and could be the Heat got to her also, especially if she was directly in the Sunshine.


So, I will let her rest awhile, double check in how her body-heat-making is going ( she did not feel warm enough to my palm ) and if need be get a Heating Pad under her...then we will see about some chow and whatever else.



Phil
l v


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Well done, fellow members! Hope to see a happy update tomorrow, Phil!

Terry..

PS: Must say that this little Mourning Dove isn't looking real good ..


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

I decided just to do 'Hand Nest' for a while...so we did that.


Then, having a handy Pigeon situation ( two feet from my Computer ) where there is only one 'Squeaker' ( and one 'new' Egg which the 'Squeaker' has been sitting on ), I set her six inches away from the 'Squeaker', and she trundeled right over and snuggled up.


She seems a lot happier being next to a gigantic humid Quilly 'furnace' of a kindred form...so, just letting her hang out that-a-way, while I sort of keep an eye on things.


Waiting to see how Momma Pigeon feels about having a tiny Dove-Squeaker in with her 'Baby Huey', but she has not noticed yet, though she is standing dozing right there next to the Baby(s)...


She's a very devoted Momma, and likes it when I come and entertain her Baby, so, who knows, if 'Squeaker-ette' decides to 'Peep', maybe Momma will feed her?


Be fine with me of course..!


We'll see...



Phil
l v


P.S.


A little while later - I do not intend to leave 'Squeaker-ette' un-supervised in that situation, but I will say she really looks a lot better already just being next to her new Sibling.


I brought Electrolyte Water in a little cup, and, she drank again very well and deeply acting like she knew how with very little guidance, so...nice to see that, and Momma Pigeon stood there looking on calm as can be...so...


Maybe we will try some chow here in a little while...


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Little Dove did not make it.


Sorry to have to say...


She did seem 'dim' and frail, for sure, but she drank her electrolytes well and was motivated to cuddle with her friendly 'Squeaker' pal who is about the same stage of development as she.

I set up a little Dove-Sized 'Warm Cave' for her in her Cage, so she had a soft and definitely 'underside wrist' kind of warm spot to lay on, and sheltered with a little towell covering 2/3rds of it from above, to sleep the night in, so when I hit the hay, I set her in there, and she seemed to like it, going further into it on her own and settleing down for sleep.




Phil
l v


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Yeah, I thought it sounded about that bad from the beginning. Having a vent clogged with poop is bad enough on an adult pigeon that has some reserves, but on a youngster this small and a dove to boot, bad combination. Well, Phil, thanks for doing what you could and I'm glad the little guy had some kinship at the last to go to sleep by.

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks Pidgey, 



I never let myself 'think' anything about prognisis, even thjough I of course have a lay-out of possibilitys in mind from one extreme to the other...which also of course tie into what I elect to do for respecting the outcome I wish to see.


So, some-of-me felt she was not gong to make it ( the general 'Aura' so to speak, as well as whatever cognititve apprises) , and other-of-me remembers all the times I have had ones I really thought were no-way going to make it, but who DID make it and were all 'peeps' and 'wiggles' come morning.

But yes, the obturated eliminations can be 'deadly', for sure, for any age.

She may have had an illness...the one poop there was earlier, was like a small cornflake size, thin 'grey' grainy thing...no 'white' Urates, no usual 'snake' shape in any way.


But with her, I think she had starved and dehydrated, and she was "light" even for her small size compared to a usual healthy Dove of her age, so there was not likely much which was backed up...and usually, starved and dehydrated, once getting hydrated again, one sees 'thin' snake-poops which were old, getting moved on out, and one starts seeing Urates.

She was thirsty, and drank probably three or four mLs all tolled spread out in two sessions. Which given her slight weight, was a decent amount of Liquid.


So I don't know.


Overall, she was not keeping her eyes open very much ( which of course is not somehting one can regard as other than grave or worrysome, ) but when she was cuddled with the Pigeon Squeker, she had her Eyes open a lot, and was very poised and prim looking, so she definitely liked that situation.

I was just reluctant to leave her there while I slept, since I did not know what Poppa Pigeon was going to think about it. He is VERY 'wild', even though I have made friends with Momma.

Momma was fine with it, eventually knew Dove Baby was there with her own Squeaker, and for all I know might have even fed her once feed time rolled around again for her Baby...had the little Dove asked her to.


Oh sigh...


Anyway...


Phil
l v


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

I could not find any further poops at all, nor urates, as far as her overnight towell.


However, when I did examine her, she had expired in a sitting position if with head down, and under where her vent was, was what appeared to be a large area of saturation in the towell, looking like thin blood or blood and syrum/clear/opaque liquid.


The one poop I has seen yesterday concerned me prospectively, since it's appearance was very similar to those of a Pigeon I have presently who does have a serious infection of his Breast muscle area, and his poops are greyish, grainy, and look like damp grey 'Corn Flakes' with some white in them.


So, I'd guess that she had some fort of infection, possibly a bacterial or omoebic or viral hemorraghic enteritis of some kind, for this appearance to have been present when I lifted her up to examine her today.


I had thought to start her on antibiotics last night, but since I judged her to be starved and dehydrated, I figured I would wait untill she had a while to get caught up on the rehydration first and for her system to be able to process or deal with things better.


For any Pigeon or Dove who is ambulatory or able to stand, poop-butts ( whbich she had when found, but which had been bathed indly prior to her being brought here, ) would seem to be a sign of allmost certain infection, and of an infection which is causing the poops to be sticking to Vent Feathers for being too liquidy, or for effecting the tone of the Vent area muscles where the Feathers are not parting normally...or both...



Phil
l v


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## kmierta (Mar 1, 2008)

Thank you Phil, for taking care of this little one. I'm glad to know she was in such loving, capable hands and had company, warmth, love and comfort in her final hours. I'm glad she didn't die out on the gravel where I found her, alone, hungry and scared. I will always keep you in mind if I come across any more pigeons or doves that need help... I'm sure I will.

Until our paths meet again.... thank you for being an angel for our feathered ones when they need you.
Karen


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks Karen,



Sure sorry I could not find any 'Rabbit' to get a grip on, to pull from the Hat on this.


Definitely, her favorite things in the short time of being here, were sipping tepid electrolytes while in 'Hand Nest', and, snuggleing with her 'squeaker' pal.

Having a handy Nest with ready made surrogate sibling was very fortuitous for this, and I was glad I had it to offer her.


I sure appreciate the time and trouble you took to help her out, and get her all the way over here pronto, for me to give things a try.



Best wishes...


Phil
l v


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