# Dove, anyone know what these symptoms might mean?



## IworiOgbe (Aug 15, 2014)

Hello everyone,
It's been a while since I have written here, but I often check in. I am a pigeon friend, have 8 beauties... And my neighbors have grown to love my birds too. 

So, one neighbor, found a dove that was injured and thought she/he was one of my young pigeons because both were white, and carried her up to me.... This dove was in a terrible state of affairs, no tail, no feathers on his head, or around his eyes, all dirty. I have given him two big baths, but still seems to have grease or dirt stains on him. His tail is growing back a little... But the feathers around his eyes and top of head aren't growing back. It's been a week. He eats, but not a lot, and he drinks, but not a lot. 

My pigeons are big and big eaters. The dove is all together different character, and I am not sure what to do with him, how to help. Have no idea what happened to him, but I think he is still in a state of shock. 

Any ideas?? Thanks!!


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## IworiOgbe (Aug 15, 2014)

*Another picture of this dove!*

See how is ear is totally exposed, and no feather around the ears? 

Thanks again for your help!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

It is pretty likely that he had a run in with an unfriendly animal, or a hawk, I would think. We have a white pigeon who came to us years ago with no tail, feathers gone from his mid back and the back of his neck. He had almost certainly been caught by a cat, possibly dog. He still has an area round his neck where the feathers never grew back.


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## IworiOgbe (Aug 15, 2014)

Thanks john! 
You know, it's that he has no feathers around the eye or covering the ear, and the little short feathers on top of his head missing that I find the most strange... Would an animal take those out? His tail is growing back I think, but his head feathers haven't at all and his scalp seems really dry. Also his Ceres aren't white, they are kind of grey and flakey too. 

Anyone have ideas? Maybe stress from an attack? Or is it a sign of mites or something else I should be aware of? 

Thanks so much!!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Mites are certainly possible, specially if he was stressed anyway. Not seen ear hole completely exposed except on tiny baby pigeon, but one of ours, 'Piglet', does have problems occasionally with ear mites, which show by the shaking of his head from the irritation and some thinning of the ear feathers. We use vaseline around the ear which repels and kills the mites if outside, plus a med such as Moxidectin for blood sucking external parasites.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Poor baby. How long have you had him?


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## IworiOgbe (Aug 15, 2014)

It's been a week... He was a horrible mess when he first literally walked into my garage and was found by the neighbor who brought him to me. He was completely missing a tail, had no feathers under wings.... Both his tail and side feathers are coming in a little now. But couldn't get the "grey" off his feathers--- almost appeared like he was run over by a car, like tire tracks. I washed him good twice, but he hated it so much, can't do it again for a little while at least. A lot of his feathers are 'striped'... For lack of a better word. Just in awful shape. The tail feathers coming in are fluffy and white, and his feet seem healthy... So that's cool. 

I'm worried about his head, no feathers growing in at the top, or around ears and eyes. Can you see pictures? And his shoulder bones exposed. Head real dry. Don't have Vaseline john, so I put a tiny bit of Shea butter on his head tonight.

He's totally terrified all the time.... Only seen him relax for very short instances when I'm reading and still for a few hours.... That's how long he'll just panic, or stand in a kind of shock stance. So he doesn't itch much... But that might be cause he's just too freaked out to do anything but stay on high alert. 

Pooh! Makes me so sad-- any ideas you have to help this little one would b great, thanks


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Possible he had a run in with a car? I wouldn't keep washing him. The feathers will come in clean when he molts. If predator gotten then he should have been on antibiotics, but if it has been a week, then I guess he's okay that way.

What do you keep him in?


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## Raisindust (Apr 8, 2010)

Have you taken him to the vet?


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