My pigeon is egg bound?

[robo squab]

Hi Everyone!!

I noticed yesterday that my new homer pigeon was sick and looking weak and not eating I hand fed it and tried to guess what was wrong with her. I discovered that she had layed an egg the day before, I felt her anus there seemed to be something there I was very afraid that she could be eggbound so I went over some of the earlier posts from Tara about BB and I didn't observe any of the symptoms other than weakness and bieng tired, so I decided to wait until today and maybe she would pass the egg. Then today I checked on it and found that it's anus is very swollen and tender also hot? so I ran to the telephone recalling that this was the case partially with BB and called my vet I could not stuff myself in he is booked for today and tommorow there are no other avian vets in the area I wasn't able to get in any earlier even with my "emergency" case, so I decided to post something to my friends here to try to figure out what should I do until I can go to the vet shall I go ahead with the Olive Oil enema that was reffered to in the posts about BB? or what should I do. I need help ASAP any responses would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance.
Robo Squab

[fred2344]

There is a possibility of infection as well as being egg bound. I hope that this is not the beginning of a prolapsed cloaca which would require surgery, With these three possibilities, I would get the bird to a vet immediately.
Because you don't know what this is, I would not repeat the olive oil enema. If it isn't an egg, it could make the situation worse. You need a professional with this problem.
All three of these possible conditions are very serious so please get the bird medical attention immediately. I know you said your vet said the bird cannot be seen but I would call again and emphasize that this is a life and death situation and don't take no for an answer.
Please keep all of us updated on this.

[fred2344]

I think that giving an emema without knowing what the problem is could be quite dangerous. It might rupture something in the bird.

[pigeonraiser]

Hello;I have a capuchine hen that has gotten egg bound on several occasions.Each time I tok her in and ran lukewarm water around her belly and her tail area.she passed the egg each time within a few minutes.i started feeding her crushed eggshells and have never had another problem since.Shes the mother of several nice young birds now.Maybe this could help your bird.Just a thought.

[joann woodring]

Hi robosquab, I had an egg bound experience with my pet hen - she couldn't eat or stand well. Called the avian vet and he said "bring her in if she doesn't lay the second egg on the second day after she lays the first", ie, one day between the two lay days. She didn't, so I took her in and he put her in a high humidity, warm, incubator. She layed the egg that night. If she hadn't, he would have given her an injection of a drug which induces laying. The most important thing I learned from this crisis is that calcium is very important for hens (as for all women), and that hens shouldn't lay eggs with short times between layings. Now I feed her a 50-50 mixture of poultry laying mash and wild bird seed. I also allow her to keep any eggs she lays for the full term, even though they are not fertile. This way she only lays once every 20 to 25 days. She has remained very healthy on this regime. I am sure my vet saved her life. Best wishes for a happy resolution to your crisis.

[raynjudy]

Robo:

Statistically, if the first egg passes, egg binding shouldn't be an issue with the second egg. Statistically...

The time tested recommendations are to keep the hen warm and at high humidity. Bathing her vent area in "warm" water and placing a "little" warm olive oil "just inside" her vent with a syringe, are also recommended by the old timers. Do not, as Fred suggests, insert anything significantly into the vent or you risk puncturing delicate tissues, or breaking the egg inside her (requires a surgical fix!).

Definitely supplement her calcium intake to avoid future egg binding problems.

[candra]

I recommend the warm bath too. I don't believe it could do any harm and if your hen is egg bound it could help. I know it helped Cookie.

Candy

[robo squab]

I am very sorry I couldn't reply before I appreciate very much everyones help I checked on her again in the morning and I could see the egg right at the opening but she could not get it out I put small amount of olive oil around the egg and inside and try to massage the egg to come out it wouldn't she was too weak to get it out I gave her electrolytes and water put her in my transportation cage and took her to the vet I figured he would let me in right after he comes to his office when I reached there I opened the cage to get her and she had passed away he could not do anything to revive her I was so deppressed he told me that she was eggbound it's really disturbing I feel as if I could have done more but I didn't but it's the facts of life and I will try to pass it I will also try to give the rest of my hens 50/50 laymash with there regular diet as suggested. Thank you all for your help.
See you soon... Robo Squab

[raynjudy]

Robo:

Sometimes, we learn by doing. You made every effort to get her to the vet sooner, and your requst fell on deaf ears. Consider another vet...

Initially, our vet's clerical staff tried to reject Cosmo, when Judy called. I called them back and without raising my voice, explained why I would be there with her that afternoon, and why they were going to decide to treat her. They gave us no such grief with Bernie, so I asked them what in the world had changed? She hesitated a heartbeat too long... I told her I would be there at 1:00 pm., and that I would wait. I told her that the bird would be concealed and that if anybody asked, I would explain that it was a pet "dove". I knew we were about to lose Cosmo, and I was not going to let some new employee decide her fate. The vet staff themselves were very pleasant with us, once we were in the treatment room. Good thing too. I was in no mood to have anybody whacked!

But this is Metro-Milwaukee, and vets abound here. I would have found another. I don't know your situation...

In addition to my Tony Soprano negotiation, I turned to the people of this forum. Carl, d, Terry & Marian, all offered expert advice. They gave that little extra. That little extra that's worth all the rest. By long distance telephone, a schematic sent by Marian, and rapid-fire email, I learned to tube-feed (crop-feed) a pigeon. I sweat bullets the first time!

We've lost little friends before--more often than I care to remember. Sometimes the situation is simply gone beyond recalling.

Dr. Marx explains how to massage an egg from an egg bound hen. You can order his book, A VETERINARY APPROACH TO PIGEON HEALTH, from the AU website. But Marx cautions that the technique is one for experienced hands, and that breaking the egg inside the hen is a death sentence without subsequent surgery.

No, it sounds to me that at this point in your journey, you did everything you knew how to do. What more can you ask of yourself?

It's also highly unusual that a hen will have trouble with a second egg, once the first has been passed successfully. I would not expect that.

No doubt the calcium supplement program will eliminate most future egg laying complications.

Again, I'm sorry about the loss of your little hen.

--Ray