Eggbound hen - am I crazy to pay a vet $150?

[Pollitollito]

Do not feeel bad last week i just paid $260.00 to a vet to do some analisis to one chicken and one turkey! even if they are chickens it doesnt matter, they are your pets!, its like a mutt dog you adopt without any cost, its a mutt but its your pet!

 

[ace6175]

Chickenlady08, what a picture! Glad the surgery worked out for your chicken. I think it's too late for surgery for Avril at this point the egg is probably stuck to her tissue.

 

[chickenlady08]

Quote:
Has the vet xrayed her? vet seemed to think she could just go up through the vent and bust the egg and pull it through. Imagine that! pulling that 2 lb lb mass through the vent.

I think I would at least try it if I were you. Please dont' give up I know you will do everything to save her.

I have to take her back soon to have the procedure done again because she is laying internally again. Now I will insist on a hysterectomy. She said the oviduct looked fine. Well she must gonna be prone to it I guess. The funny thing is is that my hen has laid an egg since the surgery it must be a flaw she may have and where she is a Delaware I am going to do it again. Should not cost as much because the xray wont' need to be taken again and that was 110.00. I thin that is outrageous to charge that much exp for a chicken.

Good luck and I will be praying for Avril and hope she can have the surgery and save her.

 

[ace6175]

Chickenlady,
My vet isn't too keen on doing the surgery, don't think he wants to do it. He did initially, but I don't think he can go through her vent now, 2 months ago I gave her an "exam" and couldn't feel the egg through her vent anymore. It's been 4 months since she was first eggbound. I think the surgery would be too complicated, the egg must be stuck inside her now. Avril is still doing fine, so I don't want to put her at risk from anesthesia.
I'm glad you have such a good vet who can do surgery. Hopefully your vet can do a hysterectomy to keep this from happening again.

 

[chickenlady08]

ace

I wish that there were chicken vets in every vet's office. It does seem so unfair to not have somebody to treat our small feathered friends. To be quite honest I am not sure when my hen started laying internally. I had to put her into a seperate coop because the roosters were really loving her and she was a mess. Missing feathers and she had a cut from the spur. So I immediately started giving her antibiotic in her water and kept her in her very own cage. I did not notice the bulging abdomen at first and so when I did I started researching what it could be. I felt no egg inside but it was just a firm taut belly. I was totally making a guess of what it was when I took her to the vet. The vet seemed to think I was full of myself I think that I diagnosed her "properly". I kinda like to be able to do that (not to be cocky or smarty pants) But looking at the xray it definitely showed an egg in there. Not 2 eggs but just one. Vet seemed to think that the first fully shelled egg just got stuck and so that is where it all began.

I would call the vet and ask if they would do the surgery. they have to operate on a cat and they are small. They do surgery on "toy" sized dogs so he should do it. As far as I know it could have been 4 months or so before my hen had the surgery.

And? another thing my hen was so strong and fiesty and the vet said that was a good sign for her to recover.

Didn't you say Avril was strong and fiesty? then that should be a plus on yours and Avril's side to aid her into getting better.

I have a Red Star hen that has the egg peritonitis (sp) and I took her to the vet and there was no egg just lots of fluid. there is nothing we can do for her. So she put her on Lassix and in time she will fill back with the fluid and eventually die

(. this is one think that I can't get used to with having chickens is them dying before their time. So not fair.

I wish you lived close by and then the ver here would do the surgery for her.

Oh and guys I have yet to find a suitable name that fits her. Can you guys come up with a name for her?

thanks
Lisa

 

[BWchicken]

Wow chickenlady08, that picture is amazing, I bet having that mass out was a great relief for your poor hen. That would have killed her if it wasn't removed. I think you're right to insist on a hysterectomy so she doesn't have to go through this again. She's lucky to have you taking such good care of her.

