Dove Care 2025 🕊️ | Vet Guide by Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

Calm, gentle, and melodic—pet doves bring tranquillity to any home. In this expert 2025 guide, I’ll cover everything you need to offer your dove an enriching, healthy, and harmonious life—from housing and diet to social bonding and health monitoring.

1. 🕊️ What Makes a Dove a Wonderful Pet?

Doves are part of the Columbidae family (including pigeons). Popular species as pets include ring‑necked and diamond doves. Known for peaceful cooing and elegant behavior, they’re ideal for bird lovers who appreciate less flashy companionship than parrots. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

2. Temperament & Social Life

• Quiet & calm: Their gentle coos are soothing, not loud—unlike parrots.
• Social bonds: They prefer pairing; keeping two supports natural companionship.
• Tamability: Doves may learn to take food from your hand and be calm with gentle handling. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

3. Housing & Environment 🏠

3.1 Cage Size & Setup

• Choose a wide-bar cage or aviary—minimum 24 × 24 × 24″ for a pair, larger is better. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• Bar spacing ≤ ½″ for safety.
• Line trays with cage liners; include wooden perches of different diameters to support foot health.

3.2 Location & Environment

• Keep cage in a well-lit, quiet area away from drafts, kitchen fumes, and loud disturbances.
• Provide a shallow water dish for bathing, or mist 2–3× weekly.
• Ensure natural or full-spectrum light to support vitamin D and natural rhythms.

4. Nutrition & Feeding 🍽️

• Seed mix: High-quality dove or finch mix with millet, canary seed, safflower—forms the basis of diet. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
• Pellets: Optional—provide balanced nutrients if available.
• Fresh produce: Add leafy greens, carrots, peas and occasional fruit (≤10%).
• Grit & calcium: Offer digestible grit and a cuttlebone—especially necessary if eating whole seeds or breeding.
• Water: Change daily; washing dishes prevents bacterial buildup.

5. Grooming & Hygiene ✂️

• Bathing: Let them bathe in shallow water dishes or mist them weekly to maintain clean feathers.
• Nail trims: Veterinarian should handle nail or claw trimming if needed.
• Cage cleaning: Spot clean daily. Weekly deep clean with bird-safe disinfectant.

6. Enrichment & Exercise

• Provide daily out-of-cage time in a safe space to fly/explore.
• Offer perches, branches, chew toys, and foraging opportunities to keep them mentally stimulated.
• Include natural sounds or peaceful visuals for mental enrichment.

7. Health Monitoring & Veterinary Care 🩺

• Annual wellness checks with an avian vet; include weight, droppings, respiratory exam.
• Look for signs: fluffed feathers, appetite loss, sneezing, discharge, weight loss or abnormal droppings—all require prompt vet attention.
• Watch for common illnesses: respiratory infections, parasites (mites, worms), and egg-binding in females. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
• Practice hygiene: wash hands after handling; doves can carry bacteria like Salmonella or Chlamydia. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

8. Breeding & Reproduction 🥚

• This may include nesting boxes, soft nesting materials, and monitoring egg-laying frequency.
• Female doves usually lay two eggs per clutch; both parents share incubation duties.
• Avoid frequent breeding—rest periods preserve the health and longevity of breeding pairs.

9. Daily & Seasonal Checklist ✅

• ✔️ Fresh seeds/pellets, produce, water
• ✔️ Spot-clean cage; change liners weekly
• ✔️ Offer bath/mist weekly
• ✔️ Provide toys/perches & out-of-cage time
• ✔️ Observe behavior, droppings, appetite daily
• ✔️ Annual vet exam
• ✔️ If breeding: maintain grit/cut­tle­bone, clean nest box, monitor eggs

10. Why Trust Ask A Vet?

At Ask A Vet, you have access to avian veterinarians 24/7—whether it’s urgent symptoms, diet questions, or reproductive advice. Our team supports your dove’s health through telehealth, chat, or clinic referrals. Download the Ask A Vet app for expert care any time. 📱🕊️

11. Final Thoughts

Doves are affectionate, graceful companions—ideal for a peaceful household. With attentive care in nutrition, environment, socialization, hygiene, and veterinary support, these gentle birds can thrive, cooing contentedly for years. Their presence is a daily reminder of harmonious simplicity.

— Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

👉 Visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app for caring, professional avian guidance anytime! 🐦✨