Abcess - need to be drained?

Mamagirl3

Songster
Joined
May 1, 2022
Messages
188
Reaction score
189
Points
113
Location
Southern Missouri
FIRST- i have been in hospital and recuperating and not seen my girls for 32 days. Therefore i do not know what or when this happened.
Ten days ago i noticed a large protrusion on the back of a hen. It is not from the vent. It is much farther down. There is no swelling beyond the mass. Nothing to indicate water belly. On first exam there were no feathers over the area. But in these past days she has lots of feathers coming in so being bald may not be related. The mass is firm but not hard. She seems to have discomfort when it is handled. And she rarely easily lays down which we believe it is painful for her to do so? She stands all the time or gets on the small low roost we have in the cage. If she sits she is always on that perch. Where the swollen pouch hangs beyond the perch in the air with nothing touching it. There is an area with a thin dried liquid over it and does not look like a scab. After soaking that area became soft and easily came off. There is not opening like it would be draining. The spot - about the size of a dime- looks to be weepy.. maybe? Can see in pics it is 'damp' and it dries over the area but never anything actually draining. Doesnt look like how an abcess does that would drain. After a couple days we decided to give her antibiotics to see if there would be infection possibly. After 8 days of aqua-cef 250 ( which was all we had on hand) there is no change. First 4 days she had epsom salt soak daily.. then we went to every other day. The area that dries over looks the same. After each soak she is sprayed with veterincyn and neosporin added to the raw area. The first pics taken were a couple days after first noticed.. but when antibiotics were started. The last pics are after 5 days on antibiotics.
Decided it is time to get the folks "in the know" involved!!
Should this be drained as an abcess or leave it alone?
*** first pick is beginning... but it looks like some are not in sequence even tho that is how i entered them? There is one of just the vent to show it is normal. And i put it in to separate the first pics and then the pics 5 days later.??

Thank you!
20251018_131459.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20251018_125746.jpg
    20251018_125746.jpg
    527.4 KB · Views: 6
  • Resized_20251020_171223.jpeg
    Resized_20251020_171223.jpeg
    21.7 KB · Views: 5
  • Resized_20251020_171208.jpeg
    Resized_20251020_171208.jpeg
    97.6 KB · Views: 5
  • 20251020_170726_02.jpg
    20251020_170726_02.jpg
    346.5 KB · Views: 7
  • 20251020_170726_06.jpg
    20251020_170726_06.jpg
    540.4 KB · Views: 7
  • 20251020_170726_02.jpg
    20251020_170726_02.jpg
    346.5 KB · Views: 6
  • 20251020_170726_04.jpg
    20251020_170726_04.jpg
    455.2 KB · Views: 4
  • 20251018_133118.jpg
    20251018_133118.jpg
    444.8 KB · Views: 4
  • 20251018_132447.jpg
    20251018_132447.jpg
    161.4 KB · Views: 4
  • 20251018_131549.jpg
    20251018_131549.jpg
    127.1 KB · Views: 7
I would probably just continue the warm saline soaks daily or hold a warm wet saline compress on her rump while holding her. Then apply the antibiotic ointment until it heals. It looks like her belly is enlarged due to a reproductive disorder, and the others have pulled feathers and pecked her. This could have lead to a rupture of her abdominal wall if it went on.
 
Looks like it could be egg yolk peritonitis. I just lost a hen to this. Your hen looks very similar to my hen. Very hard mass. In the end I decided to cull her because eventually she became unable to do anything due to the mass. It started with her not roosting and I'd find her standing in the coop corner. Laying down became uncomfortable as well. I did open her after culling to confirm egg yolk peritonitis. Was very sad.
 
I would probably just continue the warm saline soaks daily or hold a warm wet saline compress on her rump while holding her. Then apply the antibiotic ointment until it heals. It looks like her belly is enlarged due to a reproductive disorder, and the others have pulled feathers and pecked her. This could have lead to a rupture of her abdominal wall if it went on.
Thank you. Since they are all moulting -- when she started getting feathers back we thought moult caused it. This evening i noticed after her soak that the bulge seemed softer and like there wasnt as much in it-- but had still been firm before soaking. What is your thought on the raw place that seals over between soaks?
Thank you so very much for your help.
 
Looks like it could be egg yolk peritonitis. I just lost a hen to this. Your hen looks very similar to my hen. Very hard mass. In the end I decided to cull her because eventually she became unable to do anything due to the mass. It started with her not roosting and I'd find her standing in the coop corner. Laying down became uncomfortable as well. I did open her after culling to confirm egg yolk peritonitis. Was very sad.
Is this fatal in all cases? Our girl sits on the roost/perch hubby made for all our hospital cages... made from 2x4's and isnt attached to the cage he made them free-standing and they are only 4 to 6 inches off the floor. Made 2 sizes-- haha it is standing down the long side of the cage and she sits on it at the end by the door/food/water in the day... and we open door and talk to her or have a few meal worms or a piece of fresh oregano in our hand and she all about getting that! Haha but we notice when it is getting dark she goes to the other end and turns the opposite direction where he face is to the back corner to roost at night? She has her routine! But if this is ultimately fatal we wouldn't want her to suffer to die! 😥 thank you for your response.
 
Is this fatal in all cases? Our girl sits on the roost/perch hubby made for all our hospital cages... made from 2x4's and isnt attached to the cage he made them free-standing and they are only 4 to 6 inches off the floor. Made 2 sizes-- haha it is standing down the long side of the cage and she sits on it at the end by the door/food/water in the day... and we open door and talk to her or have a few meal worms or a piece of fresh oregano in our hand and she all about getting that! Haha but we notice when it is getting dark she goes to the other end and turns the opposite direction where he face is to the back corner to roost at night? She has her routine! But if this is ultimately fatal we wouldn't want her to suffer to die! 😥 thank you for your response.
My girl lived close to year with this before it ultimately became a problem. So two times the mass kinda shrunk. Once was when she went a little broody and stopped laying another was winter also low laying. But this past spring and summer laying at it's peak she just went down hill fast that mass grew double in size. Biggest I've seen it. For the longest time I did things to help her out her own little Handy cap roost and things. Once it effected her comfort and eating I made the decision to not let her suffer.
 
My girl lived close to year with this before it ultimately became a problem. So two times the mass kinda shrunk. Once was when she went a little broody and stopped laying another was winter also low laying. But this past spring and summer laying at it's peak she just went down hill fast that mass grew double in size. Biggest I've seen it. For the longest time I did things to help her out her own little Handy cap roost and things. Once it effected her comfort and eating I made the decision to not let her suffer.
Thank you very much for helping us about this--- sorry to see it is fatal -- but your experience helps greatly for us to make an informed decision on when her life of any quality and life of pain and discomfort should therefore end. 😭 we are willing to do all we can for her!! But we also can do the heartbreaking need for her when necessary. Thank you again, you have given us the facts and to be able to see her future and when we need to put her first and not let her suffer.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom