Egg Peritonitis

[heartsandwings]

My 4 year old ISA brown got diagnosed with egg peritonitis about 5 weeks ago.
I have had 3 hens with this condition before- all who have passed away within 3 weeks of diagnosis.
She had the usual symptoms- lethargy, fluid in abdomen, not laying, bluish comb.
So we took her to the vet to get drained and they took out a substantial amount of yolk.
We had her on antibiotics for a bit but it was really stressing her out having us force them down her throat twice a day so I decided to stop because she was going to die anyway. We got more chicks as our silkie was going to soon be the last one left.
After I stopped the antibiotics she began to improve- getting a lot more active- her appetite is back, she is running around, and there is not much fluid in her abdomen. Her comb is mostly red, it goes blue when she sits down too much.
I am very confused because just the other day she laid a perfect egg. She had been laying eggs without yolks (bantam sized) for a few weeks but stopped all together about 6 weeks ago.
Just yesterday she laid a perfect sized egg, no lumps, a yolk was there.
I am incredibly confused.
I know that this disease is incurable sooo...
Have you heard of chickens laying eggs with egg peritonitis?

 

[azygous]

I would say you either have a wonderful miracle or a misdiagnosis.

Either way, the bottom line is you have your hen back!

 

[micstrachan]

Wow. Lucky, lucky you and her! I am so very happy for you.

 

[rebrascora]

So we took her to the vet to get drained and they took out a substantial amount of yolk.

I don't understand this part of your post? Did you see them remove yolk and if so how were they removed? Normally the fluid associated with ascites and internal laying (EYP)is clear, often straw coloured fluid, not yolks, which usually become solidified and float above this. It is generally not possible to remove the yolks other than via surgery, which is very risky and expensive.
It may be that draining her reduced the weight of the mass in the abdomen and has allowed the ovary and oviduct to realign and yolks are now transferring normally into the oviduct again.

Or it may be that the ascites (water belly) was not due to internal laying or EYP and as suggested by @azygous, it was a misdiagnosis.

 

[heartsandwings]

The fluid was quite yellow. It has been for all my chickens with this issue.
I am just reciting what the vet said.
She had a red, upright comb though. Slightly blue on the tips from time to time- but still uncharacteristic for the amount of fluid.
It also decreased by itself after some was drained.... (went from slightly hard to normal....)
The vet said most likely egg peritonitis however could be something else.
I'm now thinking something else!
Thanks

 

[rebrascora]

She certainly looks very well in that photo. I hope her recovery is long lived.

 

[heartsandwings]

She certainly looks very well in that photo. I hope her recovery is long lived.

I hope so!

 

[Eggdance]

I hope so!

How is your chicken doing? One of my 4 year old Golden Comet is having possibly egg peritonitis. She is on antibiotics for the past 4 days and is not getting better. She completely stopped eating since she is on the med. we have been force feeding her a little bit everyday. I may stop the antibiotics tomorrow also.

 

[micstrachan]

What makes you think your chicken might have peritonitis? Does she have ascites? When was the last time she laid an egg? Have there been any soft shelled eggs?
I had a girl who was diagnosed last year with EYP. She had laid a few soft eggs, and had a couple shell less eggs break inside. When I brought her to the avian vet early on a Monday morning, she had declined rapidly over the weekend and was near death. The vet drained a significant volume of yolk-looking fluid from her abdomen and diagnosed her with EYP. However, upon inspecting the fluid under a microscope, he said the cells looked more like inflammation and not infection. Regardless, he put her on IV fluids with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and lavaged her abdomen with warm, sterile saline. His prognosis was “guarded.”
I slowly nursed her back to health, and she had a few more happy months, but she eventually succumbed. I just made sure to cherish the special moments while she seemed to be feeling good, enjoying her life, (foraging in the yard and pecking at the puppy. LOL). My point is, IF it is EYP, she has a difficult (and expensive, if avian Vet care is an option) road ahead of her. You might consider just making her as comfortable as possible or even ending her suffering. I’m so sorry.

 

[micstrachan]

I should also mention, hormone implants to prevent laying could be an option. We did this, but the second dose was difficult to time and I believe it was too late. For now, I highly recommend you keep her in the dark most of the time to prevent (possibly internal) laying.