# Partially Paralyzed Dove PLEASE HELP



## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

I'm sorry to bother everyone once again, but yesterday I found a dove in the library parking lot.

The dove was on its side and i thought it was dead. I was about to pick it up when it opened its eyes, got really startled, and struggled to fly. It took off about 7 feet off the ground and flew on its side until it hit a wall. I rushed over and picked it up and put it inside my car.

The dove is able to flap its wings and push with its legs. It can't stand. its head it turned at an angle and most of the time he just turns his head from one direction to the other. 

It eats seeds readily that are placed it its beak and will drink water when his beak touches water.

Help I don't know what to do. It has no blood or signs of injuries. Not even on the ground where I found him. I am feeding him seeds one by one in its beak and he readily eats them. Also I give him a little water in a little cap by turning its head into normal position then touching the water with its beak. I have to do it for him.

Right now I am in a bad situation. I am living inside a van with a family member of mine and I just don't have the specialized tools to properly feed the bird.

I am thinking it needs baby bird food along with a plastic feeding syringe for it to be properly fed. This bird needs a lot of help. Please don't tell me it needs to be put down... the thought breaks my heart.

Someone please help. If I was living in my appartment it would be easier for me to take care of it, but I am living insiide a 2004 chevrolet express van right now. I need help for this bird if anyone can. I'm not sure what to do.

the bird opens its eyes and looks around. Please if this is a virus or anything does anyone have any medicine? I have found many birds and I have taken care of them until they could fly again and I have released them in parks... I hope the same can be done for this dove.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Yes it looks like it could be pmv, which is a virus and can run its course and the bird can recover fully or to some degree, its ok to leave it in a box in your van with you and you can do a few things. If u can just buy or get some dove mix you can hold its head in an upright position and pop some some corn or safflower and or peas into its mouth one at a time and then just hold a small vessel of water under its head and dip the beak in and allow it to drink as much as it wants. Do this twice a day and thats it. See if it will recover from virus. It just needs time and assistance to eat and drink.

Place bird upright and do as I show in this video super easy, then offer water by dipping beak in small cup of water.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/jXnYzgSX8Jg


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## krzys_cce (Jul 16, 2013)

CBL said:


> Yes it looks like it could be pmv, which is a virus and can run its course and the bird can recover fully or to some degree, its ok to leave it in a box in your van with you and you can do a few things. If u can just buy or get some dove mix you can hold its head in an upright position and pop some some corn or safflower and or peas into its mouth one at a time and then just hold a small vessel of water under its head and dip the beak in and allow it to drink as much as it wants. Do this twice a day and thats it. See if it will recover from virus. It just needs time and assistance to eat and drink.
> 
> Place bird upright and do as I show in this video super easy, then offer water by dipping beak in small cup of water.
> 
> ...


Although I can't add to this, I would follow CBL's advice. The bird will recover if you do.


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

CBL said:


> Yes it looks like it could be pmv, which is a virus and can run its course and the bird can recover fully or to some degree, its ok to leave it in a box in your van with you and you can do a few things. If u can just buy or get some dove mix you can hold its head in an upright position and pop some some corn or safflower and or peas into its mouth one at a time and then just hold a small vessel of water under its head and dip the beak in and allow it to drink as much as it wants. Do this twice a day and thats it. See if it will recover from virus. It just needs time and assistance to eat and drink.
> 
> Place bird upright and do as I show in this video super easy, then offer water by dipping beak in small cup of water.
> 
> ...


Thank you for this precious information. I will keep feeding the bird as I have and carefully giving it water when it needs to. I am glad to know that is it not in any need of emergency care. I do hope it can make a full recovery. If it is not able for it to fully recover I guess I will keep taking care of it until it gets better unless my situation gets worse. I do have another 3 doves so I will have to keep the area super clean and get rid of PMV poop as soon as it comes out. Wash hands and pretty much not touch my other doves in the mean time. I read online it says it takes 6 weeks for the birds with pmv to do some recovery? It also seems that my previous pigeon had some PMV problems as it would sometimes spin in circles when a stressful situation would come up 

I am on a limited conectiion so I can't see videos but once I get to a library I will promptly watch it and improve the way I am feeding the dove. I thank you so much for that



> Although I can't add to this, I would follow CBL's advice. The bird will recover if you do.


Thank you very much for the reinforment. I am glad that it can survive with me only giving it seeds through its beak. I was thinking it would not be enough and a baby formula with syringe would have been a better option....


