# My Sick Birds



## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for help, information, and advice, anything that will aid my sick birds. As Charis suggested starting a new thread describing my birds’ problem here I am.
It started three years ago when one of the houses in the neighborhood was sold and new owners moved in. Existing pigeon loft was demolished and pigeons were shooed away.
Couple of pigeons decided to move to the palm tree in my garden and make it a new home. Soon they made their nests, raised first youngsters and palm tree was looking as Christmas tree decorated with white pigeons.
Then I found first squab lying below on the grass cold and hungry. I took it inside the house provided some heat, water and seeds. After three weeks it was big enough and I let him go. He was lucky that managed to survive because I knew nothing about nursing baby birds. Since than I’m trying to help all sick, young, injured birds that I manage to find on time in my garden. Believe or not some of them come inside the house seeking help. One pigeon walked in and perched on the potted plant in my lounge. My wife took him outside thinking that he could not find his way. Pigeon walked in again and perched on the same plant. We gave him some water and seeds and he spent four days there. On the fifth day, he went outside and it is still coming twice a day to be fed.
*Veterinarians* – I tried getting professional help for sick birds without any success. More than ten times I took sick birds to various avian vets and all of them died. I live in Johannesburg – South Africa and pet industry here is good money making machine. One would think that paying for service should get you one. Unfortunately this is not a case. I didn’t get one vet doing tests on my birds, blood samples or anything that will provide correct diagnose of the bird disease. I was facing two options; to keep on paying vets and watching birds die or to try helping them myself. Last time when I was at the vet with dove having crop canker, I was told that treatment will cost me more than to go and purchase ten doves from the pet shop. That was the reason I started helping birds myself.
Sorry for this long introduction, but I want you to know what is the reason I ask for your help and why I can’t get any vet’s help. All my birds are sick and feral.
Presently I have eight birds with various problems. Six of them are in process of recovery (three with PMV and three with Adeno virus). My problematic ones are two of the birds.

*Senegal dove* – feathers are falling and not growing back. I found it injured six months ago and treated wing wound with hydrogen peroxide. Wound healed fine, but feather started falling and presently is almost featherless. It has yellowish liaison at the base of the beak and overgrown and twisted nails. Otherwise it is in good condition, eating and pooping well. Poops are firm and healthy looking. It is alert and active whole day, just featherless. I tried everything available on the market to promote molting (vitamins, supplements, minerals, various seed combination and nothing. I wouldn’t worry if I knew that it will be OK like this, but the problem is preserving body heat. Presently there is a heater working 24 hours by the cage (it is winter in SA).

*White Pigeon* – I found it on the ground a month ago. It was lethargic and I took him inside. After a week it was fully recovered, eating flaying around and I decided to let him stay for another week just in case… Week later it started raining and piji’s stay was prolonged again. Four days ago his neck started twisting to the right side (like having a lump). I wasn’t worried because it was alert and eating well. Then diarrhea started and it started falling to one side. I started molting heavily, new feathers are coming right, but it can’t walk or stay on his legs. There is no paralysis both wings and legs are fine. It is alert and eats and drinks when I feed him, but it lies on one side and scratches all the time. I managed to stop diarrhea with chlor-tetracyclin.

Please help!

Kind regards Plamen


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

The Senegal dove sounds like it may have "Circovirus". That's a virus that can have a devastating effect on their feathers and toenails. Can't be for certain, of course, but if that's what it is then there's no cure. About the only other things would be malnutrition (which can be a problem with the bird's ability to process food rather than what it eats, which is usually genetic) or some parasite that bores into the skin and causes inflammation.

On the other one, can you take and post pictures?

Pidgey


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Hi Pidgey,
Here are some pictures of problematic birds:
*Senegal Dove*

















And *White Pigeon*

















Regards Plamen


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

On the Senegal dove, are those crusty lesions all over him?

Pidgey


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm really glad you started this thread. 
One of my concerns is that there may be parasites or illnesses in South Africa that we don't know about.Have you taken the Dove to a vet?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Can you take another picture of the Senegal Dove at the highest resolution of your camera at the closest distance that it will be in focus and with flash? Then, email it to me at:

[email protected]

It might be easier to figure it out with a larger, sharper picture.

