Need help with my doves

[ZookieBoo]

Fledging takes place around 2 weeks of age.

Shes already 2-3 weeks. I think she's about 2 1/2 weeks. She has all of her feathers(except for her head and very low on her tummy). I'm really starting to worry because now today she refused to eat. I got some bird vitamins in her but that's it. She's also pretty small for her age.

 

[ZookieBoo]

Is there something wrong? If you are not sure, can you point me into the direction that someone would be able to give some advice.

 

[GitaBooks]

What is she eating? How often is she being fed? What enclosure is she being kept in? What temperature is it? Is she kept alone or with other birds?

I hope I can help.

 

[ZookieBoo]

She's being kept in a shoebox with a heating pad on the bottom of it. There is a bowl in the corner filled with dry grass and small ripped napkins that she likes to sleep in.

 

[ZookieBoo]

She is also alone. And she eats quite the variety because we found that she is picky. It's a mixture of wetcat food and soaked dry cat food mixed with water and soaked and smashed bird seed. We give her this through a straw. Also, we found wild bird vitamins that we also give her either in her food or water. She does not know how to eat or drink yet on her own so it's a constant struggle between my husband and I who feeds her because we both work and she eats every couple hours.

 

[GitaBooks]

Maybe she just needs a chance to get some exercise, to learn about the "outside" world. Do you take her out of the box and hold her? When we've raised orphaned birds they always enjoy time to explore a safe room, test their wings, and stuff like that. We've never worked with doves, however, so I'm not sure what is normal for them.

I hope this can help: http://animals.mom.me/care-baby-mourning-dove-6968.html

 

[ZookieBoo]

She hasn't eaten again today. She doesn't sqeak and flap her wings anymore. Last night it looked like she had a spasm of some kind. I feed her on the coffee table, but last night I set her on the coffee table and it wasn't like trying to fly. It was like she shivered and walked a couple steps and fell. Now she can't stand up right like she used to. Me and my husband decided that this was turning into a disaster so we tried a bird rehabilitater, but there is simply not one. Please help and I will check out that link. Thank you.

 

[ZookieBoo]

Nothing seemed broken when she fell...

 

[GitaBooks]

Sorry it took so long to respond, we were visiting family.

It sounds like she is suffering either from a disease, such as a virus, or else some kind of deficiency in her diet. Spasms and trouble walking can be signs of improper calcium, vitamins or minerals, of eating something toxic, or of a disease. I would get her to a vet if I could, so that they can figure out what is causing it and try to correct it as fast as possible.

I hope she gets better soon.

 

[ZookieBoo]

We were going to take her this morning but sadly Mardi passed away pretty peacefully. We did end up calling the vet and we took Mardi's body to the vet and they said it was eternal bleeding. Our vet said it could have been the coffee table, but also her box could've been shaken or tipped. She died very peacefully in her sleep. We buried her under a willow tree on our ranch. We were digging and we hit a batch of roots that made a cave that was dry and cool. I put leaves, grass, and twigs into a sort of nest and put the box inside. Her box that she was buried in was a tissue box with her favorite toys and her wrapped in her favorite towel she always slept in. We put more grass and leaves on top of the dirt after we buried her. My husband also added a little flower and a smooth flat stone he found. He used some paint to make a beautiful 'M' on it.
It's quiet without her, but she's in our hearts. We thank you for you help and kindness towards us and Marti. We will continue on this site for helping others with doves like our own and hope you will too. Thanks again for everything.

Our Loving Marti
8/23/15