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Give me your email and I can send you video of the seeds being poured into beak as well.
Works great and is quite a quick way to feed and within 3 or 4 mouthfuls the bird will have enough for a feed. Do that twice a day and you should be fine, chasing with a drink of course. You are so great to help this critter, amazing. I wish you best of luck and contact me anytime for help.


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## AndreiS (Jul 28, 2013)

It seems has also digestive problem, green droppings. It may need antibiotics.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Not impossible, but way less likely for a dove to get PMV than it is for a feral or racing pigeon, unless a dove feeds with the pigeons and could have come into close contact or shared food and water.. 

If the dove is not able to stand, I would suggest it is possible that it is suffering from a calcium deficiency. It does, also, remind me of a dove we had in some years back who had a similar neurological problem, and was (as it recovered) apparently suffering from Vitamin B deficiency.

Also, are there any odd black things adhering to it anywhere (ticks)?

CBL - is the dove a juvenile, would you say?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

JohnD, you know what looks odd, and I think this is a mature hen by coloration, but just noted that it looks like the flighs have been cut? straight across, this would indicate that it was a pet and either released to die BECAUSE of exactly what you suspect? FP do as John says and give calcium supplements asap just in case that IS the case and can you take a picture of the wing extended? Flights of the primary look too squared off to be normal in nature.

That could be telling. If someone had this hen and breed her too much and has hypOcalcemia then this can be fixed asap with a human calcium pill crushed and syringed with water. The dosage you would have to get from someone else on here. I would even just give an entire pill crushed for a severe case.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Flying pigeon: I am really happy to see how you help the birds with limited resources and pray that your hard work pays. Pls do soon as directed for calcium deficiency and hope she recovers soon. Glad to see there are people in this world who are always willing to help whatever the situations are. All the very best and pls keep us posted about the bird. Thanks for helping her.


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

John_D said:


> Not impossible, but way less likely for a dove to get PMV than it is for a feral or racing pigeon, unless a dove feeds with the pigeons and could have come into close contact or shared food and water..
> 
> If the dove is not able to stand, I would suggest it is possible that it is suffering from a calcium deficiency. It does, also, remind me of a dove we had in some years back who had a similar neurological problem, and was (as it recovered) apparently suffering from Vitamin B deficiency.
> 
> ...


I see no creatures sticking to its wings. At least no large ones that I can see. I know pigeons get these big ones that look like flies and flex like gummie bears . Not that I've killed any I just toss them out the window until all are gone from the pigeon I find.

The dove can't stand, but it can push off with its feet and flap really hard when it feels scared. When I first saw the dove I thought it was dead, but suddenly opened its eyes wide and flapped furiously to lift off and fly until it hit a wall.

I have some oyster grit that I give my doves and female piegeons I have had. Would crushing some into a fine powder and putting a little in the dove's beak help? I'm not sure if it would be a bad idea to do it. I can crush them until they are small seed sizes bits and put some in? Not sure how I would do it with the water. I am afraid of the dove coughing thinking it could be dirt in the water. I don't have calcium supplements but I have been told the oyster grit is a really good soure of it. The female pigeons I have had like to eat it greedily.



CBL said:


> JohnD, you know what looks odd, and I think this is a mature hen by coloration, but just noted that it looks like the flighs have been cut? straight across, this would indicate that it was a pet and either released to die BECAUSE of exactly what you suspect? FP do as John says and give calcium supplements asap just in case that IS the case and can you take a picture of the wing extended? Flights of the primary look too squared off to be normal in nature.
> 
> That could be telling. If someone had this hen and breed her too much and has hypOcalcemia then this can be fixed asap with a human calcium pill crushed and syringed with water. The dosage you would have to get from someone else on here. I would even just give an entire pill crushed for a severe case.


I completely forgot to mention this but I clipped the wings because the dove would flap its wings when inside the van and hit itself. I ended up clipping them so that would not happen . I figured I would just release it back once it was back to full health. I generally don't cut the wings of the birds I find. When I was in my old RV I just let them fly freely until fully healed from whatever they had and released them back outside. Inside the van I will likely have to keep them in a cage until healed and released them. There just isn't much space for flight .

