Fat bellied 1 yr leghorn with xrays

[TMChickens]

I did take her to an avian vet. He got sick and hasn’t been back to office until Monday. I’m doing what I can until he is back in the office.
Her comb and eyes are bright, she’s eating & drinking and I’ve been holding her for about 2 hrs each day. I think the most miserable part is being secluded. The other chickens visited through the fence but that is as close as they have been. But overall I do not think she is suffering.

 

[azygous]

I tend to agree with @micstrachan that your hen could be laying internally. And after examining the Xray you posted, it does appear that there are egg yolks in the abdominal cavity. Almost always, peritonitis develops due to the yolks being a magnet for bacteria.

This often begins with a stuck egg collapsing, causing an inflammation, then infection. If treated right away with calcium and an antibiotic, a hen has a good chance of recovering and often will resume normal laying. I believe your hen is beyond that stage.

The symptoms you've described, the swollen abdomen, the penguin-like posture, point to her yolks being diverted into the abdomen and she is now suffering from EYP, egg-yolk peritonitis. Whether or not you will be able to successfully treat this serious infection with an antibiotic is debatable.

A good avian vet might be able to operate and clean out the infection and the accumulated yolks in the abdominal cavity, but even if the infection can be cleared up this time, she's likely to continue to divert yolks into her abdomen, setting things up for the infection to return. Yes, you could get her a hormone implant, but you will need a capable avian vet and be able to handle the expense. Without the hormone implant to halt the yolks, she has a poor prognosis.

It was only a month ago that I had to euthanize one of my sweetest , most favorite hens because she had this condition and had reached the end of both of our abilities to deal with it.

 

[Damnation Plantation]

I'm not a vet, but I was an x-ray tech. In my unofficial opinion, I don't see broken egg shells, the colon looks empty. Her abdomen looks very distended, you said her abdomen feels like a water balloon... Does she have difficulty breathing? It looks like a lot between the vertebrae and the sternum. Did they take another xray of her, from front to back?
I guess the best you can do is keep her hydrated and antibiotics. I am sorry, wish I could help more.

 

[azygous]

To determine if a hen is suffering and may be in pain, you want to examine her behavior. A suffering hen will be mute. She will prefer to remain isolated and will often protect herself from the other chickens by facing a wall or corner. A hen in pain will hold her tail low and flat.

The penguin stance indicates significant discomfort at the very least. This condition can affect her ability to breathe, and the penguin, upright posture indicates she is experiencing respiratory difficulty.

 

[Folly's place]

Most animals, especially prey animals, hide signs of pain as long as possible. Nobody with peritonitis, or ascites, feels good!
Mary

 

[micstrachan]

Which reminds me, my hen was prescribed anti-inflammatories (metacam/meloxicam, I think) along with the antibiotics. During one of her rough patches, a different avian vet drained her again and prescribed a different antibiotic along with ibuprofen. Anyone have the ibuprofen dosing handy in case OP wants to see if it brings the patient a little relief?

 

[TMChickens]

Wow. You all have given me a lot to think about. It will be good to hear what the doctor says tomorrow. It sounds like some difficult decisions have to be made.
They only did the one X-ray ($125). She not having difficulty breathing, but definitely exhibiting some of the signs mentioned. So sad.

 

[micstrachan]

Wow. You all have given me a lot to think about. It will be good to hear what the doctor says tomorrow. It sounds like some difficult decisions have to be made.
They only did the one X-ray ($125). She not having difficulty breathing, but definitely exhibiting some of the signs mentioned. So sad.

I’m sorry.

 

[Folly's place]

You are really trying for her, and I'm sorry too.
Mary

 

[Mimi13]

Just wondering. Why must the hen be separated from the flock? Is there anything about her that would cause them to pick at or aggravate/attack her?