Ascites

[KentuckyRooster]

Unfortunately just discovered one of my elderly serama hens has a belly of water. I pulled off what I could. Very textbook ascites, pale yellow fluid. Her breathing is less labored now. This has been developing for quite a while and I knew something wasn't right- the fluid has just presented as of today (maybe yesterday, I didn't do a full body on her yesterday).
I just want to make sure there's nothing I can do to extend her life, and give her quality of life. Otherwise I am going to probably have to say goodbye tomorrow.


This hen is a pet, so try to be sensitive. I love her very very very much and losing her is going to kill me. I raised her from a chick and she's the daughter of my favorite roo Bebeep.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your little hen. If you do put her down, I would get a necropsy by your state vet, or do one yourself at home. Ascites can be caused by several things, including cancer, egg yolk peritonitis, liver disease or fatty liver, and heart failure. When I did a necropsy on my 10 YO bantam hen last year, after she died of ascites, she had some tiny egg-shaped fluid filled sacks inside her belly. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Sorry about your little hen. If you do put her down, I would get a necropsy by your state vet, or do one yourself at home. Ascites can be caused by several things, including cancer, egg yolk peritonitis, liver disease or fatty liver, and heart failure. When I did a necropsy on my bantam hen last year, she had some tiny egg-shaped fluid filled sacks inside her belly. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

She's quite old for her breed. Unfortunately it's just.. time, I'm afraid. Serama are not very long lived even compared to regular chickens (this was caused by breeders trying to produce as many as possible after the import and a plague in the breed) and it's not unusual to lose these guys at only a year or two of age. She is well over 3 and rounding on four. Her father is rounding on five and doing really well still bless his little soul, but roosters tend to live longer because they don't lay eggs. Egg laying is so taxing on their lil bodies.


I may ask my vet to take a look..I'm hoping with pulling the fluid I did off she can have some more comfortable pleasant days. I don't think I'll be able to euthanize her myself- this is my beloved pet, it'd be like killing a dog. so I'll have the vet do it and maybe he can look and see what happened.

 

[Aunt Angus]

She's quite old for her breed. Unfortunately it's just.. time, I'm afraid. Serama are not very long lived even compared to regular chickens (this was caused by breeders trying to produce as many as possible after the import and a plague in the breed) and it's not unusual to lose these guys at only a year or two of age. She is well over 3 and rounding on four. Her father is rounding on five and doing really well still bless his little soul, but roosters tend to live longer because they don't lay eggs. Egg laying is so taxing on their lil bodies.


I may ask my vet to take a look..I'm hoping with pulling the fluid I did off she can have some more comfortable pleasant days. I don't think I'll be able to euthanize her myself- this is my beloved pet, it'd be like killing a dog. so I'll have the vet do it and maybe he can look and see what happened.

I'm so incredibly sorry. My birds are beloved pets, too. I can empathize completely.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

I'm so incredibly sorry. My birds are beloved pets, too. I can empathize completely.

Thank you. I have birds who are utilitarian and things are different with those, but the seramas- they are very beloved pets. They're companions that know their names and hop on my lap for a pat. They're not just chickens.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Update, she's actually doing really well now with the water off so that's good and hopeful she can hang in there.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad that she is doing better. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Glad that she is doing better. Let us know how she gets along.

I will. I'm glad she is still enjoying life, because that makes me feel a lot better.

 

[krissyweso]

Hi! Any update on your girl!?

My little three year old baby girl silkie has water belly, too. She was (and is) eating and drinking and acting normally, but we noticed she was having labored breathing and brought her inside the other night. Then, on the 23rd, we noticed her wide legged stance and felt how her belly was bloated and squishy. So, my husband and I drained her (she had the pair yellow liquid, so I'm confident it is water belly), and her breathing almost immediately improved. She leaked out of the hole (I used such a small gauge needle because it was all I had. I was surprised.) for like a day, and she's pretty much empty except that she's got a little sack near her clavicle.

I know ascites is caused most often by heart failure, and I know that's not a great diagnosis, but I'm wondering if you or anyone has any experience or outlook on how long I can count on having her around if I keep treating her? If she wasn't acting so normal, I would put her down, but she literally went to my parents' house for Christmas Eve with us today and hung out, ate, drank, walked around, and was a wonderful guest, so I don't want to put her down if she can keep feeling fine with specialized care. I'm fine with her living inside, also.

Any thoughts or info on how your story panned out would be appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

@krissyweso ascites can be a result of heart failure in broilers, but in layers, it also may be from a reproductive disorder, liver disease, and cancer. Most of the time we won’t know until after death when you or the state vet can perform a necropsy and examine organs. It is common for the fluid to continue leaking even from a small needle hole. It usually stops within hours. Each case is different, depending on the cause, and how advanced the disease is. My 10 year old bantam died about 3 weeks after the first draining. I have found ascites in many chickens when I did a home necropsy.