# Two baby Doves - one has big Skin Bubble



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi all...


Got two young Doves this morning...the older one has developed a large 'bubble' under it's skin on it's right side under it's wing.

I was told it had fallen from a high nest when a Bird of prey, a Hawk possibly, was ravishing the nest and presumable made off with it's sibling.

The people climbed way up into the Palm Tree and replaced this Baby, into the damages nest, who then tumbled out soon after to hit the ground a second time...then they brought him in and later found me.

So, he has had a couple of pretty serious falls this morning...

I did my 'make friends - moralle booster' and he enthusiastically drank some light electolytes, napped a while then had a few light meals. 


Likewise the smaller younger one. I am about to feed them again now, then let them sleep the night.

I will post some images in a little while.

I am hoping some of you may refresh my memory on regimens for these air-sac related skin bubbles.

So far he seems to prefer standing, I think from the discomfort. Otherwise, walks fine, stands fine...

The littler younger one does not have its eyes open yet and does not move around much. Earlier it was so wilted looking, when it arrived it had one wing out and was 'flat'. I was very doubtful of it's fareing well, but so far he seems to have found some composure, and has been sitting neatly and poised and napping...


Till next, 

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Phil, 

This does sound like a ruptured airsac indeed. I think you have to create a small pinprick hole to eleviate the pressure, don't quote me on that but I do believe that is what is done.

Good luck!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Pigeonpal2002 said:


> This does sound like a ruptured airsac indeed. I think you have to create a small pinprick hole to eleviate the pressure, don't quote me on that but I do believe that is what is done.


Sounds about right, Brad. This from an avian care/medication guidelines page on pigeons and doves:



> If a bird has air bubbles under the skin, deflate by using a sterile needle and squeezing the air out through it.
> A/Bs need to be given for 3 days and a corticoid steroid with the first dose.
> The bird will need to be checked twice a day as the bubble can re- occur quickly, causing a great deal of distress.


John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks Brad and John,


Some images at - 

http://community.webshots.com/album/415428974tUIcuK

Now, I have had these years ago, on some very young Pigeons that had fellen a long ways onto concrete. Their 'bubbles' cleared up on their own in about a week.

Earlier he seems to prefer standing, I think from the discomfort. But does walk fine, stands fine...that later he seemed to be comfortable laying down in a usual Dove kind of way...


Almost 1:30 a.m. - fed them both nice evening meals, both seem much perkier and happier than earlier...both ate well and with enthusiasm...nice nuzzleings, nice poise, nice Wing-Action when feeding...oh, such little Birds...such little nuzzleing Beaks...!

Anyway, the 'bubble'...

The Bird seems remarkably comfortable and easy with things even though this 'bubble' is pretty large, about like a large Pecan...in size...

If he can abide it without appearent distress, do you think it would be alright to leave it be for four or five days and see if it corrects endemically?

If I was to prick it, what antibiotic should I consider to use for him?

Best wishes, 

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Phil, I use a sterile needle and 5 cc syringe. Gently inject needle into bubble (you don't have to go in very far) and slowly pull out air into syringe. Dab a topical antibiotic on the point where the needle was inserted. You may have to repeat every few hours. In some cases if the bubble is small just observe it and it may dissipate on its own. Pecan sized is fairly large I think so you may need to deflate that one. In my experience, they would pop back up fairly soon but everything would be ok in a few days. I also avoided the areas of little blood veins when I inserted the needle. Just be sure to use a sterile needle each and every time you insert one.

Lucky you to have these babies!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Lady Tarheel,

Okay...I will plan to deflate it with a sterinlized fine needle and to avoid any capillaries....and top it off with a dab o' Neosporin.

Just having my morning Coffee now and waking up...so, soon it will be breakfast-time for them and I will have a good look. I peeked in on them and they both appear comfortable and poised...

I am a 'Full House' now...!


Love, 

Phil
Las Vegas


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## pigeonmama (Jan 9, 2005)

Phil,
I do have some nipples for you. Will try to get them shipped out tomorrow.
Daryl


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Daryl,


Coooooool..!

...it is so cute! The little Nipple 'end' is even a mite large for the smaller Baby's Beak...

I just fed the two of them again a little while ago and they are so charming.
Their little squeaks are so musical and soft...

