Did I puncture my chickens air sac and kill her?

[Jayden Owens]

I attempted to drain my chicken of her second case of egg peritonitis (first time she was drained by a vet and recovered enough to lay eggs again) she had some fluid build up again. I managed to drain only a little fluid before the syringe slipped out. Before I could try again she almost immediately started gargling like she had fluid in her lungs. I knew immediately I did something really wrong. Within a couple minutes the gargling got worse and she started coughing and heaving and fluid was coming out of her beak. As fast as she started gargling, she did the death rattle and was gone.



My only conclusion is that I punctured her air sac and it caused fluid to fill up her lungs and she drowned internally. But why did it cause her to pass so fast?

 

[AinaWGSD]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost a pullet the same way and it's a terrible thing to witness.

You did not cause this. One of the things ascites (fluid build up in the abdomen) does is cause fluid to back up into the lungs and heart. The fluid was already there, the needle did not cause it to fill up. She passed quickly because her lungs (air sacs) were already filled with fluid before you attempted to drain her.

When I lost my pullet the same way it was the stress of trying to give her a pill that pushed her over the edge. I did attempt to drain her after she started gurgling to relieve the pressure/fluid but it was already too late.

 

[GoosesGeeses]

Sorry for your loss

 

[thecatumbrella]

I'm so sorry, Jayden. You were trying to help.