# Sick? RN dove



## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

I have a white RN female dove who was quite bonded to me. I went away on vacation for 5 days while a pet sitter and my husband stayed home and took care of the animals. When I returned, the bird had diarrhea really bad . I took her to two vets, one said that it was e. coli and the other just ran a series of tests, blood work, x-rays and fecal smear and could not find anything definitive. The first vet put her on Amoxicillin which I gave her for seven days. After no improvement I took her to the second vet who said to take her off of it. 
I then started her on Sulpha AVS for one week and now she is on probiotics in her drinking water.

The problem is that she is eating well, drinking, walking around outside her cage and doing some flying inside of her cage. You would never think that she is not feeling well. In the mornings, she coos to me and I go into her cage and pet her. In the afternoon, she is fluffed in appearance, will have nothing to do with me and when I let her out of her cage, she has been sitting with her side wings drooped. In the afternoons also, she sits on her perch without a sound of sits on her food dish for hours. 

Is there any suggestions out there as to what could be the cause of her acting not 100% right for over one month now since I've been away?
Could it be depression? Over what though? I've been back for some time now if she missed me. 
Thanks for any suggestions.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

my doves used to take a midday siesta.. and so do my cockatiels...so being quiet at about miday is normal.. if she was like that in the am and pm when they get more active and when they eat, then I would worry..sounds like the switch with the antibiotic was a good choice.

a member here Libis will be around to chime in, Im sure she can let you know if she has a different view on it.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

flyte said:


> I have a white RN female dove who was quite bonded to me. I went away on vacation for 5 days while a pet sitter and my husband stayed home and took care of the animals. When I returned, the bird had diarrhea really bad . I took her to two vets, one said that it was e. coli and the other just ran a series of tests, blood work, x-rays and fecal smear and could not find anything definitive. The first vet put her on Amoxicillin which I gave her for seven days. After no improvement I took her to the second vet who said to take her off of it.
> I then started her on Sulpha AVS for one week and now she is on probiotics in her drinking water.
> 
> The problem is that she is eating well, drinking, walking around outside her cage and doing some flying inside of her cage. You would never think that she is not feeling well. In the mornings, she coos to me and I go into her cage and pet her. In the afternoon, she is fluffed in appearance, will have nothing to do with me and when I let her out of her cage, she has been sitting with her side wings drooped. In the afternoons also, she sits on her perch without a sound of sits on her food dish for hours.
> ...


What do her poops look like right now? 

My birds nap in the afternoon. Especially around 3pm. 

Are her feet cold and clammy when she fluffs? (Fluffing can just be a habit--my diamond doves do it all the time as a nervous habit and Edmund the ringneck fluffs to sleep, but cold clammy feet and fluffing is a fever.) 

When she droops her side wings, does she relax and look kind of like a little dovey potato? If so, this is just her hanging out, possibly prepping for nap time. 

How old is she? Perhaps the behavior change is just maturity? Has she ever laid?


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

Her poops are normal and sometimes can be alittle watery I was thinking due to the probiotics which she is on. She never used to sleep in the afternoon when I was in the room with her because she knows that it's play time. She would always be ready to get up and come out to play. She never used to fluff at all before and now she fluffs regularly . Her feet are somewhat clammy .


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

She droops her wings as if she has no energy. She is 9 months old.


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

The big factor here is also she wants nothing to do with me at all and will try to get away from me at all costs. We used to be so closely bonded. This behavior also occurred with all the other mentioned symptoms. I think I lost the bond I had with her.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

does she have a uvb light? ..has she layed eggs before?.. indoor birds need sunlight to make vitamin d3 so they can use calcuim stores.. they can get weak or unthrifty if they are low.. I would take her to the vet and ask for a calcium blood test..or just get a light and keep it on her for at least 8 hours a day..and give a calcium suppliment.


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

I will give her a calcium supplement but she is under a UVB light for 8 hours. 

Thanks for your response.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

flyte said:


> I will give her a calcium supplement but she is under a UVB light for 8 hours.
> 
> Thanks for your response.


change out your bulb and give the suppliment and see if she acts a bit more "normal" to you.. she could be just fine though as what you descibe is not telling me she is in trouble.. they do rest and like to just sit in the afternoon... think about wild birds..they do the same..they are most active in the am and afternoon and that is when they eat as well.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I have to say this IS sorta odd. Such symptoms only began showing themselves after you had gone away. I think they are significant, also. The lethargy, and the hand-shyness all of a sudden.

