Egg bound or something else? Urgent

[Gwhite3678]

I have an almost 3 year old white leghorn who I found this morning walking like a penguin and a bit puffed up but still eating.
The last 2 nights she has been in the nest box when I went to close up the coop but has not laid an egg. She was still acting normally until this morning however.

I now have her in a crate with food water and gave her a crushed tums with yogurt and a warm soak

Her abdomen feels squishy and swollen her vent is also swollen and pulsating like she’s trying to push out an egg.

I am going to soak her again with Epsom salt this afternoon and see if I can feel an egg.
I have coconut oil to lubricate the vent area.

What else should I be doing?
Does this seem like she’s egg bound or something else.

Thanks so much!

 

[Gwhite3678]

Update:
I cannot feel any egg in her
Her abdomen is very swollen and skin appears to be purple
She now is having difficulty standing and walking

 

[coach723]

Is she pooping? Do you know when she last laid normally? A reproductive problem is not uncommon at her age. If the bloat feels water balloon like then it's likely ascites, which is fluid in the abdomen, usually from a leaking liver. That can be caused by various things, cancers, organ failure, heart or lung issues. If it's a very hard abdomen then that can mean infectious material building up inside from salpingitis or internal laying. If she's able to poop then they are usually not egg bound. You can give a calcium citrate +D once a day if you suspect she's having trouble laying (600mg) to help with contractions. It won't hurt anything short term, but if it's a more serious reproductive issue, it won't help. I have seen birds that were egg bound far enough up that they could still pass droppings. Sometimes egg binding can cause pressure on nerves that can cause leg paralysis, if the egg passes then that usually resolves. Sometimes it's not known for sure what the issue is until necropsy, symptoms can be very similar. The swollen, purple abdomen to me, means a reproductive problem is likely and has probably been going on a while. They are very good at hiding symptoms until things are advanced.

 

[Gwhite3678]

Is she pooping? Do you know when she last laid normally? A reproductive problem is not uncommon at her age. If the bloat feels water balloon like then it's likely ascites, which is fluid in the abdomen, usually from a leaking liver. That can be caused by various things, cancers, organ failure, heart or lung issues. If it's a very hard abdomen then that can mean infectious material building up inside from salpingitis or internal laying. If she's able to poop then they are usually not egg bound. You can give a calcium citrate +D once a day if you suspect she's having trouble laying (600mg) to help with contractions. It won't hurt anything short term, but if it's a more serious reproductive issue, it won't help. I have seen birds that were egg bound far enough up that they could still pass droppings. Sometimes egg binding can cause pressure on nerves that can cause leg paralysis, if the egg passes then that usually resolves. Sometimes it's not known for sure what the issue is until necropsy, symptoms can be very similar. The swollen, purple abdomen to me, means a reproductive problem is likely and has probably been going on a while. They are very good at hiding symptoms until things are advanced.

Thank you for responding:
Abdomen is soft and balloon like
She has not pooped since I brought her inside this morning
I think she last laid about 4 or 5 days ago but I’m not 100% sure with that.
Should I continue with the warm soaks? She wasn’t really even holding her up when I last did

 

[coach723]

If she's that ill, I would not soak. The chance of her being chilled or becoming hypothermic is too high. Sick birds can easily become hypothermic. You can put bath towels in the dryer to warm them, and then roll them up around her to warm her and relax her.
But you can still try the calcium if she'll swallow. And if she's swallowing I would try to get some warm fluids in her orally. Room temperature or slightly warmed. Make sure she doesn't aspirate, go slowly or tube them to prevent that. If she's not able to hold her head up, then it sounds like she's very ill, and may be past saving. If she will swallow you can try the calcium and fluids orally, if she isn't swallowing, then you would need to tube them.
Without seeing her, and feeling her abdomen, I can't say for sure what I would do. If her abdomen is full of fluid then they generally don't recover. The fluid can be drained, which sometimes makes them more comfortable for a time, but it recurs. And draining does carry some amount of risk. Too much, too fast can cause shock, which can be fatal. But many do it and it sometimes helps for a time. There are youtube videos on how to do that, look for draining water belly in chickens.

 

[Gwhite3678]

She actually seemed pretty alert this morning I was very surprised but not moving around basically just laying on her side I did pick her up to look at her abdomen and she is making a gurgling noise when breathing

Should I attempt to give her fluid with crushed up calcium ? Unsure if she will eat going to make some oatmeal and see if she will peck at that

Should I just be keeping her as comfortable as possible at this point till she passes or should I be trying something else?

 

[coach723]

How much to do for her is entirely up to you. The gurgling could be from liquid coming back up from the crop and getting into the airway. Check her crop to see if it's empty, hard, full, soft and squishy, etc. If her crop is not emptying properly, that can be another sign of a reproductive problem, digestion can slow or stop. If that's the case then giving fluids or foods will just sit in the crop and not pass. And making it fuller will worsen things coming up. That can lead to aspiration pneumonia. If her abdomen is very bloated, and filled with fluid, then I would consider her terminal and it's only a matter of time. Sometimes you can give them some time, but it can't be cured and they will eventually pass. If you feel she's suffering, at that point it's a reasonable decision to euthanize. I can't make that decision, I can't see and assess her condition, so am making recommendations based on description here only. Vet care can be an option even if only to get more detailed answers before making a decision, but many don't have access to a vet that knows anything about chickens or will see them, and the cost can be high sometimes. I rarely treat birds anymore that have reproductive problems, I leave them with the flock until they are obviously feeling unwell, stop eating or drinking, isolate themselves, or get attacked by flock mates, then I euthanize. Birds hide symptoms really, really well, it's a survival instinct. So if a bird is acting sick, they are usually very, very sick.

 

[Gwhite3678]

How much to do for her is entirely up to you. The gurgling could be from liquid coming back up from the crop and getting into the airway. Check her crop to see if it's empty, hard, full, soft and squishy, etc. If her crop is not emptying properly, that can be another sign of a reproductive problem, digestion can slow or stop. If that's the case then giving fluids or foods will just sit in the crop and not pass. And making it fuller will worsen things coming up. That can lead to aspiration pneumonia. If her abdomen is very bloated, and filled with fluid, then I would consider her terminal and it's only a matter of time. Sometimes you can give them some time, but it can't be cured and they will eventually pass. If you feel she's suffering, at that point it's a reasonable decision to euthanize. I can't make that decision, I can't see and assess her condition, so am making recommendations based on description here only. Vet care can be an option even if only to get more detailed answers before making a decision, but many don't have access to a vet that knows anything about chickens or will see them, and the cost can be high sometimes. I rarely treat birds anymore that have reproductive problems, I leave them with the flock until they are obviously feeling unwell, stop eating or drinking, isolate themselves, or get attacked by flock mates, then I euthanize. Birds hide symptoms really, really well, it's a survival instinct. So if a bird is acting sick, they are usually very, very sick.

Thank you for all your help. Fortunately this is the first major illness I’ve had to deal with

 

[coach723]