Egg broke inside my girl

[chickengirly616]

Does anyone know anything about this? I took my girl Coco to the vet today and he told me there was nothing more I could do for her. The egg has broken in her entire body. She has been swelled up for about a week now. She's eating and drinking normally but she walks like a penguin. The vet tried draining some fluid but it was getting so thick, it was clogging the tube and it had a bad odor. This was the only procedure he did to Coco other than examine her internally.
I'm not saying the vet is wrong, I just want to try anything I can to save Coco!!!! He suggested me having her put down. Obviously that is not what I want to do! He said she will just go down hill and never be able to return to her coop again. Coco is about 4yrs old. I know chickens don't have a long life span but I'm afraid to have her put to rest.

 

[Teila]

Howdy chickengirly616

I am sorry that Coco is unwell

It sounds like she has egg yolk peritonitis [EYP] which, if caught early enough, can be treated with antibiotics. Recovery is possible depending on the extent of the infection.

Your vet would have done the internal exam to determine whether it was EYP or egg binding. With egg binding you can usually feel the egg.

I had a bantam Leghorn with EYP a few years ago and started her on antibiotics. Sadly I did not pick up the symptoms soon enough and we lost her.

If it was me, I would talk to the Vet some more, ask him why he did not prescribe antibiotics. He probably feels that antibiotics are not warranted with your girl because the infection is too widespread.

 

[chickengirly616]

Thank you for replying to my post. Sadly, Coco passed away that next morning. I sent her to the animal lab near me to have her tested to make sure she wasn't contagious (even bough I knew it was a broken egg) and the results came back today. Not the news I wanted to hear. Coco had a CUP of yolk and fluid free in her entire body. I almost fell to the floor in tears when I read that! That is like 5 eggs! So she was egg bound for quite awhile and I just can't believe I didn't notice until recently. She only started getting sick a few weeks ago and swelling a week ago.

I thought maybe she was just done laying eggs since she is 5yrs old.
The vet did tell me he could send me home with antibiotics but he said it was too late for her since it was in her entire body and to have her put down. I just didn't know it was THAT much!!!!!
I feel like the worst chicken owner ever!!!! This is my first time dealing with this situation so now I know what to look for in case, forbid my other girls have this happen.
RIP my sweet Coco girl

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Thank you for replying to my post. Sadly, Coco passed away that next morning. I sent her to the animal lab near me to have her tested to make sure she wasn't contagious (even bough I knew it was a broken egg) and the results came back today. Not the news I wanted to hear. Coco had a CUP of yolk and fluid free in her entire body. I almost fell to the floor in tears when I read that! That is like 5 eggs! So she was egg bound for quite awhile and I just can't believe I didn't notice until recently. She only started getting sick a few weeks ago and swelling a week ago.

I thought maybe she was just done laying eggs since she is 5yrs old.
The vet did tell me he could send me home with antibiotics but he said it was too late for her since it was in her entire body and to have her put down. I just didn't know it was THAT much!!!!!
I feel like the worst chicken owner ever!!!! This is my first time dealing with this situation so now I know what to look for in case, forbid my other girls have this happen.
RIP my sweet Coco girl

You did everything you could. Chickens are very good at hiding illnesses. So sorry about Coco!

 

[Teila]

Aaaw, hey hon, do not beat yourself up about this!

Because they do not want to show weakness to the rest of the flock, chickens are really really good at hiding the fact that they are unwell and quite a lot of the time we do not see any symptoms until it is too late.

Or, if we do see symptoms they are minimal and make it difficult to pinpoint what might be wrong with them, if anything.

You are a good chicken mumma in that you tried to help her and took her to the Vet etc.

I am so sorry that you lost her

 

[chickengirly616]

Thank you so much for your kind words, @Teila you are sweet! And so right! I didn't even think of her maybe hiding her illness. I guess it doesn't matter what species we have, it's a horrible loss when any of them pass away. They become a part of your family instantly.
The day after we lost her, I had a HEN, lose one of her Spurs. Yes, a hen! She lays eggs and everything. So not sure how that happened but I managed to stop the bleeding and she seems to be doing ok with that!
I tell ya, I wish they could just tell us when something is wrong! Haha!

Thanks so much again!!!!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Thank you for replying to my post. Sadly, Coco passed away that next morning. I sent her to the animal lab near me to have her tested to make sure she wasn't contagious (even bough I knew it was a broken egg) and the results came back today. Not the news I wanted to hear. Coco had a CUP of yolk and fluid free in her entire body. I almost fell to the floor in tears when I read that! That is like 5 eggs! So she was egg bound for quite awhile and I just can't believe I didn't notice until recently. She only started getting sick a few weeks ago and swelling a week ago.

I thought maybe she was just done laying eggs since she is 5yrs old.
The vet did tell me he could send me home with antibiotics but he said it was too late for her since it was in her entire body and to have her put down. I just didn't know it was THAT much!!!!!
I feel like the worst chicken owner ever!!!! This is my first time dealing with this situation so now I know what to look for in case, forbid my other girls have this happen.
RIP my sweet Coco girl

Maybe she was an internal egg layer. Nothing yu could have done for her in that case. Your a good chicken MaMa taking her to the vet, lots of people would not have spent the money. The cycle of life.

 

[chickengirly616]

I didn't know there was such a thing. She's been laying eggs up until maybe 5mos ago. I just assumed she was done or taking a break. Plus if I don't get them in time, the newer birds will peck the eggs open. But hers were a pinkish egg so not hard to miss.
Not sure if anyone can read this but this is what the lab sent back to me....

 

[chickengirly616]

And thank you for your kind words, @Little Fuzzy

 

[chickengirly616]

Thank you SilkiesForEver