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Eggbound Budgie

1490 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  FaeryBee, 
C
Hi, my budgie has been egg-bound for a long time and i am not sure how to proceed. I have taken her to the vet, but since her condition wasnt critical the vet suggested that we dont necessarily proceed with the risky procedure of removing the egg.

He said the egg seems soft and if he tries removing it, there is a 50% chance that Lettuce will die.

She is still eating and drinking a lot. She loves food and that didn't change. But she is very lethargic and weak fluffed and hunched over. It has been like this for a while. Her butt is dirty but no sign of egg or swelling, she just has a round belly. I have given her calcium, and vitamins for a few weeks, and some of the initial symptoms of lack of calcium subsided (she was twitching), but the egg never came out and according to the vet it also didnt get hard. She always ate a very good diet of the best seeds, pellets and fresh foods always accessible.

I have also placed her in steamy bathroom for a while a couple of times, that didnt help either... and she will not take a bath in warm water... I am giving up that the egg will come out on its own since it has been about two months and she just looks sick.

Is there a chance that this will improve or should i just go ahead with the procedure?

Thanks for your help! :green budgie:
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FaeryBee
Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

When you went to the vet, did you see an Avian Vet?

Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma.
This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.
When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment.
This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recovery than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.

Distinction between an Avian Vet and a Vet that "Will See Birds"

Having your new budgie examined by an Avian Vet allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet in case your bird needs care for an injury or illness in the future. Additionally, it is always helpful for the vet to have a baseline for your bird to refer to should it need future treatment.

Is the calcium supplement you are giving Lettuce a high-potency calcium supplement such as Calci-Boost?

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

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http://talkbudgies.com/articles-general-budgie-info/227841-50-common-budgie-dangers-watch-out.html

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StarlingWings
Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

It's great to have you with us, and you couldn't have come to a better place to learn even more about the best of budgie care!

I'm sorry to hear about Lettuce's ongoing problem. To me, it doesn't seem like an egg, although I'm not an avian vet and agree you should have her on a calcium supplement just in case. The fact that this has progressed for two months suggests that it may be an internal growth or a tumour, which may be causing her lethargy and messy stools with no sign of egg laying.

I agree it's very important to see an avian vet (and not just a "general" vet) so he can best diagnose her. If your vet is an avian vet, I would seek a second opinion.

You've been given great advice above! I definitely would take her to the vet again as soon as possible; her symptoms aren't good at all.

Be sure to read through the links provided above to stay up to date on all the best practices for caring for budgies. If you have any questions after reading through everything, be sure to ask as we'd love to help! :thumbsup:

We look forward to seeing you around the forums; please keep us updated on how your little one is doing soon! :fingerx:

Best wishes! :wave:
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C
Thank you for the feedback and advice. I took Lettuce to the Avian Vet, they took an Xray and decided to take a sample of whether there was a yolk like material in her belly. the Xray showed egg but potentially a tumor, I believe it was unclear.

Unfortunately the sample taken w needle was just blood, and Lettuce died shortly after it was taken.

I am loosing a bit of faith in taking my pets to the vet, because it seems to happen every time with exotic pets(rats, bird) and old animals (two old cats). I think this is my fifth time over the past 10 years that i have taken a Pet and it only made matters worse.

I hope, it was better this way for Lettuce, I am not sure how much she was suffering with her condition.

:green budgie:
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JRS
So sorry to hear that Lettuce didn't survive the procedure.

For what it's worth, I do think that Lettuce is probably better off. We all know that birds hide their discomfort well and you mentioned her being lethargic, weak, fluffed and hunched over - I don't think that the vet visit made things worse for Lettuce, but it's understandably a big wrench for you.
The difference in our life expectancies means that these loses are the worst part of pet ownership - we know it's inevitable but the joy they bring is worth the pain of the loss at the end. I hope that your memories of happy healthy times brings you some comfort. :hug:
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C
Thank you :wild:
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FaeryBee
I'm very sorry Lettuce did not survive the procedure. :hug:

I'm closing this thread.

If you'd like to make a tribute or memorial thread for Lettuce, you may do so in the "In Memory" section of the forum.

Rest in peace sweet Lettuce.
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