Chicken wih severe worms(?) / use of Wazine

[marshajoy]

We have a chicken with that we believe has worms.

She's a Buff Orpington, somewhere between 2-4 yrs, and she looks miserably distended and swollen in the stomach. She tries to walk, but she has a hard time, waddling from one leg to the other with the heavy weight of her distended belly. She is eating- a lot-- but mostly seems miserable. She is isolated in a crate (I'm trying to tend to her and give her regular nurturing) and I often find her with her eyes closed, sort of rocking back and forth. Her droppings are watery.

She was brought in from the flock about three days ago... I think she seems to be feeling worse than she did then.

I've been giving her water w/ cider vinegar, and sometimes drops of molasses, as I read that could be a natural "flush" worm treatment. It doesn't seem to be making a difference so far.

We have Wazine here, and I wondered if I could treat her with that. I read somewhere that it's not for sick birds, just a preventative, and I also read that it's only for roundworms, which may not be the type she has. But I am eager to treat her because she has such a severe case and seems to be suffering badly from it. Is it okay if I give her some Wazine?

Please help us, myself and "Bean" (the hen)!


Marsha

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Where exactly is she swollen? I just want to make sure you have ruled out crop issues or egg bound. (If she does not have worms and is very sick. deworming can cause a lot of stress). You said swollen in the stomach but chickens don't really have a stomach so I wanted to make sure it's not the crop.

 

[marshajoy]

Thanks for responding.

You're right-- I thought "stomach" sounded off! I'm not sure what to call that part, but I don't think it's the crop. The crop is closer to the neck area, right? The area swollen on her is the underside of her body, right above her rectum, i guess. It probably is the part she would keep an egg in? From where her legs are and on back. It is so distended, even between (above) her legs, she has trouble walking.

The farmers here have an autopsy from a chicken that had similar symptoms awhile back, and it says, "remarkable swelling of the abdomen... caused by accumulation of fluid in the ceolomic cavity." It says "the oviduct was greatly distended by masses of yellow-tinged caseous material... several tiny tapeworms were seen."

It also says she was "infested with tapeworms," but that is not the actual focus... mostly it emphasizes "inflammation of the oviduct." We took that as being caused by tapeworm, but perhaps not.

Is such an inflammation similar to being "egg-bound?"

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Egg bound is when the egg gets stuck inside the chickens abdomen. It can cause swelling and discomfort and lots of health problems. If she is egg bound you might even be able to feel the stuck egg when you press on her.

Here is a good thread about it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/32648/what-does-egg-bound-mean

It could very well be worms. Just wanted to make sure.

 

[marshajoy]

that's helpful, thanks.

i am confused by all the possibilities it seems it could be. i'm researching all i can, and i'm finding lots of good information, but i'm so overwhelmed by it all, i'm not sure how to sort it out.

a post on being egg-bound noted, "eggbound seems often to be confused with internal laying and/or salpingitis, as well as plenty of other problems,"-- and that's exactly my conundrum.

Salpingitis seems like a very likely possibility, especially since the autopsy of a previous chicken in her flock lists that.
Any tips on how to differentiate between Salpingitis (inflammation of the reproductive tract) and being egg-bound?

Thanks,
Marsha