Chicken Salpingectomy:help!

[Zoechickengirl]

Hi all!

My sweet hen has been having recurring problems with laying eggs and our vet recommended that she get a
Salpingectomy(chicken
hysterectomy). Unfortunately I don’t have the money($3500) to get this surgery for her right now I am posting on here because I wonder if maybe someone has had a Salpingectomy done on one of their hens and may know if there’s a more inexpensive vet in my area (nj/philly area) who performs this procedure. She’s such a good girl and she really deserves the best care. If anyone knows of anyone please let me know! It would be VERY much appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's a bit crazy considering how short some chickens lives are. On average mine live 5-8 years. I could not justify that expense on any critter. Good luck in your search, and welcome to BYC.

 

[azygous]

I believe this "vet" is scamming you. Or you are trolling us. There is no such thing as a chicken hysterectomy since they lay their eggs and incubate them outside their bodies. Therefore, they do not need a uterus, removal of which is called a hysterectomy.

Hens can get an ovarian implant to prevent ovulation, though. It can be very pricey, and it needs repeating throughout the remainder of the hen's life. Perhaps this is the procedure your vet is talking about.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Looking online, even in large metropolitan areas like LOS ANGELES, California, the ovarian implant is around $1500. I believe the vet is scamming or gouging you. As azygous pointed out, chickens don't have a uterus. The Los Angeles price is outrageous, so imagine my shock at the quote your vet gave to you.
In any event, this is a HIGH RISK surgery. Chickens don't generally tolerate anesthesia well, and she could die on the surgery table. Only you know the value of her life TO YOU, and whether or not you can afford this type of RECURRING expense.
If she were my hen, I'd keep her comfortable as long as possible and when her quality of life becomes poor, I'd send her off to the rainbow bridge.
Praying for you and your feathered family as you make the heartrendingly difficult decision on whether to pursue this line of treatment, or not.

 

[Zoechickengirl]

Hi all,
What I meant to say earlier was that she needs a Salpingectomy. It’s basically a hysterectomy for birds. The implant option was brought to my attention by the vet and that was what my original plan but unfortunately we were not told from the beginning how temporary it is and because of that it is not doable She is a young hen and I’m really just trying to give her the best shot I can.
Thanks

 

[Ebony Rose]

She is a young hen and I’m really just trying to give her the best shot I can.
Thanks

Please know that I have complete empathy with your situation, I had a young hen that I thought was a 'late bloomer' as one of her sisters started laying at about 6 months, another sister started at about 7 months... but my hen never laid a single egg. She had suffered a respiratory infection as a young chick, perhaps 4 months old, and apparently she was full of infection from it (their pus is hard, cheesy, or rock-like). By about 9 months old, I started getting really worried, she'd still not laid an egg. Long story short, she hid her discomfort well until very close to the end, when I sent her to rainbow bridge. Upon performing a necropsy on her, I discovered she was absolutely full of pus, and possibly cancer of the ovaries. I swore then that I'd pay much more attention to who is laying, who isn't, and not let my wishful thinking ('oh, she's just a late bloomer') get in the way of my common sense ever again. We'd pulled her through some bad times and I had grown attached to her.
I felt like sharing this, so that you'd know that some of us here at BYC really DO KNOW what you're going through.

 

[Zoechickengirl]

Please know that I have complete empathy with your situation, I had a young hen that I thought was a 'late bloomer' as one of her sisters started laying at about 6 months, another sister started at about 7 months... but my hen never laid a single egg. She had suffered a respiratory infection as a young chick, perhaps 4 months old, and apparently she was full of infection from it (their pus is hard, cheesy, or rock-like). By about 9 months old, I started getting really worried, she'd still not laid an egg. Long story short, she hid her discomfort well until very close to the end, when I sent her to rainbow bridge. Upon performing a necropsy on her, I discovered she was absolutely full of pus, and possibly cancer of the ovaries. I swore then that I'd pay much more attention to who is laying, who isn't, and not let my wishful thinking ('oh, she's just a late bloomer') get in the way of my common sense ever again. We'd pulled her through some bad times and I had grown attached to her.
I felt like sharing this, so that you'd know that some of us here at BYC really DO KNOW what you're going through.

I am so sorry for your loss I really appreciate your kindness in this situation It can definitely be a challenge with chickens sometimes.

 

[Zoechickengirl]

That's a bit crazy considering how short some chickens lives are. On average mine live 5-8 years. I could not justify that expense on any critter. Good luck in your search, and welcome to BYC.

Thank you! I do wish I was here in better circumstances.

 

[aart]

Salpingectomy

Removal of fallopian tubes, possible for chickens.

There is no such thing as a chicken hysterectomy since they lay their eggs and incubate them outside their bodies.

Removal of uterus.
The shell gland is also called the uterus...so possible also for chickens.

Agrees that the price is an 'I don't really want to do this job' amount.

 

[sunrise.superman]

Having worked for veterinarians as a vet tech for 29nyears, and pre-vet in school, this definitely sounds like a vet pricing themselves out of a procedure or exotic treatment they don't want to bother with. Many don't want to possibly tread on toes by point blank saying they can't or don't want to treat a patient, but in my experience, just coming across as greedy or gouging even if it's not from a greedy place, is a huge backfire.