Chicken has a swollen, tight abdomen and she pants at night. Help!!!!!!

[casportpony]

Oats will sometime get hung in the digestive track. Ive also heard of other things getting lodged. She needs plenty of water and sometimes it will pass thru but usually nature takes it course

Water is key.

-Kathy

 

[Gomerpenny]

Thank you Kathy,
She is ok, I have started yogurt with DE
Also garlic clove and acv water.
I'm putting yeast infection meds on their bottoms.
If its not better tomorrow I'm going to get a 18g needle ti drain it.

Thank you for asking.

 

[Blue Gaint]

Water is key.

-Kathy

 

[Blue Gaint]

If she isnt drinking hold her beak open and drop water a lil at atime giving her time to swallow between drops.Pedylite or gatoraide will help with dehydration

 

[casportpony]

If she isnt drinking hold her beak open and drop water a lil at atime giving her time to swallow between drops.Pedylite or gatoraide will help with dehydration

Tubing fluids is safer and more effective since you cannot get enough into them with drops.

-Kathy

 

[cafarmgirl]

These birds often also benefit from antibiotic's if it looks like they have peritonitis. We have dealt with this condition here a lot unfortunately and I have to say I've developed a pretty dim view of treating these birds. Initially we treated with antibiotic's for infection and drained them as needed with the help of a very good avain vet. But those measures are only a bandaid and do not cure the underlying cause, the fluid always returns with time. There is always something serious that is causing the ascites and none of those things are good. Anything from internal laying, heart/circulatory or other major organ problems, cancers, all can cause ascites. Sometimes the fluid becomes infected, sometimes not. Some birds die quickly, others can survive for months with the condition as Kathy mentioned. Draining them does make them vastly more comfortable and can extend their life depending on what's causing it. But the end results are always the same and I have not liked what I've seen these birds go through as they progress. These days when I see a bird developing these symptoms I keep a close eye on her and put her down sooner then later. They suffer in silence and deal with a lot of pain in an attempt to look normal long before they ever show their discomfort to us so I prefer to end it before it gets to that point.

 

[casportpony]

@cafarmgirl , you're right, the draining is just prolonging the inevitable. Some may live another year, some just days, but it does always end the same way.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Thought I should mention that draining should only be done if one is 100% sure that the swelling is liquid as other things can look very similar and trying to drain in those cases could cause death.

-Kathy

 

[cafarmgirl]

Thought I should mention that draining should only be done if one is 100% sure that the swelling is liquid as other things can look very similar and trying to drain in those cases could cause death.

-Kathy

I agree 110%. I'm not a person that is good with needles anyway so I get a little twitchy thinking about people sticking needles into their birds unless they know exactly what they are doing, how to do it, and what the problem is for sure. But if it can be done it does help their comfort, in the short term anyway. This is just such a crummy condition to have to deal with, both for the bird and the owner.

 

[SweetJoy7]

Our hen might have had the same thing. We were gone for a few weeks nd when we came back, She was all better!!!!!! God bless you