Ace, Baby is doing well. She acts fine and has a great quality of life! She's been back with the flock for awhile now and she's a perfectly normal chicken. The gaping fits still happen, but they're infrequent and mild. I don't know why the spontaneous improvement, or how long it will last, but I'm grateful. And now believe it or not, I currently have my two buff brahma bantams in the house with bumblefoot! They each have it in both feet and I'm trying soaks in an antibiotic dip for fish (tricide-neo) that I read about here on BYC. I really hope it works, because the only other treatment is to cut into their feet and dig out the infection. I'd hate doing that. I would let the vet handle it but he'd want to sedate, and we know how I feel about that.

I just can't catch a break lately. It's been one thing after another. First was Bertha's sudden death, then Ginger's death, then Flyer's distended crop, then RoosterMan's scaly legs, then Sadie's impacted crop, then Baby's gaping, and now Grace and Honey have bumblefoot. Everyone says my chickens must be the best cared for in all of Texas, but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing something wrong even though I know I really do take excellent care of them. I guess it's just part of having chickens. I love them so much and they're worth whatever I have to do to keep them healthy. Once the bumblefoot is taken care of and this insane heatwave ends, hopefully we will be on easy street again! Well I'm just rambling on, sorry.

Anyway, keep me posted about Avril when you can. It's possible that this far down the road surgery might be too risky if not impossible for her. And you're right, anesthesia is always risky for birds. She's still alive after 4 months and living normally so she's a special case. Is your vet an avian vet? I don't think Avril's an internal layer like chickenlady08's hen, but we know she has one shelled egg stuck and calcified to her shell gland. I'm guessing her body has been able to successfully 'wall off' that egg inside her. Maybe that's why the vet thought the surgery was too risky? He would probably agree to do an x-ray though, to see how things are looking now. Let me know what you find out about the Luprin. I hope I never need it, but I'd like to have the knowledge just in case. And I appreciate your kind words but you don't have to thank me for caring about Avril! After Ginger's ordeal, I just can't help having a soft spot for Avril, she's an amazing girl and I am always happy to hear about her.

 

[chickenlady08]

BW - you are so right when it rains it pours. I have had my moments when I think is this what my poor chickens have to live with all the time. I have had Bumblefoot before and at the time I hadn't heard of the tricide neo medicine to soak their feet in. It was 2 Red Star hens that suffered from it. I was so creeped out about performing the surgery on the 1st one. My hand was litterally shaking but I could not beleive the amount of junk that I got out of the foot. I had to go in again on both girls because after I had dug and dug I felt I was only doing harm so I stopped and let it heal and put bands around their legs to tell them from the rest. I also took them to the vet to see if I had done a good job where it had come back again. Well one I had done well and the other I left something in there and she dug out the stuff. She did use anesthesia and got both her feet straight for me. I think that if the vet is experienced with chickens they should know how much is enough to sedate them. She did just fine and is happy again with nice feet. I had a rooster that was only like 4 months old with Ricketts and he was babied for 3 months to a perfectly healthy boy. And he is a beauty. Then I have had issues with the spurs cutting my chickens backs and meds for that and seperation. Then my hen with the internal laying. Then I have just had an episode with sour crop with my 2 month old BO. and now I have to have my poor girl that is internally laying again have surgery again and want hysterectomy this time so she won't have to worry about it (and me either) again. I also have a Red star hen that has egg pertonitis (spelling is wrong) and there isn't anything to do for that. Not to mention that I have had 2 of my hens die this summer (my Isabella a silver spangled hamburg) and Nellie my favorite Delaware.

And thank you for your kind words. I love my girls and my boys and I am totally obsessed with taking the best care I can for them. My husband and I don't see eye to eye on their care. He feels like 'put food and water and they are fine" Not in my book. He also says I need a life. And my reply is "I have one and I love it thank you very much!"

I am sorry to hear of your losses and your heartache and here is to having better health for all of our girls and boys.

 

[BWchicken]

chickenlady08, did you actually cut their foot pads? I'm not sure I understand exactly what's under the scabs? I don't see why you'd have to cut the foot if the scabs leave a hole? What did your chickens feet look like, were they limping? My birds aren't limping but have scabs on both footpads, one's scabs are fairly large but there is very little redness and hardly any swellings. The scabs are starting to loosen a bit after 2 days of tricide soaks. What exactly is under there? A hole? No hole? I've read so much about bumblefoot, but still don't fully know what to expect once I pull the scabs off. Can you give me the detailed details? I'd be grateful.

