Any other causes for swollen belly besides ascites?

[Solanacae]

I have an (almost) 3 year old Ameraucana/Silkie cross that has been acting off this week. She has a swollen belly and her breathing seems labored. Normally she is a very active forager but she has been very sedentary the past three days. She can walk, but only does so slowly and seems unsteady on her feet. The past two nights she slept on the floor of the coop instead of roosting with the others.

Her skin is melanistic, but has a deeper mulberry color when she is actively laying.

She laid steadily through the winter two years ago and stopped in November of last year for a badly needed molt. She briefly resumed laying in February this year but only laid 4 eggs. She hasn’t laid since.

She has a 2-3k sq ft section of my yard to roam, is fed a balanced 18% complete feed, has access to grit, calcium, and water. I rarely feed treats.

We had an outbreak of mites a couple months ago but that is no longer a problem.

My thought is that it’s ascites, which has no permanent cure that I am aware of. She will get palliative care from me, and euthanasia when she is really struggling. Based off of how she is acting, that’s going to be sooner than later.

However, I wanted to check with the hive mind - is there any other disease I should be considering that fits the symptoms she is presenting?

 

[RedHillChicken]

I have an (almost) 3 year old Ameraucana/Silkie cross that has been acting off this week. She has a swollen belly and her breathing seems labored. Normally she is a very active forager but she has been very sedentary the past three days. She can walk, but only does so slowly and seems unsteady on her feet. The past two nights she slept on the floor of the coop instead of roosting with the others.

Her skin is melanistic, but has a deeper mulberry color when she is actively laying.

She laid steadily through the winter two years ago and stopped in November of last year for a badly needed molt. She briefly resumed laying in February this year but only laid 4 eggs. She hasn’t laid since.

She has a 2-3k sq ft section of my yard to roam, is fed a balanced 18% complete feed, has access to grit, calcium, and water. I rarely feed treats.

We had an outbreak of mites a couple months ago but that is no longer a problem.

My thought is that it’s ascites, which has no permanent cure that I am aware of. She will get palliative care from me, and euthanasia when she is really struggling. Based off of how she is acting, that’s going to be sooner than later.

However, I wanted to check with the hive mind - is there any other disease I should be considering that fits the symptoms she is presenting?

Have you noticed her laying any lash eggs? Take pictures everyday of her poop and post them. Is her comb bright red, or is it laid over and purple tinged?
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
@coach723

 

[coach723]

Acites is a condition that is a symptom of something else going on. It's fluid in the abdomen that is from a leaking liver. The causes are varied, it can be various cancers, infections, organ failure. Often the exact cause isn't known until necropsy. A bloated abdomen can be ascites, or sometimes the bloat is from infectious material in the abdomen (salpingitis, it tends to feel harder). If it's ascites, some people choose to drain the fluid (there are video's on youtube) which can make them more comfortable for a time, and may make breathing a little easier. It does come with some small risk of infection or shock if too much is drained too quickly. But many do it successfully. It's temporary since the underlying condition is still there, and will usually recur at some point.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can get a 35 ml syringe and some 18 gauge needles at your local feed store if you would like to try draining her. Disinfect the site on the belly first. You can use the syringe with the needle or just use the needle. Place a cup or container under her to see the color and amount of drainage. It can be common for leakage to occur for some hours after draining. I only do this for labored breathing, since there is no cure for the underlying cause. It may relieve her breathing and feel more comfortable for some time, but the fluid will again accumulate. In the thread post 66 below, in the 4-5th pictures you will see a needle draining a hen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-7

 

[Solanacae]

Have you noticed her laying any lash eggs? Take pictures everyday of her poop and post them. Is her comb bright red, or is it laid over and purple tinged?

As I mentioned in the original post, her comb is normally purple. When she is laying, the purple turns a more vibrant shade but it’s still purple. Her comb is a modified pea comb, so it doesn’t have enough vertical height to flop.

I haven’t seen any lash eggs, but I will monitor her poop.

 

[Solanacae]

Acites is a condition that is a symptom of something else going on. It's fluid in the abdomen that is from a leaking liver. The causes are varied, it can be various cancers, infections, organ failure. Often the exact cause isn't known until necropsy. A bloated abdomen can be ascites, or sometimes the bloat is from infectious material in the abdomen (salpingitis, it tends to feel harder). If it's ascites, some people choose to drain the fluid (there are video's on youtube) which can make them more comfortable for a time, and may make breathing a little easier. It does come with some small risk of infection or shock if too much is drained too quickly. But many do it successfully. It's temporary since the underlying condition is still there, and will usually recur at some point.

Draining her is not something I am inclined to pursue, but thank you for sharing the information. She is a very hands-off personality and being touched is (and has always been) very stressful for her. Since it’s only a bandaid and not an actual cure, I don’t see enough of a benefit to subject her to the procedure.