Concerned about possible EYP in 5 year old duck

[Mother_ducker]

Hi, Luna is about 5, unk weight but appears healthy and similar to her sisters.

Yesterday, I suspected she was having trouble with a soft egg. She was not walking well, and appeared to be straining in her rear and trying to lay but not succeeding. She did eat and drink normally in the morning. I put her in a tub of warm water to soak for a little while, and when I lifted her out she passed what looked like a small piece of brown poop, along with a fair amount of mostly egg white with a little bit of yolk. Probably not enough to be the whole egg. I gave her 2 cc calcium gluconate yesterday afternoon and will be dosing her again shortly.

Her belly does not seem to be hot but it is swollen. Today she is foraging with her flock and keeping up with them so far. She did not lay today.

No other birds have the same symptoms. No bleeding or signs of prolapse. No unusual stressors.

I want to treat at home, there is no money for a vet and no avian vets available within a couple of hours drive. I have oxytetracycline on hand but have no idea what an appropriate dose might be, or if I need to give it to her.

Any insight or recommendations would be so helpful and appreciated. Thank you in advance!!

 

[boopsqueak]

Hello,
I'm sorry you are having this problem.
Are you sure this could be EYP? We have had episodes before where "rubber eggs" broke inside the duck and were subsequently passed. Neither of the ducks who had this happen to them developed any health problems. Are you sure Luna didn't lay the rest of the egg later? It could have been eaten.
You said her abdomen was swollen, have you palpated it? According to our duck book, EYP feels like a firm mass (some BYC users say it feels spongy), but it could also be a fat deposit, which feels soft.
I don't know anything about using oxytetracycline, but most people seem to suggest amoxicillin (purchased as Fish Mox, 250 mg capsules). However, I would continue to keep an eye on her. If her rubber egg was just a one-time fluke, it's probably not EYP.
Also, good job giving her calcium gluconate. We have been using that, and it really helps one of our ducks who has a tendency to lay rubber eggs occasionally (at the beginning and end of the laying season, and during some weather changes). 1 ml a day for several days gives her the extra boost of calcium she needs to form a proper shell at these times. You may want to continue with the calcium gluconate for a week or so just to prevent problems. You could also try calcium citrate with vitamin D3, but I have never used that before and wouldn't know the correct sort to use.