Hen panting, white mouth corners, large abdomen

[PippinChicken]

Hi all,

One of my hens has been panting excessively lately. I didn't think too much of it because we had a bit of a heat wave and everyone was panting more. However, it's cooled down (low 80s max) for a few days now and she's still panting more or less nonstop, often with her wings slightly held out. Everyone else has stopped panting.

I examined her and found two things that I think are abnormal. One is this white buildup at the edge if her mouth, pictured here. The other is that her abdomen feels distended. I'm not sure how these three things could be related, if they even are... any ideas??

 

[Eggcessive]

Does her breath smell bad or unusual? The white patches inside her beak could be canker, wet fowl pox, or thrush. Each of those would be treated differently. If her breath is terrible, then it most likely is canker. Canker is treated with FishZole, or metronidazole which can be found online in 250 mg tablets. Dosage is 250mg once a day.

Is her lower belly enlarged, or is it her crop? Do you have a picture of that? A lower abdomen that is distended can be a sign of ascites (water belly) or internal laying. Has she laid eggs recently? How does her crop feel—empty, full, hard, doughy, or puffy? Is she eating or drinking?

 

[PippinChicken]

Her breath smells normal and her crop seems to be all normal as well. It's her lower abdomen that feels enlarged. She hasn't laid in a few days but with shorter days and molting right around the corner, many of my girls haven't. I tried to get a picture of her abdomen but it looks normal in pictures, it's really when you palpate it and compare to the other hens that it feels larger. However, while I was trying to get a picture of the abdomen I did notice what I think is bumblefoot...? If it is, that's a first for me and my flock . She's walking normally. Again, not sure if it could be related or if she's just a very unlucky hen with a variety ailments. I've seen her eat and drink today, she still comes running for mealworms, and she's a bit less active maybe but certainly not lethargic.

View attachment 1896711

Does her breath smell bad or unusual? The white patches inside her beak could be canker, wet fowl pox, or thrush. Each of those would be treated differently. If her breath is terrible, then it most likely is canker. Canker is treated with FishZole, or metronidazole which can be found online in 250 mg tablets. Dosage is 250mg once a day.

Is her lower belly enlarged, or is it her crop? Do you have a picture of that? A lower abdomen that is distended can be a sign of ascites (water belly) or internal laying. Has she laid eggs recently? How does her crop feel—empty, full, hard, doughy, or puffy? Is she eating or drinking?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be more concerned about the white plaques inside her beak, and what has caused those, than her abdomen or bumblefoot right now. What is up with the attachment?

 

[PippinChicken]

I'm not sure, it's a picture of her foot and I've tried uploading it multiple times and keep getting this error

I would be more concerned about the white plaques inside her beak, and what has caused those, than her abdomen or bumblefoot right now. What is up with the attachment?

 

[PippinChicken]

I tried wiping at the white patches in the corners of her mouth to see if they were oozing or shedding and they are not.

 

[SW31]

After what we’ve been through I would be concerned at any fluid in the abdomen as this could link to cancers or heart problems.

 

[Eggcessive]

The white plaques inside her beak, besides canker or wet fowl pox, could even be cancer. I would keep watching that, smell for a bad odor, and make sure that she is able to eat and drink. If you could see a vet, they could help to diagnose it. Fish Zole (metronidazole) can be given to see if it helps. Have you seen any scabs on combs or wattles that might be fowl pox this summer?

Bumblefoot can be treated with soaking in Tricide Neo over several days. Some require removing the scab and pus kernel inside with minor surgery after soaking the foot. Keep trying to post your picture. Here is a thread about Tricide Neo for bumblefoot and other methods:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...tricide-neo-for-bumblefoot-treatment.1287447/

Here is a good article on bumblefoot:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning/

 

[PippinChicken]

Thank you for all this great info. No one has had any face scabs... the most significant thing that happened this summer was a wave of sour crop. She was not one of the ones that had it but it makes me wonder if thrush is the most likely culprit for the white patches.

I'm dumbfounded by the bumblefoot. Both feet have a decent sized black scab, and one toe is swollen but she's not walking any different. Their roosts are straight and smooth, there's different widths so they can choose what's most comfortable, and different heights with the highest not even reaching my waist (and I'm only 5'4). Their coop has sand for bedding so it's a soft landing, and I scoop it almost every day. I've done everything I've read about preventing bumblefoot and it's all worked until now.

The white plaques inside her beak, besides canker or wet fowl pox, could even be cancer. I would keep watching that, smell for a bad odor, and make sure that she is able to eat and drink. If you could see a vet, they could help to diagnose it. Fish Zole (metronidazole) can be given to see if it helps. Have you seen any scabs on combs or wattles that might be fowl pox this summer?

Bumblefoot can be treated with soaking in Tricide Neo over several days. Some require removing the scab and pus kernel inside with minor surgery after soaking the foot. Keep trying to post your picture. Here is a thread about Tricide Neo for bumblefoot and other methods:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...tricide-neo-for-bumblefoot-treatment.1287447/

Here is a good article on bumblefoot:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning/

 

[PippinChicken]

Well, this girl ended up dying today. I attempted a necropsy and took some pictures and video; if anyone with more experience is up to helping me figure out what was going on, I'd greatly appreciate it. The one thing that I definitely, definitely know was abnormal was that she was filled with massive amounts of cloudy green fluid that smelled pretty bad. There was so much, it was basically pouring out of her as soon as I punctured the abdominal cavity.

I found her lethargic in the coop when I came home from work. She was still panting. I suspected she hadn't been eating and/or drinking and tried to give her some nutridrench with a pipette. She struggled to swallow it. Within minutes she started having gurgly breath, started seizing, and died. I was worried maybe those white patches in her mouth continued farther down her throat, preventing her from breathing or swallowing properly. Would have explained the panting and lack of eating but there were no signs of them beyond the picture I shared here of her mouth.