Well, I’m in the vet’s waiting room with Aria, who is a 5YO with her first clutch. She got serious about laying late Thursday, which was Day 47. Friday morning she had five healthy eggs. Friday evening she had only six. I got her to drink and palpated her. By Saturday morning there were nine, but their shells were all dry. They’d been there for a while. She had two large lumps right by her vent, then a gap of several inches before more eggs further up her body.
I removed the eggs, gave her a drink, resumed waiting. By then it had been over 48 jours since she began laying, Several hours with no change, so I tried inserting a well lubricated probe into her vent, squirted a smidge of lubricant in there with a pipette. Got her to move around, hoping to stimulate more labor. More hours of nothing.
Saturday evening, after over 12 hours of no change, not even further up her body, I got Dan to help with aspiration of the egg nearest the vent. After the procedure she was put back into her nest box. She passed the aspirated egg by Sunday morning, but there has been no further progress.
Aria is tired. Couldn’t get her to drink this morning (Monday) though she’s alert. We’ve been in the vet’s waiting room for the past couple hours. I know this community will wish her well and I’m in need of that now. This is not a great start to the laying part of the season.
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that, Caryl. I hope the vet can successfully remove them and she has an easy and quick recovery. Will they be removing them surgically?
Thanks, Olivia. I don’t know what the vet is going to do. Maybe surgery, maybe she’ll try pitocin first. I’m not sure. We are still in the waiting room with a few dogs and rooster on a leash. Lol
Sorry to hear that! I have had that happen with a corn before, but aspiration of the egg that was stuck nearest the vent worked for me. I really hope the vet try’s something before surgery, would hate for your snake to have to go through that unless it’s the only option. Good luck, fingers crossed for you!
Oh goodness, I’m so sorry you’re going through this with her! I hope the vet can get things going non-surgically, but either way, I hope Aria pulls through this ordeal. My DMs are open if you want to chat, you know I’m quite familiar with egg binding and surgery.
Greatest positive thoughts coming to you Carol and Aria! She is in the very best place possible place right now and I am sure the vet will give all three of you some relief! Huge virtual bear hugs and blessings coming your way!
Thanks, everybody. We’re still at the vet. Aria was given some oxytocin and a soak a while back. Waiting to see if that produces any results. The vet said that she could get one more dose of that if needed. If that doesn’t work, the options will be either aspiration of all 7 eggs in hopes that she’d then pass them or surgery. Looks like I’ll be here the rest of the day at any rate. Thanks for the positive thoughts. I do appreciate the community here, so much. I’ll update again when I know anything further.
Poor little girl! So many eggs stuck! Sounds like your vet is doing everything possible to move things along. I know it’s so frustrating not to be able to help her yourself! Yes most definitely keep us posted!
Thank you, Riley, for the prayers. Thank you everyone! It really does mean so much to me.
The vet gave Aria a second injection of oxytocin and sent us home. Her hope was that the second injection would result in the lower-most egg being expelled. It was virtually at Aria’s vent. The idea was that movement in the reproductive tract would hopefully continue once it began. She felt pretty confident that the lowest egg would appear within an hour. If it hasn’t appeared in two hours, I was to aspirate it.
No joy. So we aspirated that egg, and I marked the position of the next one in line. I used a Sharpie and marked it right on Aria’s side so that I won’t have to trust my memory or try to evaluate it using a photo. I really hope that Aria will void the aspirated one and keep things moving. Maybe the meds will make it happen. I truly don’t want to have to aspirate the other five. She’s tired, and tired of being messed with. My poor sweet girl.
Yes, she will be going for a swim later this evening unless she’s making serious progress. Got the bathtub clean and ready for her. Basically going to try everything to avoid surgery. If surgery is required, she will have surgery, but that’s obviously a last resort.
Sounds like you’ve got a plan, hopefully the medication & her body work together and she manages to avoid surgery. Even if not, she’s most definitely in good hands for care and healing. Keeping you both in my thoughts.
Update = no news. No movement of any eggs, so Aria had a 10-minute swim in my bathtub. She seemed to enjoy the first 9 minutes, then she started getting agitated. I’m praying that the agitation was due to her body resuming active labor but I really don’t know. It’s discouraging that nothing has moved today despite palpation, two injections, and aspiration. Surgery looks likely to me, but miracles happen and maybe she’ll have one overnight.
I almost wonder if vibration would help in this instance at all? I mean, the concept with impaction is spurring muscle contractions, different muscles, same theory.
This is a crazy story, it’s unfortunate i always hear about these things too late. I hope the absolute best for you and aria! I will that she releases the trapped eggs within the next couple days.
Aria will be headed back for the vet today. There’s been no movement of anything. I am presuming that we’re looking at surgery. I don’t see the point in trying aspiration for the higher-positioned eggs when meds, aspiration, handling, swimming didn’t budge an egg so close to her cloaca that it should have been easily expelled. Didn’t think about vibration. I suppose I can try it now. Can’t hurt. But I’ll be calling the vet when they open.
So sorry to hear about Aria’s troubles. I’ll be keeping her in my thoughts today. I hope she can avoid surgery, although I know that’s looking less and less likely. Ultimately I just hope that she pulls through and has a speedy recovery, whatever course of treatment ends up being necessary.
So sorry you’re going through this, Caryl. I know how stressful it is when our babies are struggling. Hang in there, and remember to take care of yourself as well.
for you!
My DMs are open if you want to chat, you know I’m quite familiar with egg binding and surgery. 
I’ll be keeping her in my thoughts today. I hope she can avoid surgery, although I know that’s looking less and less likely. Ultimately I just hope that she pulls through and has a speedy recovery, whatever course of treatment ends up being necessary.