4 day old chick with swollen leaky vent-in pain- HELP!

I have a 4 day old chick who has been squawking since last night, as if in pain, unwilling to sit and rest. She has a bottom that is leaking what looks like clear fluid and maybe some residual poop left from yoke- I have noticed her drinking only once since I have been keeping an eye on her. She was not making such a fuss yesterday. She is in a brooder box with shavings/ food/ water shared with 16 other chicks- of which no one has been bothering her, yet. I have rinsed her rear with warm water and patted gently dried with paper towel in hopes that It was more of a sticky bottom issue. She is clearly uncomfortable and having a difficult time resting. I do not know how to help her or even if I can. Is there anything I can do to help??

This is her bottom near hours after completely rinsing clean her rear this morning. She is a wheaten Ameraucaua

Your photo is dark and hard to see, but it looks and from your description sounds like omphalitis or infected naval/vent.

This is a left over from hatching and is caused by a naval that does not close fully after hatching. This allows bacteria to grow inside the abdominal cavity fed by the rich yolk sack that was drawn into the cavity the last few days of egg growth.

It is imperative the chick be placed on antibiotics as soon as possible. Omphalitis is the number one chick killer at hatch or within the first week of life (as the infection grows and becomes systemic).

I recommend a tetracyline such Duramycin-10 or Tylan as they are broad based antibiotics. You should isolate the chick and place it with the antibiotic water as its only water source. If it will not drink, you will have to eye dropper the meds into it about every 2 to 3 hours until it is drinking regularly.

My thoughts from my experiences.

Good luck with your little chick. Be prepared that it may be too weak from the infection to make it. Omphalitis is no respecter of chicks.

LofMc

X2

MrsB