My dusky is egg bound, I have some questions...

[pockets]

I haven't slept for the past two days because of how worried I am about my dusky conure, Peeper.

She is fourteen years old, unmated, and has never laid an egg. Three days ago, she was vocalizing less. Two days ago, I noticed her vent was distended, which I concluded was most likely due to an egg. She had been eating, drinking, and pooping normally. Yesterday, she attempted to poop and was unsuccessful. I immediately rushed her to the vet, where she was given vitamin injections and placed in a cage with high heat/humidity. She was very active and seemed relatively well at the time. This morning, the vet has confirmed that Peeper is stable, although she has yet to pass her egg. The vet cannot be reached until 4 PM, and I am more or less panicking at this point.

My first question is, to anyone that has had an egg bound conure, how long did it take for the egg to pass (if it did pass, without medical intervention)? I am hoping that Peeper will not need surgery to pass her egg, not because of the cost, but because I do not want any unnecessary risks.

My second question is, at what point should I agree to surgery to help her pass the egg? She had been passing stool normally until less than 12 hours ago. She had the "egg pooch" for about 24 hours before I took her to the vet, although she could have had it for around 48 hours. She is currently stable and her condition has not worsened.

Finally, I have to ask...did I intervene in time? Was I late in bringing her in, compared to other bird owners? I feel a tremendous amount of guilt for keeping her at home and thinking her egg would pass on its own instead of immediately taking her to the vet, although it was nighttime when I discovered the egg pooch. I brought her in right as she was beginning to fluff up, although she was still able to perch without much difficulty and wasn't lingering at the bottom of her cage. I feel like I should have brought her in the minute I realized she was quieter than usual.

Thank you in advance.

[GreenWing]

Oh, no. I am so sorry, Pockets.

I don't know much about impacted eggs but I am sure someone else who does will respond quickly. It is a good thing that she is currently stable and that she has not worsened. Please let us know any news. *Hugs*

[pockets]

Thank you for your kind words. I feel utterly destroyed right now.

I just got an update. While she is stable, she is very uncomfortable. They will need to deflate the egg and see if she can pass it then. If she is still unable to pass it, they will need to operate. I'm terrified of any possible complications. I hope she can pass stool easily after the egg is deflated, I can't bear to think of her being in any discomfort.

[GreenWing]

That is rough, I really feel for you, your poor baby. 'Sounds like the vet is doing their best for her, please continue to keep us updated.

[pockets]

Just got some good news and bad news.

The good news is that the egg collapsed easily, and Peeper is able to eat/poop regularly now. She is also able to perch without difficulty and is much more vocal/happy.

The bad news is that she has not passed the egg shell fragments yet. Surgery will be necessary if the fragments do not pass by tomorrow morning. Because we suspect she has some damage to her uterus, the vet wants me to consider having her spayed. I do not want her to be spayed unless it is absolutely necessary. I'm still extremely anxious and hoping for the best, I'm glad she's getting her nutrition and is having no problems pooping. Hopefully the egg shell fragments pass soon!

[janetafloat]

Fingers crossed that it all resolves itself without needing surgery, though sounds like the worst part is over. If it does become necessary to spay her, try not to worry about it too much. I know I'd feel really worried if Alfie had to have surgery, but lots of animals...and people...get 'spayed' and lead a long and healthy life after.

[GreenWing]

Thanks for that update, Pockets; you and your baby are hanging in there like troopers! *Hugs*

I've read a little about spaying parrots and it seems a little risky, so I definitely get the concern...honestly, I would get a second opinion on spaying your bird.

I found this article, it seems really informative.

Whatever your decision is, Pockets, we're here all the way for you. Please continue to keep us updated on Peeper.

[Pajarita]

Oh, geez - that's real bad. For one thing, I question why the vet waited so long because, whenever a bird is eggbound or has dystocia (AV always refer to the problem as eggbinding but, sometimes, it's not that but dystocia), the longer you wait, the worse hit the kidneys take and kidney damage is not reversible as it's liver damage. Of course you had no way of knowing this but, if it had been my bird, I would have wanted that egg out of there immediately.

Now, as to surgery, it's not the uterus she might have damaged (birds don't have uteri), it's the left oviduct (which is, normally, the only one that works) BUT it depends on the circumstances and whether it was eggbinding (if it was, what caused it) or dystocia. With eggbinding, if the reason the egg is not coming out is because the shell is too soft, then the damage is negligible because the shell is like a soft membrane (from not having enough calcium -a dietary issue) and the pieces are like pieces of a balloon and would not damage anything so no surgery is necessary. But if the eggbinding is because the bird has atrophied abdominal muscles (from not flying -clipped birds or birds that were never allowed to fly) and cannot push it out, then the egg shell would be hard and the broken edges can cause damage. Same thing with dystocia (when they cannot lay the egg due to an obstruction or malformation). So the first thing you need to find out is which one is so you can make an informed decision on whether to have the surgery done or not. But, either way, please ask the vet to run a CBC and an avian chemistry panel but, I warn you that normal results do not mean her kidneys are working right so, if you feed pellets, I suggest you stop immediately and switch to what it's called goop, mash, chop or gloop instead.

[GreenWing]

Any news on Peeper?

[Pajarita]

I hope from the bottom of my heart this bird made it but, in my experience (not personal as I've never had a single egg-bound bird in my life but from people I know who has had the same problem) when they wait two days, the bird dies of kidney failure even after they 'unblock' it.