Prolapse Vent in older hen with difficultly breathing when reinserting vent

[danceonweeds]

Hello, I have a heartbreaking question that I would love to get advice on.

My bantam hen is about 5 years old, one of my brooder mamas whose idea of a perfect life is to sit in her nest box all day. She is still laying and hasn't had any trouble before.

Today I notice her vent was extremely prolapse when I took her out of the nest box in the am. I work at a holistic vet clinic for dogs and cats, and have seen prolapse in them but haven't experienced in chicken so far. I just want to know if I should continue treatment or she is too far gone and in pain that euthasia would be most humane.

So far I have cleaned the area, soaked the prolaspe and applied gentle compress with dilute calendula (natura anti-inflammatory and antibiotic). I then applied honey to helP calm the inflammation.

However, when I went to push it gently back in, my hen regurgitated water, and started gurgling to breath, almost like she had swallowed water wrong. When I stopped trying to insert the prolapse, she defecated (possibly from a different hole/hernia?) and the vent reprolapsed. She started breathing normally but was trying to peck at it herself.

I know she is in pain; I have her in a dark crate by herself in the bathroom.

Do you think treatment is still the humane course of action ?

I recently spend 6 months treating my own kitten for a prolapse who which eventually led to a hernia and euthenasia, so this is just a heartbreaking nightmare to happen again b

Thank you for any guidance.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

The only thing you can do is try. You got the basics down. Keep the area clean and moist and push it back in. Sometimes they need stiched to stay in. Hopefully not the case here.
As to if you think she is in pain and suffering; only you know that.
You could have had a poop right away cause it was waiting to come out so to speak.
Keep us posted. Good Luck

 

[danceonweeds]

 

[danceonweeds]

The only thing you can do is try. You got the basics down. Keep the area clean and moist and push it back in. Sometimes they need stiched to stay in. Hopefully not the case here.
As to if you think she is in pain and suffering; only you know that.
You could have had a poop right away cause it was waiting to come out so to speak.
Keep us posted. Good Luck

Thank you !

 

[Arya28]

I'm so sorry about your hen! I have a chicken with a prolapse now for the first time, too. She is a little better than she was two days ago. We've been giving her acv, oregano, and rosemary in her water, which has definitely been helping. The acv for infection, the oregano is anti inflammatory so it has brought the swelling down, and it has antibiotic properties. The rosemary I believe is helping her with the pain. We've also been giving her scrambled egg. We've been soaking her in warm lavendar baths (the lavendar helps calm her). The prolapse has been staying in for longer periods of time now, so I'm hoping it will stay in this time and she will be ok. Good luck with yours! I can't offer much advice, but you're not the only one having this problem

 

[Eggcessive]

If you do not want to use Preparation H hemorrhoid cream to help shrink the prolapse tissue, you can use honey or sugar to reduce the osmotic pressure. Just keep it moist with oil, so it does not dry out and die. The 2 holes are probably the large intestine and the oviduct. Since there is no black or dead looking tissue, it would be worth trying to get it pushed back inside and hold it in for awhile when it will go back in. Placing her in a dark room or covered cage 16 hours a day overnight, while letting her out in daylight to eat and drink can help her to stop laying for a couple of weeks to heal. Here is some reading:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/Prolapse.htm

 

[danceonweeds]

Thank you all for your help!

I was able to get it cleaned up really well and re inserted last night, and she drank and ate before bed. After I reinserted it, I applied natural lube around the outside of her vent because it felt very dry.

This am when I checked on her it was still in and she definetly defecated so yay so far! She is eating and drinking and is in much better spirits

How long would you suggest I keep her in the darkened crate before letting her back out with the other ladies?

Thanks again BYC community, it feels so wonderful to be apart of chicken people helping each other

 

[Arya28]

Thank you all for your help!

I was able to get it cleaned up really well and re inserted last night, and she drank and ate before bed. After I reinserted it, I applied natural lube around the outside of her vent because it felt very dry.

This am when I checked on her it was still in and she definetly defecated so yay so far! She is eating and drinking and is in much better spirits

How long would you suggest I keep her in the darkened crate before letting her back out with the other ladies?

Thanks again BYC community, it feels so wonderful to be apart of chicken people helping each other

That’s awesome! I’m glad your hen is doing better! My hens went in by itself last night and had stayed in all day today too so I’m hopeful it will stay this time!

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you all for your help!

I was able to get it cleaned up really well and re inserted last night, and she drank and ate before bed. After I reinserted it, I applied natural lube around the outside of her vent because it felt very dry.

This am when I checked on her it was still in and she definetly defecated so yay so far! She is eating and drinking and is in much better spirits

How long would you suggest I keep her in the darkened crate before letting her back out with the other ladies?

Thanks again BYC community, it feels so wonderful to be apart of chicken people helping each other

That is good news about your hen. It can take several days for the 16 hours/day darkness to stop her laying. Since you have only begun treatment, she may lay an egg any time if she has been laying recently. It is up to you if you want to stop her, or let her back outside in the coop. When you stop one laying, it can take a couple of weeks to start back laying. I would watch her another day at least, but you can always place her in a crate inside the coop or run with the others, so if isn't lonely or out of the flock for too long. I hope she gets along okay.