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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Greetings Café,
I saw my dove last week and noticed one of his legs was acting unusual and he kept falling to one side but I didn’t think there’s a problem. Today I realized the poor thing can't even walk on that leg and he keeps holding it up and stuff and I realized it is definitely broken. What disappoints me is that all he does is stay in his cage other than the daily time I practice with him to let him fly. I think that his leg probably go stuck in the iron lining on the bottom of his cage and he tried to pull himself out and that’s how it broke. I'm really sad about this because he looks so innocent and I really want to help him any way I can. Does anyone know how long it will take for him to heal and any other info about this? I was planning to take him to a vet tomorrow, any suggestions on a specific vet or something (if I can I will try to find a bird vet) Thanks, Roham |
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MikeRaffone Special user 623 Posts |
My dove had a condition called splayed leg. A while back, my vet quoted $1100.00 to fix the doves leg. I ended up donating the dove to the Vet so they could still do the surgery and keep it as a office pet. This saved the dove from a life of misery or being put to sleep. If you end up having to put it to sleep, you can take it to the local Humane Society and it will be painless for the dove.
Mike
Mike Perrello
DC Area's Leading Family Entertainment Expert |
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Thanks for the response, hopefully that's not the same condition as my dove, I really don't want to put him to sleep and definatley cant pay that much.
thanks, Roham |
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
The $1100 rate is way out of line. It sounds like you got a vet who either didn't know what to do or was unwilling to do it.
Go to a vet poultry growers use. Many good vets know very little to nothing about birds. The ones who do know a lot about birds, really do know a lot! They usually don't work for the public. They work for corporations like Tyson's or very large corporate feed suppliers. In some cases they will be "chaired professors" at a vet school. Since you are in Florida, you may want to contact Auburn University Vet School in Auburn, AL. Otherwise, I would contact Tyson's headquarters in Springdale, AR and ask to speak to a bird vet. Then ask him who he knows in Florida. Until you reach a real pro, be prepared to be subjected to a lot of jokes (from the same people who get cosmetic surgery). Theoretically, you could try state and federal agricultural departments. My experience there has been very disappointing. Government employment standards are frequently unbearably below those for success in industry or private practice. To make a bird joke, comparing "professionals" hired by governments with those in corporate and private practice is not comparing ducks and ducks. In any case, get out the check book and also find a replacement bird for your act. You have two separate problems. I understand your loss and appreciate your efforts. Good luck! Bob Sanders Magic By Sander PS --- Sometmes by donating the bird to a local zoo, the bird will get free care from a local vet. |
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Thanks Bob,
I really cant spend much money on the cause (considering the dove itself cost $20.00) but he is a living creature like us all and he deserves to live so I might have to end up donating him but hopefully the problem isn't that bad. By the way Bob, you're always very helpful and have great responses. Thanks, Roham |
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1906Alpha1906 Special user North Cacky Lack 516 Posts |
Roham...The best thing to do, in my point of view, if you cannot afford the vet bill, is to let the dove heal on its own. Birds will heal very fast, so you have to take some type of action. $1100, as Bob states, is WAY out of line. Most vets you are looking at a $75.00 ticket after they splint the leg. Doves bones are hollow, so they heal very quickly. Usually within a week, the dove will begin to walk a little more on the leg to get the strength back in it. There are sites via the internet that you can find info on how to splint the leg of the dove. I have dealt with this before, and did a decent job in setting the leg splint, and the dove is fine. He healed up great. You just have to keep an eye on the dove if it is sitting in the bottom of the cage and make sure your dove moves around some because it can get "bed sores" from sitting on its belly so much during the healing process. The dove will heal on its own, yes, just monitor the dove closely. It will heal. It may have a slight limp for a little while, but will heal over time. Hope that helps some...
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Thanks 1906Alpha1906,
It's not exactly that I can't afford the bill but paying near a $100.00 for something that costs $20.00 is a little out of hand but as I said, I shouldn't just let him fly away just because hes not expensive because he is a living creature. I hope what you are saying works and he can heal on his own but I might still take him to a vet. It really saddens me to see him limping. I think the way he broke it is his foot probably got stuck in the iron plate bar on the bottom of the cage that covers the top of the bottom were their poop is so they don't walk on it. Do you think I should take that part out and just let him walk on the woodshavings and poop? Thanks, Roham |
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Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
Sorry to hear about your dove Roham. I hope that leg heals!
