HELP TRIED TO DRAIN HEN WITH FLUID FILLED ABDOMINAL... UPDATE- HEN RIP 8/6/12

[Blesser]

Help my hen looks like she is about to die but is holding on as much as she can right now. I tried to remove fluid from her and removed 60cc of fluid but after that her combed turned a dark purple which means lack of oxygen and she is coughing up fluid. I thought she was going to die in a few minutes but she is holding on and as long as she is holding on I am going to help her. The area I removed some liquid looks now like an air sac filled with liquid. It is filling up by the hour and her crop is filling up with liquid also. I thought about just leaving her alone and let nature take its course but it my fault the fluid is filling up, I should have just left it alone, I know it's all my fault but I was just trying to help her. Should I drain the sac tomorrow morning if she is still living? If someone can explain what I did wrong please do and why is there a sac filling up with liquid from the area I syringed the liquid from and why is her crop filling up also? Thanks.


UPDATE- post #7

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/506157/think-that-my-girl-has-ascites-update-chicken-better
You might find this thread helpful. I am sorry I don't have advice for you!

 

[speckledhen]

What is probably happening is that her entire body is filling with fluid, including her lungs. This is what happens with internal laying and cancers. The dark comb is her not getting enough oxygen. I'm sorry, but when this happens, there is not much hope for the hen, even when abdominal fluid is drained. Been there too many times myself.

Another part of system shutdown is that the crop also ceases to function properly. Many people think they are dealing with a crop issue when what they are dealing with is an entire system shutdown and the crop is only the first thing they notice.


I'm sorry to have to gently tell you that she is dying. No matter what you do at this point, all it may do is make her slightly more comfortable, but as bad as she is, they don't come back from it. By the time you get back to this thread, I almost expect you'll tell us she has already passed.

 

[off-grid hen]

I know that lots of people are comfortable with it, but I have never removed fluid from a hen and never will. Too many things can go wrong. Puncturing something else inadvertently, causing more infection, etc. I am not a doctor and not confident with the procedure. I had to put a hen down because of the same thing, and it's not fun, but at east she isn't suffering anymore. I'm sorry you had to go through this.

 

[terryg]

I agree with Speckled Hen. I would euthanized her to prevent further suffering. You might want to read this post: http://hencam.com/henblog/2012/06/the-kindness-of-euthanizing/

 

[speckledhen]

I know that lots of people are comfortable with it, but I have never removed fluid from a hen and never will. Too many things can go wrong. Puncturing something else inadvertently, causing more infection, etc. I am not a doctor and not confident with the procedure. I had to put a hen down because of the same thing, and it's not fun, but at east she isn't suffering anymore. I'm sorry you had to go through this.

Doesn't much matter, though. Removing fluid will lessen the drain on her organs and make her more comfortable for a short time, but it will never fix the problem that caused it in the first place. Once that starts, it's chronic. Draining the hen is not a huge issue, but it just plain won't do any good in the end.

 

[Blesser]

I was too upset to post the other day. Thank you all for the replies. My hen angel passed away monday 8/6 around 3pm. We had her euthanized at the vet. Somehow she recovered in the morning her comb reverted back to normal but whenever we lifted her fluid would end up in her comb. She eat food before the trip and seemed somewhat happy but when we took her in for the x-ray it was too much and when they brought her back in she was dying her comb turned again a dark purple and she couldn't breath, I didn't want her to suffer not a single minute more so I said my goodbyes and had her euthanized. I told the vet what I did and she got really upset with me and told me never to drain or give injections again ( I gave her penicillin injections before and that helped her a lot otherwise she would have passed months ago). Over course I will never drain any more hens I told the vet I was extremely sorry but I see no wrong in giving her the injections because that helped her have some happiness for a few months. She said she loved chickens too but said I overstepped my boundaries and shouldn't have even touched her and that I possibly caused her death. The x-ray showed a lump in her abdominal, she didn't know what it was though, I think she thought it might be cancer. I am so sorry angel for what I did to you, if I could do it over again I would have never drained her. I buried her with some roses I cut from my garden. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: You need another vet, then. Of course, the vet didn't want you to treat your dying chicken and cut into her profits.

No, you did not cause her death and don't think for ONE SECOND that you did! The hen was dying. The vet just didn't get to make enough money on her is all that she was mad about and that is my honest opinion. She could not have saved her and neither could you. She is full of it. Most flock owners are fully capable of giving a simple injection. I've given plenty in my time and successfully drained more than one hen, too.

The sad truth is that these reproductive malfunctions are usually beyond ANYONE's ability to fix, including that vet's ***I'll qualify that by saying that caught early, a very pricey hysterectomy might have saved her, but again, vet profit.

I'm very sorry you lost her, but the writing was on the wall.

 

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

You need another vet, then. Of course, the vet didn't want you to treat your dying chicken and cut into her profits.

No, you did not cause her death and don't think for ONE SECOND that you did! The hen was dying. The vet just didn't get to make enough money on her is all that she was mad about and that is my honest opinion. She could not have saved her and neither could you. She is full of it. Most flock owners are fully capable of giving a simple injection. I've given plenty in my time and successfully drained more than one hen, too.

The sad truth is that these reproductive malfunctions are usually beyond ANYONE's ability to fix, including that vet's ***I'll qualify that by saying that caught early, a very pricey hysterectomy might have saved her, but again, vet profit.

I'm very sorry you lost her, but the writing was on the wall.

Going through all that right now and I 100% agree with speckledhen. I was at my vet today with my sick hen and he taught me how to drain my hen. Said he could tell me how over phone or I could come in and he'd show me. He told me it's a kind of "chicken hospice" to make them feel better as they deal with EYP because it's a terminal diagnosis. He told me how draining the abdomen of a hen with EYP is just a kind gesture to ease their suffering and make their remaining days a little less unpleasant and he's known many chicken owners (and exotic bird owners) to do it. Again - this is from my vet today.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Please don't allow someone to make you second guess yourself when you are caring for your flock as you see fit. We all do the best by our flocks that we can.

I think you did the right thing trying to help your hen. We cannot take the hens to the vet at the drop of a hat- it is just too expensive to bring them in all the time.

I am sorry she is gone- you did your best and that is all we can do.

I like to say to people who just went that extra mile as you did to try to save a chicken, "I am sure she knew she was loved." And it is the same with your blessed little chicken. She must have known that you did everything possible for her. She will always love you for it, wherever she is, up in chicken heaven.