Hen Prolapse Complications? Vent Gleet?

[ChristaJ]

Hi all, I have a year and a half old Dominique hen who is in some trouble and I'm not sure what is wrong. Back in December she had a prolapse which I was able to clean up and push back in. Since then she has had a poopy butt and I have cleaned and bathed her several times. It seems that she is having trouble pooping. She strains and instead of poop cleanly coming out it tends to dribble on her tail feathers. She's also the lowest on the pecking order and has taken to sleeping not on the roost but in a nesting box which I don't think is helping.

Fast forward to yesterday, I've been keeping an eye on her and I noticed that she has been lethargic. I went out to the coop to give some treats and there was a pool of bright red blood (without any urates or poop) beside her. I took her in the house and gave her a warm bath and cleaned her all up. There was some dried poop around her vent and tail feathers and some stringy bloody stuff from her vent, but after I cleaned her all up she had a few normal poops without blood.

She also smells bad even after I wash her up.

This morning I separated her and watched her for about an hour and she is eating and drinking but she is straining to poop and nothing is coming out aside from a few dribbles. I added a sav a chick packet of nutrients to her water and have her separated for the day. I had to get to work so I didn't give her a bath again but I want some help on diagnosing her and determining a course of action. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the symptoms:

- bloody discharge
- bad smell
- trouble pooping


I was thinking to give her another warm bath when I get home. Also, would an epsom salt bath help?

One other thing - I have baytril tablets which were prescribed for my cat- would it be a good idea to suspend some of these in water and try to give it to her?

Thanks for reading, Christa

 

[ChristaJ]

Also, do you all think it might be possible she has some poop or something blocking her vent? If so, how can I fix her?

 

[Eggcessive]

I've never had a hen with a prolapse before, but it can damage the cloaca, especially if she has passed over-sized eggs or become egg bound. That could cause her to have problems passing stool. It sounds like the other chickens may have pecked her vent which can be fatal if they bleed. She also may have vent gleet, an overgrowth of fungus just like a yeast infection. I would give her 1/2 teaspoonful of either mineral oil or castor oil orally to help her poop. Then I would soak her bottom in epsom salts to clean and soothe her. After she is dry apply an antifungal cream such as Nustock, miconazole, or lotrimin around her vent if it is irritated. Most important, I would start her on probiotics 3 days a week. A product called Probios Dispersible Powder is available from Tractor Supply or online to add to her water. Buttermilk or a small amount of plain yogurt would be a good substitute. Here is a link for you on vent gleet: http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment.html

 

[ChristaJ]

Thank you for the response.

I don't think she has been pecked - and oddly after I clean her up her vent isn't red or irritated looking. I just came back from the feed store and I bought corid, duramycin-10 (tetracycline hydrochloride), epsom salts and I picked up some tums and yogurt at the grocery.

I really don't think its coccidiosis, but everything I read suggested bloody poop is a symptom of that so I was thinking that if I treated her for that it wouldn't hurt just in case, but I'm not sure. How about the antibiotic- would it do any harm to give her that?

I am definitely going to give her the spa treatment when I get home. Do I soak her with the epsom salt or apply after the bath?

Sorry for so many questions, thanks for the help.