# Dove With Ear Infection



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm posting this for information purposes because I'd never seen anything like it and wonder if anyone else has. 

On Wednesday I noticed one of my ringneck doves, Dylan, had a bump under the feathers near his ear. I caught him and found a hard yellow mass that was oozing yellow gunk. I feared it was pox but it didn't quite look like photos I'd seen of pox lesions (I've never personally encountered pox). I isolated him and got him in to see my avian vet the next day. My vet said it was definitely NOT pox but apparently an abscess. He had to put Dylan under in order to clean it out. When he came back in the room he told me that what Dylan actually has is an ear infection. Dr. K pulled a plug of hardened yellow stuff about 1/4" long out of Dylan's ear. 

In all the years I've had pet birds this is the first time I've ever seen one with an ear infection. Dylan is on antibiotics and his ear was still oozing a little bit yesterday so I gently cleaned it up with a cotton swab. It looks better today.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Good job in getting him properly diagnosed and treated. First time I have heard of this also...and it begs the question...._how, exactly, does a bird get an ear infection ???_ 

Water entering ear while bathing ????? 

Listening to too much heavy metal ????


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jaye said:


> Good job in getting him properly diagnosed and treated. First time I have heard of this also...and it begs the question...._how, exactly, does a bird get an ear infection ???_


I would think a small scratch from a sharp toe nail, when scratching their head, where some bacteria from on their toe festered in the scratch may be a possibility.

Karyn


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Karyn, that's my best theory, too.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Good job and quick action, Cathy! I have never seen what I believed to be an infected ear either, but I have had a canker bird where the canker "pus" was coming out the ears and was also above the beak causing a poofed out forehead.

Terry


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Jaye said:


> Good job in getting him properly diagnosed and treated. First time I have heard of this also...and it begs the question...._how, exactly, does a bird get an ear infection ???_
> 
> Water entering ear while bathing ?????
> 
> Listening to too much heavy metal ????


I like the heavy metal theory but around here it would mostly likely be alternative rock.  But since he doesn't have an iPod I think it most likely came from a toenail scratch. They hadn't had a bath in weeks because of cold weather, though they did today because it was 72 degrees and beautiful (not Dylan, though, because he's in a cage in the house).

Terry, Dr. Kureshi didn't mention canker as a possibility, though I've seen photos of cases like the one you described and I have seen canker myself. I treated them for it preventatively just a couple months ago and haven't introduced any new birds in that time frame.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

My rooster Clyde had an ear infection once. It looked just like that. Really gross stuff


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you for your input, Becky. You're the first person I've heard from who has seen an ear infection in a bird!


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