And your story of chicken woes made me feel better. Not that I'm glad you've had problems, not at all! But I feel better knowing I'm not the only one going through it. Misery loves company I guess. It gets hard sometimes but they are my babies and they're so worth it!

 

[chickenlady08]

Quote:
Your right misery loves company. Wish you lived closer by. Can't seem to find anyone close by here!! but oh well. I have met some really nice folks on here and that in itself is awesome. thanks!

Ok I have to take my dog to the groomers to get a haircut. But I will try to tell you what I had to do for the Bumblefoot.

I bought an exacto knife (or a craft knife) from Walmart. I also got sterile gauze, saline, betadine, neosporin (without the pain meds in there), got vet wrap from my vet, scissors, Epsom salt to soak before starting the surgery. I got lots of gauze because if you get any of that pusy stuff on them you don't want to use it to wipe the foot off if it is bleeding. I also got some gauze wrap to put over the gauze pad with the neosporin and then wrapped it with the vet wrap.

I put epsom salt into a bowl to soak before surgery. this helps loosen the scab and pull it off. the sacb still may need to be picked off and what i did was use my exacto knife to pick away the edges and If you are lucky you will have a 'plug' that comes out with it and what that is is a hard pusy kernel attached to the scab. But I didn't have it on all of mine. I used the knife to cut the tissue away from the scab. If there is no plug then you have to go inside the hole. It will be a hole but you won't be able to see to the bone because there is still tissue in there. I have since bought hemostats to help pull the junk out. Tweezers don't work all to well or at least mine didn't. I also squeezed the foot pad and surrounding tissue and that stuff kept popping out of the hole. If you have hemostats you may not have to squeeze as I did. I just kept digging and digging until I felt like i had gotten it out. YOu are supposed to go in the foot for like 3 days but after day 2 I didn't want to bust open the foot again if I felt like I had gotten it all out. I will tell you the first time will be the hardest and just take your time.

Oh and I used a towel to cover the chickens head and she went to sleep and really didn't squirm much at all unless I squeezed a whole lot. I used the saline to rinse out the wound. I also used a blow torch to sterilize the exacto knife, tweezers, scissors, and if you have hemostats then do those to. After I was finished with the surgery I used the saline to clean the foot really well. I then used steril gauze to dry it off, then I applied the neosporin and packed it into the hole. then used a sterile gauze pad, and then wrapped it with the gauze wrap then the vet wrap on top of the gauze.

I know this is abbreviated but if you have any more questions please PM me.

I have some errands to run after I drop the dog off and I will get check on here when I get back. I hope this helps you at least a little way or hopefully it helps you to understand it better.

and my girls weren't limping. when you get the scab off it will have a possibly hard core which looks like cheese cause it is like a swiss chess color, if it is soft it will be stringy looking and this is the stuff you have to pull out. It comes out in strings and is like sring cheese or melted chesse from a grilled cheese. (makes you not want grilled cheese anymore doesn't it)

You can do this. You will prob need someone to help hold the girl in the towel and then to help hold the foot steady.

You can do IT!!!

Lisa

 

[ace6175]

Update - I finally talked to the vet about Lupron for Avril. He said it might be an appropriate treatment to stop her from laying eggs temporarily, though he could find no recommended dosage for chickens. He also said she would stop laying in the winter when the days were shorter (he's never had chickens!). At this point, all my chickens will be molting soon - they are starting to look pretty scraggly. I'm still getting eggs, though. And Avril is laying about every other day (soft shelled eggs). So the vet's recommendation is to wait to see how she is doing, if she starts to get worse we could try the lupron. It's not cheap - about $60/shot. And no way of knowing how long it will stop ovulation in a chicken, since they are ovulating pretty much every day. But it's an option to try if she starts to take a turn for the worse.
BW, how goes it with the bumblefoot?