# Spaghetti Droppings from my ringneck dove



## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

Hello All,

I'm new to doves, but I have noticed that my dove's droppings have changed.

They used to be small spheres.

But now they look like long, thin strands of spaghetti! 

Each dropping is one long, single strand. 

The color is a little greener, but not much.

My dove is a little lethargic, but otherwise well.

4 days of apple cider vinegar in her drinking water hasn't helped. I have put her back on plain water.

I read the thread on pigeon dropping, and not to worry if the droppings change, but I can't help but worry.

Has anyone seen this before?

Thanks 
Ellie


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

See if you can take a damp sample into your vet to get a fecal float and smear done. That's labwork and is cheaper than a true visit, if they'll do it for you. Most will. Anyhow, it could be Coccidiosis or a few other things and may require a medication.

Pidgey


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

HI Dovegirl,

Is the dropping a single hard strand in a pool of water like the photo on this link?

http://www.chevita.com/tauben/e-index3.html

That could be a sign that it has, or that it has had a paramyxovirus infection. 

How long have you had the dove, and how old is it?

Cynthia


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## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

cyro51 said:


> HI Dovegirl,
> 
> Is the dropping a single hard strand in a pool of water like the photo on this link?
> 
> ...


It looks similar, but without the puddle of water.

I will send a stool sample to the vet, but they are closed over the easter holidays.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I was wondering whether there could be an element of constipation here. As far as I can see the small spherical droppings are a coil of poops that forms when the poops are just the righ consistency. Slightly too hard or too soft and they don't coil.

I have three ring neck doves at the moment so I went to examine their poops , but they won't poop to order so there were no fresh ones to test!

Does the dove strain at all when it poops? Can you examine the vent area make certain it is not redenned or pasted?

Is there any white urate element to the poops that you see?

I just checked the poops in my aviary and found one slightly hard uncoiled bit.

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

dovegirl said:


> 4 days of apple cider vinegar in her drinking water hasn't helped. I have put her back on plain water.
> 
> I read the thread on pigeon dropping, and not to worry if the droppings change, but I can't help but worry.
> 
> ...



Hi Ellie,

You should not be putting ACV in the water everyday, without alternating with "probiotics". ACV allows the gut to produce a good environment for good gut bacteria, the probiotics actually allow good gut bacteria to multiply. They work together. A probiotic capsule each day for a few days, will sometimes wipe out the beginning of cocciodisis, as well as other gut issues.

Is the bird drinking alot by any chance?


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## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

Trees Gray said:


> Hi Ellie,
> 
> Is the bird drinking alot by any chance?


Yes, she is drinking a lot. 

There is a white spot on the top of most of her droppings.

Thanks again,
Ellie


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## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

Hi all,

I sent some "spaghetti droppings" to the vet for analysis.

The results came back.

My dove has kidney disease. 

The vet said there is not much he can do about it, so I guess my doves days are numbered.

Thanks to all for your advice. 

Regards
Ellie


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, that's kind of nondescript. The white part is what's left of the actual urine and it's been reduced down from regular urine to condensed urates in what passes for the colon in us. I would have thought that they'd make a recommendation as to a medication. Can you take a picture of the droppings and email it to one of us or post it?

Pidgey


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Well, I gotta say I have never heard of a diagnosis of kidney disease by doing a fecal float. Blood tests would seem to be indicated.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

The hard wormlike dropping in a pool of liquid can be a sign of kidney damage, it is fairly common among pigeons that have recovered from a paramyxovirus infection . That virus causes permanent damage and I am certain that there are other things that have the same effect on the kidneys without necessarily being progressive or fatal. 

I agree with the previous comments and would ask further questions like what kidney disease and how could that conclusion be drawn from a fecal float.

Cynthia


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## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

Cynthia,

The vet said he found some kind of crystals in the stool. 

He named the kind of crystals he saw, but I forgot. 

He said the presence of the crystals indicate kidney disease.


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## stach_n_flash (Mar 15, 2006)

how sad is it going to live? 

dont you feel special my 100th post was on your thread woohooo


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## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

Good news!

While my dove still produces coiled, spaghetti droppings, these are now much tigher and dryer. 

There is still a puddle, but it is much much smaller.

Maybe the vet failed a few subjects at Vet school!


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Try some papaya, they say the enzymes are good.. if your doves will eat it like my Pearl.

I hope it's nothing serious, and just constipation, that's what popped in my head as well when I started off reading this thread.


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