think that my girl has ascites UPDATE!! CHICKEN BETTER

[gruner23]

I just drained a lot of fluid from my 3 year old Barred Rock hen and my only regret is that I didn't do it a week ago. She is doing so much better now.

Symptoms: VERY swollen lower abdomen, skin was bright red and hot to the touch. Her belly was not hard, but soft like a water balloon.
She was walking slowly and awkwardly with her legs spread out wide like a cowboy's. She was still eating and pooping, but not moving around much. Standing around in the yard with her tail down - "penguin stand" style. I would carry her to the coop each night, and I think the fluid was pressing on her lungs because she would start to gasp. She was also starting to look really sad with drooping eyes. I was afraid to try draining her, but at that point I knew it was drain her or euthanize her.

Here's exactly what I did:
-trimmed away a lot of feathers around her backside and belly.
-cleaned the skin really well with Triadine.
-laid her on her side on a towel, put another towel over her head. she was very quiet.
-cleaned a new eXacto blade with rubbing alcohol and Triadine.
-chose a spot below and just to the right of her vent--it seemed like there was a lot of fluid there just under the skin, and I didn't think I would hit an organ with my blade.
-made a very small, very shallow incision with the blade. About 1/3" long, and less than 1mm deep.
-a small drop of blood appeared and then steady fast drips of clear yellow-tinged liquid.
-washed the incision really well with diluted Triadine sprayed from a bottle.
-the towel got soaked pretty fast with fluid and she was still very bloated, so I put her down in the yard. She stood up right away, gobbled some food, and ran off to peck the younger chickens.
-she was noticeably more energetic right away, and progressively more so throughout the day. The fluid continued to drain all day.
-I squirted the incision with diluted Triadine a few more times during the day and before shutting her in for the night. Then again the next day.

She seems completely normal now. Perky, running around, nice and frisky. And her posture is totally different--tail up and head high instead of that awful "penguin stand." Hooray! I have my sweet little pet back!

 

[chkn]

Awesome. Might not be a bad idea to give her some antibiotics. It'll clear up the remaining fluid and prevent further infection.

 

[duckmamma]

The congestive heart failure that is part of the cause of ascites can be prevented by giving the chicken or duck a supplement called coenzyme Q10...if you Google the topic, you'll see that commercial breeders have studied the problem to prevent their losses from the condition. From what I recall, the chickens were given 30-45 mg of CoQ10 daily as a preventative measure. CoQ10 is known to strengthen the heart...the softgel form is much more bioavailable than the powder.

 

[speckledhen]

I have had a very rare occasion where a hen had a bloaty abdomen and with a round of antibiotics, she got completely better and went on to survive and lay eggs regularly again. That one hen was my splash Ameraucana hen, Snow.


The bad news is that many do seem to get better for a time, but they usually never lay eggs again and eventually, they die, even if they never have a bloated abdomen again. I just lost my beautiful blue barred EE, Riley, exactly that way. Her abdomen was back to normal for quite some time, but she never really seemed quite her perky self and she never laid another egg. This went on for several months and a few weeks ago, found her dead under the roost. As I carried her to bury her, her abdomen seemed slightly poochy again, like fluid was just beginning to build again. She was laying internally or had ovarian cancer--hard to say, because, this time, we didn't have the heart to open this hen up and look. We've seen it so many times already, we knew what we'd find.


Btw, I did not drain Riley and I rarely drain unless the abdomen unless it's as large as a bowling ball like my Olivia's was.

These threads may be helpful to you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362422

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=195347

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...lks-update-rip-beautiful-reba/50#post_8068877

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ences-on-egg-reproduction-production-necropsy

 

[AndreaS]

Hi Speckledhen, Sorry to hijack this thread, but I noticed that you commented on it recently, and thought i'd jump in.

Do you think that some of the experiences you've had have actually been Ascites? I've followed many of your heart breaking stories about your internal layers- but they are two seperate conditions, correct? I've read about a ton of chicken issues in the past, but this Ascites is new to me.

