Egg bound

[tenmile67]

Hey all... I have an egg bound hen who is 2 years old. I am giving her baths and keeping her vent lubed. Making sure she is hydrated and she is eating but I'm supplementing with liquid vitamins. This has been going on since last Wednesday. Her abdomin is very swollen and I can feel the egg. She acts frisky but can't walk well now. I don't know what else to do! Help!!!!

 

[casportpony]

Study these pictures, then get a glove, some KY Jelly and gently check for an egg.










-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

From:http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/oral_dosing_article.htm
The hole at the back of the tongue is the trachea - Nothing should ever go in there!

• Hold bird - I like to sit with my thighs parallel to the ground, feet firmly on ground and the bird in my lap. I hold it gently, but firmly and grab the head.

• Open mouth and wait for bird to relax.

• Insert syringe - I like to insert from left to right, across the tongue, behind the trachea, into the oesophagus. Again, wait for the bird to relax.

• Give medication

 

[casportpony]

*If* she is egg bound, E and Calcium might help her pass the egg. FYI, a hen can be egg bound for many months and still be alive. This "they'd be dead in 48 hours" thing I keep reading IS_NOT_TRUE, but if she has been egg bound for longer than a few days you need to see a vet, ASAP!


Here is some info on egg binding and treatments:

Source:
How is egg binding treated?

Treatment varies with how sick the bird is when presented to your veterinarian, as well as the location of the egg and the length of time the bird has been egg bound. Critically ill birds are first treated for shock and then attempts are made to treat the egg binding. Mildly affected birds may respond to supplemental heat, re-hydration with injectable fluids, calcium, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin D-3. Other injectable drugs may help cause the oviduct to contract and expel the egg. If the egg is near the cloacal opening, it might be gently extracted. Eggs that do not pass with drug therapy require treatment that is more aggressive. A needle may need to be placed through the abdomen into the eggshell to aspirate the contents of the egg, causing the shell to collapse. Following this treatment, the empty shell will usually pass out of the bird within a few days. Failing this, surgery may be performed to remove the egg or shell fragments.

"Critically ill birds are first treated for shock and then attempts are made to treat the egg binding."


Source: http://www.birdvet.com.au/exotics care/birdcare/EGG BINDING.htm

6. How is egg binding treated?

• Treatment varies with how sick the bird is when presented to the veterinarian as well as the location of the egg and the length of time the bird has been egg bound.

• Critically ill birds are first treated for shock and then attempts are made to treat the egg binding.

• Mildly affected birds may respond to supplemental heat, calcium, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin D-3.

• Other injectable drugs may help cause the oviduct to contract and expel the egg.

• If the egg is near the cloacal opening, the veterinarian may be able to gently extract it.
• Eggs that do not pass with drug therapy require more aggressive treatment. The veterinarian may need to place a needle through the abdomen into the egg shell and aspirate the contents of the egg, causing the shell to collapse. The shell will usually pass out of the bird within a few days. Failing this, surgery may be performed to remove the egg or shell fragments.

Source: http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html
Egg Binding

Breeding Challenges


Egg binding refers to a common and potentially serious condition where a female bird is unable to pass an egg that may be stuck near the cloaca, or further inside the reproductive tract. Even though egg binding can occur in any female bird, it is most common in smaller birds such as lovebirds, cockatiels, budgies and finches.
The potential of an egg breaking inside the tract is high, which then can result in an infection or damage to internal tissue; and - if left untreated - death.
The bound egg may be gently massaged out; failing this it may become necessary for a vet to break the egg inside and remove it in parts. If broken, the oviduct should be cleaned of shell fragments and egg residue to avoid damage or infection.

Suspected causes for egg binding include:

• Low Calcium Levels or Hypocalcaemia Syndrome associated with low calcium levels in the blood. Supplementing the breeding hen with a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D is an important factor in preventing this problem
  • You could provide a dish filled with crushed egg shell (from boiled eggs to kill any bacteria) and/or attach a calcium / mineral block to the cage.
  • In areas where access to natural sunlight is limited (such as in the northern hemisphere during the winter months), full-spectrum lamps can be used to provide UVA and UVB rays.Natural food sources rich in Vitamin DPotentially discuss supplementation with your vet. Supplementation needs to be carefully screen ed and supervised by a vet since an excess of vitamin D (in the form of a supplement) causes kidney damage and retards growth.
  • Relevant Article: Natural Calcium for Birds - Sources and Absorbability
• Malnutrition caused by seed-only or low-protein diets. Recommendations for bird diet / bird nutrition.
• Sedentary lifestyle: Often the case when birds are kept in enclosures / cages that are too small for them. The lack of exercise causes poorly developed muscles and obesity.
• At particular risk are sick and old birds.
• Pet birds can also develop this problem, as birds don't need a mate to lay eggs. (Obviously, solitary egg-laying females won't produce fertile eggs.)

