# my dove is acting off



## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

hi
just today I noticed my female cape dove was acting strange. She didnt seem to have much energy and has not eaten much. When I picked her up she felt light and was much easier to catch. Her eyes seem bright and she hasnt lost any weight. I did notice her drinking water but not eat. I am going to get her some porridge and try feeding her with that.
I think it might be a crop thing as after she drank she swirled the water in her crop which I have not seen her do before.
I cant take her to the avain vets as I dont have enough money until tuesday.

Sorry about the large pics. Didnt know they would be that big until I uploaded them.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Follow the guidelines on this lnik first:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f108/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-8822.html

Do you give her a drop of organic apple cider vinegar in her water on regular basis?


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## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. I usually give my birds vitamin supplements in the water alternating between a probiotic and a calcium supplement. 
I got the porridge but am not going to try and feed her after reading the info on the link. Thanks for that.


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## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

By the way does anyone know off a good place to get a heatmat from in the UK? Are there any online shops. I checked amazon but with so much choice dont really know which one is best.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

what is her diet? how do you give her seeds. here is one person's comments on these type of doves.. (this is for an outdoor enclosure though) the comment about the small cage makes sense. 


"HABITAT DESIGN:
Capes need an enclosure that gets plenty of direct sunshine with some overhead cover to provide shade and rain protection when they want it. Tall trees and shrubs planted around the perimeter will give both shade and nest sites. There should also be a large area of open dry ground where they will spend a great deal of time searching for food and taking sun and dust baths. 

They may successfully be included in mixed collections of other small PEACEFUL dove species and finches. In smaller enclosures (less than 100 square feet), one breeding pair per flight is recommended but more may be kept in larger aviaries. They do not do well in small cages as their tails quickly become frayed and their faces battered on the wire. 

DIET:
A good quality parakeet mix with small millets added and turkey crumble make a good diet for capes. They prefer to feed directly off the ground and like most seed-eating doves will throw most of the seed out of a dish or hopper, then proceed to forage for it from the dirt. This habit encourages rodents to free-feed and their droppings mingled with the seed on the ground are a significant source of parasitic infestation in doves. Giving smaller rations more frequently in a tall-sided dish close to but off the ground is the keeper's best hedge against this problem. "


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## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

Oh yes they are pretty spoilt for food. Mixed millet, millet sprays, finch tonic mix, blue mawseed, pigeon mineral pick with seaweed, cuttlefish and oystershell grit. She has eaten a little but I tend to worry about her more because the breeders here say the females are delicate.
I do have a cage for them but my birds have the whole room so they are never inside it usually.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

kalel said:


> Oh yes they are pretty spoilt for food. Mixed millet, millet sprays, finch tonic mix, blue mawseed, pigeon mineral pick with seaweed, cuttlefish and oystershell grit. She has eaten a little but I tend to worry about her more because the breeders here say the females are delicate.
> I do have a cage for them but my birds have the whole room so they are never inside it usually.


I would let her bask in direct sunlight at least a few times a week so she can assimilate or absorb and use her calcium and to make vitaming d3 in her preen gland which they use when preening and do ingest some.


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## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

The only problem is since they are inside the sunlight is being filtered by the windows. I do have a uvb light and I use it now and again but as the weather has been improving I havent used it much lately.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

kalel said:


> The only problem is since they are inside the sunlight is being filtered by the windows. I do have a uvb light and I use it now and again but as the weather has been improving I havent used it much lately.


with the weather improving and him not getting the uvb as much you should still use one or put him in direct sunlight outdoors..in a containment of course. here is more info on the right bulbs to use.

"Using Ultraviolet Bulbs
Except for the lucky few who live in warm, sunny climates and can have their pets outside for several hours a day, most of you will need to provide your birds with indoor UV lighting to ensure they get the exposure they need for good health.

Putting your bird in front of a window won’t do the trick -- glass filters out the beneficial components of ultraviolet rays.

There are a number of UV bulbs for birds available on the market. You will want to buy the kind that provides both UVA and UVB rays.

And make sure you’re buying UV bulbs designed for birds. The UV spectrum in aquarium bulbs is in the blue range. If you happen to breed birds, you probably already know that blue spectrum light rays produce more female than male offspring.

So avoid aquarium or fish bulbs, and plant or grow bulbs. Stick with UV bulbs specifically marketed for birds. Place the light about 12 to 18 inches from your bird’s perch.

I keep UV lights on my birds for around eight hours a day. You can go up to ten, but the minimum I recommend is four hours."


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## Shadowringneck23 (Jul 5, 2012)

*Lack of Nutrition*

It sounds as though your Cape Dove has a nutritional problem. Do you supply full-spectrum lighting for the cage? What about nutritional supplements, and other feed besides seed? Take all of these into consideration.


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