# Bump above dove's eyelid



## LuvBirds (Sep 18, 2010)

This morning, while outside to feed my two doves, I noticed that one of them had a small bump above it's left eye (above the eyelid, not the eyeball or socket). Could this be a mosquito bite? I've only had them a couple years but have never seen anything like this before. The dove is acting normally in every other way.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi LuvBirds, best to post up a clear, close-up photo, if you can, of the area of concern. Photos are always best for these things, so we can see exactly what's going on.

Karyn


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Could be pox, but best to post a pic as Karyn mentioned.

Reti


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## LuvBirds (Sep 18, 2010)

*Bump above dove's eyelid - pic attached*

I've attached a picture. It's not crusty, oozing and doesn't look like a wound. It reminds me of a bug bite (spider or mosquito?). I've never seen anything like this.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Thanks LuvBirds, the photo will be very helpful for people to see what's going on and comment. Could be a few things, let's see what others think.

Karyn


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

that looks like pox to me, i would separate her from any others (it's contagious) and see what happens with her.
its a virus and will run it's course, but you can give her supportive care to prevent infection.
i usually give them baytril the whole time they have lesions, and will dab the lesions twice a day will diluted betadine to help dry them and keep them clean, (don't get it in the eye)
don't pop them it will only make matters worse, plus it hurts
hopefully it isn't pox, but it sure looks like it to me


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

Ive never seen that condition before.How do thet get that is the virus air born or do they catch it through contact with infected birds.?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Spread by mosquitoes, but the exudate from sores/blisters are contagious to other birds.

Karyn


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

Thankyou for the info.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Are old fashioned 'Calamine Lotion' or 'Witch Hazel' ( both Astringents) good for topical application for 'Pox'?


I would think they might be...


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Are your birds free flying? Or are there trees overhanging their cage/aviary? Hard to tell from a photo, but going by the colour, location and shape it looks a bit like a tick to me. *This photo* can be used for comparison, it shows ticks on a bird in a similar location.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

In almost all cases, pigeon pox does not confine itself to one or two lesions. So my guess is that if you only that one bump, it may not be pigeon pox.

In case it is pigeon pox, healthy pigeon do not need any treatment yet ointments/oil/lotion can be applied on the lesions. Once affected by pigeon pox and recovered, the pigeons are immune for life. Lesions are generally observed around the eye, the beak and cere, the vent/butt area but can occur at other body parts too.


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## LuvBirds (Sep 18, 2010)

Thank you for all your information. I will isolate and keep him/her comfortable. If this is pox, can it spread to other types of birds - like parrots? Or is it contagious to only other doves/pigeons?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

It can be transmitted by direct contact..cleaning of any ulcers with iodine or tea tree oil...can help..but don't get it in the eye..prevention is acheived by annual vacc's of all adult birds after the moult..and regualr ectoparasite control including treatment of red mites is an important preventive measure..that is if those are in the loft..


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Here* is a link to a website that has some good photos of pigeon pox, they might help establish whether what this pigeon has is pox or not (it doesn't look like a pox pustule to me, but I have only had one pigeon with external pox.).


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I, too, think a tick is a possibility. The "growth" doesn't look like a pox lesion to me.

Terry


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## LuvBirds (Sep 18, 2010)

I'm going to check VERY CAREFULLY to see if it's a tick because it continues to look to "clean" and smooth looking. No oozing or crusting. I'm kinda scared to manipulate it because it's so close to the eye...would it be better to wait and let it fall off? I've gently twisted ticks off dogs and there's always a little bit of tissue that comes off the animal.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

can you get another clearer pic of it?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I can understand your concern. I am in the UK and here the tick that affects doves is* ixodes frontalis*, that can cause death. But obviously I have no experience of US ticks. The ticks that I have taken off collared doves have come away cleanly, all that came out was the tick with tiny waving feet, but the link I posted is about US ticks and that mentions the dangers of precipitating a bleed.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

it looks just like a pox lesion one baby cardinal came in with a couple of years ago, you will find out soon enough if it is because she will get more, hopefully she won't get it too bad, if it truly is pox.
he stopped getting lesions about a month after the first one.
but he only got about 6-7 of them so it wasn't too bad.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

It could also be a slow migration of a small foreign body from an old injury...or a kind of disturbed Tissue resulting from an old Tick or other Bite which left some inclusion of isolated infection/abcess of sorts.