Also refer to Chronic Egg Laying and Thin-shelled, soft-shelled, no-shell, porous, misshaped / deformed eggs

Clinical Signs:
Loss of appetite, depression, abdominal straining, and sitting fluffed on the bottom of the cage. Some hens may pass large wet droppings while others may not pass any droppings due to the egg's interfering with normal defecation.

If you suspect that your bird is egg-bound, she should be seen by a vet immediately. The veterinarian may be able to feel the egg in the bird's abdomen. An x-ray may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Sometimes medical treatment will enable the hen to pass her egg. Occasionally surgery is necessary.
Complications from being egg bound can be swelling, bleeding or prolapse of the oviduct.

Treatment:
If in doubt as to if the hen is egg bound or not, a few vet sites recommend separation, warmth, warm bath and calcium to all hens in lay that seem distressed.
This is a life-threatening condition and should be addressed by a qualified avian vet. Your vet may discuss:

• Calcium shots - immediate solution to help the egg shell harden allowing the hen to hopefully pass it
• Lupron shots to stop hens from going into breeding condition
• Spaying your hen as a permanent solution

The following are samples of actions that have resolved this problem for some birds (please note: not all hens can be saved, especially if it's critical by the time the problem was discovered and no vet is available or can be reached in time). Egg-bound hens go into profound cardiovascular collapse and may not be able to put in the effort to push the egg out without intervention.

• Suspected egg binding: Keep her in a warm area. Provide supportive care.

• Place the bird into a steamy room, such as bathroom with shower on until the bathroom mirrors and windows steam up. Desired temperature: 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit / Humidity: 60%. Place bird on wet towel. The warmth relaxes the hen so that the vent can dilate more allowing the egg to pass.
• A warm water bath can also be of great help (shallow water, of course, you don't want to drown the hen). This relaxes her muscles and often the hen will pass the egg into the water. Make the water as warm as you would like to take a long soak in.
• Massage the muscles in that area with olive oil. In many cases, this lead to a successful passing of the egg. Note: there is a risk associated with messaging this area. It could cause the egg inside to break - which is life-threatening. Be very careful! If in doubt, it's always best to have the vet take care of it ...
• Even if the cause is not hypocalcaemia in this hen’s case it will not hurt her to have more calcium.
• Applying a personal lubricant, such as KY jelly to her vent may also be helpful.
• To reduce swelling on her vent, some breeders reported success in applying Preparation H to her vent.
• Successful Passing of the Egg: Following passing of the egg keep the hen in a warm and quiet area separate from the others, until she is out of shock and back to eating and drinking well.
• Prevention: Provide bird with high-calorie, high-calcium food to help strengthen future eggs and prevent egg binding. Recommendations for pet bird diet / nutrition.

• Also refer to Chronic Egg Laying

- See more at: http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html#sthash.sUiyeQ7I.dpuf​

 

[ten chicks]

oh def gotta get close and personal well I already have somewhat with the syringe. yes its got to come out. my the last two times I have taken my chickens to the vet they died so I really don't want that route but if worse comes to worse I might.

Put on those gloves w lubricant and do a cloacal exam. Give her a tums or calcium tablet as previously mentioned in posts,as calcium helps stimulate muscle contractions and often egg is passed within an hour. Keep her warm/quiet/calm and in a dark location.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I'm sort of loving this exchange. One of you a little bit timid and hands off, and the other all "git er done!" I have to say though, in this situation, I've got to side with "git ER done!"

 

[casportpony]

-Kathy

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Is anyone else thinking Newcastles?

 

[ten chicks]

First do a cloacal exam,try and determine if she is actually egg bound b/c other issues have similar symptoms. Put on gloves w lubricant and insert finger into vent,see if you can feel an egg or broken egg.

If you feel an egg,then give her the tums or calcium tablet or liquid calcium. You can do a warm water soak for 30 minutes if you want,but i never recommend water soaks on birds that are lethargic/stressed/clearly ill as this can push them over the edge. Keep her warm,reason when birds are ill/injured they cannot regulate their body temp,keep her quiet/calm and in a dark location to pass egg.

You can lubricate vent externally and internally if you know she is egg bound,i recommend any personal lubricant such as K-Y personal lubricant or similar product,the reason that oil is not recommended is that it can go rancid and if you would not use it internally on yourself then it should not be used internally on hen. With this being said i realize that in emergency situations oil maybe the only thing that is on hand and many have used it safely.


Green poop is usually from not eating enough food,does she have any crop issues? Has she been eating/drinking? How long has she had green poop?

 

[wvcountrygirl]

Good luck with your hen. Try not to get too stressed! It's hard to figure out what to do when you're getting advice from several different people. If I knew what to do I would tell ya! Good luck with everything tho and don't let one person's bad reaction get ya discouraged.