Epsom salt bath ruined chances of egg bound hen recovering

[Skylight404]

I am so furious right now. Every article I read, including one on BYC, suggested an epsom salt bath for an egg bound chicken. The egg was pretty close to being out, and I assumed that an epsom salt bath would finish the job. So, I did it. And, lo and behold, the egg was whisked back completely out of sight, deeper into the hen than ever before. The poor thing is too exhausted to try to push it out anymore, and it's past midnight where I am, so she probably won't live to see morning.

Any suggestions that DON'T include epsom salts are welcome. I already tried massaging, using vaseline to lubricate the vent, trying to work the egg out with my finger, a plain warm bath, and calcium.

 

[Suzzers]

Maybe try going to a emergency vet? I've never heard of epsom salt baths not working on eggbound hens, since it's meant to relax the muscles. I'm sorry I don't know what to say.

 

[Skylight404]

There are no emergency vets in my area, but thank you for the suggestion.

 

[nuthatched]

What makes you think it was the salts? There could be further complications involving your hen, if the egg's too big to be laid, a bath or not wouldn't do anything. If it's simply too big, it needs drained and popped. Or it could be part of a lash egg and stretch farther up the tract than normal, internal fat buid up, pockers along the tract, etc. Try some sugar water with egg yolk in it for energy. Also, Try posting again in a few hours, when more of the experts are awake. If you truly don't think she'll survive much longer, unfortunately you might want to consider putting her down now and save her a slow death. I'm sorry about your hen, I hope she manages to lay.

 

[McChooky]

Giving her a tums may strengthen the contractions & help her pass it.She may be exhausted is why it went back in her. Calcium (tums) may be needed for her muscles to contract properly.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am so furious right now. Every article I read, including one on BYC, suggested an epsom salt bath for an egg bound chicken. The egg was pretty close to being out, and I assumed that an epsom salt bath would finish the job. So, I did it. And, lo and behold, the egg was whisked back completely out of sight, deeper into the hen than ever before. The poor thing is too exhausted to try to push it out anymore, and it's past midnight where I am, so she probably won't live to see morning.

Any suggestions that DON'T include epsom salts are welcome. I already tried massaging, using vaseline to lubricate the vent, trying to work the egg out with my finger, a plain warm bath, and calcium.

How is she doing?



An epsom salts soak is used if the hen is not able to expel the egg and it's still stuck inside, if you were able to see the egg and it was almost out then, were you not able to pull it on out with your fingers?

 

[Skylight404]

@nuthatched, I think it was the epsom salts because the egg was visible before the bath, then was drawn back in out of sight after the bath. I can't be one-hundred percent certain that it was indeed the epsom salts, but logic seems to lead me there. Also, I think the reason she is egg bound in the first place is because of her age.

@ChickensComeHome2Roost, I already tried giving her tums dissolved in water multiple times. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

@Wyorp Rock, I could have tried to work it out with my fingers at that point, but had no idea that the bath would do any harm, and didn't know that the egg would go back in once poking out. Using my fingers was going to be my next step if the bath didn't help much. Also, I was very frustrated and tired when writing my post last night, and exaggerated how close the egg was to being out. It was probably around 1/4th of the way out, so I couldn't get a grip on it just yet.

An update as of this afternoon: I stopped trying to help her around the time I wrote my first post, and left her alone until morning. By morning, the egg still hadn't passed, and she looked miserable and exhausted. She had pretty much given up on trying to push it out. Desperate to help her, I called the only vet I could find that had emergency hours. I was informed that the vet only had emergency hours for current clients, but they were able to reroute me to the vet I usually use for my dog and cat, who also apparently has emergency hours. This vet had never treated an egg bound chicken before, but told me to syringe vegetable oil up her vent to lubricate it and give her sugar water. I did both of those things, and neither helped. The vet referred me to another vet about two hours away who is more knowledgeable. Currently waiting for him to call back. She still shows no improvement.

I feel horrible that she is suffering, and am wondering if at this point it would be better to call my regular vet back and have him put her down. If the other vet doesn't call me back by this evening, that's most likely what I'll have to do.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she?

I'd get her hydrated and get some Calcium Citrate into her.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Sometimes a bath is more stressful than its worth. It sounds like you are doing your best please don't be so hard on yourself! I had an injured chicken last summer and gave her a bath to clean the wound and she was dead before morning. Different situation and mine was probably in shock so wrong time to give a bath but I know better now. It sucks trying to help sick chickens but you are doing your best.