Hen not eating/drinking/swollen red bum for 3 days!

[cyberwife]

I thought my Rhode Island Red was egg bound - but warm baths, gentle massage and letting her sit in hen house hasn't changed anything. I can't feel or see an egg. She is about 2 1/2 years old. She has had but 2-3 sips of water a day and 1-3 bites of a tomato. Refusing to eat any grains. Only drinks if I set her in front of water and just like one sip. Super slow walking back into hen house. Sitting in dirt now as she is so weak. Runny watery poop - white and bright yellow. Comb flopping over a bit now. Harder for her to stand or walk. Eye's look fine, waddle and comb look ok color wise. Feeling thinner to me now. Her bum is really red and swollen - not the vent - but her entire butt looks bulbus, red and swollen. She is not molting and her feathers look pretty good on body.

No other hens showing signs of sickness. Has been sleeping alot - in hen house or in warm baths. Bedding is wood shavings. Does free range but I have been keeping her in the coop - don't want her to hide somewhere and die where I can't find her. She separates herself from the others. I really don't want to pay big vet bills -like to treat her myself if possible - but not sure what's wrong.

 

[azygous]

Up front, the prognosis is lousy, I'm very sorry to say. It sounds like she's at the end stage of a serious oviduct or abdominal infection.

You wouldn't see evidence of an egg if she is a victim of EYP, an almost always terminal illness where the yolks are being diverted into the abdominal cavity instead of being sent down the oviduct. This causes inflammation and infection that is very difficult to treat successfully without a vet to intervene with surgery.

The red skin in the abdominal region points to a raging infection. You could try to treat with an antibiotic such as amoxicillin, but it's probably too late, and even then, she would likely never lay again.

At this point, I would begin to consider a compassionate ending of her suffering.

 

[cyberwife]

UPDate- I watched the video on you tube about Water Belly and it was exactly her symptoms. It took me another day to find a large syringe and #18 needle - tried every pharmacy, hospital, med supplies - finally found it at the feed store for horses! 4 days of no food or water and not really moving - we siphoned out about 1/4 cup of fluid and within 15 minutes she was back with the other gals- doing chicken stuff! She is eating/drinking/walking normally! It was amazing. We may need to do it again in a few months or weeks or ?? We didn't know how much we should try to get out - didn't want her to go into cardiac arrest. Will keep an eye on her. No eggs yet but not sure she will lay now - her organs had so much pressure on them. Bum looks all fluffy again - no more bulbous red flesh. I think we got to her just in time - and if she doesn't make it, at least she will go acting normal instead of miserable. Probably a heart or liver problem. RUBY RISES AGAIN!