Subcutaneous Emphysema- Pictures Added

Has anyone ever dealt with this?


It fills up several times a day and makes it hard for it to walk.







The red spot is from where I poked it with a needle

Not in chickens..............humans are another story. Has she been injured at all? Any respiratory distress? If she's not in any distress, this will usually go away over time. It's sometimes caused by trauma to the lung and sometimes no cause is found (in humans). If it keeps recurring, you might want to see a vet if she's precious to you. Not much help I know, perhaps someone here has personal experience,Sue

Almost looks like water belly. I'd say a ruptured air sac if no liquid was expelled.

Does it sound like rice krispies if you press on it? If not, it's probably not subcutaneous emphysema.

Another reason to have air where it shouldn't be (besides trauma) is an infection. Some bacteria produce oxygen as they grow.

No water, just air.

AIR SAC RUPTURE
Birds have a series of air sacs located internally. These are in the neck area (cervical air sacs), the chest (thoracic air sacs) and in the belly (abdominal air sacs). These areas are part of a bird’s breathing system and help the bird receive oxygen from the air in a highly efficient manner. They also help provide the lightness and buoyancy needed for flight. Occasionally, one of these air sacs may rupture (usually due to injury) and air will leak from the sac and accumulate under the bird’s skin. This condition is known as subcutaneous emphysema. This accumulation must be removed, or the air sac may tear even further.

WHAT TO DO

Clean the skin over the swelling with a disinfectant on a cotton ball. Take small scissors or a needle and make a tiny hole in the skin. This allows the air to escape. This may need to be done several times before the air is released. It has been shown that air sacs normally repair themselves within two weeks. However, if you see no improvement within a day or two, your avian veterinarian should see the bird. It is probably a good idea to have the bird seen anyway.
Source: https://www.centerforanimalrehab.org/first-aid-and-your-pet-bird/

More info here:
http://ijasvm.com/ijasvmadmin/upload/IJASVM_5113cbc51d31b.pdf

I have heard of several people that have described subcutaneous emphysema on BYC, so i started reading up on it. I have seen this in human patients before, and anyone experiencing a collapsed lung has seen it. A lady on a thread I follow last year had a young cockerel with a severe case of it that she put down since it was all over his body. Another case recently was a car hitting a pullet that caused SE in the breast. She got alright after just watching it. It seems about fifty fifty with people that pull the air off with a needle and syringe, and those that leave it alone. I tend to say leave it if it is not causing severe respiratory problems, but deflate it if it is. The more invasive procedures one does, I think there is more chances of infection.

Most times I believe this is caused by an injury--flying into something or fighting and injuring the neck or elsewhere rupturing an air sac.

Eggcessive said:

Most times I believe this is caused by an injury--flying into something or fighting and injuring the neck or elsewhere rupturing an air sac.

Click to expand...

I haven't seen him fly into a window or get into any fights.