# My dove is breathing hard. What is wrong?



## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

I've never seen him act like this before, but he is sitting up on a branch all alone, looking a bit ruffled and breathing as though he just ran a race or something. His mouth is wide open, and he is loathe to do anything. His poops are liquidy green. I'm very worried. Do you have a clue what this is?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

It would be best to have a fecal done, as the symptoms you describe can be a number of things.... from respiratory all the way to worm issues, and then there could be secondary infections.

Have your birds had any preventive innoculations or treatments for any diseases-so we can rule anything out? Have there been any changes in his food, air quality or anything else?

Make sure to isolate and keep an eye out on him 24/7. You may need to keep him warm and out of drafts of air, and feed and administer fluids if he is not eating or drinking.


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Trees Gray said:


> It would be best to have a fecal done, as the symptoms you describe can be a number of things.... from respiratory all the way to worm issues, and then there could be secondary infections.
> 
> Have your birds had any preventive innoculations or treatments for any diseases-so we can rule anything out? Have there been any changes in his food, air quality or anything else?
> 
> Make sure to isolate and keep an eye out on him 24/7. You may need to keep him warm and out of drafts of air, and feed and administer fluids if he is not eating or drinking.


 Oh, dear. No, they haven't had inoculations. He's had the same food, been in the same place....nothing new has been around him. *sigh* His eyes and nose are clear.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

In birds, some kinds of bacterial infections also cause anemia. That presents as rapid breathing that doesn't go away until the situation is corrected or the bird passes away. Paratyphoid can do that, for instance. Do you have any Baytril that you can give the bird or a vet that you can take him to? I have to admit, though, it's sometimes real tricky taking them anywhere in a case like that because the extra stress and strain of being taken away can finish them off.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Just out of curiosity, can you try real hard to describe the exact color of the green poop? Is it anywhere near a light or bright bluegreen?

Pidgey


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

I don't think we have an avian vet around here...that's been my problem with most of my ill birds. 

And exactly what is Baytril? Is it just....antibacterial for birds? Because I might be able to get that at a sortof-local feed store.....


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Not too likely but it never hurts to try. Baytril is actually "Enrofloxacin" and is the veterinary version of Ciprofloxacin that's often used in us. You can use Cipro for birds but humans can't use Enrofloxacin. It's a very broad-spectrum antibiotic that tends to be more effective against Gram- bacteria than Gram+, for what that's worth.

How fast has this come on for this bird?

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Here's some more information regarding Baytril:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/enrofloxacin.html

Pidgey


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Pidgey said:


> Just out of curiosity, can you try real hard to describe the exact color of the green poop? Is it anywhere near a light or bright bluegreen?
> 
> Pidgey


It's.....light green? o.o


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Pidgey said:


> Not too likely but it never hurts to try. Baytril is actually "Enrofloxacin" and is the veterinary version of Ciprofloxacin that's often used in us. You can use Cipro for birds but humans can't use Enrofloxacin. It's a very broad-spectrum antibiotic that tends to be more effective against Gram- bacteria than Gram+, for what that's worth.
> 
> How fast has this come on for this bird?
> 
> Pidgey


 No? Where could I get it, then?

And as far as I can tell, it only started this morning. I don't remember him being like this last night.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I can't be certain that the print on this webpage will show up the same color on your machine as it does on mine, but does the color of that poop look anything like the printing here:

http://www.myspace.com/mphosonicon

Pidgey


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

Did you check to see if its throat was clear of anything that might cause it to have trouble breathing like a canker? Where are you there might be someone near you that has some baytril on hand


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Respiratory symptoms like that are usually pretty dangerous. There are a wide variety of possibilities so it's often a take-your-best-shot and shoot-from-the-hip response. You might try getting your ear very near the bird so that you can listen for wheezing, crackling and other noises. That kind of thing would indicate an obstruction in the actual trachea down to the syrinx (in the chest). You don't usually hear sounds in their actual lungs. A pediatric stethoscope works for listening on the bird's back for stuff like that.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You're down around the Arlington, Texas, area, right? We might be able to find a local flyer that could have some of those kinds of medications.

Pidgey


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Pidgey said:


> Respiratory symptoms like that are usually pretty dangerous. There are a wide variety of possibilities so it's often a take-your-best-shot and shoot-from-the-hip response. You might try getting your ear very near the bird so that you can listen for wheezing, crackling and other noises. That kind of thing would indicate an obstruction in the actual trachea down to the syrinx (in the chest). You don't usually hear sounds in their actual lungs. A pediatric stethoscope works for listening on the bird's back for stuff like that.
> 
> Pidgey


 I put my ear to his beak and I hear *click* each time he breathes. o.o


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

If it were me, I'd probably call and see if a local vet has a chamber for giving small animals nebulized treatments of saline and Gentamicin. They usually do that in an aquarium-like chamber with a cheap human nebulizer. I'd also get the bird on the Baytril and Metronidazole.

Pidgey


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

I hear a *click* when he breathes. Does that help narrow anything down?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Maybe that it's more of an upper respiratory something-or-other. He might have breathed in a small seed or have an infection. In either one of those cases, he'd need an antibiotic. Can you tell if the click is down deep or up near his head? Actually, you probably need to get started tracking an antibiotic down. When we try contacting flyers, we usually pick an area and start looking through the ARPU lists:

http://www.pigeon.org/bandlist.php?year=2007

Pidgey


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

I was gone all day but I have been keeping this lil one in my prayers, I rushed over to my computer as soon as I got home. Well I am sending healing thoughts that is about all I can do from here. Get well soon little dovey


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Avalona Birdy said:


> I hear a *click* when he breathes. Does that help narrow anything down?


They have a "defensive/protective" sound they make when not feeling well
and being handled that is a distinctive clicking sound that may be unrelated
to any actual symptom presentation.

fp


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm so sorry your dove is doing poorly. Is he housed with other doves? Do they get along? The reason I ask is that male ringneck doves can be quite aggressive with each other and I wondered if he might have been injured fighting with another dove. But that wouldn't account for the loose droppings. 

If you do have other doves (even if you don't), you should separate this one and put him on a heat source. I put mine in a small animal carrier lined with a towel and place it on a heating pad set on low.


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