4 year old RI red with ascites and dyspnea.

[Samilee]

HI.
I have a 4 year old Rhode Island Red who developed ascites and dyspnea about a week ago. She is lethargic and her appetite has decreased. She is housed with 4 other hens of similar age. Bottom of cage is nesting hay. The birds roost at night on a 3 inch in diameter branch. During the day they all (10 hens, 1 rooster) free range the back yard. They are fed laying mash, chopped veggies and fruit, bananas, dry whole oatmeal and bird seed. My other coop houses 2 year olds (5 hens, rooster). They all mingle together and get along well. The rooster is in charge. After research, it sounds to me like she has "water belly" but all info seems to pertain to broiler chicks. The yard is mostly sand and right now fallen oak leaves. None of the other chickens are showing any signs of illness. They finished their winter molt about a month ago. Can you help?
Thanks

 

[speckledhen]

This thread may be helpful to you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362422

 

[KimberlyJ]

Sorry, but I don't know what the words "ascities and dyspnea" even mean! I did look them up on Wikipedia, but I'm not sure how it applies to a chicken. Sorry to be of no help at all...... Can you describe the problem in layman's terms?

 

[rcentner]

it sounds like a peritonitis, speckled hen is right on. And speckled hen is, sadly, the best one to talk to about it. It seems to be that eventually, the same end result happens. It's just how you want to deal with it in the meantime. Speckled hen does a great job with supportive care and can get her hens to live quite some time and quite comfortable it seems. so it's a decision to euthanize or treat and hope for the best.

I wonder if speckled hen has ever used baytril, that would be the antibiotic of choice cause it is so broad spectrum, but not everyone has access to it.
Good luck

 

[Samilee]

Thank you for the information, Speckled hen. I am really sorry to hear about your girls. I love my chickens dearly and it will really hurt to lose one, especially since Moji was one of the first hens I started with. My questions are:

1) Is this contagious?
2) Since I retired from being a medical laboratory tech, I think I can do this with help from my friend who is a nurse.
What size needle did you use and how far in can I go without puncturing something vital and killing her on the spot?
3) Is the area to stick about 2 inches northwest of the vent? If not, where?
4) Should I use an alcohol wipe on the puncture site?
5) 50 cc syringe?

My chickens are 3 RI Reds, 1 NH Red, 1 buff orpington, 1 barred rock, 1 cuckoo maran, 1 Aracuna, 1 Americana, 1 std size silver laced cochin. My rooster is a buff orpington. I have lots of photos but don't know how to post them.

The idea of draining off the fluid scares me but the idea of losing her scares me more. It sounds like that is the inevitable outcome though. At least I can make her more comfortable if I am successful.

Thanks so much for the help. I will post after the procedure is done.

 

[Samilee]

Aspiration was attempted yesterday by out avian vet. She got only drops of fluid out. Her rectal exam was unremarkable. She said she did not feel any tumor or eggs, nothing but fluid. She feels it is Moji's liver that is causing the ascites and prescribed Baytril. We are giving that to her twice a day. Hoping for relief for the hen or even for the problem to go away.