Abdominal Draining Advice?!

[stevemak84]

Hi Tenderkat,
Good for you! Just know that if you plan on actually taking all the fluid out, you'll have to detach the needle from the syringe to dump it out and then reattach it. Just be careful not to move the needle around. And don't go in very far.
But....if you're just making holes, you won't need to worry about what I just said.
I usually gave an antibiotic the day off the draining and for 2 days afterwards. But chickens are so good at healing, I'm not sure its necessary. Just be very clean about the procedure.
Let us know how it goes!
I'm proud of you for being brave!

When draining the abdomen, if as you say, you're just making holes, can you use any needle (as long as it's sterilized) or does it HAVE to be a syringe needle?

 

[tryingmybest]

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

I lost one of our hens a week ago..

After realising she was ill and searching online, I thought she was egg bound. I tried warm baths, massage, etc. but without success.

After more research I concluded it was egg yolk peritonitis. Her abdomen was very swollen and she could hardly walk. She was in such a state, it was late at night and I was frantically searching for an answer.

She got worse and could hardly breathe. After more searching, I came across this thread and other similar ones. At 3am, I laid her on the kitchen table and inserted a large needle into her abdomen (right place and depth etc., or at least I think so). When I drew the syringe back, nothing came out. Then she stretched out, the feathers puffed up on her neck and she died. It was as if she went into shock or had some kind of attack.

I felt so bad and I still do. In hindsight, I wish I'd left her until the morning and taken her to the vet, if she'd lasted that long. It's always a tough call though.

Either way, it was such an awful thing to go through that I thought I'd post here to warn people of what can happen. Having her die in front of me after trying something I read on the Internet isn't sitting well with me.

 

[AmyWho]

tryingmybest, this particular procedure has saved many a hen.
I can understand your frustration and hesitation, but all I can think about is that people die during medical procedures by trained professionals all the time. Many of them, however, live because of it.

 

[Lewis Farms]

My vet has drained our girl 3 times and was only really successful when she was very swollen, the other times there was too much egg matter to get out. They gave me two weeks worth of needles to do her own antibiotic injections, so I am going to attempt to use them to drain. We have punctured her a bunch already and have become very comfortable with being on the verge of blasting her heart rather than her breast muscles. Now I am just trying to figure out where the abdominal organs are. She is pretty good at letting us do what we need to do since she feels better after, so thank you for the directions.... wish us luck!!

 

[krzygrl65]

Thankyou!!  I think I am pretty much resigned AGAINST attempting to drain Lily, as horrible as that may be.  I'm just not sure what kind of quality of life Lily will have IF the draining worked but became an ongoing problem.  But, I think i will PM Cynthia, just to see what her take is on it.


I just went in and checked on her again, and she ate some crumbles mixed with yogurt, milk, and water.  Bright-eyed and sweet as could be.  I guess at this point I will consider her a sort of hospice patient, as I don't feel there will be any resolution to whatever ailment she is suffering. 


I'm just wondering if she is better kept in my tub, or if I should put her back outside with her sisters?  Sooner than later my husband will consider having a sick chicken living in our tub an inconvenience, despite the fact that he is sweet on her too.  And I can't stay in there by her side for the rest of her life, however long that may be.  Would she be more content to be in familiar surroundings with her flock when she goes?! Please call me! I had the same issue and my hen is doing so much better

 

[hennypenny2014]

Wow, that's intense.

 

[hennypenny2014]

How awful for you. I had something like that happen to my first chicken . I was trying to give her fluid and she coughed and then died . Not urge if I caused it ,but sure felt like I did. It's hard to know what to do. Vet bills can get so costly, however you can learn a lot on how to do things so it may be worth it. Here's to chickens!

 

[lisalynn1982]

Hi, so my hen Molly Bee has been having fluid built up in her abdomen for just over a year now. When I first drained her a year ago, it was a yellowish fluid. But the last three times I've drained her it's been a darker, green color. Not thick though. I'm pretty sure she has cancer or something, but she always feels better after I drain her. But this last time, I drained quite a bit off of her, maybe 2 cups and she became very congested. I don't know why. Can anyone give me any insight? I'm more than happy to continue draining her as long as it makes her comfortable. Oh, I should point out that in October, I tried to drain her and didn't get anything out and accidentally bruised her somehow and her leg turned green (bruising). And the hole that I punctured, started to leak out a fluid that wouldn't stop for a couple of days. I ended up taking her to a vet, but that morning, it finally stopped leaking. They did an X-ray on her but could only see some fluid. I was supposed to take some fluid in to have it tested but I just haven't yet.

 

[greeneyedglow]

I had a 4 year old RIR that has been sick not able to walk and barely eating or drinking anything that I'm having to hand feed her for 3 days now and she's and a laundry basket on a towel in my spare bedroom barely open her eyes at all I was giving her antibiotics. There was no egg I could feel and I'm pretty sure she had EYP. I held her while my husband inserted the 18 gauge needle and Drew about 20 ml of fluid out when he pulled the needle out and I let go of her the chicken just went limp and died. I think I suffocated her by holding her too tight while being so full of fluid becuase all there was a was a clear yellowish fluid. I feel horrible and can't quit crying.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

I'm getting ready to drain one of my girls but I dont have a helper to am. Shes very alert and talkative but I'm not sure if it can wait till am. Don't want to screw it up by myself or loose her because I waited...