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Shades of green poops - Dove

YonahTaube

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Yonah Taube
Like too many of us, I've got a little dove here who is my heart and soul but access to an avian vet is miles and hours away so it feels horribly lonely and frightening when something goes "not right". I've tried the "on-line" services in the past and they always end with "get to a vet". If I could do that, I wouldn't be on-line. From the forum, I've come to learn the best resource is those with experience so I'm hoping somebody can help with some kind of insight and advice here. I've dedicated almost 4 years to learning, searching, "first aid", "vet webinars", taking "license" tests and the likes and now I'm turning to "the first-hand experts" here. Nothing surpasses personal experience. I don't expect "diagnoses", but maybe somebody else has had experience with this and I'd appreciate even suggestions.

The Little Guy is about 4 years of age, weighs, on average, 123 grams and his average temperature is approximately 95F. Nothing there has changed much over our 3-plus years together. Eyes, nose, beak, mouth, cloaca are all clear. No mites/external parasites. Clear voice when he coo's. Feathers? Well, he's "shedding" in the Summer heat, but nothing out of the usual. (You can see I monitor him like he's an ICU patient.)

It's his faeces that are worrying me to my core. They changed from shades of "brown" to shades of "green" lately and in the mornings, mostly in the mornings, there's quite a bit of "water" around his droppings and the size of each is often double what they used to be. And the "water" too, is "green". They don't have an odour right away, but given an hour or so, I can smell "urine", not "ammonia" but a definite "urine". And the white urates are perfectly white and proportional.

His diet is as it's almost always been, a mixture of equal parts:
Kaytee Forti-Diet (Finch & Canary)
Kayteee Dove Supreme
Petco Healthy Select (Finch & Canary)
White Mill Pure (Finch & Canary)
and his appetite is normal and so is the amount of water he drinks.

(He's not fond of fruits or veggies and I've tried bits of protein, like tuna but he just leaves anything other than his "regular diet" and won't go near it. For a while, I was giving him Harrison's pellets, but he pushes them to the side. I've even tried grinding them and tossing them with his seeds but then he won't eat the seeds either so we gave up on that.)

And he gets fresh, clean water for both bathing and drinking (because he prefers drinking from his pool over the water in the "water dish"... but I don't let "poops" stay in the pool water at all), at least twice daily.

Other than it having been hot and humid for the past couple of weeks, nothing else has changed.

I'm attaching a little "chart" that shows the scale of the shades of green (the numbers are the "hex codes" that I use for my own references). It all tends to vary from day-to-day.

Does ANYBODY have ANY idea what could be causing this? His energy levels are still as they've always been. He has full run of the house and I'm a fanatic when it comes to things in the air or on the ground that could harm him. I'm at a loss here.
 

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Mizzely

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I'm not familiar with doves, and not sure how much of parrots translates. This website seems to suggest that bright green droppings could be:

1. Not eating enough (if it's uncomfortably hot, this could be a factor)
2. Liver issues
3. Chlamydia or other illness that irritates the digestive system

.
 

YonahTaube

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Thank you with whole heart for the web-site reference! I managed to read through that one and it got me (as one site usually does) off to even MORE web-sites to delve into.
Oddly, it's the "over-night" stools that look so bad, but during the day, they're absolutely "normal" in size and moisture. (Still darker than they used to be, but nothing like the "over-nights".)
SO CURIOUS!
I'm SO hoping it's because of this heat and humidity. He's got a nice pool in his "house" in case things get too warm. And it looks like he's got a good appetite. The heat's supposed to break soon but I'll keep researching. (We're trying apple cider vinegar now too, but I did 3 "alternating" days: 1 day yes, next no &c. but it's been recommended to do 3 consecutive days followed by pro-biotics. So we'll start that and hope.)
Again, I'll never be able to thank you enough for replying. This is tearing me up. He's got wonderful energy, flying around the house and riding on my shoulder. But birds are strange, hiding when they feel horrible so I worry. Your reply is a comfort. Thank you.
 

Mizzely

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The first poop of the day even in parrots can be odd. They are usually much larger because they have been holding it :)
 

YonahTaube

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I've read so often about "holding" during the night. I wonder now because the "normal" for so long was 7 little ones in the morning (from over-night) but we're down to between 4 and 5 at almost double the size so I wonder if he isn't "holding" for some reason. Thanks for the "jolt". I'll have to keep an eye on what goes on over-night to see if he's disturbed by something that might make him "hold". I'm open to ALL suggestions because all of what I've been learning is by forum-readings and all sorts of on-line research. So every idea is appreciated. Thank you so much!
 

YonahTaube

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Quick up-date:

We've done the "3 days" of apple cider vinegar/water (alternating days) and this morning's droppings are back to "normal" in count, content & moisture, and no "urine" odour. Will be monitoring of course, & the "recommendation" is acv with water once or twice weekly followed by pro-biotics.
The temperatures are cooler too, so here's hoping this was just temporary.
THANK YOU ALL for your support! THANK YOU!
 
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