Can you kill a chicken by draining their fluid?

[chickieshealing]

My chicken was really filled with fluid. The vet drained about 20 ounces of fluid out of my D'uccle...it was a lot!!! She seemed fine after, but then on the ride home she went into seizures and died. I wonder if she would have lived if they only drained half of it? Can a chicken die from draining too much fluid? Thanks

 

[dawg53]

Hens with EYP die eventually. Sorry for your loss.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/362422/drained-a-hens-abdomen-rest-in-peace-olivia-11-5-10

 

[unicornia]

I am sorry to hear that you lost your chicken. I just lost mine two days ago, when I took her to the vet. She died on the exam table, in a seizure of some kind while they were holding her. She was also filled with fluid, she had ascites. It was pretty tragic to witness. And so sad, because I was taking her to the vet with hope that they could help her, and, in fact, they (accidentally) killed her.

I have read that handling a critically ill bird can push them over the edge and cause them to die. And I have read, that so could draining. I think any intervention for a bird that is just holding on could kill them.

Kathy/Casportpony just posted that a hen of hers died in her arms while she was draining her: (beware, very graphic pictures, but it made me feel better to see how bad egg yolk pertonitis is. It didnt matter if you drained all or half of the fluid, no bird would live through this
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...scites-and-eyp-very-graphic-necropsy-pictures

20 ounces doesnt sound like a lot, thats almost 600 ml, and I have regularly seen pictures of people draining 500, 550 ml. I will post the link if I can find it.

Its very painful to lose a beloved pet, I know! It seems to becoming less painful, and I seem to be letting go of some of the guilt. My friend said to me, "Her physical body took her as far as she could go."

Take care,
Allison

 

[unicornia]

ps

here is a picture of 500 ml being drained:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/526089/egg-yolk-peritonitis/30#post_14999101

 

[ernie85017]

Draining off too much fluid can send them into shock. The vet should have known better.
It works the same for people.

 

[enola]

Ascities will kill her, when her body is finished trying to live, it does not matter who is trying to help her.

Her death was in no way the vet's fault, it was not any one's fault,

Sorry for your loss.

 

[ernie85017]

Yes, she would have died anyway. I don't understand why/how they get ascites. In people ascites is the result of liver failure. How can so many chickens have liver failure?

The "sister" of my girl who died just recently is just fine, so it doesn't seem to be that some pre-set longevity timer when off in Big Mama.

 

[enola]

Ascites in chickens is also caused by liver failure. I also wish we knew why so many chickens suffer from it.

I suspect it is a genetic issue.

 

[unicornia]

Well, just looked it up, and ascites can be caused by lots of things including: liver failure, heart failure, cancer, and internal laying.

From MedLine (for people):
Quote:
Well, that makes sense, then, no? Egg laying hens, when egg whites contain high levels of albumin, will suffer ascites from being depleted of albumin. So, the question now, is can you replenish ablumin as preventitive health?

 

[casportpony]

Draining off too much fluid can send them into shock. The vet should have known better.
It works the same for people.

That has not been my experience. The ones that have survived being handled long enough to get prepped have survived for at least a week after, none have died or gone into shock after having all of the fluid drained.

-Kathy