Hen with a swollen abdomen... Water belly or something else?

[Chickendad13]

Hi all, I have used BYC for awhile but this is my first post.

I have a beautiful Rhode Island Red named comfy bird. She is around a year and a half old now. Recently I have noticed she has developed labored breathing and has a swollen abdomen.

I have done research and there are a bunch of different reasons this could have happened, however water belly is the only one I can be able to “treat”.

today I attempted to drain her, I sterilized both her skin and needle with a alcohol wipe and proceeded to insert a syringe down to her bottom right from her vent. However, I did not drain any watery liquid but was able to pull a thicker, more yellow substance that was more dense.

would anyone know what this could possibly be? Water belly is the only thing I know how to treat but this I am lost with.
I’d strongly prefer to keep her happy and healthy, she has a red comb and waddle and is able to still jump eat and drink, but she is visibly slower than how she once was. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to help this sweet bird I’ll do my best best. I just want her to be happy. Thank you

 

[coach723]

It sounds like it was infectious material (pus) rather than ascites (waterbelly) fluid. She may be laying internally (do you know when she last laid normally?), or have another infection like salpingitis. Antibiotics may buy her some time, but when a bird reaches the point of the bloated abdomen, breathing difficulty, then it will likely not really respond to treatment. They hide symptoms really, really well, so it's often very advanced by the time it's obvious. If it's EYP from internal laying, it will most likely continue or recur. Unfortunately reproductive problems are not uncommon. I have had a really high percentage of hatchery RIR's succumb to them, to the point that I really don't want to get any more. When my birds get like this I leave them with the flock as long as they seem relatively comfortable, still eating and drinking and doing mostly normal chicken things, albeit a bit slower. When they go off food and water, isolate themselves, get attacked by flock mates, or are obviously not feeling well, I euthanize. It's often difficult to know exactly what the issue is until necropsy, sadly. I'm sorry, I'm sure not what you want to hear.

 

[Kiki]

Sounds like she has a serious infection going on. I'd put her down and then open her belly up so can see/learn something.

What do you feed your flock?

 

[DebraLynn0318]

Hi all, I have used BYC for awhile but this is my first post.

I have a beautiful Rhode Island Red named comfy bird. She is around a year and a half old now. Recently I have noticed she has developed labored breathing and has a swollen abdomen.

I have done research and there are a bunch of different reasons this could have happened, however water belly is the only one I can be able to “treat”.

today I attempted to drain her, I sterilized both her skin and needle with a alcohol wipe and proceeded to insert a syringe down to her bottom right from her vent. However, I did not drain any watery liquid but was able to pull a thicker, more yellow substance that was more dense.

would anyone know what this could possibly be? Water belly is the only thing I know how to treat but this I am lost with.
I’d strongly prefer to keep her happy and healthy, she has a red comb and waddle and is able to still jump eat and drink, but she is visibly slower than how she once was. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to help this sweet bird I’ll do my best best. I just want her to be happy. Thank you

How do we treat a water belly?
Mr RIR hen seems to have what feels like a small water balloon belly, she's moving slow, can't run with the others...

 

[coach723]

There is no real "treatment" for water belly, or ascites. It is fluid in the abdomen from another condition, sometimes cancer, organ failure, or infection, from the liver leaking fluid. The fluid can be drained sometimes and will make the bird more comfortable for a time, but it will usually recur since the underlying condition is still there. Most of the time the underlying condition is not really treatable and will ultimately be fatal. Depending on what it is, sometimes they can live for some time comfortably, sometimes they pass quickly.
If you want to try to drain, there are many threads here that explain how, and there are also youtube video's you can search for. It is not difficult, but does come with some risk, from infection from the needle stick, and sometimes from shock if fluid is drained to much too quickly. But many times it is done successfully and provides some amount of relief and comfort for a period of time.