Page 447 - Hand rearing birds second

Pigeons and Doves 441

Degloved Scalp
Scalp lacerations exposing large amounts of skull are common, and may occur during care when
fledglings accidentally escape and fly frantically into light fixtures or windows. In such cases,
suturing the wound is by far the best option. A small amount of surgical glue can help keep the
suture from dehiscing. If this isn’t possible, cover the wound with a moist hydrocolloid dressing. In
cases where a very large amount of skull is exposed, apply a very small amount of silver sulfadia-
zine (SSD) cream and cover that with a shape‐able, adhesive dressing like Tegaderm. The SSD
cream keeps the wound moist and allows cell migration under the dressing; however, it makes
keeping a dressing on extremely difficult. In these cases, use thin strips of paper tape (Micropore™,
3M TM ) or other feather‐friendly tape to form a “bonnet” to keep the dressing in place. Change
dressings every 2–3 days until healed. Columbids with head trauma should be given meloxicam for
at least 5 days, longer if necessary. Those with scalp lacerations also should be treated with an
antibiotic until the wound is healed (7–14 days).

Crop Disorders

These species have a crop that holds approximately 10% of the bird’s body weight. There are
several potential crop problems in chicks. Failure of the crop to empty, termed crop stasis or
sour crop, can occur in doves and pigeons of all ages. Causes include immunosuppression, crop
infections, foreign bodies (such as bedding materials), inappropriate food items (such as earth-
worms or dry rice), poor feeding technique (overfeeding, cold or indigestible formula), and less
commonly vitamin/mineral deficiencies (vitamin B 1 and copper). In severe cases, the crop may
need to be emptied by a veterinarian and any underlying problems treated. Candida albicans
(yeast) infections are a common cause of crop stasis and can be avoided by providing a clean,
stress‐free environment with proper nutrition. The most common source of candida infection
comes from old, contaminated seed, expired formula powder, or by feeding formula that has
been left out too long. It can be easily diagnosed by microscopic examination of a crop swab or
fecal smear where high numbers of budding yeast is diagnostic. Treat with nystatin at 300 000 IU/
kg (Hawkins et al. 2018) given orally, twice daily for 7 days. Extend another week if birds are
still positive on day 8.
New birds presenting for rehabilitation should not be given formula feedings until the crop has
fully emptied of parent food or crop stasis may occur. For these birds, allow the crop to empty nor-
mally. If the patient is dehydrated or the crop is slow to empty, gavage a small amount of warmed
saline every hour until the crop has cleared before starting formula. Gentle massage may help
break up an impacted food mass. Crop impaction, resulting from feeding large quantities of dehy-
drated food, can be treated as above, but if there is no movement after a few hours, consulting a
veterinarian familiar with these species may be necessary.
Crop burns may occur when formula is fed too hot. A visible hole can appear over the crop and
the surrounding area may become swollen and discolored with a foul odor and matted feathers.
Most often these birds require euthanasia.
Crop punctures or lacerations may be caused by predator attacks or poor gavage technique.
These can be successfully sutured by isolating the individual layers of crop and overlying skin. Use
only absorbable sutures for the inner suture of the crop. Birds being treated for crop tears should
be given meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg twice daily for 5–7 days) and Clavamox (125 mg/kg twice daily for
7–14 days).