Water belly/EYP draining thick yolk

[jfmorini]

Hey, everyone. I have a hen who I've had to drain months ago for water belly. Everything went fine and I drained a few hundred Mls of mostly clear fluid out of her. She perked up soon after and all was well. She's now bloated again and my attempts to drain aren't going as well. I pulled this chunky yolk like glob out of her, no fluid. Is this just super chunky yolk? I stopped extraction because I wanted to be sure I didn't hit something I wasnt supposed to even though i was in the proper general area ( below vent and to the right)

. I used a 19ga needle, so it wasn't an easy pull. What are your thoughts?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Same hen that had suspected Salpingitis and/or Peritonitis (threads below)?

Looks like yolk/caseous exudes. If she's got EYP, Internal Laying or similar reproductive disorder, then likely that's what you are pulling.

Is she lethargic or having problems walking, breathing, etc.?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/possible-egg-yolk-peritonitis.1606058/#post-27356674
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/lash-egg.1601018/

 

[jfmorini]

I'm about 95% sure it's the same hen that I had to drain before. I have a lot of birds, but she's in the same coop and is the same breed. I checked the video I took of me draining her to try and confirm. I can't be sure she's the one who laid the lash egg, as I found that in a mote common area.

She's not lethargic and her comb isn't pale. She still hustles for snacks, but she has the duck waddle, moderate penguin stance and she stumbles quite a bit. Her belly is swollen and there is pressure on her vent. She also has been sleeping in the nesting box instead up on the roost. I've noticed a couple nights she is breathing with an open beak while at rest. I'm wondering if I should go back to a lower gage needle and attempt to draw more of what I think is thick yolk out. I can tell she's uncomfortable. Thank you for your response

 

[Kiki]

I'm wondering if I should go back to a lower gage needle and attempt to draw more of what I think is thick yolk out.

No. Poor thing sounds like she is now having trouble breathing with the infection getting worse. You are not going to be able to take the infection away by drawing anything out. Did you try antibiotics?
It is probably too late for antibiotics if it has been months since you drained her last but you could try.

 

[jfmorini]

I haven't done any antibiotocs, she hasn't displayed any visual symptoms until just recently and hadn't seemed bloated. I last drained her in December. I just want to do what I can so she's comfortable

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm about 95% sure it's the same hen that I had to drain before. I have a lot of birds, but she's in the same coop and is the same breed. I checked the video I took of me draining her to try and confirm. I can't be sure she's the one who laid the lash egg, as I found that in a mote common area.

She's not lethargic and her comb isn't pale. She still hustles for snacks, but she has the duck waddle, moderate penguin stance and she stumbles quite a bit. Her belly is swollen and there is pressure on her vent. She also has been sleeping in the nesting box instead up on the roost. I've noticed a couple nights she is breathing with an open beak while at rest. I'm wondering if I should go back to a lower gage needle and attempt to draw more of what I think is thick yolk out. I can tell she's uncomfortable. Thank you for your response

I would not drain anymore. I'm not sure if it's good to draw out those exudes or not. I can tag in @coach723 to get her thoughts on that.

Unfortunately, ime, a hen that has that kind of material in the abdomen, has that all throughout the abdomen and it's "coating" the internals, I don't have the correct words for that. Anyway, even with draining, supportive care and medications, eventually she will succumb to the condition.

It's not uncommon for them to begin to sleep in a nesting box or on the floor, to have some labored breathing, especially when settling in for the night - pressure on the abdomen and air sacs.

You can try a detox and antibiotics; this may help her be a little more comfortable for a short period of time. As the weather warms, I notice that they seem to struggle more, the heat can take its tole on them.

Since she's still hustling for snacks, eating/drinking, isn't getting picked on - then I would let her chicken until she no longer can.

 

[coach723]

I agree with @Wyorp Rock, completely. That you are not pulling fluid, but material means either internal laying (lots of bacteria) or salpingitis material, and you can't remove those with a needle. And every time you stick, you do introduce some chance of further infection. I have seen a couple of cases where a vet did surgery to remove all the material and then did a hormone implant to stop laying, which in some cases could buy them some more time. I can't tell you how that ended up long term, wasn't my bird. But surgery is really risky, as well as expensive. The surgery attempt could be more than her body could handle, it's really impossible to predict that. I personally, would do as suggested above, and is what I do with mine. I leave them with the flock until they are obviously ill, not eating or drinking, isolating themselves, or get attacked by flock mates. Then I euthanize. I have a hen right now with very, very advanced salpingitis. She used to pass small bits of lash material, but hasn't passed anything in quite some time. Antibiotics didn't help, though I did try. Her abdomen is quite distended and she moves pretty slow. I expected to lose her over this last winter, but she is still going (she's now been dubbed "bunny", after the energizer bunny, who just keeps on going!). She sleeps on the ground in a small pen I have for special needs birds, so they are safe from bullying and predators, as she cannot roost anymore, and needs shallow ramps to get up and down even small heights as she cannot jump. She has a couple of other older hens for company that she is bonded with and an old roo with nerve damage in his feet, who adores her (and he's old and very respectful of them, just loves the company). I've had them last for a fairly long time, just slower and needing a little adjustment to their environment, and I've also had them pass quickly. It's really hard to predict. If they are seemingly happy, doing normal chicken things, more slowly, but still fairly normal, I leave them be until that is no longer the case.

 

[jfmorini]

I would not drain anymore. I'm not sure if it's good to draw out those exudes or not. I can tag in @coach723 to get her thoughts on that.

Unfortunately, ime, a hen that has that kind of material in the abdomen, has that all throughout the abdomen and it's "coating" the internals, I don't have the correct words for that. Anyway, even with draining, supportive care and medications, eventually she will succumb to the condition.

It's not uncommon for them to begin to sleep in a nesting box or on the floor, to have some labored breathing, especially when settling in for the night - pressure on the abdomen and air sacs.

You can try a detox and antibiotics; this may help her be a little more comfortable for a short period of time. As the weather warms, I notice that they seem to struggle more, the heat can take its tole on them.

Since she's still hustling for snacks, eating/drinking, isn't getting picked on - then I would let her chicken until she no longer can.

That's fair. I don't want to cause her any further discomfort or damage if trying to draw out that substance isn't viable. I am going to try that detox and look into thr the antibiotics. Thank you for linking that