I took my dove to a show the other day only to find it had a bunch of fleas or something on it. Are these fleas or some other type of bug and what do I do to get rid of them? Also would I have to treat the cage also? Will these bugs hurt the doves?
Thanks
Shawn D

Shawn,
What did these "fleas" look like? If it looks like somebody took a pencil and drew little lines on the dove's feathers and then once you looked closer saw that they were like little bugs it most likely is some sort of lice or bird mites. You can buy a spray for these at the pet store. You should always spray new birds for these as soon as you get them.
I also think that they make little things you can put on the cage to keep such bugs and mites away. It is usually more of a concern if you keep your birds outside a lot but they're suseptible(sp???) no matter what.

Sperrys

This spray works great! It is called Ultra-Care 8 in 1, Mite and Lice Bird Spray. Petco, Petsmart... they all carry it. Just be SO careful not to get it in the doves eyes! I had it happen once, and his eyes got all red and inflamed. He ended up being ok, but it had to hurt!

Dave

Shawn, the spray David mentioned is great but as he said you have to be careful around the eyes. An alternative is to use a powder made for cats, NOT DOGS. Just pour some in your hand and work it into the feathers from head to tail. You still have to be careful around the eyes but it is easier to control. (wear gloves when you handle this powder).

You also need to clean the cage with hot water and bleach. You should do this at least twice a year anyway. I do mine every three months.

The little "things" Sperrys mentioned are called cage protectors and you should have one on every cage. You just remove the protective cover and your set for several months. They come in different sizes to fit the size cage you have.

If you ever get more doves, unless you breed them, be sure to treat them with the spray or powder before mixing them with other birds. I didn't do this once a long time ago and ended up cleaning and treating 15 birds. You never know what you're going to get even from a reputable breeder.

Yes they look like pencil lines then move when you get a closer look. Thanks for the advice and I will be heading to Petco so I can treat this stuff. I only have 3 birds and 2 of them are new that I got from someone who has about 30 birds outside at a farm.
I keep my birds outside also and they are next to my rabbits. Hope these things don't jump on rabbits.
Thanks again
Shawn

There's your answer. In all probability, the new birds from the farm brought the bugs with them. You should always keep new birds separate and assume they have bugs. Treat them before mixing your stock.

Yes, they can jump to the rabbits. You should powder them down as well just to be sure.

Oh, and don't forget to wash down the cages.

Just a note to say this is a good time of the year to really clean your cages well and treat them for insects. Odds are good you'll wipe them out eggs and all before it gets warm.

Outdoors, "visitors" will restock them fast enough for you.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander