Swollen Abdomen???

[SuperChickRuth]

Found this

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx

Thanks so much for trying to help our Cricket girl- the chicken. Really love this website- feel so at home with chicken lovers from all around the world!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Here's a couple pictures of her.... We just gave her a bath, so she's still a little ...scraggily. You can see her abdomen is purplish/pink, and really swollen. Her sour crop seems to be clearing up- we've just been giving her olive oil soaked bread, yogurt, and AVC water. We're not sure where the trapdoor hit her, possible her neck. No blood, nothing out of place, we took her to the vet two fridays ago, and she had x-rays. She was stunned after the accident, but not knocked out completely.

We've been keeping her in a dog crate with pine shavings and towels in our garage. Her crop is empty, and she's alert. I felt her abdomen and it doesn't feel like she has an egg there. She diffidently "penguin walks," though. Her comb is dark red, and purplish at the tips. She doesn't seem too stressed right now. I did lubricate and check her vent, but it was so swollen it was hard to see if she had an egg stuck there. I'm wondering if it's internal egg laying. She's about three hearts old, and hasn't layer an egg in a while, and she used too be so good at it too! The poor girl- she's in my lap right now, swaddled in towels, as I'm typing this one handed. Please help our Cricket!

Sorry, I don't see any photos, that would help to see what you are describing.
Is the vent swollen as well? Can you get a photo of that too?

 

[SuperChickRuth]

 

[SuperChickRuth]

Sorry- having trouble with posting pictures. They show up when I click "edit" but then disappear when I post it.

 

[huntingirl]

How's she been? Any better? Any worse?

 

[SuperChickRuth]

We just gave her a bath, so that's why she looks a little scraggily. I think it's probably internal egg laying... egg peritonitis... just a guess on that spelling. Her crop looks good- just gave her olive oil soaked bread and she loved it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We just gave her a bath, so that's why she looks a little scraggily. I think it's probably internal egg laying... egg peritonitis... just a guess on that spelling. Her crop looks good- just gave her olive oil soaked bread and she loved it.

Poor thing. It could be internal laying, peritonitis or ascites.
I'm glad to crop is getting better.
You may want to see if she will take some crumbles or layer feed made into a wet mash (mix with warm water). Wet poultry food is generally easy to digest.
You could also offer her some vitamins/electrolytes in her water. If it is internal laying, you may want to take her back to the vet, sometimes they can drain the belly which may ease her discomfort for a period of time.

 

[SuperChickRuth]

Yeah... But then there's the whole thing- $5 dollar chicken, and $100 vet visit.

Is there anything we can do to make her more comfortable here at home? Are baths a good idea? We've given her two so far.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The baths won't hurt.
I've read some people do treat with antibiotics, but I can't advise on which one(s) or how effective it would be in the long run. You could research that to see if it's something you want to try.

http://hencam.com/faq/the-spa-treatment/
http://hencam.com/faq/egg-bound-hens/

 

[SuperChickRuth]

**Update**
She's still hanging on. Her crop seems to be fine, and she acts normal except for the swollen abdomen- penguin walk- and recently she hasn't want to eat anything but a little bit of yogurt. What else should I be giving her to help her? What do you give a sick chicken to give them a "boost"? All I know is ACV, yogurt, and olive oil bread.