I know you've seen lots of different stuff here over the years....have you ever heard anything about Ascites in chicks? (not meat birds)

I'm researching this because I have a chick (only 5 days old- Salmon Favorolles) who has a noticable roundish lump on her lower abdomen. It's not the crop, but is on the same side as the crop. She's eating, drinking, pooping, and seems well- but the lump is quite large and defined (it's not big enough yet to show up in a picture) It feels like water, and the skin underneath is reddish. It does not extend to the vent, and she is not pasting up. The only other thing about this chick is that her little eye got pecked on her first day here, and was swollen shut. It seems a little infected, so I have put a warm compress followed with terramycin eye ointment on it every day, and it is now starting to open. She seems otherwise well, and has grown since her arrival on Wednesday- but I like to be proactive about these things....so, I start poking around here, and I'm really concerned about what this water-swollen belly could be.


Ascites? Could it be related to the eye infection....? I'm at a loss. She's a total sweetie and full of spunk....If there is something wrong with her developmentally, it will be such a shame because she sure has a strong little will to live!

Anyway, if you have any thoughts, I'm all ears! Thanks!

 

[Romochickencrazy]

she is amazing yes I did it by myself!! it was easy!!! i brought her up to my back porch and layed her on her side on a towel. then I layed a towel over her head. she went right to sleep. i poked her with a 18 gage needle 3 times. one under and to the right of the vent one under and to the left of the vent and one under the vent all about 1 inch from the vent. i did hit one spot that bled for a minuet but that was all. I pulled the needles out and she drained on her own standing up. she just went to sleep. Then when it had about stopped I put her in my brooder to finish and that night I stuck her back in with the chickens. she is sore I can tell but eating and drinking and pooping! you can do it I promise!!! its not as bad as it seems!/img/smilies/hugs.gif

Thank you so much for this info. Had a hen that was starting to walk with her legs bowed out. First did a warm soak and nothing then read your thread here and decided to give it a shot. First used a insulin syringe to test, after pulling out a light yellow fluid then tried with 18 gage needle and pulled 12cc from both the left and right side of the abdomen. A lot more drained on its own. So very Thankful for this info that may have saved my girl.

 

[Joanna Chicken]

Hi all. My first post here. I have 5 ex-bats, had them 18 months.

I feel wretched. I have tried draining the chicken as per instructions but no luck. The poor girl is just hunched up with eyes closed. I made 3 incisions in total and the last one produced a drop of fluid but just closed up again. The poor bird is now bruised and no better.

I used a surgical blade as I cannot get a syringe as far as I know. I am in UK and I don't think we can get them legally.

Just wanted to share as feel so rubbish.

xx

 

[Romochickencrazy]

Hi all. My first post here. I have 5 ex-bats, had them 18 months.

I feel wretched. I have tried draining the chicken as per instructions but no luck. The poor girl is just hunched up with eyes closed. I made 3 incisions in total and the last one produced a drop of fluid but just closed up again. The poor bird is now bruised and no better.

I used a surgical blade as I cannot get a syringe as far as I know. I am in UK and I don't think we can get them legally.

Just wanted to share as feel so rubbish.

xx

Was your girls abdomen swollen? Did any fluid drain at all ( you would want to see a clear to yellow fluid ) if so? Just a small poke not very deep will produce the draining if she does have ascites. Hope she is doing better! Good Luck!

 

[Sunnydays]

You can get milk thistle extract at General Nutrition health food stores and I'm sure any health food store carries it. Dissolve one pill in 2oz of water (my vets formula) and administer 0.5ml daily. It's great news and I'm glad for you and your hen. You did the right thing. The color of the fluid is normal for ascites. Congratulations.

So one pill daily is this the same as 0.5ml?? Is this right??

How long did you do this for?

I have a hen with swollen belly...I want to help her heal!!!
Thanks, Ta

 

[gallusdomesticus]

The 2oz of water for one pill will last you several days. Give her 0. 5ml of the mixture a day. I did this for 18 months. Unfortunately, she developed EYP (unrelated to the ascites) and died in surgery. The milk thistle extract will not cure but will alleviate her symptoms and she will not gain the fluid back as quickly.