Egg yolk peritonitis

[Elizabeth talpes]

Hello chicken friends it’s a sad day our head of the flock Susan a white leg horn that’s about 2-1/2 years old now has come down with something. Her abdomen is swollen and slightly tough not squishy like my other girls and she has started walking like a duck. We have had her inside for two days now and we soak her in epsom salt every day for a good half hour or so. The first bath we found a flystrike right about her vent ( when a fly lays it’s eggs in the skin around a chickens vent or where their are feces and it is unclean and maggots eventually crawl out of the hole near her vent) we were able to remove all of those and she has been on two pills of Enrofloxacin and she seems to be doing a little better but not by much but she is definitely not any worse. She sleeps right up next to a heater and occasionally will eat a small treat of meat and veggies boiled together so they are soft. She hasn’t laid any eggs which is expected I just don’t know what more to do. Any help is greatly appreciated. Our sweet Susan

 

[Sally PB]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

Any help for this sweet girl?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her abdomen is swollen and slightly tough not squishy like my other girls and she has started walking like a duck. We have had her inside for two days now and we soak her in epsom salt every day for a good half hour or so. The first bath we found a flystrike right about her vent ( when a fly lays it’s eggs in the skin around a chickens vent or where their are feces and it is unclean and maggots eventually crawl out of the hole near her vent) we were able to remove all of those and she has been on two pills of Enrofloxacin and she seems to be doing a little better but not by much but she is definitely not any worse.

Can you get some photos of the wound too?

The poor dear, was she laying eggs consistently before she became ill?
Likely she does have a reproductive disorder if her abdomen is swollen and she's waddling. Just to make sure nothing else is going on - is she pooping and have you felt inside her vent for an egg (about 1-2").
Can you tell if the abdomen is tight like it has fluid in it or would you say it would be more firm like she has a mass.

The Baytril may help with inflammation and infection. Sadly if she is having reproductive problems you are doing what you can for her (unless there's fluid that can be drained). Supportive care, trying to keep her hydrated and eating a little - then wait and see if she pulls out of this for a while.

I lost my 4 yr old Leghorn this year to reproductive problems, unfortunately your Susan's comb looks like my Krissy's did a few days before I put her out of her misery. It's the pits when these little sweet birds are not well and you are doing all you can for them.

 

[Lizzy733]

Walking like a duck sounds like egg binding. Does she brace herself when you feel her abdomen?
Liquid calcium is a good first point of call if you suspect egg binding as it helps with muscle contractions. Epsom soaks can help if you've conditioned your hens to like baths. If not, it could stress her out and tense chickens don't pass eggs. She'll need a quiet secluded place. Warmth can help - like a heating pad placed under a large towel, but you don't want her so hot that she's panting.

Generally, with reproductive infections, you get some puss passing with stool or lash eggs... I've had periodontitis in a reptile before, only salpingitis in a hen and she was much paler than your girl.

Any other symptoms you've noticed? Stool quality etc...?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. Was her flystrike due to droppings caked around her vent, or did she have any wounds on or around her vent? With her tail down posture, a reproductive disorder sounds likely. Sometimes we cannot pinpoint the exact cause until a necropsy after death is performed, either by the state vet or done at home. I would continue to give her supportive care, offer nutritious foods and water often, keeping her warm, and separated so that she doesn’t get picked on.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Poor Susan. She doesn't look like she's feeling too well. I can't offer advice beyond what others have suggested, but I can offer positive vibes and empathy. She sounds like a lovely hen who is very lucky to have you!

 

[Elizabeth talpes]

I’m sure the flystrike was from her feces being caked on her bottom she had no other problems that we noticed but she is still bloated and it feels more like a tough water ballon. I attached an image of what her vent looks like after three days on 2 5mg pills of enrofloxacin and it looks as if she has a mucus like fluid building up around her vent which she didn’t have the past few days. Her crown has gotten a little more upright in the front and she seems to be able to hold herself up a little more correctly but we are not getting our hopes up. Should we drain her with a needle and syringe or should we focus on making her comfortable and think about her time ending. She relaxes when we soak her in the tub she just about falls asleep in our hand and we have been soaking her every other day or as needed and keeping her warm with a space heater. Her poop seems normal but she definitely is not pooping or eating as much as she should be and the blue tint on her feathers is from an antibiotic ointment I put on her flystrike after we removed all the maggots.

 

[Sally PB]

Hoping for the best. Hugs. Thank you for taking such good care of your girl.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You could try draining to see if that brings her relief. A lot of people do that, sometimes it helps and other times it doesn't.