Strawberry hen with prolapse

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:21 pm

can you feel the egg that's causing the problem? If you can and can get the tissue away from it you might be able to puncture the egg and draw it out and the tissue might go back in on its own. Also the sugar water should be cool - cold, helps with vasoconstriction.

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:27 pm

I couldn't feel an egg when I had her in hand earlier. About every two months she normally lays two or three normal eggs, then becomes egg bound and after spending a few hours in the hospital cage, lays a soft shell egg. That's been her routine for the past year or so.

I don't know what brought this on. She hadn't recently laid any eggs in the hopper as she normally does. I'm not even certain it is a prolapsed cloaca. Did your vet think that was the correct diagnosis?

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:29 pm

yeah he did, he's not a bird vet though. there's not much else it could be really, they only have one "hole" down there and it looks like a prolapse to me, I've seen lots of pig prolapses and they all have that angry sort of look to them. Of course pigs aren't birds, but that's the only thing I have to compare it with

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:36 pm

Well that's what I thought also, but then read that earlier thread and a uterine prolapse was mentioned as another possibilty. It's a prolapse, just not exactly certain what is where it shouldn't be.

I found this info pertaining to chickens on the net,

Carla Emery in the Encyclopedia of Country Living says, "Wash the protruding mass with warm water and a gentle antiseptic. Lubricate it with medicated Vaseline or "Bag Balm". Then push the prolapsed mass very gently back into the vent. In cold weather, dry the wet feathers with a hair dryer or some such. Isolate the recovering hen from the rest of the flock. Feed her drastically reduced rations for a week to slow up the egg laying. But supply plenty of greens and fresh water. Clean her vent each day and apply ointment. By the end of the week she will probably be fine again and able to return to the flock."

Using a hemorrhoid cream (Preparation H for example) on the prolapse helps reduce swelling. Another good idea and one I have heard veternarians suggest is to squirt some glucose or sugar water inside the vent. The sugar reduces swelling by drawing out the excess fluid.

It is a very good idea to cover the prolapse with xylocaine gel. Lidocaine will work as well. The xylocaine completely numbs the area. The hen will not feel the prolapse go back in and will stop straining to push it back out.

Of course I'd have to be dealing with something much smaller than a chicken.

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:42 pm

Do you think numbing it would help? I have some Neosporin with lidocaine.

Post by **Hilary** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:20 am

Oh Tammie! Yea, that's definitely a prolapse. If you find something that works, PLEASE share it. I lost a society hen about a year ago - brought her to the emergency vet hoping they could slide it all back in, but the vet didn't even want to try. She did say I could try the avian specialists across town, but it would be a minimum of $800. I ended up euthanizing her.

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:53 am

sorry tammie, I had to leave work last night before I read those last 2 posts. I think numbing it might help if you were to try to push it back in. See birds and reptiles only have one "exit" on their rear end, the cloaca, it's a single opening that on the inside has openings from both the digestive and reproductive tract. So it could be either a vaginal/uterine prolapse or a rectal prolapse, seeing as this hen has a history of egg binding I'd suspect the former rather than the latter. The treatment is still the same though, push it back in.
How is she this morning??

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:05 pm

She was dead this morning when I got up to check on her at 5am. Weird thing is, she was sitting on the floor of the cage, with her eyes closed. I first thought she was asleep cause I've never had a bird die and not be laying on it's side, stomach or its back with feet in the air. She was just sitting there as peaceful as can be. Appeared she died in her sleep.

I think she was just worn out from all the egg laying and the strain on her tiny body was too much.

This hen must have laid 30-40 eggs in the year and a half I've had her. Other than my two canary hens, none of my other hens have laid a single egg. So compared to the rest, she was one egg laying machine! I discourage breeding behavior by keeping the aviary free of anything that even looks like a nest or nesting material. But with this Strawberry pair... they were small enough that even the seed hoppers are a perfect fit for two. They would routinely set up housekeeping in one particular hopper and not allow any of the other birds near it.

Mr. Berry is calling for his mate as I type this. Poor guy will be lost for awhile. I just hope he doesn't give up like the Cordon Bleu cock did after he lost his mate.

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:43 pm

oh dear I'm sorry you lost her Tammie

You're probably right, that's a lot of eggs for a little bird in such a short period of time. Hopefully you can find Mr. Berry a new Mrs. Berry or another Mr. Berry to keep him company.

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:31 pm

I'm so sorry, she was lucky to have such a good 'owner'.

Post by **Hilary** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:09 pm

I'm sorry, Tammie. I was so hoping for a success story!

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:43 am

Sorry for your loss

I always get pretty emotional when one of my birds die

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:50 am

Thanks for the kind and understanding words everyone, it does help.