# Baby Dove has a lump! Canker?



## leahrieshel (Aug 14, 2007)

I found this baby dove, featherless and struggling in a current of rain water during a storm. I have had it for 2 weeks, it has grown tremendously and can fly. I've been feeding it Kaytee baby bird formula...

It has developed almost a marble-sized lump on its neck. Otherwise, it looks and acts healthy. Is it a canker? What should I do about this?

I'll try to get pictures up in the morning.
Please help!!!


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Thanks for helping this dove out, where abouts are you located?

fp


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi lea,




It might be Canker in an unusual form, or it might be an Abcess of some other sort of Organism/Bacteria.


Have you an able Avian Vet to appeal to for an examination?


Can you describe the poops in detail? color, consistancy, form...?


Have you looked far into her Throat in a good strong Light, to see if there are any things there as far as small yellowish nodes or lumps or mucous or anything which is not happy, clear, pink Throat?


Images may aid various of us here to form a more detailes apprise...so do post some, yes...


Good luck..!


Phil
l v


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you for helping this poor little dove. Canker is most likely, but it's hard to tell for sure without seeing it. Can you see lumpy, cheesy-looking stuff by gently opening his beak and looking down his throat? Where are you located? There are good canker meds available from any of the pigeon supplies (Foy's, Global, Siegel's) but you'll want to get something immediately and perhaps we can locate a rehabber or fancier near you who has meds on hand. 

If there's a pet or aquarium store near you they might sell Fishzole, which contains metronidazole, one of the drugs used to treat canker. Mine is made by Thomas Labs and contains 250 mg of metronidazole per tablet. The dose for homing pigeons is 1/4 - 1/2 a tablet one time, so for a little dove you would want to use considerably less.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Can you see the lump through the skin, so to speak and is it kind of 
yellow in color??

Bird burrito the bird (wrap a hand towel around the wings/shoulders to imobilize
the wings) and open the beak and have a look inside the mouth to see if there
are any growths/unusual coloration there. The tissue inside the mouth should
be pinkish and clear of white or yellow growths.

You could also try and smell to see if there is any pronounced smell coming
from the mouth.

If you can take a picture and post the picture of the lump that you are concerned about, this would be great.

Do you have any medications on hand, if so list them (like left over prescriptions, etc.) and do you have any pet stores locally that also sell
aquarium supplies? 

fp


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

I wouldn't go with a single dose for a baby that also has a growth/lump in
place in the throat. I'd go with the slower dosing that provides for the 
canker mass to disolve over time from the protozoal attributes of the medication
while also giving the antibiotic qualities of the medication the opportunity
to "watch" over the healing process and ensure that damaged tissue doesn't
become compromised w/infection. Here's a link to a recent post for Metronidazole dosing from TAW:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=14

and a link from the resource section on crop medicating:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15696

I would post a picture if you can for this dove, even though
I'm giving you the link to crop medicating, you may need to
drizzle the medication initially alongside the beak allowing
the bird to swallow on it's own.

Please do let us know your general whereabouts in case someone
is close by and can get you some meds. If you are able to locate
Metronidazole/Flagyl on your own or have other means of obtaining
Canker meds, then let us know.

Thanks for rescuing this little dove.

fp


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## leahrieshel (Aug 14, 2007)

*Pictures!*

Thanks so much for the advice!

I live in West Texas... We have a Petsmart and some local pet store but I'm not sure if they have the medicine.

It took me a while to get the pictures to load.
Here's 2 photos of little Mabes:

http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d190/LeahRieshel/?action=view&current=100_5893.jpg

and

http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d190/LeahRieshel/?action=view&current=100_5895.jpg

Thanks for all your help!


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## leahrieshel (Aug 14, 2007)

I did the "bird-burrito" and checked his throat, but I didn't see or smell anything unusual.

The lump does look like it's yellowish under the skin.
I posted some pictures that will be better than my description.
Thanks!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

There are TONS of pigeon flyers in Texas. If we know your location, I expect the meds will be pretty easy to get. We'd have to know your city or at least what big cities are near you.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Call around and see if any of the pet stores that have aquarium supplies
carry Fishzole (which is Metronidazole)--if the answer is yes, then see
if one of the local vet clinics will sell you a needle-less 1cc syringe--tell
them you are trying to help a sick pigeon. In fact, it works even better
to go in person and ask, they don't like to say no to folks trying to help
animals and pigeons aren't protected. 

