Water Belly or Ovarian Cyst? AND Internal Layer? GRAPHIC PICS

[pwand]

I just recently took one of my chickens to an Aviary Vet as she was limping severely on her left leg.  I thought she might have had some sort of infection in her foot, but couldn't see any signs of that.  She was eating, but she wasn't her self and the lack of mobility concerned me.  When we got her into the vets she was limping but only on her left side.  The right side was fine.  There was no issue with her feet or legs he said.  He noticed she had some fluid in her belly and said we needed to explore this further.  I thought she was my chicken that was laying no shell or soft shell eggs for the last 2 months.  They did an ultrasound on her and found that she had a grape cluster of ovarian cysts and one of them was the size of a small orange.  He said chickens only have a left side ovary so that's why she was only limping on her left leg and that's what gave him a clue that she might be having female issues.  He gave me 3 options.  One they can give her an implant into her pituitary gland that would tell her ovaries to stop and give her a rest.  With this solution the implant could last 3 months or up to a year.  No egg laying during that time, probably.  It may not reduce or eliminate the cysts but he said she could still move around and she was still eating so she could be okay with getting that rest.  He didn't see any signs of cancer and since she had her merck shot as a baby chick he didn't feel that cancer was in the picture.  She's also just turned 2 years old.  He said if she was a commercial egg layer then he would definitely consider her a good candidate for cancer since most of the commercial chickens do have cancer by the age of 2.  With the implant they would need to check her again and see if the implant was helping with fluid and keeping the cysts in check.  If not, then we would need to look at this further.  It's still possible that she could have further complications with this method.   The approximate cost for this is around $300-450.   The 2nd option was to open her up and remove the cysts and check her abdomen for any growths or abnormalities.  This would be invasive and would require several days at the vets along with a hefty surgery bill.  Approximate costs would be around $2500 for just the surgery and hospital stay.  There is also a chance of a complication or when opening her up they find something bad and well that could end it for her.  The third choice was to do nothing and send her home and see if some miracle happens and it clears up.  He didn't see this is a very good option, but it was one that I could consider.  I've already spent over $300 on the visit and imaging they did to find the cysts.  I'm making my decision today as to what to do.  He told me putting her down is not an option at this point as she is still mobile enough to have a decent life and she's still eating.  He also shared with me that female issues with chickens, like this are very normal.

Hope this helps others as they try to learn more about their chickens.

I wonder if your chicken is dealing with this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...arian-cystadenocarcinomas/0_100#post_12973951

 

[KitikatStrider]

One of the girls passed this morning, and when we opened her up, she had a liquid filled sac just like yours - except hers had white lumps all over it and her internal organs had white lumps all over as well. She was depressed and quiet in the last week or so, losing feathers from under her vent. She also passed a lot of yellow/white thick slime from her vent at very small time intervals :/ Can anyone offer any explanation???

 

[SparrowsHouse]

Thank you for the explanation and the pictures. I know that it was difficult. I currently have a hen that seems to have the same issue. I have penned her away from the others as they were pecking her and caused quite a gash in her back. I'm praying that she will survive. We call her Miracle becasue of the 15 chicks I first bought she was the only one that I was able to save.

 

[madisonmama]

Ascites, also known as"'water belly," is a disease in which fluid accumulates in a bird's abdominal cavity. The fluid may contain yellow protein clots, giving it a yellowish tinge.

 

[Avian doc]

This is persistent cystic right oviduct. The right ovary and oviduct do not develop in chickens (and other birds); this means that adult chickens have only left ovary and oviduct. In some chickens, however, the regressed right oviduct becomes cystic and filled with clear fluid. The size of the cyst can be very small or it can reach several centimeters in size. We see this conditions in commercial and backyard chickens. I hope this helps.

Avian Pathologist

 

[casportpony]

This is persistent cystic right oviduct. The right ovary and oviduct do not develop in chickens (and other birds); this means that adult chickens have only left ovary and oviduct. In some chickens, however, the regressed right oviduct becomes cystic and filled with clear fluid. The size of the cyst can be very small or it can reach several centimeters in size. We see this conditions in commercial and backyard chickens. I hope this helps. 

Avian Pathologist

Welcome to BYC! If you don't mind, could you look at some necropsy pictures?

-Kathy

 

[WiChickenFarm]

I'm thinking one of our 2 year old hens may have this. Right side of belly is very firm and warm, some worn off feathers. Left side is squishy. While not completely lethargic, she was a bit sluggish, breathing heavier than the other hens and slight droop to her comb. I gave her a warm bath tonight which she didnt mind and pooped in the middle of it. I have her in the hospital cage in the house now. Has anyone tried draining this condition? If she's still with us this weekend, may give it a try.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I know this thread is really old, but thanks for giving me a diagnosis with your pics etc! I just culled a hen today for the same symptoms and found a baseball-sized "water balloon" inside her. There was also some yellow fluid, so it seems she had ascites as well. What I observed during my dissection is that the cyst could have easily been removed with a simple surgery based on its location and how it was attached; had I known beforehand, I would've tried that approach first (I didn't find this thread until after the deed was done, plus the poor girl was not looking well at all) although the ascites may still have finished her off anyway. Next time this happens (hope it doesn't), I'll know what to do

 

[casportpony]

I know this thread is really old, but thanks for giving me a diagnosis with your pics etc! I just culled a hen today for the same symptoms and found a baseball-sized "water balloon" inside her. There was also some yellow fluid, so it seems she had ascites as well. What I observed during my dissection is that the cyst could have easily been removed with a simple surgery based on its location and how it was attached; had I known beforehand, I would've tried that approach first (I didn't find this thread until after the deed was done, plus the poor girl was not looking well at all) although the ascites may still have finished her off anyway. Next time this happens (hope it doesn't), I'll know what to do

Sorry for your loss. Did you get any pictures?

 

[Phoenixxx]

Sorry for your loss. Did you get any pictures?

Thanks I hate culling hens, and she had several years of eggs left inside of her even though she was already 4 or so

Yes, I took pictures - only of the cyst, though. It flopped out when I opened the belly and separated itself from the connective tissue that it shared with the intestines. The one photo shows the tear in this membrane, so the cyst was double-encased: one casing being the cyst itself, the other being connective tissue of sorts which held it in place. When I stabbed it, it was nothing but clear water inside!