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

[tamtam84]

@poonam - Buttercup seems to be doing pretty well now! The fluid hasn't returned yet and she is pecking around and eating and drinking like normal. She does seem pretty thin around her breastbone (I can feel the bone protruding when I hold her) so I don't know if that's cause for concern. I have seen others talk about how the breast meat seems to deteriorate after a hen retains a lot of fluid. Maybe she just lost weight because she probably didn't eat much when she was feeling bad before we drained her.

The color of the fluid was a light brown color. Some people refer to it as "straw-colored." It was not clear like the fluid you drained off. The vet did test some of her brownish fluid and it was full of bacteria, so maybe since yours was clear that's a good sign. I can't say for sure though.

I am cautiously optimistic, because I've read some of speckledhen's threads and others where the hen is ok for a few months but does eventually pass away (this is the case in internal laying, which I suspect Buttercup is doing since she hasn't laid since last November when she molted). As of now Buttercup seems to be doing ok though so I'm enjoying all the time I do have with her.

How is your hen? Is she laying eggs normally? Any other signs of illness?

 

[poonam]

back @ tamtam — Good to know your girl is doing well. it would make sense that she's lost a bit of weight from not feeling too good. My girls are free rangers and i have noticed that their breast bone protrudes (i'd be worried if they didn't look healthy). so what i'm saying is that maybe it's not too much of a cause for concern, and that she'll recover.

Eve is doing ok too. She is active, eating, drinking, roaming, but a little more lethargic than the others. I can imagine she's feeling sore because of the 16 gauge needle poking.

I totally feel you on the cautious optimism. I am paranoid about what the underlying cause is too. I don't think it's internal laying (she lays about 3 eggs a week). She does not seem unusually hot, so im hoping there is not infection. Ascites does have a few different causes (heart failure, kidney damage, liver damage or fatty liver, too much salt in the diet). I've also read some who have been drained and live on for a long time. so i'm trying not to be too negative about it

Also I believe ascites is a totally different thing from internal laying - i guess they could have both, or one causes the other, but i think that ascites can exist on it's own.

good luck! I'd love to know a month down the line how your girl is doing.

Poonam

 

[tamtam84]

@terryg - Definitely there is a reason why fluid is building up like you said. I fear in my case that it is due to internal laying for which there is no cure. gallusdomesticus replied to this thread saying her hen's ascites was caused by fatty liver disease. She says congestive heart failure can also be the underlying issue.

Your post was very well written. It is hard to make the decision on if it's time to put an animal out of its misery. Buttercup is still roosting, eating, drinking, pooping, running and pecking around like normal so my decision is that she's good for now. That's not to say that in a couple weeks or months I might have to make a hard decision, but for now she's doing ok. Like you mentioned, when she can no longer roost or doesn't want to eat anymore, I'll know I need to do something.

I don't think draining her and giving her antibiotics will cure her since I think she is laying internally, but I want to prolong her life (as long as it's a good quality of life) as long as possible. I'm praying for a miracle that maybe the underlying cause isn't internal laying and she will live a long, happy life, but I'm not expecting that. I have prepared myself for the worst and am just enjoying her now while she's here! Thanks for the well wishes

 

[tamtam84]

@poonam - Good to hear Eve is doing pretty well. Buttercup was lethargic and a little slower than normal for a few days after we drained her but she has since perked back up.

Seems like a good sign to me that Eve is still laying eggs. I know if they stop laying that's one way to tell when something is wrong. Seems like you've done your research and know a lot about this stuff!

Like you, I'm trying to think positively because there are cases where the hen lives years with this and just needs to be drained every 5-6 months. You never know with chickens!

I'll definitely update this thread as time goes on. But if I don't reply in a while remember that no news is good news!

 

[tamtam84]

Update - Buttercup is doing well! The fluid has not come back and she is acting like her normal self. However, she still hasn't started laying so I'm worried about EYP/internal laying. Only time will tell I suppose but she seems happy at the present.

@poonam - How is Eve doing?

 

[calvincoop]

I have 2 hens with egg yolk peritonitis as well. they've been inside for over a week now. If she's on antibiotics the best thing you can do is supportive care which is making sure she's still eating and drinking. you can give her some pedialyte if you Feel she may be a bit dehydrated. also try to keep her warm, I know that sound funny considering she has a fever but that's what my vet told me. I hope she gets better! Remember chickens are very tuff animals.

 

[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.