Then we can get you started w/the meds if you are able to purchase locally.
Otherwise, Renee will need to find someone closeby to help out.

fp


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Looks like it's in the cervical portion of the cervicocephalic air sac. That's not actually pneumatic so a vet could excise that portion easily enough under a general and remove the stuff. I'd kinda' tend to think that while you could stop the progression of the disease with the Metronidazole (and you better and soon), I'm not sure that the garbage (spent leukocytes en masse) will go away on its own.

Pidgey


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2007)

I've never seen anything like this before. It's probably not canker because of the red color. It's likely not to be pox because it's too red for pox. It's not a hematoma because it's not black. There is an air sac in that area so it might be in the respiratory system. If there is any kind of a yellowish cast, it may be necrotic skin and not necessarily canker. It's doubtful this is an abscess because again, it's too red unless there is abscess material under all that mass of blood.
I think this bird should be seen by an avian vet because surgery is probably going to be needed to excise this growth. This might be a tumor.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Sorry, I missed the link to the pic. Is that growth pretty
firm or does it feel mushy like fluids??

Now you'll have to call and make sure they don't euthanize instead of
surgerized.

fp


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Could you please check this Rehabber list and see if there is anyone
near you who could help w/this bird?

http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm

Thanks,

fp


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

That is an unusual looking "thing" .. it looks like it is firm and not mushy in the pic .. hopefully there is someone nearby who can lend a hand with diagnosis, treatment, meds ..

Though she is not nearby, Linda Hufford in Cat Spring, TX is a bird rehabber and a very good one. She might know of someone in the area if Leah would care to give her a call to see if Linda can refer her to someone.

Terry


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

In the masses that formed in Winter's, Pattie Cakers' and Pearl's oviducts and abdomens, they were darkish on the outside (boundary layer) and not particularly squishy. Less firm than a tennis ball but firmer than couch cushion foam (new).

Pidgey


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

I was just wondering about the possibility of canker eating through an area
that had blood vessels and causing a pooling of blood. Whether squishy or
not, it could be trapped in layers causing the appearance that it has. Have
had a few bleeders w/canker in that area.

It may also be something completely unrelated, the bird really needs to have
a hands on exam by someone knowledgable hopefully closeby.

fp


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## leahrieshel (Aug 14, 2007)

I live in Abilene, Texas. It's about 3 hours away from Dallas, and I'll be in Austin this weekend if that helps.

I plan on locating an avian vet, but if anyone knows a reputable one in the area that would be great! 

Until I can get an appointment (hopefully very soon!) I think I will go ahead and try some Metronidazole.

If Terry has Linda Hufford's number, that would be most helpful!

Thank you all!


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2007)

Avian Vets

Leanne Jakubowsky
10106 Hillside North
Austin, TX 78736
Phone: 512 288-2809

Scott Echols
4534 Westgate Blvd, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78745
Phone: 512-892-4463
Fax: 512-892-6468

Other avian vets in Texas:
http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup/locate-vet2.php?query_field=state&search_string=tx


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## leahrieshel (Aug 14, 2007)

Thanks, I got the Metronidazole and we're going to try that and go to the vet this weekend if it doesn't go away.


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## leahrieshel (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm a little antsy about portions...


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Have a look at our resources list here: http://www.pigeon-life.net/prd.htm Linda Hufford and a couple of other Texas rehabbers are listed there. It might be worth giving them a call to see if any of them are close enough to assist or can recommend a vet.

Terry


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

leahrieshel said:


> I'm a little antsy about portions...


Well, fortunately it's a drug that has a wide margin for error.

Anyhow, assuming that you've got a 100 gram dove AND assuming that you got the 250 milligram tablets, you'd need to get roughly 1/12th of the pill down the bird per day howver you wanna' do it. You can smash the pill up and mix it in 12 milliliters of water and dose 1 milliliter per day or you can just try to chop the pill up into 12 semi-equal pieces or piles and drop one down the beak per day. If the pill size is bigger or smaller, you'll have to adjust accordingly.

Pidgey


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