# sick ringneck dove



## Hiriki (Oct 17, 2013)

Hello, I recently rescued two ringneck doves. They're the first birds I've owned so I'm worried I did something wrong to lead to this.

I believe the sick dove (Gorou) was born in 2009, but honestly I don't know how to read bird bands so I might have misread. He was fine yesterday, walking and flying around my room, but today he hasn't moved and can't seem to lift himself without using his wings as a crutch. He also seems to be breathing somewhat heavily and is very sleepy.

His bonded female, Hiriki, is perfectly healthy. I took her out so I could compare his legs and chest to hers to make sure he didn't have extra bumps or swollen feet and she immediately started flying about and landing on my head and my friend's--she's healthy and energetic. However, she's being unusually aggressive with Gorou... we saw her peck at his face several times.

I don't know if it's relevant but I recently gave Hiriki a clay nesting box and fake eggs to sit on so she'd stop laying them. Could that have led to the aggression? I just want to make sure her aggression doesn't have to do with him being sick...

I am also feeding them a mix of fort-diet high-cal grits, which aren't red grits like I've seen others give to pigeons/doves so I supplemented them with ground oyster shells for chickens, but I don't know if they're eating the oyster shells. The forti-diet is supposed to have calcium, but maybe it isn't enough? They're on a seed diet...

There's no vets open in my area for the weekend, will he be OK until Monday if I get him in as soon as possible?

EDIT:: when I rescued him, he was recovering from a chest wound, according to the rescuer. She'd taken him off antibiotics recently and checked him before giving him to me, but I'm afraid this might be somehow related, too. And this is actually the second time he's had difficulty standing up since I got him. He recovered quickly last time so I forgot.


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Hope someone comes with some good advice. Meanwhile, I would suggest that you separate the two, to prevent spread of infection, and also to stop possible aggression.

He does sound really sick ..you need to keep him warm, like on a heating pad. Make sure he is drinking water. Is his crop emptying properly? How does his poops look?


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

If you don't make lab test I don't think the vet will find more. 

Have you checked his mouth for yellow or white deposits (canker)? Is his tongue bluish (aspergillus)? 



Give him a drop of invermectin for air sack mites on the exterior back of the neck. For aspergillus give him itraconazole or voriconazole (the latter is very expensive). Check for doses on the internet.


If the symptoms persist after that (the mites should die in 48 hours, the aspergillus will last longer to eradicate), give him some antibiotic and metronidazole for 5-7 days but I guess is not some bacterial infection or canker, as these advance fastly.


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## Hiriki (Oct 17, 2013)

I don't have a heating pad. For the time being, my space heater is on by their cage. I've made a point to hold him up by his water dish at least once an hour but he's walking again today, so if he gets thirsty he should be able to drink on his own. Aside from being lethargic, he seems to have regained strength in his legs and is eating (I gave him some millet and he's interested in his regular seed mix again).

Recently diarrhea has become a problem. Because he's sitting flat on his shelf, it's caking on his feathers, and when he poops on the floor and I can see the whole poop it's watery and doesn't have any solid components.

From what I can tell, his crop is emptying properly. It certainly isn't bulging and his mouth looks completely normal. Pink tongue, no white discharge. I'll probably bring him to the vet tomorrow anyway to be safe (if nothing else they can check his breathing, etc) but I'll look into air sack mite treatments. I googled them and the symptoms seem similar. If it's air sack mites, should I treat his mate, too?


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

I admit of giving advices from what I've read. I used Invermectin for worms (they say is good both for worms and mites) but don't know how efficient it is.


I don't think mites provoke diarrhea, neither aspergillus.


Here you have a table with symptoms and most possible diagnoses. Click on one of the symptoms on left column, and then open the link to the possible diseases:
http://www.chevita.com/en/pigeons/symptoms/


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## Hiriki (Oct 17, 2013)

Thank you for all the advice. I used your symptom site and I think my bird very likely has paratyphoid in the early stages. I plan to get Baytril at the vet tomorrow and administer it to both Gorou and his mate, Hiriki, just in case she's a carrier. Unless someone suggest otherwise?

