could my hen have had a heart problem?

[erin32]

Last night my 15 month old Brahma hen suddenly started having trouble breathing... she went purple in the face. She wheezed, gasped, and gradually went limp. After about 30 minutes of this she died. I looked & felt for an airway obstruction, couldn't find anything... I called a vet but they had no advice to give so I felt helpless.

She was acting like her normal bossy, squwaky self all day. This happended so suddenly. Last fall she had a bout of Coccidiosis that she was cured of thanks to a trip to the vet. Does this sound like heart failure? Could her illness have left her in a weakened condition? Should I medicate my other 2 girls in case she had something contagious? Missing my Brahma girl already

 

[sourland]

What you have described sounds very much like a heart attack. If your temperatures are anything like ours have been, this ma have been a factor.

 

[erin32]

It has been warm, in the mid-80's here in Portland. Nothing too extreme. But she was a big chicken with lots of feathers and she did tend to pant more than my other birds any time it was hot out. This is my first flock, it never occurred to me that chickens may have heart problems (of course now it makes sense, any animal could have heart issues)... Thanks for the reply.