Ascites hen drained but not getting better

[RoseBean]

I have read through the ascites threads on here and learned a lot. I was wondering if we're doing the right thing or just prolonging suffering. We have a small free ranging backyard flock and a four year old Buff Orpington who started walking slowly recently and when I picked her up her belly was like a water balloon. I learned how to drain her abdomen with a syringe and pulled off I don't know, well over a liter of clear yellow fluid. We have her inside in a kennel and I gave her two warm epsom salt baths today. Yesterday I saw tiny white worm looking things in her vent. Her rear end was caked with poop but she is still pooping freely, I cleaned her up yesterday and today. After the epsom/hydrogen peroxide/cider vinegar warm baths that she sat in for probably thirty minutes twice today, replenishing and warming the water, I didn't see anything in her vent. Before I drained her she was standing with feathers fluffed up and her head hanging down and didn't flap when I picked her up, which is unusual for her, she is probably the feistiest and least cuddly of our spoiled girls! She made it through the night after draining, and was quiet and docile in the bath today and made some chook chook sounds and perked her head up. She ate quite a bit of scrambled egg with yogurt and millet and was interested in it and seemed to enjoy it, and she's drinking water. She is pooping a small amount and it looks normal. She is not moving much in the dog kennel. It looks like some more fluid drained from her into the shavings after we were finished with the syringe. Her comb is red and not floppy and her eyes are open and bright. She is still standing with feathers fluffed up, but her head is up and she looks around and makes chook chook noises of greeting. She still likes to eat and lifts her head when you come in to sit with her. She has not filled with fluid again. I don't want her to suffocate with fluid or have a painful death. But while she's still greeting me and seems to be looking around and walking slowly, I don't want to euthanize her. Sorry for so many details. I'm just not sure what to so. It seems like clear yellow fluid draining is not a good sign and she's in liver failure or heart failure, but if some care could give her a little extra time to enjoy being a chicken I will keep putting it in.

 

[CarolinaGirlSC]

Going thru the same thing. How is your girl?

 

[Janice123456]

Mine lived with this for a year. She walked slower than the others but had a good last year eating drinking and sitting on eggs even though she did not lay. I drained her when she filled up. About once a month.I was very careful to cleanse her skin with betadine and used a sterile needle eacch time. The end came when the fluid got so thick I couldn't drain it out.so if its thin keep draining. Esp if a sweet girl.

 

[RoseBean]

Thanks for the replies! She is doing ok. She's still inside in a dog kennel. She doesn't want to walk around much and she's eating and drinking but not a whole lot. I was going to try her back outside in the coop yesterday but we got a big snowstorm and very cold temps so I didn't think that was a good idea. She's a really social little chicken and I'm afraid she's lonely by herself. Our border collie keeps vigil by her kennel though, it's very sweet. She holds her head up and makes little chook chook noises of greeting when we visit her. The morning I drained her she was standing with her head hanging so low, I really didn't think she would make it through the day. She hasn't accumulated any more fluid and is pooping normally. No eggs, but she's four so she might have been done laying for awhile. Thanks for the info about hens living for awhile after this. It's always a choice between ending their misery or deciding they are having enough of a cheerful chicken life to keep treating them.

 

[Janice123456]

I did a 3 day course of amoxicillin human variety about 100 mg aday if she was not acting well. I filled tiny gel caps with powder 50 mg morning and night. Pop open the beak and toss it in. She never choked and swallowed it because I gave her mealworms right after giving the capsule.

 

[RoseBean]

I just wanted to give a happy update on my hen with ascites. Almost a month after I drained the fluid from her abdomen, she's doing really well. For three weeks she walked very slowly and never lifted up her tail feathers--almost dragging her butt on the ground. But she ate well and seemed to enjoy the sunshine and treats. Two days ago we noticed she was moving more easily, and today she's walking all around like normal with her tail up the air. I know she probably has an underlying condition which will cause her to get fluid buildup again, but it hasn't happened yet and I'm so happy we tried to drain her. It saved her life for a little while and seeing her back to normal now makes me really happy. A lot of what I read about ascites made me wonder if it was just cruel to put her through the draining because the prognosis is so bad. Thanks for the help I got here.