Don't think this is Vent Gleet - What else could it be?

[bpilgrim]

Hi Everyone,

One of my Silkies has a problem with her Vent - It's been going on for quite a long time, and nothing I do seems to resolve it. I've been treating for Vent Gleet, but the images I see online of chickens who have Vent gleet generally have wet, poopy feathers near their Vent and it's gross. My Silkie does not have this yucky, wet problem. Instead, it's more like a buildup of fungus/poop/something else on the outside/rim of her vent. Her poops seem normal, she doesn't lay all that much, but when she does, sometimes her eggs are totally fine, other times, soft or shell-less eggs. She is otherwise healthy, eats drinks fine...poops seem normal.

I apologize for the gross photo, but this is what builds up on her rear end. The red is where she starts to bleed where it's attached to her the most...The white is what is concealed under the hard, brown outer later and not visible until I remove the mass. Then in the middle there, is some poop. I don't know if that's her own tissue, or something else. I can keep it at bay if I clean her daily, but sometimes I can't keep up...If I leave it for a few weeks, there's a big buildup again. To remove it, I soak her in warm water, and pull it off. It clearly hurts her when I do this, but no amount of soaking seems to loosen it enough to remove it nicely. She does bleed upon removal, and her vent "rim" appears to have been damaged from this going on so long. It appears to begin to inhibit her ability to poop properly if I don't remove it.

I have tried treating with the following:
• Yeast-infection cream....all different brands - To the point where I thought I solved the problem, but it returned as soon as I stopped treatment.
• Providone-iodine, given on her vent, and squirted up inside.
• Colliodal Silver - given on her vent, and squirted up inside, out it in the water
• Apple Cider Vinegar - In the water
• I treated the flock with Ivermectin for leg mites. It cured the mites, but didn't help Henrietta's vent problem.
• Cream for athletes foot - same thing as yeast infection cream I think.
• Epson salt soaks - more soaks than her or I can remember.

There's probably some other things I've tried that are not listed here...I may have forgotten.

Does anyone have any idea what this might be? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Might be canker... I would try metronidazole... @casportpony what do you think?

 

[Eggcessive]

I wounder if she might have a damaged cloaca or vent. That could occur if she has ever been egg bound, suffered a prolapsed vent, or was pecked around her vent by an aggresor. If you have to always soak her to get this off, it might be better to put her down if she is suffering. Her history of thin shelled or shell-less eggs could be signs of a reproductive disorder, which can lead to egg binding. I haven’t seen this problem before, so hopefully others will offer help.

 

[bpilgrim]

She doesn't appear to be suffering. Everything else about her is normal. If I keep her cleaned up, she seems totally fine, but you are right - I mentioned the eggs because I thought the problem could be stemming from farther up the track.

 

[Ravynscroft]

She doesn't appear to be suffering. Everything else about her is normal. If I keep her cleaned up, she seems totally fine, but you are right - I mentioned the eggs because I thought the problem could be stemming from farther up the track.

What is her feed and do you provide oyster shell on the side?

 

[bpilgrim]

What is her feed and do you provide oyster shell on the side?

She get's a layer crumble, I can't remember the protein %, and I provide Oyster shell, but probably not as often as I should....

 

[azygous]

I've had hens with similar chronic buildup that defied all attempts to treat for vent gleet. What finally helped them turn the corner and improve was administering a probiotic such as acidophilus every day for several weeks.

Vetericyn sprayed on the irritated tissue around the vent following cleaning helps tremendously to heal it. It's important to clean the vent of feces at least every other day until the condition clears up since the acids in the feces are causing additional issues.

Disclaimer: a probiotic may not help in this particular case, but it certainly won't hurt.

 

[getaclue]

To me, this looks more like a case of Salpingitis, or lash egg. While it does not look exactly like the typical lash egg, there are enough similarities to make me think this is what you're dealing with. Metronidazole (Flagyl), doxycycline, or ampicillin are the better choices to try and treat it. Not all 3 at once. Just one. If there is no improvement over time, you can try another. You can order any one of these as fish antibiotics, if you have no other source.

 

[casportpony]

Might be canker... I would try metronidazole... @casportpony what do you think?

Could be canker? @bpilgrim , can you take her to a vet?