Case 3- Two Rescued Rock Doves

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Case 3- Two Rescued Rock Doves

• Kieley Hoppe
• Abi Hutcheson
• Kristi Kauppi
• Shelly Weaver

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Rock Doveaka Rock Pigeon or Common Pigeon

• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Subphylum Vertebrata
• Class Aves
• Order Columbiformes
• Family Columbidae
• Genus Columba
• Species Columba livia

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Natural Habitat

• Native to Europe, North Africa, and SW Asia,
  introduced worldwide.
• Nest in crevices along rocky seaside cliffs, in
  cities they use skyscrapers as nesting areas.

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Rock Dove Highlights

• Males show more iridescence than females, but can
  vary dramatically in colors.
• Pairs are formed for life.
• If you enter a nesting pairs territory they may
  peck you profusely on the head, some considered a
  nuisance.
• Eat mainly seeds.
• Are eaten by humans.
• Common predators are opossums, raccoons, and
  birds of prey.
• Not of special concern due to abundance
  worldwide.

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Most common parasites found in Rock Dove

• Lice
• Mites
• Haemoproteus (Avian Malaria)
• Pseudolynchia canariensis (Pigeon Fly)

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The Case Symptoms

• Juvenille Rock Doves suddenly developed head
  tremor, incoordination, loss of balance, lethargy
  and torticollis (head tilt).
• Three weeks previously the birds had been given
  Ivermectin (to kill helminthes- ie roundworm).
• Both euthanized due to rapidly deteriorating
  conditions.

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Sanitation

• The pen that the doves were housed in had
  previously been home to orphaned raccoons.
• Each raccoon had been dewormed within 24 hours of
  admission.
• A bleach solution along with pressurized steam
  was used to clean the pen between when the
  raccoons vacated and the doves arrived.

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Diagnosis

• The first bird was tested for anything of
  interest histopathologically, viral, bacterial,
  as well as lead toxicity. All were negative.
• The second bird showed swelling and inflammation
  of the brain, with a single larvae shown on
  histological preparation.
• Larvae observed resembled typical roundworm.
• Roundworm larvae are resistant to disinfectants.
• Baylisascaris procyonis

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Possible Question

• Even with prophylaxis against helminths and
  bleach sanitized pens, how were the birds still
  able to contract the parasite?
• What do you think???

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References

• Roof, J. 2001. "Columba livia" (On-line), Animal
  Diversity Web. Accessed April 21, 2009 at
  http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/account
  s/information/Columba_livia.html.
• Kazacos, K. R., Fitzgerald, S.D., and W. M. Reed.
  1991. Baylisascaris procyonis as a Cause of
  Cerebrospinal Nematodiasis in Ratites. J. of Zoo
  and Wildlife Medicine. 22(4) 460- 465.