If it is a Tick, the only portion connecting to the Flesh would be the tiny head, and, the Body as such would be able to be lifted up in experiment to see.


A paper Match, lit, then blown out, then touched to a Tick's rear, will cause the Tick to release the barbed Jaws, and back "out" where it may be discarded.

Twisting them out or pulling can leave the jaws "in" causing a nasty infection and a foreign inclusion remaining in the flesh to vex for a long time there-after.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

pdpbison said:


> It could also be a slow migration of a small foreign body from an old injury...or a kind of disturbed Tissue resulting from an old Tick or other Bite which left some inclusion of isolated infection/abcess of sorts.
> 
> 
> If it is a Tick, the only portion connecting to the Flesh would be the tiny head, and, the Body as such would be able to be lifted up in experiment to see.
> ...


lol.. have your actually tried that or just read that...

that did not work when my mother did that for me when I was a kid.. we live in tick country and the best way to get it out is to get some hemostats and get as close to the head as possible..and give a quick yank... then it's out.. not sure if that can be done with this dove being the delicate tissue is around the eye, but it did not look like a tick to me.. but then the pick is not clear.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

I agree, I wish the photo were a little clearer, but with regards to a tick, I think on the bump I see the tiny, very fine feathers that are around the eye on the bump. In person, if the swelling has no indication of an indent or fine line/separation at its base, but the skin smoothly increases in size to a bump, probably may not be a tick, a few other photos or a good look see in person should be able to determine this. Also, could be what LuvBirds thought from the start, a mosquito bite, as on one of the sites I read that a mosquito bite can swell and look like a pox blister. I guess if no other blisters/bumps erupt and it's determined this is not a tick, this may just be the case.

Karyn


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

spirit wings said:


> lol.. have your actually tried that or just read that...
> 
> that did not work when my mother did that for me when I was a kid.. we live in tick country and the best way to get it out is to get some hemostats and get as close to the head as possible..and give a quick yank... then it's out.. not sure if that can be done with this dove being the delicate tissue is around the eye, but it did not look like a tick to me.. but then the pick is not clear.


Yes, I have done it.

If it did not work with using a just blown out Match, then your mother somehow did not do it right.

Yanking them out so the Jaws remain deep in tissues has never been a good method, even though people would do it, imagining they had removed the Tick, oblivious to the jaws remaining "in" the tissue.


I do not think this is a Tick anyway, but all it would take is two seconds of examining it ( seeing if it lifts up, seeing if the Body has 'legs' etc ) and you could find out.

If it is a Tumor, it will be attached differently than a Tick.


If it is a localized effect of an insect bite, it will be firmly continuous with surrounding tissues all around it's perimiter.


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## LuvBirds (Sep 18, 2010)

The update is...just a mosquito bite...not a tick and no "leisons" or oozing-anythings. Just a nice clean bump that is fading away. Appetite and attitude is good (got a good wing-slap this morning). Do you think it's ok to return her to her aviary to join her companion?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

LuvBirds said:


> The update is...just a mosquito bite...not a tick and no "leisons" or oozing-anythings. Just a nice clean bump that is fading away. Appetite and attitude is good (got a good wing-slap this morning). Do you think it's ok to return her to her aviary to join her companion?


interesting.. never have seen a mosquito bite do that... glad you did not hold a match to it..ouch!..lol..


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

How did you establish that it is a mosquito bite? This post will be very useful as a reference , I wondered it it might be possible for you to make a new post under the title of "mosquito bite", with the photo and perhaps a description of timescale and "shrinkage", and have it made a sticky in the resources section.


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