My duck is in surgery now...question

[Katy]

My duck has been eggbound for about 36 hours (at least that is how long she was showing discomfort and it was noticable to us) So last night, after about 12 hours, I tried all suggested methods that I have come to know over the years, without success. I dropped her off at the vet this morning. My avian vet's tech just called to let me know she is going into her vent with a syringe to drain the contents of the egg and then collapse the shell.
When I asked the vet tech if she planned to remove the shell as well, she said that she wasn't sure what the doctor plans to do about that because ducks bodies will normally absorb the shell eventually.
I was hoping that everything could be removed, just so there isn't a shell lingering in there to get backed up again when she tried to lay more eggs. Does anyone have comments on this matter based on experience? The duck is almost 6 years old and rarely even lays anymore, but she is a valuable pet and part of our flock.

[Evy]

My understanding is that broken shell in a birds vent will lead to peritonitis & death. Unless your vet is avian trained, I'd discuss this with him.

[Katy]

I'm going to pick her up now, so I will discuss this. Thanks. The tech said she did pull some shell pieces out, I just hope that she got it all. She is the most reputable avian vet in Pennsylvania, so I trust she will do what she knows is best. I have several years experience working with her, successfully. Thank you again, Evy. I'll post later with update.

[Patrick]

Before you jump to any conclusions, ask the vet what her rational was for leaving any shell, if in fact that's what she did. She's the one you're paying, and the one who actually has examined the bird, so be careful of any answers that you get from those who haven't. IMO, as long as you went to the expense of brining her to the vet, you might have considered having her spayed while there, to get the most bang for your buck. In my experience, most birds which egg bind once, will do it again, usually soon, and you might end up right back there again. Don't forget to ask questions, that's part of what you're paying for. Most good vets are happy to explain things, if they're asked in the spirit of wanting to learn, rather than accusingly. If in fact she did leave egg shell, I'd be interested in hearing why. I've never heard of fully calcified eggs being absorbed, especially broken pieces, but the body can continue to add calcium to what's already there, to a certain point, sometimes, I'd imagine even eventually, with future problems. Keep in mind that there is always new research, drugs and procedures which change how things may have been done in the past. Most avian veterinarians, even the good ones, have been trained on pet species, especially parrots, and that's what they continue to have practice on, because of their value, their owners are usually more willing to pay for what needs to be done than are poultry owners. Zoo trained avian veterinarians sometimes have more experience and access to current topics on treating non-psittacine species. Vet techs are like any other employees. Sometimes your vet lucks out and gets a star, someone with lots of experience, who is dedicated, intelligent, professional and competent. Sometimes your vet has to settle for whomever she can find at the time with at least some training, to keep her hospital running. Good avian vet techs are even less common than good avian vets. Some may be great with dogs and cats, but less so with birds, and they're not above misundertstanding what actually the vet is doing to your bird, especially if it's something they're not familiar with.

[Katy]

thank you for the feedback, Patrick. The radiology photos showed the egg, which was HUGE, and stuck inside at one part to the wall of her insides. The Dr. removed everything, contents and shell, flushed her good and was able to open her wide enough to get in and use her fingers (with gloves of course) to scrape out all the pieces of shell, then flushed it out as well. She had first given her an injection of calcium and something else (forget) and let her rest for 2 hours before doing anything, saying that many birds will lay after this shot. She anesthesized her for the surgery, and she came out of it well, and was injected with pain meds. She is now on liquid 100mg Baytril for 7 days, and Meloxicam for pain and swelling as needed the first couple days. Also, she gave her an injection of something called Lupron, which is used to prevent the body from making more eggs for a period of time. She said it works well for most birds in her experience but it's not guaranteed. She agreed it was a good idea to try this since her body is very sore and needs time to recover from the trauma. She also gave me liquid Neocalglucon (hard to read but I think that is the correct spelling) which is calcium supplement twice a day. She said this can be given to any laying birds if they are laying soft eggs...at this point that is not the case with my other hens but good to know. My ducks have oyster shell free choice as well.
She was kept in her pet crate on a towel overnight, as directed, and is now in the yard seperated from the others with food and water. She has not eaten yet but is drinking. I'm watching closely because the Dr. said it is important for her to eat. She has not sat down since I've had her home, at least not any time I checked on her. She is standing by the water bucket but I'm curious if her belly is too sore for her to want to sit down yet. She is restricted from the pond for 48 hours just to avoid any easy entry for bacteria to enter her vent until she gets healing and the Baytril is in her system for a couple days. She really wants to swim though, each time I put her down she went running for the pond. We're glad that we have our duck being cared for by an experienced vet. She doesn't even treat cats and dogs...only exotics. Her client base includes many parrots and parakeets, as well as geese, swans, ducks, ferrets, rabbits, reptiles, etc.
That's about all I have for an update now, I'll post back with progress. Thanks again for the feedback. Katy

[Katy]

update: I stayed home from work this morning to monitor her. she has perked up and even went running after the rest of the flock to forage the past hour or so. She's been eating bugs, poking around in the grass, and dabbling in the water. She even chased down another duck to try and steal her worm. I also noticed her preening and rubbing her oil gland so it appears that she feels a bit better than earlier. I'm still going to seperate her with fencing for the majority of the day so she doesn't get mated by the drake or have pond access until tomorrow.

[Dondoyle26]

How did you realize the duck was eggbound? What were the signs etc ?

[Evy]

How did you realize the duck was eggbound? What were the signs etc ?

Swelling, straining, lethargy, death.
Usually the egg can be felt or even seen. In most cases, putting the bird in warm water or under a heat lamp will relax her enough to pass it. A bit of mineral oil in the vent can help [b]IF it can be inserted without breaking the egg. The important thing is to keep the egg intact. Soft shelled eggs are as often the problem as overly large ones & are more apt to break.

[Katy]

I noticed it right away when I let them out of their barn into the yard Tuesday morning. She was walking slowly, tail feathers spread, belly swollen, and she was just walking around as if very uncomfortable. I described it like a pregnant woman who is about to go into labor...you can often notice that the duck is pushing, by watching their tail pushing down in a continuous pattern. There was also clear liquid discharging when she pushed. It's happened on occasion when a bird is straining and most times within a few hours or at least by the end of the day, the egg is layed. However, I've soaked a duck or two in my day, in the warm laundry sink, and the egg was passed overnight. I called the vet Tuesday afternoon and she suggested KY jelly, similar to what Evy mentioned about trying to lubricate the vent and, if possible, get a finger inside around the egg-which I could not do this time. She was flinching as if in pain when I touched her vent area. By Wednesday morning it was evident she was going to need intervention from someone other than me.
She did begin eating her pellets yesterday afternoon but I have her seperated with food that I sprinkled probiotic powder onto, from the vet. I see definite progress and recovery, but she's going to need TLC for a few more days and we're observing her behavior very closely. This is why it's important to know your birds' behaviors on a regular basis, so you can catch something out of the ordinary as quickly as possible.