Budgie Hen in Distress

[Nerien]

My albino budgie hen Lily is in trouble. I just found her sitting on a perch, barely puffed up, but with her bottom completely plucked and the remaining feathers stained brown (as in possibly dried blood), and her bottom protruding a little bit. Not swollen-eggshaped, protruding like maybe a touch of a prolapse.

We just isolated her in a hospital cage, gave her some liquid calcium, put a heat lamp on, in a quiet back bedroom. Right now she is sitting with feathers tight and smooth, fully upright, because she is, of course, alarmed right now.

I cannot get a picture without completely freaking her out right now, unfortunately.

Is there anything else I can do for her right now? Lily is the bird my daughter spotted out of all the budgies in the bin at a pet store, noticed she was a true albino (which we didn't have in all our birds), and stood there, feet planted, arms crossed, all 55 pounds of her completely resolute, insisting we buy Lily and refusing to budge as we walked away from the store to the car, letting us leave her (daughter) behind for the first time ever, she wanted this bird so badly. If there is anything else I can do for Lily, I have to try to save her bird.

Don't know if this makes a difference, Lily is also the bird bonded with Bluebell, and he is humping her 24/7 365 days a year. Never see eggs, tho. Or very rarely, and there are about 6-7 other females in the cage, so while it's likely the rare egg is Lily's, it is by no means definite.

Nearest real avian vet is 90 minutes away, and I can't drive anymore, and hubby won't be home from work until they are closed. So that's not an option, unfortunately, or we'd already be in the car.

[DanteD716]

Give her a hear lamp, it helps. Also, you must catch her, cover the catch if you have to calm her down. If it is a prolapse you must push it back in gently with a damp q-tip, and must act fast. If a male is constantly mating with her, and she doesn't want to, he could try being aggressive while mating and cause a prolapse

[cindy]

If this is prolapse, the heat will quickly dry the tissue sticking out....you need to keep it moist. using a water soluble lubricant will help.

http://www.avianweb.com/Prolapse.htm

[cindy]

Another good article.... I recommend a vet visit.

http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/av ... ?id=648161

[finchmix22]

I know Sally has used a Q-tip and gently pushed the chloaca back inside. Otherwise, they get infection and can die fast. I pray she makes it. If there's an avian vet nearby, I'd go now. I lost a hen to the same thing because I didn't know what was wrong and I could've take her to the vet. Live and Learn.

[Nerien]

She's relaxed in the hospital cage now, and we got a better look. She does have a small prolapse. Going to reread and reread the info above, then I guess I have to do this. Quite scared. Do not have any water-soluble lubricant on hand. Do have sterile, isotonic saline. Do have vegetable oil and q-tips. Oh, help me.

Only vet within possible distance is not an actual avian vet, tho he will see birds. But he's the jerk, when we got our first birds then noticed one had a wet vent, pulled out feathers with his fingers to show us how they were stained, then, again right in front of the kids, said, "But this is what, a $20 bird? Do you really want to waste the money treating it?"

Wish me luck. It's up to me.

[DanteD716]

Good luck! Do it fast before it dries. The saline may good to use, but I would use the oil

[cindy]

saline I am not sure about, the lubricant is to keep the tissue moist since if exposed to the air to long the tissue starts to die and it can become infected.

vegetale oil is may not be water soluble.

You can try this, something our vet did for a male reptile that had prolapse...warmed sugar water. Take some sugar and mix in warm water, you can microwave the solution for just a few seconds, stir it and make sure it is not hot to burn the tender tissue. Sit the bottom of the bird in the solution for a few minutes, the warm sugar water may help shrink the prolapse enough to put the rest in.

[cindy]

If you have Neosporin/antibiotic cream not ointment you can use that as well

[cindy]

a detailed pictorial.... http://www.lbah.com/avian/prolapsed_cloaca.htm

There is no easy fix and chances are if you can get it back in it will most likely become exposed again, you need a vet to help her.

[DanteD716]

Any update? I would try doing it yourself at first, if it does come out again, I agree a vet may be necessary

[Nerien]

It's back in. She's on a perch under the heat lamp. Will keep checking.

The vegetable oil was in the instructions--dampen the q-tip before pushing, I guess to make sure it doesn't stick. Barely used any.

The sterile isotonic saline (preservative-free eye rinse, saline solution only) I used to rinse after washing off her bottom under running water. We have a well. Should be clean and clear water, but for something like this, chlorinated city water probably would be an advantage. At least the sterile saline is guaranteed free of germs.

There is no vet. The other vet, who is not an avian vet but does see birds is on vacation. Would not go back to the first jerk. Real avian vet is way too far away, no way to get there during their open hours. Sometimes, I can't even find a ride to MY doctor appointments, no one is going to take time from their day to get my little bird to a vet. It's up to me.

Is there a general antibiotic I might order for her? Will take at least 2 days to get here, which will probably be too late, but I can try. If the prolapse stays in, infection is the next biggest problem.

[DanteD716]

I hope it stays in Check very often and it might be best to clean her vent regularly, atleast rinse it with the saline. Did it go in completely?

[cindy]

I would call ladygouldian.com asap and ask her what she can get to you fast.

I believe one of the articles mentioned calcium, you may need to add some to her water, ask Laraine about that as well you may need to adjust the amount since she is bigger than a finch.

[Nerien]

It went completely in, and so far is staying in, tho her bottom looks a bit swollen and threatening. She is sitting up on a perch, under the light.

Gave her some human calcium when I first isolated her, was so nervous about handling the prolapse I forgot to bring it into the bathroom with me to give to her before putting her back in the cage. She is not hand-tamed, being part of a flock, so catching her to treat her in any way is stressful for her. Going to add a little calcium to her water, and have ground cuttlebone to add to the side of the food dish. Also have bird-vitamins, the ones that go in the water, the parakeets are used it that, we had run out last week but just got more, so I will start that again.

Hubby just called me from the store, and they have no neosporin/antibiotic that IS creme instead of ointment that DOES NOT have pain-reliever built into it as well. Even the generic brands are antibiotic plus pain reliever, or else are petrolatum-based.

Sigh. Guess it really is just me and a prayer.