Lisa Shea Forums Parakeets Parakeet Breeding Egg bound keet... HELP!

My Key Lime is egg bound and I dont know what to do.I have no way to get her to a vet. My husband is at work and I have no car. She is not hand trained so Im afraid if i try to catch her the egg will break and cause more damage. I have given her a spray bath but that hasnt helped. The egg is out but it has a thin memberane around it. The membrane has holes in it so it is not solidly covering the egg. Is it worth the risk to pick her up and try to help? What should I do. And please I know she should be at a vet but there is no way of getting her there. She is not bleeding... I did call the vet and she said sometimes they can stilll break the membrane themself.

Okay, did the vet give you any other tips? I don't know but my gut instinct would be to grab the bird in a towel and gently rub olive oil around the outside of the egg. But your concern about breaking the egg (and she might get infections) is important... Let's see if Helwa's on here and knows ---

The vet said breaking the egg may cause more damage than letting her try to work it out. She was not like this when I left the house at 11 am this morning. Should I risk picking her up? The vet said if I could use a towel to pick her up it could be a little safer. But there is still a big chance the egg may break. My husband doesnt get off work until 3 in the morning. There has to be something I can do to help her. I know the egg isnt fertile she is caged by herself.

The towel trick is definitely safer -- it's a soft cushion between your hand and the bird.

The usual advice is to put the bird in a warm, moist room, and to try to gently put veg. oil around her cloaca, to help her push the egg out.

Is she straining? Does she seem weak, or in lots of pain?

I PMed Helwa and hopefully she'll have better advice than I...

The only other thing I can think of is to see if a friend or relative could come by and bring you & Key Lime to the vet.

ok, she NEEDS to go to the vet, can you take a taxi? call someone for a ride?

egg binding is extremly serious, it causes internal bleeding and organ rupture, let alone being extremly painful.

I will be very honest with you, most birds, specially tiny budgies, who do not get medical care immediatly, do not survive egg binding.

is the egg out all the way? or part way?

If you can towel her and pick her up gently, without squeezing her abdomen, then rub some olive oil "gently" onto her vent.

this will help lubricate and ease the egg out.

if you have a heating pad, stick it into a pillow case and stick it into her cage, take out ALL perches, this will make her have to go to the floor.

set the heating pad on medium, and use any kind of thermometer (even one you use to take your temp with) and check the temp every half hour, it NEEDS to be 90-95 degrees in her cage, cover her entire cage with a blanket except the front, this will keep heat in and calm her.

give her orange juice to drink, put it in her water container and mix in a little water, this will give her a boost of energy.

take a regualr egg from the fridge and crack it, throw the inside away and wash out the shell, microwave the shell for 1 minute (to kill any germs and cook the goop that lines the shell) make sure the shell is cool to the touch and give it to her... this is immediate calcium.

she is egg bound because she lacks the calcium needed to push it out and create a hard egg, she needs calcium.

these are things you can do at home, do them IMMEDIATLY, specially the heat and the egg shell.

to towel her, throw a towel over her and pick her up in it. this is the easiest and gentlest way to get a nontame or hyper keet.

just dont squeeze her abdomen and she will be fine.

keep calling the vet if youcan, and make an appointment for tomorrow morning to get her checked out.

keep us posted, i hope she comes through. and remember to be calm, if you are calm she will be too.

She is still perching and playing with the beads on the mirror. Everyone I know lives at least 2 hours away.

just get her some egg shells and get her warm.

warmth keeps her body temp where it should be and also relaxes her muscles and allows the egg to pass, it is very important.

calcium as i said before is crucial, egg shells is the fastest and most effective way to get it to her.

i can empathize with how you are feeling. this is one of those dreaded can't get to the vet right away no matter what instances. two, 2hr cab fares is a whole lot of money! in the interim, the best thing to do is what helwa says. if you do catch her, especially with a towel masking your true grip sensation, be careful not to put too much pressure on her. if she is low on calcium, there is a good possibility the shell is very brittle and it breaking before expelled can mean even more trouble. i wish i could help you. i am sending positive energy and prayers yours and key lime's way and keep as mellow as you can. ( that's the ultimate cliche isn't it?) i hope all goes well. (((hugs))) one more thing, how long has she been trying to pass the egg?

My husband is coming home and I am taking her to the emergency vet. Although after getting her out and seeing that the egg has broken on the inside of her...I am in tears.

oh poor baby, my prayers are with you, yes if it is broken inside then she needs a vet ASAP.

its like a woman giving birth and part of the baby is left inside, or the placenta doesnt deliver...

Keep us posted... poor key lime!