!HELP! Call is into vet, need suggestions til then!!

[CowgirlHC]

One of my daughters barred rocks we raised from peeps for Easter has been kind of sneezing and coughing lately, sounding kind of gurgly. With the weather, it doesn't surprise me. Then today, we were setting up our little internal pen inside our main lot to introduce our austrolorps and I noticed her back side looking awkward. I picked her up and OMGOSH! She has bright red, stringy blood coming out, and what looks like a prolapse? I'm a cow/horse person with a degree in pre-vet, but didn't focus a lot of poultry. Is a prolapse even possible? She is really young, only 7 months probably and was laying daily! What's worse is the gagging smell! It's not your normal chicken poo smell, which she has a lot of loose poo stuck to her soft feathers around this "thing", too, but wow! I have the worlds strongest stomach with animals and I could've lost it! What is going on with my poor girl?! And of course, she's my daughters absolute FAVORITE hen! Please tell me there's something I can do for her :-( Vet should be calling any time, but I know how busy they are too.

 

[earlybird10842]

Bumping this post back up to the top of the forum. I heard about prolapsed vent somewhere... maybe try looking that up on BYC.

 

[chicknmania]

yes, it's possible. And it's a serious thing in a hen. there's lots of info on here about prolapse, and there are ways to correct it, but it is not easy. And she might have something else going on, that's related to the prolapse. We've only had one hen prolapse in the seven years we've had chickens, and we culled her, I couldn't stand to watch her suffer. If she's a favorite, I'd get her to the vet asap. There's a vet list on her too, of vets that treat poultry. Good luck.

 

[chicknmania]

As far as what to do for her, you could try washing off the prolapse and her vent and everything with warm saline, and just keep her in a clean, dark, quiet place, til you can reach the vet.

 

[CowgirlHC]

After posting this and STILL waiting on my vet to call back, I did more research. It sounds like a very small prolapse stemming from her being in high egg production. I've read a couple different things, both starting with cleaning and disinfecting the prolapse and surrounding area. And, with gloves of course, gently using your fingers pushing it back in. One post said slather with preparation H before reinsertion and again after inserted to reduce swelling, the other said slather in honey, wait 15 mins and it will cause it to shrink, then put it back in. Honey sounds awkawrd but hey, if it works I guess it's worth it! I already have in a a cool, dark and quiet place and it also said limit her diet to wheat and water. What kind of wheat are they referring to? Or does that even matter?

 

[casportpony]

After posting this and STILL waiting on my vet to call back, I did more research.  It sounds like a very small prolapse stemming from her being in high egg production.  I've read a couple different things, both starting with cleaning and disinfecting the prolapse and surrounding area.  And, with gloves of course, gently using your fingers pushing it back in.  One post said slather with preparation H before reinsertion and again after inserted to reduce swelling, the other said slather in honey, wait 15 mins and it will cause it to shrink, then put it back in.  Honey sounds awkawrd but hey, if it works I guess it's worth it!  I already have in a a cool, dark and quiet place and it also said limit her diet to wheat and water.  What kind of wheat are they referring to?  Or does that even matter?

Sounds like you're doing the right stuff, but I would not have her in a cool place. She should have access to a heat source if she's not in a warm room. Not sure about the wheat... I just know that feeding much less stops their egg production. I've treated two prolapsed with success, but I found them before infection set in, which might be why your hen smells so bad.

 

[chicknmania]

Yeah, the sneezing, coughing, gurgly and smell symptoms are not good. That sounds like it might be ILT or some other infectious disease. Is she still doing that? Any eye discharge,
nasal discharge, swollen eyes? Sneezing, coughing and gurgling are not symptoms of a prolapse. The prolapse might be secondary to whatever else is going on. And if she has ILT, you have a very serious issue that needs to be addressed quickly and it is not curable with antibiotics.

 

[chicknmania]

How is she now?

 

[casportpony]

Yeah, the sneezing, coughing, gurgly and smell symptoms are not good. That sounds like it might be ILT or some other infectious disease. Is she still doing that? Any eye discharge,
nasal discharge, swollen eyes? Sneezing, coughing and gurgling are not symptoms of a prolapse. The prolapse might be secondary to whatever else is going on. And if she has ILT, you have a very serious issue that needs to be addressed quickly and it is not curable with antibiotics.

DId I miss a post that said something about sneezing, coughing an gurgly? What post number was it? Feel like I'm losing my mind, lol.

 

[casportpony]

DId I miss a post that said something about sneezing, coughing an gurgly? What post number was it? Feel like I'm losing my mind, lol.

Doh! My bad... Guess I was tired last night.