Dr. Z. saved my girl!

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i had a young hen who prolapsed badly. The egg actually came out, but completely wrapped up in live tissue. My vet debated putting a purse suture in, but we were able to do without it. My understanding is that the suture is up inside, and the vent isn't stitched closed. i near about fell off my chair when i read that might have been what your vet did. But it sounds like that isn't the case.

i kept my hen inside our house in a hutch, in a room that didn't get very much light. i kept the hutch 3/4 covered with a towel. The most light she got was a little bit of television light in the evening. Kept her there for two weeks. Fed her normally, but with good stuff like scrambled eggs, yogurt, regular chicken food. After putting her outside, it was probably another 3-4 weeks before she laid another egg, and that came out fine.

Hope all is going well with your hen. Keep us posted.

Oh, almost forgot to say, you may want to ask your vet for some metacam for your girl for the pain. My vet always prescribes that when my chickens have injuries or illnesses.

 

[chkn]

That's one reason why I recommended jury be out for a week because I'm not sure the vets are too sure what they are doing. I can't see those sutures staying in too long. Maybe they're the type that disintegrate after a week or so? It's hard to believe they poop and lay eggs out the same hole!

 

[TheBantamPrevails]

Quote:
I second the metacam. I'm glad the hen is on anti-biotics, but if metacam can be had, great. If my insides had been messed around like that, I would be glad to have aspirin more than nothing at all, but I would prefer to have metacam. That was one thing my vet sent home with us. I got lucky because she was an avian vet doing a shift at the regular emergency vet office.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Before i found a good chicken vet, i went to an avian vet who walked into the room with a big book of chicken illnesses tucked under her arm, and kept leafing through the pages as i explained my chicken's symptoms. Man oh man, that did not inspire confidence!

 

[jeannieo]

Thank goodness for BYC! I tend to be a nervous nelly and panic when I think things aren't quite right. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR VARYING VIEWPOINTS and of course all of your expertise. Now that I've had a chance to read all your answers and keep an eye on Coco, she really seems to be doing OK. the vet actually DID NOT totally suture the vent closed. After closer inspection, it looks like a stitch on either side of the vent with an opening in the middle from which poop is dribbling. Speckledhen, she was breathing open mouthed this morning but it was after my botched attempt at getting antibiotics into her. Right now, she appears to be resting comfortably. Does anyone think I should clean up her back end or just let her rest for today? She has quite a bit of runny poo stuck in her normally beautiful fluffy butt. She has water and some plain non fat greek yogurt if she wants it. I have a call in to the veterinary clinic and their avian vet is supposed to call me back after she reviews Coco's chart from yesterday. (not Dr. Z. who BTW, I do have confidence in even though it sounds like she screwed up. I suspect it sounded like that because of the way I described things.) I am feeling better about the whole situation and am praying for her full recovery as I know you all are!

thank you again, ALL of you!

 

[welasharon]

Yes but at least looking in the book would be better than just guessing! Hope you and your hen do well

sharon

 

[jeannieo]

Quote:
Oh, and I have an appointment Tuesday morning to have sutures removed unless I take them out before!

 

[TheBantamPrevails]

Quote:
It always makes me feel better to do that, like I am tending to the critter. If it doesn't upset her, you could clean her a little, but I don't think there's a rush. And I wouldn't go to great lengths to clean her up right now, since it will be quite a task to get all of it and your work will be undone until the stitches are out. If she enjoys your handling, go for it. I was surprised how my ordinarily sassy and standoffish bantam hen seemed to like to rest in my lap when she was covering.

 

[speckledhen]

the vet actually DID NOT totally suture the vent closed. After closer inspection, it looks like a stitch on either side of the vent with an opening in the middle from which poop is dribbling.

Thank goodness! I was very worried about that--it wouldn't have made any sense at all if that had been the case!

Hope she recovers without incident and maybe she won't lay an egg till those sutures are out/dissolved.

 

[jeannieo]

oh, the poor girlie! I just went to give her her evening meds and Prep H. I got most of the meds down her beak this time, just a little bit on me but when I went to do the Prep H, her poor butt is absolutely COVERED in poo

. I took some fairly warm wet cloths and held them to her butt and tried to gently get some of it off and then carefully dried and put the hair drier on low for a minute. I think it's a little better, a tiny bit less messy but boy! does it stink! and it can't be comfortable! She's not eating ANYTHING and I am really worried. Should I be? AND the so called avian vet who was supposed to call me back never did and it's 8:15 PM so I highly doubt she will call tonight!