The 'bubble' Baby sure can run and scoot...! - yeeeeesh, and fast too! Smaller one has it's eyes open today and can stand almost straight up when feeding but still too little to really walk yet.

The bubble goes down quite a bit when the baby is resting...when it gets wound up or active, the bubble enlarges...still, it is not as large or full as yesterday, so that is encouraging.

I have not let the air out yet but likely I will later this afternoon...


Anyway...

Thanks!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well, the 'bubble' seems to be less and softer looking...I did not perforate it yet, waiting to see what it would to on it's own.

This little Dove does THE most rapid Wing-Flapping I have ever seen any Baby do when feeding...almost like it was half Humming Bird...a veritable blurr they flap so fast...

Both are eating well and pooping well...

I suspected Canker, ( a ubiquity here with the Doves especially) seeing yellow in one of their initial poos, so I put them both on the ( new to me of ) 'Citromed' and will keep them on it for a week...erring on the side of a light dose in effect, since their food is mixed with plain water or Rice Milk...and the poos went to normal in a day and a half...both are vigorous, bright, and have good appetites.


These are such tiny Beaks, the cut off end of the regular Nipple, I have to squeeze it narrow to feel right for them, but it is easy to do...

They can sure put it away...! 

Just did their last feed, so sleepy time now till tomorrow...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well...the 'bubble' is very shallow now and even in his astoundingly fast Wing-Flapping when being fed, it does not increase hardly at all...

Both Babys are enthusiastic eaters and now the little one is also a scamperer now, who runs after the Nipple peeping at feed times.

I procrastinated in deflating the 'bubble' and in a few more days we shall see if it is gone or not.


Best wishes all...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

If the bubble keepks on geflating, why perforating. It will probably be gone in a couple of days.

Reti


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Reti...

Yes...

If it had seemed to be causing him any distress or discomfort or compromise, I'd have deflated it with a hollow Needle.

Since it seemed allright with him even huge as it was, lifting his Wing up and so on, Ielected to be patient and see.

Now it takes a double-take to even see it at all, to see if it is even still there, so I am hopeing in a few more days it will be gone.

I have not seen this very many times, ust a few years ago and they cleared up by themselves, in about a week, if memory serves.


Best wishes...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well...as of tonight's (August 12th., ) earlier feeding and social-time, there was no trace remaining of the 'bubble'...so, it appears to have cleared up nicely on it's own, for which I am grateful..!  

Babiest Baby is standing well, running and so on and very active and bright, as are both of them...

..ex 'bubble' boy is quite the hopper in fact, behaving more like a grown up Sparrow in his ability to hop up onto things effortlessly.


Phil
las vegas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Great news, Phil. Thanks for the update.

Reti


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks Reti,

This seems to confirm my memory from times past, that these 'bubbles' which can arise under their skin, which we attribute to a ruptured Air Sac located near them, will disappear as the injury of the Air Sac heals.

This seems to take about a business-week or so if all goes well.

Terry had that Sparrow awhile back whose bubbles were so severe and plural, that it made sense to deflate them off and on untill their cause was healed.

Since this Dove did not seem to be inconvenienced or troubled by the large bubble under it's Wing, I elected to gently wait-and-see and not to deflate it.

Anyway, a good representative example anyway, of how these will heal up nicely on their own with a little time.


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Phil, that is good info to know.

Maggie


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

A little amuseing update...

Larger (former Bubble-Boy) has become a very agile short range flier, resembleing the antics and acrobatics of a Sparrow...whilst the little one has also grown and assumed quite active wings and climbing activities...

Anyway, fed them around 9 a.m. this morning, and, again, around noon, then...noticed theirCrops seemed over firm in early afternoon...gave water...then, again, late afternoon, gave water, did not feed, and wondered how come their Crops were not emptying...

Evening, same...giving water now and then to firm Crops and massageing them to soften the whole so the Water does not merely go 'around'...

Finally, again, STILL not having fed since late morning, I noticed in the right light, from the side, seeing through their semi-transparent skin, their Crops were full f little Seeds...!

Oh! well, I had put a little dish of small Seeds in their open cage home, and, I did not know they were eating them!

Lol...

So, they have been stuffing themselves all day, and here I kept wondering why their Breakfast meals were not seeming to have emptied...


Funny...


Phil
Las Vegas


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