Gapeworm or respiratory illness

[amd5252]

Hi all- This is my first post but I have come to this site numerous times for advice. I'm still pretty new to the chicken game and these ladies are giving me a run for my money. I have 3 and live in Southern California. They mostly stay in their coop/run but on occasion I will let them out to free range for a few hours. Yesterday I noticed a very slight gurgling sound coming from one of them. By the evening it was more noticeable and this morning it seems to be louder still. Up until this morning, she was interested in food. I'm not seeing any discharge from anywhere and her comb/wattles look pretty good. Her posture looks a little off and she seems puffed up. She's doing some kind of sneeze/cough thing. Her poops this morning (at least I think they are hers, it's under where she was roosting when I checked on her about 9p last night but I guess it's possible they were playing musical roost bar in the night) were darker and kind of more yellowy than the other. I have ordered some SafeGuard which will get here tomorrow. I'm worried about her - the poor thing looks miserable. All she wants to do is stand in the corner. Thanks in advance for any help. I have attached a video where you can hear the gurgle and around the 12 second mark she does a sneeze/cough thing.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=794557645005457

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Her sneeze/cough makes me think something is stuck in her throat or nostrils. You can check her nares and have someone hold her while you open up her beak and check for any mucus or yellow/white plaques. I've never dealt with gape worm, but it doesn't look like what I'd expect with that and the time frame seems too fast.

Yellowy poop could just be from her diet (eg too much corn) or yellow urates/urine can be a sign of a liver problem. How does her crop feel? Any swelling/squishiness in her abdomen between her legs and under her vent?

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Also welcome to BYC

 

[amd5252]

Her sneeze/cough makes me think something is stuck in her throat or nostrils. You can check her nares and have someone hold her while you open up her beak and check for any mucus or yellow/white plaques. I've never dealt with gape worm, but it doesn't look like what I'd expect with that and the time frame seems too fast.

Yellowy poop could just be from her diet (eg too much corn) or yellow urates/urine can be a sign of a liver problem. How does her crop feel? Any swelling/squishiness in her abdomen between her legs and under her vent?

Hi and thank you for your reply. My husband and I just went to the coop and checked her out. She is still gurgling and her throat looked pretty clear. I think we scared her - she was gasping a lot so I didn't want to stress her out too much. Her crop feels pretty empty but my husband said she didn't eat much dinner. Her abdomen/vent/legs actually does feel pretty squishy. She has been very sporadic with eggs for about the last 9 months or so. We found her in our front yard a couple years ago so I really have no idea how old she is. Thanks again!

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Her abdomen/vent/legs actually does feel pretty squishy.

That sounds like ascites. Fluid can build up in the abdomen due to various other issues (liver, heart or reproductive problems usually). Ascites plus yellow poop makes me think it's a liver problem. Fluid buildup can cause difficulty breathing by increasing pressure on the lungs, heart, etc.

The fluid can be drained off with a needle and syringe to make the bird more comfortable, but it's not a cure and how long it lasts and how much longer she can live depends on the root issue. Normally I do recommend draining, but since she already has trouble breathing you need to consider whether the stress of the procedure might be too much for her to handle.

 

[amd5252]

That sounds like ascites. Fluid can build up in the abdomen due to various other issues (liver, heart or reproductive problems usually). Ascites plus yellow poop makes me think it's a liver problem. Fluid buildup can cause difficulty breathing by increasing pressure on the lungs, heart, etc.

The fluid can be drained off with a needle and syringe to make the bird more comfortable, but it's not a cure and how long it lasts and how much longer she can live depends on the root issue. Normally I do recommend draining, but since she already has trouble breathing you need to consider whether the stress of the procedure might be too much for her to handle.

Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to her on Monday. I took her into the vet and they said she had a lot of fluid on her lungs and also in her abdomen. They took a sample from her abdomen and thought she probably had some kind of cancer based on the big angry cells they saw under the microscope. I did not want her to suffer any more than she already had so I put her down. She was my first chicken and it breaks my heart. I really appreciate all your help - thank you so much! I still have 2 other ladies so I'm sure I'll be asking more questions.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to her on Monday. I took her into the vet and they said she had a lot of fluid on her lungs and also in her abdomen. They took a sample from her abdomen and thought she probably had some kind of cancer based on the big angry cells they saw under the microscope. I did not want her to suffer any more than she already had so I put her down. She was my first chicken and it breaks my heart. I really appreciate all your help - thank you so much! I still have 2 other ladies so I'm sure I'll be asking more questions.

Sorry for your loss. It's tough even when there is nothing that could have been done, but you did your best for her.