EYP

[0iseau]

one of my girls, Mav, recently got diagnosed with EYP. The vet removed as much fluid as he could and put her on an antibiotic.
I caught it early - only a swollen abdomen, no respiratory issues - but have been told that most don’t ever recover.

We’ll be going to another vet who will give another evaluation & talk about possible surgery.

Is there anything I can do to help manage symptoms? She’s been acting fine, if a bit physically slow, but her abdomen is pretty darn swollen (not dragging on ground) and she has a minor cough.
Would warm soaks in the tub help at all?

If anyone has any advice, please let me know.
I have many hard decisions ahead and I just want her to be comfortable even if it means I lose one of my babies.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww so sorry your duck has been diagnosed with EYP. I haven't seen that much here on BYC which is strange but I looked for info and came upon this.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/egg-yolk-peritonitis-in-backyard-chickens it's talking about chickens but would also pertain to all poultry.
Please let us know how she is doing and what decisions you have come up with after the next vet visit.
Hope you can get her feeling good again.

 

[CHlCKEN]

I’ve felt with this in chickens but never ducks. I’m curious to see how it differs.

 

[CHlCKEN]

I haven't seen that much here on BYC which is strange

I’ve never seen someone with a diagnosed EYP bird that they didn’t take to a vet. I’m willing to bet it goes misdiagnosed by those who don’t have vet access pretty often.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’ve never seen someone with a diagnosed EYP bird that they didn’t take to a vet. I’m willing to bet it goes misdiagnosed by those who don’t have vet access pretty often.

Very true Not many of us have access to an avian vet which would be best to get a proper diagnosis.

 

[0iseau]

Aww so sorry your duck has been diagnosed with EYP. I haven't seen that much here on BYC which is strange but I looked for info and came upon this.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/egg-yolk-peritonitis-in-backyard-chickens it's talking about chickens but would also pertain to all poultry.
Please let us know how she is doing and what decisions you have come up with after the next vet visit.
Hope you can get her feeling good again.

Thank you.
I’ll keep y’all updated along with anything I find to help manage symptoms & keep her comfortable.

 

[KaleIAm]

I've had two ducks with it. I was able to take them both to the vet. Unfortunately both of my sweethearts had other conditions we were focusing on and we believed their symptoms were related to those conditions exclusively. Only the necropsies revealed EYP.

I hope you have good results. You might want to prepare to tube feed, your vet can teach you.

 

[0iseau]

Update since we just got back from the other vet:

Mav is doing pretty good. The vet drained nearly 900 mL of fluid and found an arrhythmia.
Our primary vet failed to send over the test results so this vet is running another test on the fluid - because of the arrhythmia he just wants to confirm it’s EYP and not heart disease as it will affect the course of treatment.

The vet also said that it’s better to treat EYP with anti-inflammatories as opposed to antibiotics - if he confirms it’s EYP then she’ll be given some. He’s seemed fairly confident that if it’s EYP then she can probably make a full recovery. Fingers crossed

 

[0iseau]

Update 2:
Confirmed EYP. Starting anti-inflammatory meds soon.

Current notes:
-Symptoms include a swollen, distended abdomen that feels spongey to the touch. Fluids builds up to make the abdomen swell more. Arrhythmia likely caused by fluid buildup. Abnormally small eggs have been laid while abdomen has been swollen likely due to the fluid buildup causing less space. Duck is physically slower due to the extra weight - when fluid is removed duck is back to normal. May noticeably be more fatigued. A slight cough was noticed at the beginning but has gotten less often over time.
-Vet suggests anti-inflammatory meds instead of antibiotics
-Very good chance at full recovery due to how quickly EYP was noticed. Will need to watch for side effects of meds and fluid buildup.

Keep an eye on your girlies - if someone seems to have a swollen belly that isn't the typical "going to lay an egg in the morning", check her out. The sooner you catch it the higher chance of survival she'll have.

 

[0iseau]

This should hopefully be my last post on this subject
We went back to the vet today for a checkup. There's been little to no new fluid and the heart arrhythmia is gone. We'll continue to keep an eye on her and check her tummy regularly.

Mav is going to be completely okay. She's on another round of meloxicam and now starting antibiotics, but that is for a scrape on her foot.
February has been crazy- going from Mav having a few months to live to being healthy has been a wild ride.

Keep an eye on your ladies. Get them used to tummy checks and feet checks. Get used to what a normal belly feels like as well as what a belly with egg feels like. If something feels and looks off, it's never a bad idea to seek veterinary assistance.
EYP does not have to be a death sentence, especially if you catch it early. Don't be afraid to seek second opinions.