Possible water belly - seeking suggestions

[kayla43]

I have a 1yr old Black Australorp that I believe is dealing with water belly. Pic attached. I took her to the vet today but ultimately did not get the answers I was hoping for so looking for any advice/suggestions if any others have dealt with the same.

Overall she seems to be acting mostly normal, but I know chickens hide illness well. She is eating fine/scratching around and relatively active. Have not seen her drinking water but her comb/wattles are plump and bright red. Feed is purina layer pellets. Occasionally get treats such as mealworms, scrambled eggs and vegetable scraps. Recent stool is runny/dark brown-green. She lives in a coop and run with 4 other hens. Use straw as litter. Unable to tell if she is laying normally yet as I just separated her today, but historically has always laid well.

Notes from the vet visit today:
Normal respiratory rate
Elevated heart rate, vet said could be due to stress of being examined
Empty crop
No signs of respiratory illness
Area below vent swollen/squishy and liquid filled. Did not feel egg/not believed to be egg bound.

They wanted to transfer her to another vet for further diagnostics/x rays which would’ve included an overnight stay as well. They would not X-ray her there or take a sample of the fluid in her hind area. Financially this wasn’t feasible for us. Ultimately they told me it could either be sepsis, egg yolk peritonitis or a reproductive issue, all of which have poor prognosis but unable to know unless we transferred her.

Sent us home with pain meds and course of antibiotics. She is inside now with plenty of food and water, still scratching around and ticked to be without her flock. I don’t understand how the prognosis can be so poor if her behaviors are still normal? Any advice greatly appreciated!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A hen that is eating/drinking and relatively active, not getting beat up or picked on by the others - I'd leave her with her flock.

Yes, it does look like her abdomen is a bit heavy, possibly some fluid (symptom Ascites), she's a bit bald there too - some hens get feathers plucked from that area. I'd apply some NuStock Cream to the bald butt to help soothe the skin and hopefully deter the others from plucking out new pin feathers.

I've had hens with fluid in the abdomen and I don't drain unless they are really struggling to walk, are miserable and or having difficulty breathing. Draining can help alleviate some stress when they are in that condition, but it's not cure for the underlying condition. Fluid in the abdomen can be due to reproductive disorders and/or organ failure, but sometimes hens can live with the condition for a long time depending on what's going on.

Basically - time will tell how things are going.

Only you can determine what course of treatment/action you want to take, but for me, I let my girls continue to chicken as long as they are able to.

 

[kayla43]

A hen that is eating/drinking and relatively active, not getting beat up or picked on by the others - I'd leave her with her flock.

Yes, it does look like her abdomen is a bit heavy, possibly some fluid (symptom Ascites), she's a bit bald there too - some hens get feathers plucked from that area. I'd apply some NuStock Cream to the bald butt to help soothe the skin and hopefully deter the others from plucking out new pin feathers.

I've had hens with fluid in the abdomen and I don't drain unless they are really struggling to walk, are miserable and or having difficulty breathing. Draining can help alleviate some stress when they are in that condition, but it's not cure for the underlying condition. Fluid in the abdomen can be due to reproductive disorders and/or organ failure, but sometimes hens can live with the condition for a long time depending on what's going on.

Basically - time will tell how things are going.

Only you can determine what course of treatment/action you want to take, but for me, I let my girls continue to chicken as long as they are able to.

Thank you for the response! I am hoping she is able to live with it for a while. Your response gives me hope. She doesn’t seem too uncomfortable and walking normally still as far as I can tell. I always feel guilty isolating them so will likely put her back soon as long as she is not declining in any way.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree totally with Wyorp Rock. I usually have not drained hens with ascites except one who was having labored breathing, but draining yellow fluid is confirmation of ascites (water belly.) She may just have a bare prominent bottm that has been feather picked by others or herself. Post a picture of her normal droppings and look for yellow urates, which are normally the white caps on droppings. I see ascites often in hens who have died, and have been opened up after death.

 

[kayla43]

I agree totally with Wyorp Rock. I usually have not drained hens with ascites except one who was having labored breathing, but draining yellow fluid is confirmation of ascites (water belly.) She may just have a bare prominent bottm that has been feather picked by others or herself. Post a picture of her normal droppings and look for yellow urates, which are normally the white caps on droppings. I see ascites often in hens who have died, and have been opened up after death.

 

[kayla43]

I posted a pic of her most recent dropping (on floor) and one from last night overnight (in the straw). As well as a photo of Betty herself. The droppings seem normal to me, what do you think?

She also laid an egg about a half hour ago that looked/felt totally normal. Regular size and shape, not soft shelled. I am not sure what to make of her at this point.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would put her back with her flock and let her enjoy life.

 

[kayla43]

I would put her back with her flock and let her enjoy life.

Thank you!!

 

[Swbertrand1]

We're dealing with ASCITES right now in one of our hens, but she's in far worse shape than yours.
Your hens droppings look pretty good, and if she's eating/drinking, I agree with WyorpRock and Eggcessive, let her enjoy her life.