# Found dove with broken? wing and leg



## dovelove12 (Sep 18, 2012)

Hi on Friday my family kept the windows open at night. My cat went out and I fell asleep before bringing him back in. Around 3 am I woke up to him jumping through the window and dropping a flapping dove on my chest.
I quickly wrapped the bird loosely in a tiny fleece blanket and put him in a small pet carrier. I let him calm down for a few hours and then took him outside to release him but he just flopped around on the ground. I noticed that his right leg was mangled? It might just be broken but he doesn't move it and puts no weight on it. He was also holding his right wing at an awkward angle and often let it drag on the ground. I picked him back up and wrapped his right wing in gauze then returned him to the carrier lined with a blanket. I have no idea what to do about the leg.
He must be in a lot of pain because every time I try to move the leg he reacts very badly and pecks at my hand.
He's a very small dove. He is smaller than my hand. He refuses to eat any bread or bird seed but when I dug up some worms for him he ate a few of those. He will only drink water when i hold him gently and dip his beak into the water. He has become very comfortable with me and is more than willing to clumsily step into my hand when I reach in to give him more water or change the gauze.
Earlier today, I didn't secure the gauze and it fell off. He took the moment to stretch out the wing and flap it. He was able to move himself a little off the ground. I noticed that the wing moved normally and he held it aligned with the other wing. I wrapped it loosely just in case there actually is nothing wrong with it.
I really don't know what to do about the leg though. I really don't know where the break in it is. He doesn't keep it curled up into his body, it just hangs there limply. With his wing bandaged his has no balance so he spends a lot of time on my chest and nestled in the blanket where he just lays there and watches everyone in the house. I'm afraid that the other leg will atrophy if he doesn't exercise it though. I give him time every few hours to go outside, get some fresh air and hobble in the grass. Outside he eats little insects he can catch. He won't eat worms I put on the ground in front of them. They have to be either in the small woven basket I keep him in or in the pet carrier and he usually lets most of them dry out.
I really just want to help him. I'm willing to keep him if he won't survive in the wild because I really don't want his life to end because of the leg. He is still unable to fly so I'm not sure how long I should expect to keep the wing bandaged before it'll be of use. I don't have the funds to take him to the vet and I don't want to be told that he has to be put down.

His poo also looks normal. It looks just like the poo that the other doves drop on our car so I'm hoping that's a good sign? I would love some help or advice as soon as anyone can. I live in Carrollton Texas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Looks like a juvenile mourning dove and from the looks of him he doesn't look to be doing very good.
Have you checked him for open wounds on his body under the feathers? he might have pucnture wounds form the cat's claws and for that he will need antibiotics. 
The leg might be dislocated or have a fracture somewhere high up where you cannot feel it. 
Do you have any rehabbers in your area to ask for help? He needs to eat and he needs antibiotics. Also the leg needs to be checked and set if it's broken.

Thank you for rescuing the little baby.

Reti


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