help! thick yellow pussy stuff!

[jeannieo]

My araucana has had a swollen belly for about a week now. I've been calling vets and getting "there's nothing we can do for her." According to BYCers there is something to do and that is to drain the abdomen. I got a 16 gauge needle, cleaned the bottom of the huge bulge with alcohol and inserted the needle and gently squeezed the "bag" a bit and got nothing but about a half a tablespoon of thick yellow gooey stuff

. Is she going to die? I mean I know she will some day, but is her death immiment? I inserted a finger in her vent to see if I could feel an egg but since this is the first time I've ever done this I didn't know how far to insert the finger. She didn't seem to mind it but I did get the impression that she wanted me to buy her dinner!

I'm sort of flying by the seat of my pants here (as my beloved late mom used to say). Nothing like on the job training! I've got her in the house now. Should I give it another go? She also didn't seem to mind the needle either. Can someone PLEASE help me??

 

[jeannieo]

Oh and BTW, I am FREAKING out here!

 

[chickenzoo]

A Quote from BYC member Ruth ......"If it feels "liquid" and feels like a water balloon, it is probably Ascites, a filling of fluid. I have a hen who had it and looked like your picture. She had gotten so bad she could no longer walk. I was going to put her down but then decided I had nothing to lose by trying to drain out whatever it was.

I drained her "balloon" using a regular needle and syringe and got out a cup full of clear water. I placed her on a stack of folded towels in a bin and she continued to drain for an hour and soaked the towels. After that she was as good as new. I had to repeat the draining about every three months but haven't had to do so in several months now so maybe she's over whatever was causing it. Through it all she continued and continues to lay an extra large brown egg every day. She's a two year old Black Sex Link.

I did learn that if I used a needle with a large syringe I wouldn't have to stick her as many times but she actually never seemed to mind or feel being stuck. She would even eat/drink if I put food/water in front of her while I "drained" her. Just insert the needle in the bottom of the baggy part hanging down - there are no vital organs or anything you can hit"

I have also herd that feeding Flax seed and lowering the protein in the diet can help too.

 

[abanjaf]

Quote:
Being a "people" nurse and not a chicken nurse, I can say that ascites is a clear, straw-colored (serous fluid) that in people is usually caused by issues with the liver. It is not an infection (although can be caused by infections to the liver). However, if you've drained "thick yellow gooey stuff" that sounds more like an abscess, an area of localized infection that is draining pus. In people, an abscess is lanced and drained (and sometimes irrigated/flushed out with normal saline), covered up and kept clean and also placed on antibiotics. However, I can in no way say if this is what's going on with your chicken In people, all surrounding hair would be removed to better visualize the skin (is it red, raised, firm, or hot). I don't know if the chicken experts on here advocate removing the feathers to get a better view at what's going on down there. Hopefully some of the experts will chime in, a picture might help.

 

[jeannieo]

well, it's 9:40 PM and "Annie" is tucked in for the night in the cellar next to the furnace. She looks comfy. She does not have any feathers on the swollen area and it is red. So she might have an abscess? Well, that's kind of scary. She doesn't seem to be in pain and she is acting normally. I can't find a vet who will treat chickens except for one bird and animal hospital but when I took my sweet girl Audrey there last fall for a variety of reasons, they gave me a low ball "estimate" of about $300 and on the high end, about $800. I hated to do it but felt that $800 (and I know that is what it would be, at least) could buy a heck of a lot of chicken feed for the good of the whole, so I reluctantly had sweet Audrey euthanized. Should I try draining again tomorrow? She's a good girl and I would hate to lose her but my resources are very limited and can't justify spending maybe hundreds to save one. I am not going to act impulsively, I will wait a while and see what develops. I hope someone out there can give me some guidance. thank you!
I will post a picture tomorrow.

 

[chickenzoo]

In chickens it appears as yellow milky egg residue that has leaked into the body cavity. I have a hen that i have drained before and she is still with me after a month. I lowered her diet and keep an eye on her but so far she is still in good spirits.

 

[jeannieo]

Quote:
How did you drain her? I have 16 gauge needles, no syringes. the guy at TSC told me to just stick it in and leave it and "help" by gently squeezing. I did that but just got that yellow gooey stuff. Should I try again today?

I'm also giving her a little scratch and some parrot mash I made for my other birds

. It has tons of stuff in it mostly whole grains, beans, veggies, fruit etc. very healthy stuff!

 

[chickenzoo]

You want that yellow gooey stuff out, that is egg remnant stuff that causes infection... I'm not an expert on it so I don't know the proper terms and full explanations, just that it is what causes the problem. I would drain her when ever you can and when it looks like she is getting uncomfortable from it building up. Keep her on a low protein diet and give a antiboitic to help fight off infection.