How would I go about giving the dove Vitamin B? 



kiddy said:


> Flying pigeon: I am really happy to see how you help the birds with limited resources and pray that your hard work pays. Pls do soon as directed for calcium deficiency and hope she recovers soon. Glad to see there are people in this world who are always willing to help whatever the situations are. All the very best and pls keep us posted about the bird. Thanks for helping her.


Thank you even if I am inside a van I still want to help. I used to help them when I was in an appartment, then a house lost to foreclousure when the bubble burst, then an appartment again, and not too long ago and old broken down rv. Now it is inside a van. I have been feeding the little dove and it has not been as tough as I thought it would be. I was worried that I might not have enough time to do it, but since the van goes where I go and the dove is inside I can actually put in enough time to make it work. 

Just please let me know if it is okay to give her some oyster grit crushed into bits, unless I should use the water method? Actually I don't have a plastic syringe. I lost those a while ago. I used to feed babies that I found near my old home that was lost to foreclousure enough for me to get some baby formula and a feeding syringe. After I lost that home and had to move back to L.A. I have not found any babies and eventually I lost the syringe from a lot of movements.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Grit, however given, is not sufficient. A calcium supplement is Calcium + Vitamin D3. The D3 is required for a bird to be able to process the calcium - it is normally supplied by the action of sunlight, but needs to be given in a good dose where there may be a deficiency. For other things like Vit B, I believe that a general vitamin supplement for birds would help. Should be able to get it from any decent pet store.


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

John_D said:


> Grit, however given, is not sufficient. A calcium supplement is Calcium + Vitamin D3. The D3 is required for a bird to be able to process the calcium - it is normally supplied by the action of sunlight, but needs to be given in a good dose where there may be a deficiency. For other things like Vit B, I believe that a general vitamin supplement for birds would help. Should be able to get it from any decent pet store.


Okay, just to be sure can I buy it from for example CVS Pharmacy? Or should I be looking for something more veterinarian specific? If from the store... will I just get a calcium supplement or something that has Vitamin D and calcium? Do I specifically need to get something that says Calcium + Vitamin D3?

For the Vitamin B when I go to the pet shop can it be one of those vials that are dropplets which you can add into a bird's water?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Ok here is what I know from feeding my dogs a homemade diet. If I crushed one teaspoon of egg shell, it was the equivalent of 2000mg of calcium. So in an alternative, you CAN crush a hard boiled egg SHELL into dust with a mortor and pestle if you have. Or even when dry, a coffee grinder, then that you can sprinkle on some oiled seed and feed as shown in video I sent you. That would be a good dose of pure calcium. Alternatively a human calcium tablet crushed up and given the same way on oiled seed. If u can give it in some water that is fine too. I'd say however u can in any way, just get it in there lol. 

Glad it was you who clipped the wings. I was starting to lose faith in people thinking someone tossed it out to die.


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

Thank you once again,

Just to be on the safe side it should be Calcium Human tablet with vitamin D? Specifically the D in there. I will see if I can get some eggs. Right now I am in a bit of a transition from living in an old RV. I will visit my local gym too download the video since my limited connection is well limited.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Well the calcium is key and the D3 you can easily get for free by putting the bird in a cage and getting some sun thru any window in the van, but it cannot be filtered thru glass, it has to be direct sun touching the bird thru a cage. If you cannot get sun, then simply get it with D3  Jury still out on calcium deficiency as the bird was wild, and would have had access to all the healthy stuff others have, so not convinced it is that but cant hurt as long as u dont overdo the amount.

Could be head injury, or virus. Time will tell.


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

CBL said:


> Well the calcium is key and the D3 you can easily get for free by putting the bird in a cage and getting some sun thru any window in the van, but it cannot be filtered thru glass, it has to be direct sun touching the bird thru a cage. If you cannot get sun, then simply get it with D3  Jury still out on calcium deficiency as the bird was wild, and would have had access to all the healthy stuff others have, so not convinced it is that but cant hurt as long as u dont overdo the amount.
> 
> Could be head injury, or virus. Time will tell.


Thank you. I went to wall greens and got some calcium tablets. The back says calcium and Vitamin D3 it also lists a little sodium, but not much. The front label says stritcly calcium but I checked the back label to make sure it had the D3.

If it is the virus how safe is it to put the dove in the sun for a few minutes under supervision? I thought someone mention it should be kept in a semi light room to not stress the bird. If it is the virus stress causes more damage?

