Senegal doves (PMV Paramixo Virus discussion)

Usually symptoms that I associate with PMV I would divide on symptoms during the illness and these after illness.
When bird is sick, usually starts with sneezing.
Bird's voice changes and sometime disappears untill bird starts recovering.
Water consumption is increased.
Appetite decreases.
Feathers are ruffled.
Body temperature is bit higher and breathing rate increased (I don’t know is these due neurological reasons).
Liver and kidney are slightly enlarged (sometime significantly)
Thin broken faecal material in the pool of water, no urates visible. Usually they are light green or yellowish in color.
Bird may show nervous signs – eye twitching, head jerking, neck twisting, loosing balance and coordination. Bird cannot feed because coordination of tongue is affected too. Sight and hearing is affected and bright light irritates bird, sudden noises too. Walking in the circles and stargazing are also characteristic signs.
Sometime there is leg/wing paralysis without swelling I would say CNS cause for that.
Feathers are affected too. Dull coloring. Forming of fluffy end on top of the feather is typical for younger birds or during the moult. Incomplete feather growth and deformed follicles may result twisted feathers and in general untidy – ruffled look. Sometime end of feather are white/lack of color at all.

Once bird recovers symptoms that remain are:
Poop in the time of stress reappears as during the illness.
Neurological signs to any extent.
Water intake increases but I think is due to dehydration.
Irritation of bright light usually remains
I would guess that kidney and liver are also damaged for life as most of the birds tire easily.

Tell me this...in your experience, what percentage of the time do they display NS?

Can not tell that precisely.
Some of the birds do not show NS at all.
Some very slightly and some really heavy.
Some of the birds recover completely.
Some show from time to time and some of them need feeding for life or some supportive care.
What I noticed though is that if you catch bird in early stages of illness and provide supportive care and vitamins, NS do not affect bird badly.
If bird is showing heavy NS after recovery, by keeping it in quiet place and mating her/him with healthy bird (no NS) helps their recovery.

Great information, plamenh. I think this thread should be a sticky. Once i figure out how to do that, I will.
By the way, I sent you an email.

I did replied to it.

Saw it.

Thank you for all the information about PMV, Plamenh, it's an excellent reference.

One question: Do all birds with PMV show the typical 'broken spaghetti soup' poops at some stage of the illness, or is it absent in some?

All of them show this symptom. Some of the other symptoms may be missing, but broken faeces in the pool of water is allways there.
Keep in mind that bird who had PMV in the past will show this symptom when stressed. This means that bird recovered from PMV may be having some other health issue and broken faeces are there but she does not suffer from PMV at this moment.

How can PMV afect feathering and watery poop

plamenh wrote:

All of them show this symptom. Some of the other symptoms may be missing, but broken faeces in the pool of water is allways there.
Keep in mind that bird who had PMV in the past will show this symptom when stressed. This means that bird recovered from PMV may be having some other health issue and broken faeces are there but she does not suffer from PMV at this moment.

What can broken feces in a pool of water be an indicqtion of besides PMV?

Quote :

What can broken feces in a pool of water be an indicqtion of besides PMV?

The hard worm shaped faeces are a sign of constipation. PMV damages the kidneys, which is why the hard dropping lies in a pool of urine.

Cynthia wrote:

Quote :

What can broken feces in a pool of water be an indicqtion of besides PMV?

The hard worm shaped faeces are a sign of constipation. PMV damages the kidneys, which is why the hard dropping lies in a pool of urine.

So...it's an indication of kidney problems that may be associated with PMV?

Yes, but it isn't always permanent damage.

Cynthia wrote:

Yes, but it isn't always permanent damage.

and only time will tell if the damage is permanent...right?
What other illness can cause kidney damage?

Quote :

What other illness can cause kidney damage?

Most serious illnesses can cause kidney damage, so can various forms of poisoning.

Cynthia wrote:

Quote :

What other illness can cause kidney damage?

Most serious illnesses can cause kidney damage, so can various forms of poisoning.

Thank you. I'm trying to wrap my mind around all of this to make sense of it all....what's PMV...when similar symptoms can be something else, etc.

There is and saying: One swallow doesn't make a spring.
I would never, ever rely on only one symptom when diagnosing a bird.

The whole clinical picture has to be taken into account with any diagnosis.

One time I didn't suspect PMV despite the symptoms was when John found Noelly on his balcony and brought her up. She had three symptoms. She wouldn't fly, she drank enormous quantities of water and passed enormous quantities of pea green liquid.

I tested the liquid for glucose and it was elevated, so I suspected diabetes and took her to my vet. He is a man that I trust, admire and respect for his honesty, he never pretends to know more than he does. So he left the room to "check his book" and when he returned told me that it could be diabetes, but that was unlikely as it was rare. The other possible causes were coccidiosis or PMV. He would test the poops for cocci and would contact me if there was an overburden but he thought the likelihood was PMV. Three days later I noticed that Noelly was pecking at the peanuts that I gave her but missing. The next day she was stargazing in a way that I have come to associate with pigeons that are in the early days of PMV...standing up straight and normal but with her head upside down. Other typical symptoms followed....

plamenh wrote:

There is and saying: One swallow doesn't make a spring.
I would never, ever rely on only one symptom when diagnosing a bird.

I like this saying. It's really lovely. I want to be sure all options are taken into concideration.

Cynthia...very valuable information...discussion which has given me inspiration for a new thread that I believe would be benificial to all of us Crazy Pigeon People.

Love the picture, Plamenh.
I'm going to assume this is one of the doves from the pictures in your original post. Yes?

Yes it is, just took this picture for everyone to see Senegal dove bit better.

Such a transformation.
Thank you so much for posting the updated photo.
We really appreciate it.

Oh my goodness plamenh, that doesn't look like the same bird. TYou must be thrilled with the transformation.