Ascites?

[Eddie12109]

Hi,
My hen has started to show a water belly. She is 7 years old and is very healthy besides this. first, could her water belly be a sign of something else or is it automatically ascites because her only symptom is that her belly is squishy and you can tell it has fluid in it. she has also had symptoms of a respiratory problem but seems to be better but you can still hear her breathing. she hasnt laid an egg in a long time so i know that it has nothing to do with an egg. i need help because i dont know if i should wait until her belly is completely filled with fluid to drain or should i do it now when it is still relatively squishy? i dont want to accidentally kill her, i would rather wait until it is filled so it can be more easy to drain. any opinions on what i should do?

 

[Eggcessive]

The main causes of ascites or water belly are heart failure, liver disease, reproductive problems, and cancer. You can disinfect the lower belly and insert an 18 gauge needle under the skin to try and withdraw some fluid. This is not without risk, and it may need to be repeated at intervals. In post 42 of this thread there are some good pictures of draining an abdomen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

Here are some videos:

 

[Eddie12109]

Should I wait to do this until she is completely full or do it when she is still squishy?

 

[Eggcessive]

I posted another link of a thread with pictures on my earlier post. If she seems uncomfortable, walking like a penguin, or is having labored breathing, it may help her. If she is doing okay and getting around well, it might wait. Can you post any pictures of her abdomen?

 

[Eddie12109]

I can tomorrow but you can see that her leg feathers are kinda puffed out which makes her butt area look big. I noticed that today she was eating normally but she laid down quite a bit. She also isn’t sleeping in her normal spot but instead in a lower spot. But last time I had to deal with ascites I didn’t know how to stop her from draining out after I took the needle out. Would you know how to close the wound without using tape or any band aid because I’m scared she might peck at it.