Laying Failure In Animals

Laying failure is comparatively common in both birds and reptiles. You can find out how to recognize them and when your pet should be taken to the vet here.

What Is Laying Not?

 

Laying difficulty is the condition in which an egg has been formed and it is in the oviduct or in the cloaca – but the animal cannot lay it.

The “pre-ovulatory egg laying problem”, better described as “follicle retention”, is particularly important in reptiles: the eggs are still on the ovary, ovulation does not occur and they do not form a shell. Instead, the eggs stick together. This often results in infection and bleeding.

How Do Birds Lay Eggs?

In birds, eggshell changes are most commonly responsible for laying problems:

• Diaper egg = very thin-shelled egg, caused by stress, deficiency diseases, infections
• Bruchey = broken egg, e.g. B. as a result of injuries or poor eggshell quality
• Egg with a rough, thick shell, e.g. B. Infections
• Layered egg = no egg, but inflammation products and shell residues

There are other causes of egg failure in birds: paralysis of the oviduct or cloacal muscles also leads to egg failure. (It is caused, for example, by vitamin E or selenium deficiency or by a disturbed calcium balance.) Injuries, infections, or other changes in the oviduct or cloaca (such as tumors) can also cause laying difficulties.

Birds that very often lay a large number of eggs (“permanent layers”) tend to lay eggs. Likewise, those who are overweight, very exhausted, or stressed. After all, old age, too little breeding experience, and malnutrition can also lead to laying difficulties. Legenot particularly often affects budgerigars, cockatiels, and lovebirds. In theory, however, the problem can occur in all bird species, e.g. B. also egg failure in quail.

Causes Of Egg Failure In Reptiles

In reptiles, laying difficulties can be caused by eggs that are too large or deformed. Urinary stones or other “obstacles” can also prevent the passage of the eggs.

Keeping reptiles is extremely important and is responsible for a large proportion of diseases: the difficulty in laying eggs can e.g. B. be triggered by a lack of egg-laying places, a temperature that is too low, or incorrect feeding (calcium deficiency). Stress is also a factor, for example when female turtles are constantly being harassed by males.

The pre-ovulatory laying distress is promoted when the reptile does not hibernate properly. The follicles are usually formed before hibernation, and the eggs are laid afterward. Incorrect temperature management then leads to so-called follicle retention (holding back the follicle on the ovary): ovulation does not occur, the follicle continues to grow and can then no longer be resorbed by the ovary, i.e. dissolved.

Since follicle formation also starts without a sexual partner, solitary females are also affected.

How Do I Recognize Egg Failure In Birds?

The stuck egg also presses on other organs in the abdomen. Therefore, if your bird suffers from laying difficulties, the following symptoms may be visible:

• fluff up
• decreased eating
• Putting down fewer large, soft heaps of feces
• constant pressing
• Vogel sits permanently with his legs apart and wags his tail
• blood in the feces
• nesting behavior
• shortness of breath
• swollen abdomen
• cold legs (poor circulation)
• signs of paralysis

If the bird it particularly difficult to lay eggs, the strong pressing can lead to a prolapse of the oviduct and/or cloaca: the inside of the oviduct or the cloaca is pushed outwards.

How Do I Recognize Laying Difficulties In Reptiles?

If the laying problem affects turtles, lizards, or other reptiles, the symptoms vary depending on the animal species. There are e.g.:

• lack of appetite
• bloated stomach
• dig attempts
• strong pressing changed the posture of the hind legs
• The egg is visibly stuck in the cloaca
• apathy
• strong restlessness
• cloacal prolapse
• foul-smelling discharge from the cloaca
• rare lack of urine and feces

Also, if you notice any other unusual behavior in your reptile, please consult a reptile veterinarian! On the phone, it can already be clarified whether it is an emergency or whether the presentation of the animal in the practice can wait until regular consultation hours.

What Can You Do To Prevent Laying Problems In Birds?

The egg failure of chickens, ornamental birds, etc. is to be regarded as an emergency and must be treated immediately by an avian veterinarian. This applies in particular if parts of the cloaca or the oviduct have already prolapsed.

The veterinarian will first get an overview of the situation by examining your animal closely. If the difficulty in laying is not obvious, an X-ray examination is also necessary.

If the symptoms are only minor and the bird is still generally fine, calcium treatment can help the egg get going. If this procedure is not possible, an operation may be necessary. This involves opening the bird’s abdominal cavity and removing the stuck egg or eggs.

Treatment Of Egg Failure In Reptiles

If your reptile suffers from a laying problem, please consult a veterinarian as soon as possible! A prolapsed cloaca or a visibly stuck egg is an emergency.

Animals with a prolapsed cloaca, in particular, should be separated from the group immediately, since lizards and turtles (water turtles!) tend to bite into them. Gently clean the protruding tissue from sand and dirt with lukewarm water and cover with a clean, damp cloth. Laying distress in tortoises often causes them to attempt to scrape off the prolapsed tissue with their hind legs, which can severely injure the cloaca. If possible, try to prevent the turtle from doing this during transport.

After a thorough examination, the veterinarian will decide what to do next. If the animal is in good general condition and if the eggs are not too large or deformed, natural egg laying can be attempted. The oviposition process is supported with calcium injections and, if necessary, liquids and a lukewarm bath. The reptile is placed in a suitable laying environment and left alone.

If the egg is already visible, it may be opened and removed. Please do not try this yourself! The risk of injury to your reptile is enormous and this procedure should be left to an experienced veterinarian.

If natural egg-laying does not work or if there are medical reasons not to do so, the reptile is operated on. To do this, the stuck egg must be removed via a small incision on the stomach or, in the case of turtles, also in the thigh gap.

There is no drug treatment for follicle retention / preovulatory laying difficulties. The follicles are removed via an abdominal cavity operation.

Legend: Conclusion

Laying trouble is a relatively common disease in reptiles and birds. It can have different reasons and should in any case be examined by a veterinarian who is familiar with the respective animal species.