Soft egg shell?

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks all! We did the "spa treatment" last night, and I added nutri-drench and oregano tea to her water. She is swollen. I've got her in a crate for observation. Is there anything else I can do for her?

Is the swelling in the abdomen?
Does she seem in distress like she needs to lay an egg?
Is she lethargic or standing like a penguin?

First, do you feel that she is egg bound or is she acting fairly normal but has swelling of the abdomen. If she is having trouble laying an egg, then add extra calcium for 1day.

Swelling of the abdomen can be reproductive/internal laying problems like Ascites, Egg Yolk Peritonitis, cancer, tumors and Salpingitis. Any of these can cause symptoms of lethargy, going off feed, weight loss, loose droppings (sometimes looks like egg), swelling/bloat or fluid in the abdomen, difficulty walking/loss of balance. If she is suffering from any of these conditions (or a combination) then supportive care is usually the course of treatment. Fluid in the abdomen can be drained to give some relief and antibiotics may help with secondary infection, but the results are usually short lived.

 

[aart]

Thanks all! We did the "spa treatment" last night, and I added nutri-drench and oregano tea to her water. She is swollen. I've got her in a crate for observation. Is there anything else I can do for her?

Lose the oregano tea, shouldn't mix anything with ND.....or any other med.
Just the observations I listed above.

Swollen where.... her belly, below vent and between legs?
Is it hard of squishy?
I've found that ascites(water belly) is almost always fatal. It indicates gross organ malfunction, could be from EYP, or liver/heart failure, tumors from several diseases. Necropsy would be good, even if you do it yourself and take pics for help IDing here, tho a path lab can tell you exactly what is wrong. Fecal float test would be good to assess internal parasite load, especilly if the lab gives species, counts, and treatment levels.

 

[StrawberryMoon]

Update: Took her to the vet. Her belly was full of fluid, and her heart was beating very fast. The doctor thinks it's edema caused by a heart condition. We are going to try some medications, which may or may not help.

 

[aart]

Update: Took her to the vet. Her belly was full of fluid, and her heart was beating very fast. The doctor thinks it's edema caused by a heart condition. We are going to try some medications, which may or may not help.

An avian vet?
What meds?

 

[StrawberryMoon]

An avian vet?
What meds?

Yes, avian vet. We got Ablon La (i think an antibiotic) an Furosemide (I think a human med for heart patients)

 

[aart]

Furosemide

Diuretic...to fight the edema(excess fluid/ascites)...wonder how they figured dosages.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update: Took her to the vet. Her belly was full of fluid, and her heart was beating very fast. The doctor thinks it's edema caused by a heart condition. We are going to try some medications, which may or may not help.

Yes, avian vet. We got Ablon La (i think an antibiotic) an Furosemide (I think a human med for heart patients)

I'm glad you were able to see the vet and get a diagnosis along with medication.
I hope she feels better soon.

Diuretic...to fight the edema(excess fluid/ascites)...wonder how they figured dosages.
Let us know how it works out.

Really?

 

[StrawberryMoon]

Diuretic...to fight the edema(excess fluid/ascites)...wonder how they figured dosages.
Let us know how it works out.

Dosing:
Furosemide 12.5 give 1/2 tablet 2x daily
Ablon LA Mix 1 oz into 2 gallons of drinking water

I'll let you know how it goes. We all fully realize it's a long shot.

 

[StrawberryMoon]

Update: Well, it has been 6 weeks. Zinnia is healthy and happy, but still on the Furosemide. She does not lay eggs anymore. In fact, I'm not sure it was even her who laid the soft shelled egg in the first place. But all the other girls seem well. Zinnia got clever and stopped accepting my treats laced with bits of pills in them, so the doctor cleverly compounded her medicine into some pina colada flavored liquid, which she swallows happily. She's technically supposed to be getting two doses per day, but that's very difficult for me to do (I work long hours in the city), so I give her just one dose at night most days and she seems to be doing fine with that. I don't really know where all this is going to lead, but she is enjoying her life and as long as she's fighting, I'll fight with her. I feel very fortunate to be able to afford to give her this chance. She's really a sweet girl.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the update, I'm glad to hear that she is doing better