Pidgey


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

No, Senegal Dove has clear smooth skin, picture is not clear but what you see is remains of the feathers or new shafts that start growing and stop on 3-4 mm length. They doesn't form full feather only needle like ones.
Dove was several times to a different avian vets and only diagnose received was stress because of small cage. Old cage was 80x60x60 cm new one is three times bigger (as per vet's suggestion).
As mentioned before no lab analysis or propper examination was done regardless my special request. The moment they see her it is clear by vet reaction that the bird is worth no money and efforts because Johannesburg is full of them.
In my garden there are hundreds of doves, this is the only one so far with feather problems.
I didn't found any information on specific disease reported for South Africa so far and belive me I spend days reading government and wild life reports for local diseases.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

What about parasites?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Go take a look:

http://www.galamblabor.hu/angol/article/circo/circo_ag.pdf

Pidgey


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Dove was treated wit Ivermecin and biodegradable insecticide for birds. I presume that it doesn't have any parasites after this treatment and it doesn't act scratchy or something except regular preening. No visible presence of mites or lice on the skin. I will take better picture and post it in the morning. Presently the birds are sleeping.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Hi again
This is the best picture i could take (dove is allways on the moove), is it good enough?









Regards Plamen


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Advice needed, please!
White pigeon has white coating on the tongue, this is after 5 days treatment with chlortetracycline and 7 days of baytril, two days break between treatments.
Other symptoms:
Paralyzed legs
Twisted neck to the right (not like PMV)
Thirst - drinks a lot of water
Diarrhea yellow greenish, no smell
Slightly open beak when breathing

It has been tested for trichomoniasis - negative
and worms - negative

Regards Plamen


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

It sound like the pigeon may have a yeast infection.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

A few things come to mind in regards to the dove - needs sunlight or a UV lamp, an antifungal may also be needed. A fungus can distort the beak and nails and also cause the feathers to come out. I understand it is hard to treat. Also, Charis mentioned parasites but you have apparently treated him for those.

I would also make sure his cage is cleaned every day and give him vitamins that contain, I think it is, D3? 

I can't answer about the sweet pigeon but do want to tell you how wonderful it is that you try to help birds. Wish there were more people like you.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Regarding dove, first I started with sun light. Every day I took her outside in the garden and leave her on the sun. I provide a little shade in the form of oak branch with leaves and let her sunbath whole day. While she still had more feathers, I was spraying her with water to moisture plumage. She obviously enjoys that. However this didn’t help so far (7 months). 
After that I started with calcium, vitamins and mineral supplements, charcoal, iodine, ACV, garlic. All this is still on the list that she gets and obviously keeps her in good health with no effect on feathers.
She is on the seed diet, and I’m enriching her choices by adding red rape seeds, linseeds, niger, crushed peanuts etc. 
My next step was to try imunnostimulants as beta glucan and imunoglobulines. No effect at all.
I wouldn’t worry so much about feathers if it was still summer. Unfortunately winter is coming and nights are getting chilly. Heater is working all the time by the cage and temperature is at 22 Celsius. Durring the day I take her outside on the sun, but sometime wind starts suddenly or clouds cover the sun and she can’t preserve her body heat. What will happen if I’m not around or if I’m late to take her inside the house?
These were all my trials so far to help dove and had no success.

I was thinking if this is viral problem and I start with antiviral drugs. I’m just afraid to do more harm then good. Does anyone have any experience with Acyclovir or any other antiviral remedy?

I will also look at fungal diseases - i have no experience with this too.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

White pigeon;
During the treatment with Baytril (7 days), I treated him for yeast infection too, but I’m not sure if I should continue once I stop antibiotics.
Yesterday I cleaned coating on tongue and beak cavity with diluted Lugol’s iodine solution same way I treat canker and today it looks much better. I will see how it’s going to be tomorrow.
Good news is that today started moving one of the legs. Just a little bit trying to get up but it’s a big progress.
Another thing that amazes me is that pigeon can be pot-trained. In the beginning because of the leg paralysis and general weakness, I put him in the medium sized dog food bowl lined with towel (see picture). Pigeon with diarrhea and inability to move is a messy sight and I was forced to change towel and wash his under tail section numerous times a day. After couple of days he started flipping out of the bowl when he needed to poop. This wasn’t helping much as the mess was the same, just around the nest. From a week back he started waiting for me to pick him up and put paper towel underneath. Only then he poops. I just wander who trained who as I pick him every two hours to give him water, and toilet facilities.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

White pigeon, 
I managed to stabilize his condition:
Yeast infection is over – beak and tongue are clean and pink.
Weight is normal 340 g, doesn’t go light any more.
Still crop feeding, but he is also trying hard to peck seeds.
Diarrhea is gone after treatment with pro-biotic and multivitamins.
Charcoal helped a lot to firm up poop.
Today I bought some milk thistle seeds and started giving him for liver recovery.
Legs are still paralyzed and one of the wings is little sluggish. I massage toes daily to stimulate blood flow and he doesn’t mind at all.
He is alert and begs me all the time to pick him up and hold him.
Molt is still in progress and it preens himself all the time.
Does anyone have any idea how to stimulate/speed up legs recovery?


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