You did the right thing by going to the vets...blood test, fecal, x-ray....wow, you are a great friend. Did the vet do a culture ? That is the only stone I can think of which may have been left unturned.

Other than that..any other changes in the house ? Was perhaps the heat turned down in your absence ? Was the cage moved ? Is there any chance something sorta traumatic (in the bird's perspective) may have occurred while you were away ???


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

I don't know if anything traumatic happened when I was away. I didn't hear of anything going wrong, all I know is that I returned to a bird that has loose watery droppings and is fluffed up all the time.

Update: She has been on probiotics for three days now and I just went in to check on her and she has watery droppings again. I asked the pigeon supply place where I got the probiotics if they could cause watery droppings and they said no...just the opposite. So now I am back to square one. - what is going on with this bird?

The first vet did not do a culture , just a smear on her poop. The second vet that I took her to could not do a culture since she had been on Amoxicillin and could not get an accurate diagnosis. 

I am at a total lose. Is it possible that this bird was exposed to any poisons or toxins? Not that there is anything in the room where I keep them . The temps in the room are about 65-70 all the time. They have access to sunlight all day. 

Thanks to all who responded.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

flyte said:


> I don't know if anything traumatic happened when I was away. I didn't hear of anything going wrong, all I know is that I returned to a bird that has loose watery droppings and is fluffed up all the time.
> 
> Update: She has been on probiotics for three days now and I just went in to check on her and she has watery droppings again. I asked the pigeon supply place where I got the probiotics if they could cause watery droppings and they said no...just the opposite. So now I am back to square one. - what is going on with this bird?
> 
> ...


Possible poisons or toxins in the air:
spray air fresheners
scented candles
plug-it-ins
overheated teflon pot/pan
asbestos
bleach
Carbon Monoxide
cigarettes
Diazanon
Flea Bombs and Collars
Floor Polishes
Formaldehyde
Hair Dye and Spray
House Paint
Kerosene
Matches
Moth Balls
Nail Polish & Remover
Oil Paint
Oven Cleaner
Paint Remover
Perfume
Permanent Wave Solution
Pesticides
Shoe Polish and Cleaners
Spot Removers
Spray Starch
Suntan Lotions
Surgical Acrylics
Toilet Cleaners
Wax 

Just because the poison isn't in the bird room, doesn't mean it's not in the air of your whole house. People's birds have died from fumes coming from the kitchen or across the house.

Yeah, I agree, this is getting rather odd.

Are you definitely sure there is a source of calcium in her grit and that she is getting enough D3 from the lamp? Some studies show that the lamps alone do not do enough and that indoor birds also need D3 in their diets.

What do the watery poops look like? Watery poops can mean a whole variety of things from infection, to stress, to egg laying time.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Sick birds like heat*

If you are sure your dove is actually sick, she might like some extra heat until she seems better. If you can rig up a heat lamp next to the cage and cover the other side of the cage with a towel, it can make a warm pocket inside for your dove. Most sick birds respond well to extra heat.

Another thought, if your dove layed eggs recently, sometimes their poops are different for a while. Bigger and looser, in my observation, until they get out of breeding mode.


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

New Update: My white RN dove who I was writing about in this thread is doing much better physically. She is now on probiotics and is eating, no watery poops and is active.
The only problem is the bond that she and I had is completely gone. She can't wait to get away from me and flies to the opposite end of the room to avoid me. I can still pick her up but she struggles to get away. The is the completely different bird than when I left. Is it possible that a - she was traumatized by someone in the house when I was gone, b- she was sick and now has had second thoughts about the bonding? I thought that the human dove bond once it happened is just as strong of a bond as two doves bonding.

She and I were very close. I could not go out of the room without her cooing to me and jumping all over her cage. She wanted to be wherever I was in the room right on top of me.

What would make her personality change so much? Now I don't know if she's happy and if I should give her away to a friend who has doves if she is that unhappy with living with me.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

flyte said:


> New Update: My white RN dove who I was writing about in this thread is doing much better physically. She is now on probiotics and is eating, no watery poops and is active.
> The only problem is the bond that she and I had is completely gone. She can't wait to get away from me and flies to the opposite end of the room to avoid me. I can still pick her up but she struggles to get away. The is the completely different bird than when I left. Is it possible that a - she was traumatized by someone in the house when I was gone, b- she was sick and now has had second thoughts about the bonding? I thought that the human dove bond once it happened is just as strong of a bond as two doves bonding.
> 
> She and I were very close. I could not go out of the room without her cooing to me and jumping all over her cage. She wanted to be wherever I was in the room right on top of me.
> ...


