# Prolapsed Cloaca



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

One of our little hens in the pre-release aviary was found last night in a stance that looked like she was trying to lay an egg. When Lewis picked her up, there was a soft white egg laying on her stomach with the cloaca just above that and the oviduct (about one or so inches) protruding above that. There was blood and mucus over everything.

I gently washed off the blood to get a better look and immediately started calling vets. Since it was Friday and most vet offices stay open until around 7 pm, I tried the one nearest our house but she had already left. I then tried our regular vet who advised us to go to the emergency after hours hospital in case she needed surgical intervention.

We took her immediately to the hospital and the first vet who saw her said there was so much necrotic (dead) tissue that she felt she should be euthanized because bird's tissues die so quickly. I kinda got stubborn after that and started asking for more options. A second vet then took over (she sometimes fills in at our regular vet's practice) so I felt pretty comfortable with her. Plus, she had called and talked to our vet about this. Her main concern was more necrotic tissue was showing on the left side and she didn't think there was enough healthy tissue left to resect and she was afraid it would compromise the left ureter too much. She said she could try but wanted me to be aware of this. She said if, when she started operating, if the left ureter would be damaged too much she would just let the bird die under the anesthesia.

I told her to go for it. We were lucky in that we were the only clients there (about 5:30 pm) so she could devote her full attention to our little one. I hugged her when we left and quietly asked God to guide her hand - and, he did! She called about 8:30 pm and said everything went really well. She was able to get all the dead tissue removed and both ureters were functioning. She resected the necrotic part of the oviduct with the egg and a small portion of the cloaca that was necrotic. She sutured oviduct to the resected tissue. She said all tissue appeared healthy and retracted within the vent on its own. She did place 2 small sutures at that area to make sure it didn't prolapse again.

She palpated plus later took x-rays to make sure that no other egg was in her. Just prior to surgery she was given Butorphanol (a controlled morphine type analgesic and painkiller) and the anesthesia she used was Isoflurane. 

She is on Baytril for 7 days and Meloxicam for 4 days. We picked her up around lunch and though I know she doesn't feel good, she looks alert and is doing a lot of wing wagging at me. Of course she is on a heating pad with 3 sides and top of her cage covered. Not too interested in food or water right now. Passing water and the vet said she had passed some feces during the night We're to pay close attention that she continues to pass both well.

I wish I knew what this little one's name is but I don't. By the time they go into the pre-release aviary they look much so alike that now I can't tell who is who. We actually think it may be little Corky who fell as a baby from a tall building and survived a couple of months ago. So, for purposes of this thread, that's who it will be. She is a lovely little blue bar and weighs 314 grams.

I can't praise the staff at this hospital enough. They were just super. One last little note though. When I was leaving last night, one of the technicians asked if I wanted our carrier to take back with me. Another technician who was holding and caressing Corky told her to not say that - that I would need it (today) to take her home.  Even with everything going on and probably in pain, Corky was alert and very sweet and sooooo beautiful.

Keep your fingers crossed for her. I know this is long but I feel anything I can share can only help someone else later on.


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Poor Corky! 
I hope everything turns out okay for her, and that she feels better soon!


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Maggie, 



Wow...that was scary to read about...


Good thing you noticed her discomfort when you did..!


Looking forward to hearing about her getting well and back to her old self again..!


What would cause something like this? Any ideas?


Phil
l v


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

pdpbison said:


> What would cause something like this? Any ideas?


...I was about to ask the same thing!


----------



## sabina (Mar 11, 2006)

Wow Maggie...it must've been so scary to find the pigeon like that, with her organs on the outside . Poor thing! The surgery sounded pretty extensive (and expensive!). You're lucky to have those vets and that hospital as a resource. And of course, that pijie is VERY lucky to have you and Lewis looking after her. I know you'll keep us posted...

Sabina


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Maggie,

I'm so sorry to hear about Corky, but glad to hear she is on the mend. 

She is indeed lucky to be in your care, as you knew what needed to be done and took action.

Thank you for being such a great "pigeon mama".


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

She is resting comfortably right now. Still not interested in eating so we fed her 15 cc tonight.

I'm not sure what causes this. If it is Corky, she is very young and this would have been her first egg. Don't know if this had a bearing or not. Also, a calcium deficiency could have played a part even though they all get the red grit and oyster shell a few times a week. The vet did tell me to give her crushed Tums on her food for a while.

I just can't describe how scary this was and to mention that if anyone ever sees something like this on their bird to not attempt to remove the egg. This problem requires surgical intervention. I wish I had taken a picture but we were trying so hard to hook up with someone quickly and didn't want to waste any time.

I know that the next week is critical for her and we honestly don't know what is going to happen down the road when she tries to lay another egg - but, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

YIKES, Maggie!

I'm so glad to hear that Corky recovered from her surgery! Thank goodness you have good doctors!

