KOLKATA: A 13-year-old parrot, Mithu, is in excruciating pain and its life hangs in balance as it awaits a surgery to remove an egg, much bigger than the usual size, stuck in its pelvic region.Mithu, like most parrots caged alone, had earlier laid eggs that did not fertilise but this time, extra calcium deposited, making the egg too big to be laid naturally.
The unavailability of the specialised avian surgery in Kolkata prompted a Konnagar household, Mithu’s family for the past two years, to take it to Delhi, hoping for the right treatment there. Tia, the little girl in the family, who is attached to her feathered friend, has been on the edge, unsure when she can next meet Mithu.The complicated surgery to treat the egg-binding, as the condition is called, costs around Rs 1.5 lakh and so, veterinarians in Delhi are exploring an affordable surgery option.Tia’s grandfather Shyamal Kar, a former railway employee, brought Mithu home for her about two years ago. It was this girl, who first noticed Mithu had fallen quiet, refusing to eat. Her grandfather consulted vets in Kolkata. The parrot was brought to Kolkata, where a digital radiography at a private facility, Animal Health Pathology Lab, showed the presence of a calcified egg in its pelvic area.“Doctors said the bird had a reproductive disorder but we could not imagine that the problem would turn so serious. With the egg being bigger than the usual size, the bird cannot lay it. Though vets tried some non-surgical methods, their attempts at bringing the egg out failed. The vets said the specialised surgery was the only option but no one here carries out the operation. So, we decided to take it to Delhi,” said Kar. “Mithu is my granddaughter’s best friend and she is waiting for it.”According to vets, radiography is used to detect eggs and examine reproductive conditions in companion birds. “Early diagnosis helps us prevent life-threatening complications, such as egg-binding, and enables timely intervention, if needed,” said Kallol Sengupta, a retired vet surgeon from the state animal resource development department, now a private vet practitioner.Sengupta, who supervised Mithu’s treatment in the city, recounted, “Egg-binding is a serious problem that may cost the life of a bird. When I found the egg was stuck for nearly a week, I was shocked and advised immediate surgery. We tried to press the egg out by applying lubricants but that did not work. The type of avian surgery the parrot needs is done in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi and at times, surgeons have to be called from there. None could be arranged here, so the family had to go to Delhi.” He added this surgery was expensive and they were trying to arrange for such a treatment at an affordable price here to be able to save the lives of more birds.Usually, a parrot, if free, lays three to six eggs a year. But those caged single laid two a year, said an expert. “Though many people keep a single parrot, it affects their natural reproduction process. This is a reason behind reproductive disorders in birds,” said an assistant vet professor.
