Ascites?? Swollen, squishy abdomen - WITH PICS & VIDEO (page 9)

[OMealyFarm]

Your posts have been so helpful to read. I have a 2 year old Red Star "Peep" that has been all bloated up for the past 4-5 months. It would seem she would get better for awhile and then this week, she has taken a turn for the worse, has dark green diarhea, waddles, and just sits there and sleeps with labored breathing. The vet that takes care of our horses, cows, dog and cats was not knowledgable or helpful at all. So, where do I get this syringe to drain her? This definitely sounds like something I should try. Where again do I drain her from? I do not want to lose her! She was our very first girl and my daughter just loves her. Thank you for any advice you may have.

 

[tamtam84]

@OMealyFarm - Sorry to hear about Peep not feeling well. I got my needle and syringe at Tractor Supply Company. The brand was "Producer's Pride."

To drain her, I felt where Buttercup was the squishiest and inserted the needle and drained from there. It was basically down about an inch from her vent and over to the left another inch or so. I didn't get a whole lot of fluid out (I think my syringe was too big), but she was so full that the pressure pushed the fluid out of her through the needle holes and she drained all night long.

In my experience, when they start to have labored breathing they don't have much time left. If Peep is very swollen and squishy, I'd at least try to drain her and look at the fluid. Buttercup's was a light brown color and thin like water.

Good luck! I hope Peep pulls through. I know how hard it is when you're caring for a sick chicken.

 

[OMealyFarm]

Thank you so much! What size needle? I am so upset with myself for not addressing this sooner. I really thought she was getting better. Now, tonight is my 10 yo Sons first baseball game of the season and my time is split. Even if I have to do it in the barn after the game, I will get it done. The vet said to bring a fecal sample in, so I will do that and make sure she does not have parasites etc. It really sounds like ascites. I would think she would be gone if it was internal egg laying after all this time right?

 

[speckledhen]

I have had them lay internally for 8-10 months before passing on, with abdomens and oviducts full of cheesy gunk. It's amazing how long they can live that way, while others may die suddenly, with no huge lead-up to it that you even notice. If they are extremely healthy with good immune systems when the malfunction starts, they may actually live for quite some time, all the while, these masses continuing to build up that eventually cause their demise.

 

[OMealyFarm]

Well, I am just amazed that she has lived in this state. Is there anything I can do for egg peritonitis (sp?)? I now have a needle and syringe and will try to drain her tonight. I just have to do something proactive to try and help her. It is terrible to watch her struggling. My daughter said she is still roosting and drinking and eating, so perhaps she will recover a bit if I can get the fluid off her organs. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[OMealyFarm]

Thanks so much for your help. I now have a syringe and needle and will try and drain her tonight. I hope it helps her. She is still roosting but her breathing is really noticably labored. I am so worried.

 

[speckledhen]

You can drain fluid, you can inject penicillin for the liquid infection, but that won't dissolve the masses if there are some in there. I've had only one hen ever rally from this and she did it twice, each time laying one or two eggs, then relapsing, but that only meant that her oviducts weren't full of stuff at the time, that I caught the infection very early each time. The third time, the penicillin did not help her and she eventually did die. That's out of about 10 or 11 hens. The others never laid again when the cycle began. The problem is that it's hard to know when an EYP infection is starting up so you can catch it early.

Sometimes, they don't even have fluid building in the abdomen with internal laying. They just quit laying, even though they may go to the nest over and over again, like they think they must expel something. Then, later, they begin to lose massive amounts of weight in spite of a good appetite. Then, they become very weak and pass on or we euthanize them.

I will say that all but one hen who died from this ailment was hatchery hen. The breeder hens seem to have better genetics; and I do mean the ones who came from good breeder stock, not someone who was just propagating hatchery stock.

 

[tamtam84]

OMealyFarm - How is Peep doing today? Did you get any fluid drained off of her?

speckledhen - Thanks for all your advice and insights. Unfortunately sounds like you've dealt with this way too many times. Like you mentioned, my hen Penguin died suddenly with hardly any notice at all, but Buttercup is hanging on and doing well at the present. She hasn't laid at all since before she molted last November, so I'm pretty certain she is laying internally and will eventually pass away.

 

[OMealyFarm]

THanks so much for asking! Yes, we drained about 15cc last night and then 15cc this morning. I was told by the lady at the Farm Store not to take the needle out and then stick it back in of course, and I only got one needle, so I am sterilizing it in boiling water and using it over. There is definitely more fluid in her, I need to get a system down when draining her to take the syringe off the needle while it is still in her empty it and put it back on the needle to get more fluid out. That would be the best thing I woudl think to do. Instead of pricking her so many times, poor girl. How often did you drain Buttercup at first? What protocol did you use? She is draining from the needle site like you said Buttercup did. I would think that would be a good thing. She is still eating and drinking. We put her and her Sister, (they were the first two chicks we ever got two years ago), in a seperate coop by themselves last night so we could monitor Peep, and Tweet kept her company. No eggs were laid last night, but I let Tweet out this morning and she ran to the regular coop and proceeded to lay her egg. She was yelling at me all the way. Sorry Tweet.

Anyway, back to Peep, I think she is laying internally too. And, I think we just may have gotten to it too late, like Speckledhen discussed. Her breathing seems better, but she sleeps alot and is not normal for sure. Did Buttercups vent look normal? What does a normal vent look like anyway? Peeps is a bit red and protruding out a tiny bit. Do they always get infections when they are iternal layers? I sure hope she recovers. I will not give up, but it seems there are multiple complications going on with her. Thanks for all your help and guidance.

 

[OMealyFarm]

SpeckledHen: The fluid I drained off of Peep is very clear with a hint of straw color. Should I get penicillin for sure and inject her? Also, parts of her abdomen feel really hard, not squishy at all. Her lower ab right by her vents and to the inside of her legs is the squishy area. What does the hard area mean? Do you know? Do the eggs just sit inside of her?