Egg Binding in Birds
Egg binding is a very common reproductive problem that causes the bird to retain the egg in the reproductive tract, unable to expel it naturally.
Female finches, budgerigars, cockatiels, lovebirds, large parrots, and overweight birds can all commonly suffer from egg binding.
Egg Binding normally can occur due breeding season but can happen at anytime throughout the year.
Symptoms and Types
A bird suffering from egg binding will have a swollen abdomen and wag its tail frequently.
The bird will also have difficulty balancing on the perch. And its leg may be paralysed, if the egg presses on a nerve
Causes
Egg binding is caused by the inability to expel an egg naturally, and is generally due to a deficiency of calcium in the bird’s diet.
Treatment
Do not attempt to remove the egg yourself, as you can cause the bird more harm than good and possible paralysis or death.
You may try natural expulsion of the egg: giving the bird calcium (morning bird calcium plus), humid environment, lots of fluids, warmth and lubrication of the passage.
alternatively, take the bird to a veterinarian. They will x-ray the bird to locate the egg and check for any abnormality in egg size.
They may also inject female hormones to help the bird expel the egg.
If all the previous methods fail, the veterinarian will extract the egg by hand or surgically.
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