If I remember right you said this is a fairly young bird, right? They all go through a rebellious teenager phase. They can't be babies forever. Let her have her teenager phase and then see what happens. This probably has nothing to do with how she feels about you. Just raging hormones


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

I agree what libis said about the teenage stage. But I did have a mourning dive that was totally in love with me, I let him just live in my house and just cleaned up after him everywhere but he followed me around, had to be right on top of me and cooed in love with me all day long, well my husband wasn't fond of him pooping on him as the dove also loved my husband too, my husband swated(didn't hit or even touch him) at him one day when he flew to him and it spooked my dear David, then ever since the swat he would not let anybody near him and tried very hard to get away, you could catch him but not easy.

He has since passed away.

It takes very little in my experience for them to get scared of people. Ask your pet sitter, question them Nicely, don't accuse.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

SamanthaBrooke said:


> I agree what linus said about the teenage stage. But I did have a mourning dive that was totally in love with me, I let him just live in my house and just cleane up after him everywhere but he followed me around, had to be right on top of me and cooed in love with me all day long, well my husband wasn't fond of him pooping on him as the dove also loved my husband too, my husband swated(didn't hit or even touch him) at him one day when he flew to him and it spooked my dear David, then ever since the swat he would not let anybody near him and tried very hard to get away, you could catch him but not easily.
> 
> He has since passed away.
> 
> It takes very little in my experience for them to get scared of people. As your pet sitter, question them Nicky, don't accuse.


I used to have a cockatiel who was unintentionally made terrified of hands by the family who had him before me. When he flew up onto the cupboards they would get out thick leather gloves and grab him and put him in his cage. It took me 3 years to get him to step up onto my finger, even though he loved me. (I started out with perch step-ups and then went to elbow etc.) So I can see where accidental improper handling can screw up a bird's idea of people.


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

I guess I will have no choice but to realize that we are not bonded anymore and that is sad. I enjoyed every moment when she was with me. I know that she is not physically gone but emotionally, she has left. Not the same sweet girl . I hope that some day I can understand or know what happened to her to have her change this way.

Thanks for all of the replies.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

flyte said:


> I guess I will have no choice but to realize that we are not bonded anymore and that is sad. I enjoyed every moment when she was with me. I know that she is not physically gone but emotionally, she has left. Not the same sweet girl . I hope that some day I can understand or know what happened to her to have her change this way.
> 
> Thanks for all of the replies.


If this is the teenaged stage, she actually will likely grow close to you again...

Remember being a teen or pre-teen and needing space from mom and dad? Same thing. Eventually you get older and don't need to assert your independence quite so hard to feel grown up.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

oneday when she/he matures she? may see you as her/his mate and you will be "it" for her again..esp if she is a lone dove. has she laid eggs before? sorry if you have said that I just did not go back to read.


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

Here we go again. Now the diarrhea is back again. She is only getting probiotics in her water and her seed. She does not appear ill or fluffed up . She is active when I let her out but the only thing that is so strange is the diarrhea will go away and then come back. Does this sound like any toxic substance is getting into her by someone or that she is allergic to something in her seed. Again, this all started when I went away for 5 days in January. It has now been over a month with this on again, off again diarrhea and illness.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

flyte said:


> Here we go again. Now the diarrhea is back again. She is only getting probiotics in her water and her seed. She does not appear ill or fluffed up . She is active when I let her out but the only thing that is so strange is the diarrhea will go away and then come back. Does this sound like any toxic substance is getting into her by someone or that she is allergic to something in her seed. Again, this all started when I went away for 5 days in January. It has now been over a month with this on again, off again diarrhea and illness.


Please get a picture of the diarrhea. Have you given her any treats in 48 hrs? 

Is she close to laying an egg? 

Depending what kind of diarrhea changes what could be the problem...


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## flyte (Jul 3, 2008)

*Sick? RN dove*

My camera broke last weekend so unfortunately I am unable to get pictures for you.

She is not close to laying an egg and has had this black/green diarrhea since January on and off. She is fed sunflower seeds in her mixture but has since I have owned her and there was never a problem. She had nothing changed in her diet. Today she is not eating much at all. 
Just the best description that I can give is that it is runny, very little solids in it and as I said the color is black and green.


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