Bloated Chicken - We think she's backed up with eggs, what to do?

[Judy]

Quote:
Just read where dlhunicorn said this is not a good idea, it can cause them to have sort of a reverse peristalsis, pulling the egg back up. Don't believe I would do this except as a last resort.

 

[sbyrne137]

She's had a bath now and is now sitting on a towel on top of a heating pad. She seems much more comfortable although she still hasn't passed anything since the small egg. But her breathing had slowed down, she's not pushing or working at anything though. We don't know whether this is because she's more comfortable now or because she's giving up - here's hoping for the former.

We've got her in the garage for the night instead of out in the coop with the rest of the girls, she doesn't seem bothered by the change of scenery.

We've got bread with a mashed tums in front of her now, she's just grabbing the bread and holding it, not actually eating it.

 

[jjthink]

From the sounds of it, I'm concerned that this poor girl is already in an emergency situation. That she is just laying around and does not wish to eat says to me that she is in major league trouble. I hope the baths work but if not, my sense is that she'll need other intervention fast. Any possibility fo an avian vet to get her through this immediate crisis and then you'll know what to look for in the future to catch a problem like this sooner?

You mentioned the passage of a soft shelled egg - there may well be more in there - they are hard to pass. It seems impossoble but I had a hen - Betty - who in one day passed 4 eggs that were all backed up - and messed up. If your girl cannot get the eggs out she will die. Re: the Tums, crush in a small amount of water and with a dropper gently and slowly drip along her beak line so she swallows on her own and doesn't choke.


JJ

 

[dlhunicorn]

ditto on the avian vet... the vet can show you how to drain the fluid (ascites often accompany reproduction problems) and you can purcase the syringe needles from them at the same time... might even give her an injection of the calcium gluconate (the TUM is an emergency substitute for that > found that tip in a veterinary magazine).and considering your description I would just bet that the vet will also give an injection of baytril against sepsis/peritonitis from the broke egg inside her which is what I understand is the common AB for that.

ETA: re PERITONITIS (which is not a "type" of internal egg laying) is
an inflammation (often severe) of the lining of the body cavity and can be associated with several conditions > when it is associated with internal layer it is called "eggyolk peritonitis/egg peritonitis" read about it here:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/205804.htm&word=egg,peritonitis

Has your bird been ill recently or over the winter period? read here:
(peritonitis and reproductive/egg problems associated/following Avian pneumovirus infection)
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206300.htm

 

[Judy]

A vet would be best, of course. I should have mentioned it. It's just that for so many people it's not an option so I didn't think of it.