# Doves dying suddenly - Urgent help needed.



## rayandtina

Hi all,

This is my first post but need some advice. Got a pair of doves recently for the garden and built a simple dovecot on a pole. Used to keep them when younger but a novice all the same. One of my doves disappeared after about a month - was very tame so might have been taken by someone so replaced with another hen. After a week this dove appeared to have a limp, didn't feed well then died - appeared to show signs of canker so I assumed that was the problem. Bought Harkers treatment but didn't get a chance to use it. Got another couple of hens to replace the dead one. All well until today when one of the hens suddenly died overnight. Fed really well - no signs of anything but died first thing. Worryingly the other hen now appears to be limping but no obvious sores and was really healthy yesterday. No signs of canker but I have no idea what's happening. It doesn't look well at all. Have cleaned and disinfected dovecot regularly, feeding them well with a mix of grains and a young pigeon feed and give them a little cider vinegar in drinking water as advised by a breeder nearby. Can anyone offer any help/advice? Original cock is fine and shows no signs. Have let him out of the dovecote to minimise chance of further infection today. Thanks. Ray


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## Feefo

Can you tell us what country you are in? That will help us identify the resources that you can use.

Please check the leg joints of the hen that is limping...is it hot, swollen, red? 
It would be best to isolate her, whatever they are suffering from is infectious.


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## Black.Pied

i would say thats paratyphoid and in my opinion once they catch that there will be a chance they will always be carriers even if they are treated and brought round when the limping starts i think there 2 far gone. i would disinfectant the loft and burn it out.


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## rayandtina

*Limbs look okay*

I live in Scotland. 

Dove limbs look fine apart from the limping. Where would this have come from?

When you say - disinfect and burn out what do you mean by 'burn out'? 

The doves are in a dovecot which is made from exterior plywood and painted. When disinfecting previously I washed and disinfected with a good household disinfectant - is this daft? Probably have to use something stronger this time. Thoughts?

Thanks for your help.


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## Jay3

If it is salmonella/Paratyphoid, then 10 days on Baytril is supposed to eliminate the carrier stage. Rodents in your garden could be infecting the birds also.


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## Dobato

Rayandtina, I think what he means is that people use a wide-nozzle propane torch to pass a flame over a surface, dangerous on most surfaces except concrete, to sanitize with heat, instead of a chemical.

Sometimes the germs that cause paratyphoid (salmonella bacteria) can take up in a joint, commonly in the wing or leg, and cause swelling and immobility, this immobility in a leg would be seen as a limp.

If you have a vet you could get a prescription from you would need a drug called Enrofloxacin (trade name Baytril) to treat this infection. Also, if a vet is not possible, and you have a sympathetic Doctor, he could either prescribe or give you one 500mg tablet of Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) which is basically the human equivalent of Baytril to use. If you get one I will help you make it into a med you can use on your bird, you will also need a 1cc syringe (without the needle type) as well.

To disinfect, you can use common household bleach in a 1:10 solution with water, I part bleach to 9 parts of water. Wear gloves and wipe all surfaces and perches with this solution. It does off gas chlorine gas for a short while after use, so you have to remove any birds before, and for an hour after use, and air out any enclosed spaces by fanning or other means the best you can.

Good luck with her,

Karyn


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## pdpbison

Hi Ray,



Bring all the Doves indoors, and, set them up individually in Boxes with look-out Holes cut along the sides...have the boxes lined with white Paper Towels, so you can see the poops and urates well...cover the open top of the Boxes with light sheer cloth, so light can filter in.

Then, you will be able to observe better things to relay to us.

Such as, what do the poops look like, for color, consistency, size?

What do the Urates look like, for color, consistency, volume?


Provide supplimental warmth if any are fluffed.


Phil
Lv


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## rayandtina

Thank you all for your help. Dove looks like it's on the way out but did survive the night. Too late now to see a vet but will consider that tomorrow - not hopeful though. If this one dies I need to be sure this doesn't happen again. That will be 3 doves died on me in the past month. I will now only have one strong one and I want to be sure that this remains strong but also need to know that when I get more I don't repeat the same. Am still mystified as to the cause but might put this down to some bad luck. Will update tomorrow. Thanks again.


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## John_D

It isn't 'bad luck' - it's a disease. I would suggest that if another one has now died to speak with the vet and explain you need to find out the cause of death. If a necropsy is carried out, results may take a week or two, but they should be able establish a cause. The one you have left will need to be checked over - ask the vets if they can test a dropping sample for a bacterial infection, and parasitic infection. The problem is you will not know from where or how this mystery illness is getting to the birds otherwise

John


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## spirit wings

perhaps look for doves from another source, he could have salmonella/Paratyphoid going around in his loft.


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## Feefo

If you prefer you can use one of these Postal Testing Services.

In *my * experience necropsies have been expensive but have not provided the answers that I needed.(eg died from "a pleural effusion", but we don't know what caused it.)


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## Jay3

I would get a poop sample tested. It would probably tell you a lot. Do you have a vet that you can take a fresh sample to. It has to be fresh and kept cold until you get it there.


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## rayandtina

Thanks to all who helped me with this. Unfortunately the dove died, probably due to paratyphoid. Didn't manage to get tests done on time but appreciated your advice. I have disinfected fully and will speak to local breeders before getting any more. The one dove (a cock) that I have left is perfectly healthy at the moment but will worry that it might be a carrier so will get it vaccinated. I'm aware this might not guarantee that he will not carry or spread the disease to others at a later date. Will also look into treating him with Baytril if I can get it on prescription if you think this is wise.


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## cotdt

sorry to hear, have you considered doing an autopsy?


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## John_D

You would need to get a vet to prescribe (and probably sell you) Baytril. Usually, vets would want to see the 'patient', so it would then make sense to get a poop analysis done, particularly testing for salmonella, so you know what you are medicating against.

John


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## Jay3

So sorry about the bird.Hope you get this figured out and taken care of before you get any more. I hope your male will continue to remain healthy.


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