Regan
Mister Mystery
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Thank you for the support Regan.
Take care, Roham |
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1906Alpha1906 Special user North Cacky Lack 516 Posts |
Yes Roham to answer your question about the wire floor. Wrire flooring can do more harm to birds because their feet are so small and tender. There is nothing at all wrong with a solid floor. My floors are all solid, and this is because, as you, learned the hard way of doves getting feet caught in the holes. The only difference between hard flooring and wire flooring is that you will have to clean more thouroughly, but tht is a small sacrifice compared to having hurt birds most of the time. A solid floor is actually more heathly for birds too, as it keeps there legs fresh and strong from walking around on a solid base rather than tip-toing around constantly to keep from stepping in a hole. Another good reason for having a solid floor is in case something spooks the dove, it can lift off without getting caught in the wiring, which sounds like what may have happend to your dove. It's a learning process that you are learning and that is a good thing. Always remember though, you didn't pay $20.00 for a dove, you paid $20.00 for a pet *smile*. And please never release a dove into the wild, it cannot survive on its own. Hope that helps you some more.
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Thanks for the response 1906Alpha1906,
One problem though is that I tried this yesterday and my dove kept on slipping on the wood shavings. Do you think he will get use to that? And ya I would never release him into the wild. thanks, Roham |
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gsidhe Inner circle Michigan 1725 Posts |
Personally, I don't use the wood shavings...I put in about 1/2" of corn cob bedding. Lower dust, and my doves don't seem to slip too much (And it is very easy to clean)
Whatever you use, they will get used to, but do have at least one perch in there so they can roost happily. Gwyd |
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Gordon Special user Chicago 692 Posts |
White plaster sand makes a good coating for a solid base, which has been said, is essential for safety. Please do fix your cage so that other birds aren't injured too.
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Aright guys heres the update,
I took out the iron web on the bottom that he walks on but now he tries to literally eat the poop and wood shavings so that wont work out eitheir. I temporarly put some newspaper over the part he walks on so he can walk comfortably without his foot being stuck. However I think what happened with his foot getting stuck was a one time things because its fairly easy for him to walk around in it. Let me know what you guys think. thanks, Roham |
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1906Alpha1906 Special user North Cacky Lack 516 Posts |
Roham...your dove is not really eating its own "waste" it may peck at it, but not injesting it. Birds do this, so its normal. As for the slipping of the feet when walking, I also use Corn cob mixture which you can get a big bag at walmart for cheap in the animal section. Using newspaper may not be such a good idea because of the ink on the paper. If the dove bathes, and is wet, the ink may get on his body, and your dove may look a little dirty. Althoug there is no harm with today's ink, its still a hard mess to clean up from a birds wings once its set in. Your dove may look as if it is slipping around, but having perches in the cage will fix that. They just have to get use to it. Its healthier for them. And think about it too Roham, your dove injuring itself may be a one time thing, yes, but if it happened once, it can FOR SURE happen again, and a double injury to the same leg can really be a hard thing to fix.
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Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
I use both cages with solid bottoms and with wire floors. The solid bottom ones just have papertowels on them. It requires more frequent cleaning but it's easy. Just remove the paper towels with all the droppings and replace. The wire bottom is not like chicken wire with square openings but more like a cake rack. The bars only go in one direction and are spaced close enough together to keep the feet from passing through but far enough apart to let the droppings fall through. In the aviary, I use sand on the bottom.
Where the magic begins
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
Mine is similar to daves wiring,
I think I might try the paper towel idea but the only thing with that is that the dove pecks at his poop and tries to eat it. Is this a problem that can make him sick or will he stop after a while? Thanks, Roham |
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Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
Roham, as alpha said, this is a normal occurrance. They really aren't eating it. Just pecking but the small amount they might ingest won't hurt them. If you use the paper towel idea, you'll have to clean it out every few days. Even with that method, you need to clean the cage including the bottom once a month with bleach which you should do regardless of what bottom you use.
Where the magic begins
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roham92 Regular user 173 Posts |
I think I will try that.
Thanks, Roham |
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WKM Regular user London Uk 139 Posts |
I keep all my doves in an avairy with a solid floor and have shavings on the bottom
I also have several pearches so that there is pleanty of room to roost and several chip fryer baskets full of straw foir nesting in. After a while they tend to just ignore the wood and the droppings and enjoy the space to fly in. Liam
Liam Ball AIMC*
The Gentleman Magician |
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