VN July 2023

Vetnuus | July 2023 38 o Treatment  If the bird shows no, or only mild to moderate signs, of discomfort and distress  Confirm time last egg was laid – eggs are usually laid 23-26 hours apart, and the patient may not be ready to lay  Place the bird in a heated hospital cage with adequate humidity  Give calcium gluconate by intra-muscular injections every 3-6 hours  Consider tube feeding highly-digestible, high sugar supplements to provide a rapid source of energy  Minimise stress and handling. Keep the bird in a dark, quiet environment.  If the bird fails to respond to this treatment oxytocin may be given, but there is controversy over its efficacy in birds, as it is not normally found in birds.  Intra-cloacal PGE2 gel will usually produce utero-vaginal sphincter dilation and straining within 5-10 minutes  If necessary, the egg can be manually manipulated into the cloaca and expressed. Caution must be taken not to push the egg up against the kidneys and spine  If the bird is distressed or dyspnoeic • In an emergency situation, consider ovocentesis and egg collapse. Introduce a large gauge needle into the egg through the cloaca or abdominal wall and aspirate the contents, while simultaneously collapsing the egg with digital pressure. The egg shell is usually passed within 48 hours of this procedure. • In some cases it may be necessary to anaesthetise the bird (mask induction with isoflurane), intubate it and apply IPPV while the egg is being manipulated through the cloaca • Coeliotomy and caesarean section may be necessary in some cases o Prognosis  The earlier the case is presented, the better the prognosis. Simple cases have an excellent prognosis, while cases that have reached the stage where the bird is collapsed, dyspnoeic and unable to use its legs properly have a guarded prognosis. • Ectopic eggs o These cases present clinically very similar to egg bound birds, with the same aetiology and clinical signs o The hen fails to pass the egg, regardless of the treatment given. This is due to rupture of the oviduct at the level of the shell gland, leaving a fully-shelled egg loose in the abdomen o Treatment requires a coeliotomy to remove the egg and repair the oviduct o Prognosis is good, and some of these birds return to egg laying uneventfully, provided they are give several months to recuperate. • Retained eggs o The egg may be retained in the oviduct, but may have collapsed, leaving only the shell. Others may have the egg still intact, but are not straining to pass it. The egg is often located in the anterior coelom, and usually does not cause dyspnoea. o These birds may present with abdominal distension, or may be asymptomatic. o Diagnosis is made radiographically o Treatment requires salpingohysterectomy • Chronic or excessive egg laying o General  This is most commonly seen in cockatiels, but any species can be affected  Left untreated, many of these birds deplete their calcium reserves and develop problems such as egg binding and pathological fractures. Many will develop salpingitis/metritis and subsequent yolk peritonitis. o Aetiology  Readily available food and water, especially high fat and sweet foods e.g. seed and fruit  Constant light – these birds are often housed indoors and do not have an appropriate diurnal rhythm.  An ‘appropriate’mate. This may not be another bird; in many cases it is the owner who has allowed an ‘unnatural’ bond to develop between themselves and the bird. Technical I Article