# feeding a baby dove and her throat is bleeding??



## ronnie jo (Apr 9, 2005)

Hi can anyone tell me what I could be doing wrong? I am feeding a baby dove. I have been feeding her with a syringe . I have had her over a week now and have been feeding her the same way with no problems. BUT the last couple of feeds there has been blood on the syringe and after her feed her throat seems to be bleeding and coming out of her nostrils. I only feed her twice a day. hoping that she might eat by herself. but she won't. Now that her throat is bleeding i am worried to feed her at all. Is her throat lining gradually getting damaged? Or could it be another condition. I am very gentle with her. It seems odd that after a week of feeding her this way that she would bleed from the syringe ,. Does any one have advice. 
I have tried to feed her the baloon method, spoon method and holding a bowl of feed out for her . But she will not take the food. Maybe i should make her go hungry longer. Please help
Ronnie jo


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Ronnie Joe,


Oh...you poor thing...! Oh my...

Well, my own 'tube' feeding of them is new to me, and only recently have I begun doing it for some ill adult Birds who would not eat or could not eat otherwise.

Now, what I have, is a No. 5 or maybe 6 Fr. Catheter socket-end section about three inches long, fitted to a Luer Lock nub only, inside the 'threads' on the end of a 6 mL Syringe. The Catheter is made of a very soft transparent material, maybe Silicone...is soft and pliable about like a well done short ength of Spaghetti, plus I wipe a tiny bit of "K-Y" Jelly on it with a tissue so it slides even better.

What are you useing?

Is it a 'solid' hard plastic curved 'end' of an irrigation syringe?

If so, I would get something softer...and not use that anymore for feeding.

See if you can get a suitable size Catheter and a way to fit some inches of it to a suitable capacity Syringe's end...

Otherwise, from your description, I would not know what else to imagine...

I am so sorry this is happenning with your little Dove efforts, I know it must be very vexsome and anguishing for you...!

I can post or send you a j-peg of what I have, but it might be hard to find something exactly like it, since it is a proprietaty kind of Catherter end with a short metal tube inside the catheter proper, but, most Catheters nave a tapered outer socket on one end, which when cut down some ways, leaves the right amount of socket to fit on the end nub of a Luer or other Syringe end's center nub. One only uses the first few inches of the socket end of a Catheter...say, something like a No. 5 or so French system of size.

Almost any Vet should have some Catheters of that size...they cost like 80 cents apiece, so a tech or the Vet themselves ought to be willing to give or sell you one, along with a suitable syringe...most medical retail places have them also...just cut the socket length down shorter and it will fit right on the center bub of a Syringe, and since Catheters are rather long, cut it off some inches from that socket, whatever you feel is enough for your Bird...mine is about three inches.



Phil
el ve


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## ronnie jo (Apr 9, 2005)

thanks Phil for your tips on feeding. I will go to the vets in the morning and see if they have something that will be of use to me. I haven't fed her today and she is scratching in her seed. Maybe the hunger has made her try and fend for her self. She is flying alot better today. Hopefully all will go well from now on.
Ronnie Jo


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Ronnie Jo,

She should be able to feed herself by now, lets hope she learns quickly.

Did you find out what sort of dove she is?

You could try feeding her soft foods such as defrosted peas, or soft fruit or soaked dog biscuits, or pellets of soaked chick crumbs depending on what her natural diet is. You have to open the mouth and push the food to the back of the throat.

It is easier to do with pigeons than doves, because doves are so squirmy.

Cynthia


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

pdpbison said:


> I wipe a tiny bit of "K-Y" Jelly on it with a tissue so it slides even better.


Hi Phil, 

Just a suggestion here, instead of the K-Y jelly for lubricating the tube, I would suggest some type of oil like corn or sunflower oil. Some of the ingredients in K-Y don't sound all that safe to me for pigeons.

*K-Y Jelly Ingredients:*

Chlorhexidine Gluconate, Glucono Delta Lactone, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Brad,


Makes sense...!


Thanks...I will switch to Olive Oil or something then...(with the K-Y, I put a tiny amount on a tissue, then rub that spot over the Catheter, so there is only the tiniest amount on it, of the lube...)

The two Birds ( one is now eating on her own and eating very well to ) I had been tube feeding, are my first efforts to do this.

The one who is eating now, was likely wacked by a car - had a broken wing, had a very tender weak thigh on the same side, and had a dislocated or badly sprained jaw and some sort of enteritis and had suffered emaciation, is a young and very beautiful white and speckled Black Bird with purple feet tops and pink and black Beak, the beak nubs ( wattles I guess ) are not white yet. This made it a tough prospect for helping, so, I waited, giving tiny sips of water with Baytril in it, which seemed to help over a week or so.

Anyway, she is eating nicely on her own, but once her jaw (bottom half of beak tip was 1/8 of an inch to one side) seemed to have got back into alilgnment on it's own ( I did gently massage the sides of her jaw off and on there for a while which she did not object to) I decided I better tube feed her so she did not starve to death. I only had to do this for some four or five days when she started pecking on her own.

The other Bird I am having to tube feed, is Mr. sore Eyes, who I should do an update on in his own thread. He can not see to do any pecking or he would be eating just fine I am sure.

Anyway, he is compliant for my taping him up into restraint and then slipping a Sock 'sweater' over him whose heel aligns with his Crop area. But he HATES having his Beak opened and held open and fights it something terrible. I think my way of opening and holding his Beak and head are good, I cannot imagine much or any improvement in how I am doing it...it is just that he hates it so much and protests something terrible.

He does not hold any grudges, and welcomes me preening his neck head and so on, and does not mind being held. He has been preening himself nicely and is very handsome and has nice feathers all around. Anyway, I thought the KY might help the Catheter slide in a little more smoothly, which it did. But I will try some Corn Oil or Olive Oil instead as per your mention.

Thanks...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Crop/Gavage Needles*

I find the use of a stainless steel crop/gavage needle to be much easier on the birds and on me. They are also quite durable and easy to sterilize. Definitely worth the cost to me:

http://petiatric.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=203

Then scroll down a bit to stainess steel feeding needles ..

Terry


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## ronnie jo (Apr 9, 2005)

hi, My dove( mourning dove) is eating seed by herself. YAY!!! It just took a bit of will power on my behalf. I had to NOT feed her at all. It worked. Thankyou for all your help.
Ronnie jo


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Yippeee!

for you both...


You know now too, the deep sigh of relief, their Biological Parents feel, when their youngsters are eating on their own...!

Good going...!

I am so happy to hear of this little one's progress...

Phil
Las Vegas


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