5 Days of Treating Vent Prolapse with Necrotic Tissue

[Cupidschicks]

Hi, I love reading through posts on here and searching this site when I need some guidance. Tonight though I am hoping to get some “personalized” advice. On Sunday evening one of my Black Sex-Links, of course the only one that is really skittish, had a funny looking tush. I tried to catch a good glimpse but didn’t manage to and then gave up assuming it was just a dirty bum (she’s bad for that) in which case I planned to deal with it the next evening when I had more time. The next morning when I let the girls out, she was already in a nesting box so I didn’t disturb her. My son gathered eggs after school and said he saw some hens chasing one black girl around. I was still working so our oldest checked and said one girl was definitely getting picked on. At 5 when I was done work for the day, her bum was almost featherless and bright red with a prolapsed vent with a black crust on it. So into the house she came, I cleaned her up, started treating her for a prolapsed vent, as it was hanging out. I gave her an epsom salt bath, slathered her up with some Bag Balm and gave her a liberal spraying of Vetricyn. She ate a little scrambled egg and drank a little. As soon as I placed her on her perch she immediately strained and popped her vent back out. I wiped it up again, as it was oozing white, and reinserted it. This time it stayed in. The next morning it was out again. Since Tuesday I have been giving her epsom salt baths, cleaning her up and reinserting her vent with Bag Balm or honey and spraying her with Vetricyn; two or three times daily. The black crust, I assume is necrotic tissue which is slowly coming off after each bath. I’m getting concerned mostly because I can’t keep the vent in, although it is staying in for longer stretches of time now (I assume this is progress, although slow) and she isn’t really eating or drinking. She is still pooping, small poops, and her crop is full and firm. She is always only sitting in a hunched up position on her perch and although she’s never been a super friendly girl, she seems more aloof than normal. Not that I blame her, considering how much pain she might be in. I was warned against Preperation H, as apparently it can restrict blood flow and slow healing. I notice it seems to be the treatment of choice around this site though. Any more thoughts? I don’t want to drag this out any more than I have to for her sake, but I don’t want to give up on her, as I feel like this is starting to go in the right direction, albeit very slowly. Any and all help appreciated.
Her posture seems very uncomfortable and doesn’t seem to change.
Before a bath
Her only “happy” place these days.

Post bath, pre clean-up.
Vent reinserted the best I can.

 

[azygous]

You're doing a stellar job of treating this hen. She's lucky to have you.

I would keep doing exactly as you've been, but you can take some vet wrap or anything you find handy, and create a support bandage to keep her prolapse in where it belongs so it will shrink more quickly.

The Chicken Chick has a column on this subject and you'll find directions on how to create the vent "diaper" to hold in the prolapse. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic/

 

[Cupidschicks]

Thank you so much for your support! I’ve spent all day second guessing myself. When I click the link in the Chicken Chick’s post, it goes to a dead site. I’ve been trying to find a decent step-by-step for a prolapse diaper but have yet to. I think I will go ahead and try to make one with some vetwrap tomorrow morning.
Again thanks for the reassurance, she is a utility animal for our family but, she deserves care and respect all the same.

 

[azygous]

That's unfortunate the info on pressure diapers isn't functional. But you've figured things out this far, you will come up with something. It won't need to be for very long, and you will be removing it frequently so she can poop, so you'll know when the vent is going to remain in place.

Have you been giving her extra calcium? Calcium supplements can really help with vent prolapse. Also, are you doing a finger sweep of the vent to be sure she's evacuated all her poop? If poop remains in the vent, it can contribute to continuing prolapse.

 

[Cupidschicks]

I have not done a finger sweep, I didn’t know I should. I will tomorrow morning. As for the calcium supplements, she’s not really eating or drinking consistently right now. Is it time to fill a syringe with supplements to administer?

 

[azygous]

If you can find powdered calcium at the feed store you can add to her water, that would be easiest. If she's eating on her own, I just crush a calcium citrate tablet 400mg with D3 and roll it into a little dab of peanut butter. My patients think it's a treat. Try to get some calcium into her in that amount.

I always keep calcium citrate in my chicken first aid kit because it's invaluable for treating most reproductive issues in hens. I had a girl laying consistent two eggs every other day, and one was always shell-less. She got one stuck and it made her very sick. She was on calcium for almost a month, much longer than recommended, but it cured her of the double egg problem and her eggs are now coming out normal.