That is a very pretty fluffy pigeon in the video you showed me. Is it a king pigeon? Must be really happy eating all of those seeds for itself. Glad to see other people loving pigeons . 

I crushed the tablet and made it into fine dust then dipped a seed in water and swooped some of the calcium powder into it then gave it to the dove. I only did it three times as I am not sure how much the dove would be able to take.

If it is a head injury... what are the chances for the dove to recover fully?

-edit-

Could you also let me know how the PMV virus will slowly go away? Will the recovery be gradual? For example... slowly regaining its abillity to move? How does the recovery progress? I will only dip one seed in water then run it across the calcium crushed powder. I don't want to over dose the bird. So a little dip and maybe once or twice a day?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

If it is calcium deficiency then it will recover within days of having the calcium. So that is a good dose u gave, I would give again tomorrow then hold off and see how it is. If u see sudden improvement it is two things either any brain swelling from an injury may have gone down (but if brain injury, usually eyes will swell or protrude) Also if not, it will stay that way much longer via PMV or other issue. See if u see any improvement and let us know thanks.


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

CBL said:


> If it is calcium deficiency then it will recover within days of having the calcium. So that is a good dose u gave, I would give again tomorrow then hold off and see how it is. If u see sudden improvement it is two things either any brain swelling from an injury may have gone down (but if brain injury, usually eyes will swell or protrude) Also if not, it will stay that way much longer via PMV or other issue. See if u see any improvement and let us know thanks.


So I should hold off on giving the dove calcium? For how long should I hold off? I give it only a little bit by dipping a seed in water then running it across some calcium powder.

I don't think the dove has swollen or protruding eyes. At least none that I can tell when looking at its eyes. should I take another picture for everyone to see? 

Okay. Today when I fed the dove I finished by grabbing a small safflower seed, dipping it in water, then running it across some calcium powder (Made from crushinig a calcium pill). I then fed the dove the safflower seed. This was after feeding it regular seeds.

I don't think I have see much improvement. I mean, the dove moves its head around more, and does feel more lively. Though I think that mainly is due to now me feeding it x3 times a day. So the extra food and rest must mean more energy. Then again i am not sure, but the dove definitely seems to have more energy.

I also noticed that it is best to first give it water then give it seeds as if the dove became dry the seeds are hard to swallow  thank god I noticed that. I am not sure if someone mentioned it before, but if someone did thank you and sorry for not having notice it sooner. 

I havee a gram scale that is electric. What is the average weight of a dove? (Male or female) in grams? I can track the dove's weight and try to keep it at an optimum number if someone could give me that information. Though I am not sure how much weight the dove will gain due to innactivity. It does flap its wings furiously somtimes... I like to think that it is execercising. Though I have to watch it because sometimes she moves off even with cllipped wings.

One thing I want to ad is that the dove's droppings are no longer green and watery. I think that only lasted the first night it was with me. Today there were no green or watery droppings so at least in that area the bird, I think, is getting better.

one thing I noticed is that when the dove needs to poop it struggles somewhat. I think it is due tot he laying position on its side. I think birds normally stand on both legs and crouch to poop. I was wondering if I should keep an eye on this? Also I keep her clean and clean out poop when it comes out, but over night when I sleep I cannot do it. There is a dropping that hardened near the back. Thankfully NOT blocking anything. This is exactly what I am trying to avoid.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Well how's dove now?
I couldnt log in since past few days.just googled the average weight for dove should be 150-160 gms.improvement in poop is good and being more active also seems good sign of recovery.but worried about her neck.have you seen any improvement yet?


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## FlyingPigeon (Jan 11, 2010)

Unfortunately the dove started having trouble passing stool so i asked Ms. Terry for helped and she reffered me to someone. That someone is taking care of the bird and is well equipped in a home. Actually had a few birds under his care. basically looked at the dove over and said it was a male then said it did not have PMV. Instead it has a head injury. He heat up some food then used a syringe and fed him. Placed him in a little plastic box and placed him in an incubator. So I'd like to think the dove is in a 5 star hotel at the moment. Hopefully it will recover. I left him there on sunday. He releases the birds once they get better so if all goes well the dove could return back to where he belongs


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Thanks for the update, Flying Pigeon. You did the right thing and yes, the little dove is at the equivalent of a five star hotel. Many wildlife rehab centers are happy to give the good Samaritan who brings in injured wildlife for care an update on the progress of the rescued bird/animal. In case you get curious....good work on your part!


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