Lupron injections

[featherfluff]

Hi everyone.. My female cockatiel who is 2 years and 2 months old has a myriad of health issues which started with a congenital heart condtion.. a hole in her heart, where her heart is quite enlarged as well. Also an enlarged liver. My other tiel is fine. The avian vet and I know she would never survive laying an egg. She had the series of the three shots of the Lupron injections last year and they worked, but she is quite hormonal now, her droppings were quite large and I could see her vent opening a bit here and there so back to the shots again.

The vet said after we finish the series of the three shots, she will be starting her on a Lupron injection every month. Yes, once a month! I did a lot of reading on the Lupron and I'm concerned about this but at the same time maybe it's the lesser of the two evils because she can't have any egg production.

For her high uric acid levels, she gets the organic black cherry juice, and cherries, allopurinol and I have read that organic celery is good, so am adding that into the diet. I have a mash I give her and read someplace that celery seed extract is good for the high uric acid, so looking for a dry supplement there I can sprinkle on her food.

Are there any other alternatives to squelch the hormone production? Any herbal supplements? Anything else? And what are your thoughts about all this? Thanks much

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[Monica]

This is generally what I recommend for egg-laying hens. (X-post)

1. Remove Eggs
   • Rearrange the cage
   • Move the cage to a new location
   • Use a cage grate
   • Get a new cage/Use a different cage
   • 12-14 hours of complete darkness (may require as much as 16 hrs for 2 weeks - or try providing the opposite, as little as 8 hrs of sleep)
   • Full Spectrum Lighting/Better Lighting
   • Lower the indoor temperature
   • Decrease calcium and protein within the diet (if she is on a high calcium & protein diet prior to laying eggs)
   • Remove anything that could be taken as a nest
   • Remove anything that could be used as nesting material
   • Don't allow her in any dark place or enclosed area
   • IMPORTANT: save the eggs in the fridge
   • If she lays more than 3-4 eggs, put them back in the cage
2. Leave the Eggs
   • Leave the eggs alone in the cage
   • [Optional] Replace with fake eggs (prevent eggs from breaking)
   • Increase calcium
   • Let hen sit on eggs for 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
   • Once done sitting, toss

Generally speaking, there are triggers to hens laying eggs, and if you can remove the triggers, you may be able to stop the egg laying. Triggers can include toys that she can lay in, a plastic base to a cage, nesting material (i.e. cage bedding), a diet high in protein and fat, too much or not enough light, quality of light, etc. All things that should be considered. Removing the triggers to egg laying should be considered *FIRST* before any drastic measures should be taken. You never know, it could be something simple!

 

[featherfluff]

Thank you Monica, I will save this info. Let's hope she doesn't form any eggs.. will do the things you suggested

 

[CeciliaZ]

Hope your little tiel does well...I have a female tiel who after 5 or more years of not laying has started up again...thankfully she is healthy but I am considering Lupron also.

 

[blewin]

We had more luck with leaving the eggs than taking them away, but that was just Buddy.