Squeaks and I are sending our BEST HEALING THOUGHTS for Corky!

We will be watching for positive updates!!

With LOVE and HUGS

Shi & Squeaks


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Very scary stuff, Maggie! I'm glad the little one made it through the surgery in good shape and will be pulling for a quick and complete recovery for her!

Terry


----------



## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Maggie , I'm so glad to hear that you discovered her in time to get her to medical care and that she made it through the surgery. Am sending healing thoughts for her and hugs to you for being such a good pidgie mom.

Margaret


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Maggie, 



Anise Seeds, rubbed between one's palms to release a little scent...sometimes can inspire a lost appetite for eating, with a convelesent...

Licorish or Anise Teas, served tepid or cool, similarly...


...just a thought...


Best wishes...

Phil
l v


----------



## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

Wow what a scary experience, and how lucky Corky is that you had her in your care when this happened to her! Wings and fingers X'd for a safe speedy recovery, and a long happy life for Corky when she's well!


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Praise God the vet was able to save her. What a scary situation. Does the vet think she will still be able to lay after the surgery? If it was her first egg, let's hope she had trouble because it was her first but won't again. Some of my young hens have had a hard time laying their first eggs but were fine once they matured. 

We have a roller hen that is prone to prolapse and it was a scary thing to see her bottom a bloody mess. Like your Corky, we don't know what caused Jasmine's problem. My pigeons also get all the good grit they want and calcium gluconate in their water a couple times a week plus lots of sunshine. But for some reason Jasmine doesn't seem to metabolize it well. At least in her case we finally figured out it was related to raising chicks. The few times we let her have babies she invariably prolapsed when she laid the first round after the chicks, while they were still in the nest. As long as we don't let her raise any chicks herself, she's fine. It's now been about four years since she prolapsed, though she did become eggbound once and my vet had to give her a shot of pitocin to help her pass the egg. I realize that's no help for Corky, but I thought it might be encouraging that Jasmine hasn't prolapsed for a long time. 

Anyway, I hope Corky will make a full recovery.


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Maggie,

Lots of love to Corky, she has been through a terrific ordeal. It would have been so easy for you to just accept that there was nothing to be done for her! Thank you for not giving up.

CYnthia


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Sad update this morning. Our little girl passed away during the night. I guess the infection was just too much for her.

I worried about her so much because she wasn't eating or drinking and when we fed her Exact, she threw part of it back up. We fed her only between 5-10 cc per feeding and some had to have gone down because she had started pooping a little bit. 

Anyhow, thank all of you who wrote. I wish the outcome had been positive. I really hate that I don't know for sure which one she was but I guess it doesn't matter because they are all precious to us.


----------



## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Maggie,

I'm so sorry you lost your little girl. They are indeed, all precious. She was loved and cared about which in the end is what matters most.

Margarret


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm so sorry, Maggie.
They are all precious...every single one and I'm grieving with you.


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping that it would turn out better. I've yet to see a prolapse from laying eggs that severe and, considering it was the first egg that she'd layed, it was very bad indeed. There must have been some kind of genetic structural problem that was very bad for this to have happened.

Pidgey


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Maggie, I'm so sorry you lost her. I know you did everything in your power to save her but as Pidgey suggested, it sounds as though she must have had a structural defect of some kind. But that doesn't make the loss any easier to take.


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Thank you all for your kind words. I feel like a real dunce right now. This definitely was little Corky. Because she was so tame we had put her in our "keeper" aviary but I thought Lewis got this little pigeon out of the one we call our "pre-release" aviary. I just found out a while ago she came out of the "keeper" aviary. Lewis kept saying it was Corky but I just got confused because in the rush to help her I just assumed it was the other aviary.

Like I said, they are all precious and she was a dandy little pigeon.

This is the little one that someone found at a shopping center. She was still in the late squab age and had fallen from a pretty high area and had two air sac bubbles. I am wondering now, with that severe fall, could it have damaged her internally. We'll never know.

We buried her in the herb garden a short while ago.


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved Corky. I know she had a wonderful life with you and Lewis.

Terry


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Oh Maggie, I'm so sorry to hear, I know you did everything possible and I'm sure you are hearbroken. She did have a wonderful life with you.

Sending a BIG hug for comfort.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Darn, Maggie! I came to read a positive update and saw at the of of this page about the sad news! I said, "WHA...???" She seemed to be doing all right. Backed up and learned she had died!

I am so sorry! Perhaps you are correct and that fall might have done internal damage that never showed until now...

Corky couldn't have had more love or help than what you and Lewis gave...

Sending LOVE and WARM HEALING COMFORTING THOUGHTS with all my heart!

Shi


----------



## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

I've just caught up and learned the sad news, I'm so sorry for you losing precious little Corky.  You certainly do all that is in your power to help them, I guess sometimes the problems are just too severe or outside the scope of what we know to do no matter how hard we try. I'm sorry she's gone.


----------