I'll update this thread if I see improvements or he gets worse. As of right now, he's regained some energy, can walk again and is eating just fine. If this weren't the second time he's had this lethargy and if it weren't so bad last night, I might even think he's completely recovered!


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Diarrhoea can be because of many reasons, and a weak bird might just sit fluffed up and will not be interested in walking. If his crop issues are fungal in nature, giving baytril can aggravate it. So giving medicines now is like shooting in the dark I guess.
Since he seems to be coming out of whatever illness he has, I suggest you give supportive treatment and build up his immunity levels. Give him ACV in water. Keep an eye on his eating habits, and how much time his crop takes to empty (I think it should take 3-4 hours). Make sure he gets calcium and sunshine. 
And most importantly, and you will be already doing this, make time to be with him and talk to him. Let him know he is loved and has all your support.


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## Hiriki (Oct 17, 2013)

The diarrhea is green and completely watery. So this could have been caused by something else? If that's the case, I might wait... I just want to make sure if it is salmonella I don't let it progress too far.

How specifically should I monitor his crop? Should I feel it or just make sure it doesn't bulge? I'm very new to this (I rescued them only a month ago!) so there are a lot of things I don't know


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Diarrhea is a symptom of some infection going on. Could be paratyphoid, or something else.

Immediately after a feeding, when you feel under his chest, you can feel the grains he has just eaten. The crop will stick out a bit like a filled pouch. After a few hours, this bag should be empty.
If the crop is not emptying properly, the grains will remain in the crop and sour causing bad breath and weakness.
Garlic is a natural antibiotic you can try. Lightly crush a garlic and add to the drinking water.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

Can you post a photo of his droppings? 

On that Chevita table with symptoms, if you open the link of each disease, some of them have photos with types of droppings caused by respective diseases.


After your late descriptions, I would go giving him antibiotics. And keep him in a warm place, like you need when you're sick. 


Also, talk with him and show him as much attention as possible. Pigeons (and other birds) feel what we want to transmit and the much care they see, the happier they feel. Not only with the sick ones but with the healthy ones as well. A happy bird will have a stronger vitality and will overcome diseases and the happiness is directly proportional with the amount of affectivity they receive, just like human kids.


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## Hiriki (Oct 17, 2013)

Fortunately (but unfortunately for this particular situation) I can't, because his droppings look normal again today. This seems to be on and off. When he was bad, the droppings for paratyphoid looked just like his. The fact that he seems to have recovered is very strange, though.

I'm working on getting him antibiotics but I found out just now that the vet in my area isn't willing to look at birds. They won't prescribe me Baytril. The vet back at home is willing, but it's finals week at my uni and I'll be here for several days.

I might be able to get home for one day and get back for finals if it's serious enough--the avian vet is in surgery currently and is going to call and talk with me about it when he's finished, we'll see.

In the meantime, I'm keeping them clean and as happy as I can. Gorou is currently sitting on the nest while Hiriki bathes... like everything was completely back to normal...


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## Hiriki (Oct 17, 2013)

I have an update.

I took him to a vet for a checkup, and aside from a dent in the keel most likely caused by the injury he was recovering from when I adopted him, she found nothing wrong. He'd recovered already so I wasn't surprised. She didn't have any particular thoughts on what the problem was but she did say she doubted it was a bacterial infection. She guessed some sort of neurological problem causing occasional seizures might be the explanation but suggested me seeing a specialist (which I don't have the money for at the moment).

He's had one more difficult night since then but was fine again in the morning. His fatigue seems to always occur at night and is gone quickly... I just thought I'd update this thread, although I'm not expecting much insight. It's a mysterious problem...

Thanks for all the help so far.


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