Internal Laying, Salpingitis, Ascites and EYP - *Very* Graphic Necropsy Pictures

[unicornia]

Thank you for the pictures, Kathy.

Regarding the cloacal exam on hens with egg peritonitis, you said that you could feel it? Just to clarify, you mean you could feel the yolks? or the hardened yolk masses in pic#5? I thought that with EYP the yolks were dropped into the abdomen (?) I did a cloacal exam on my hen who just died two days ago (Whitie, the one with ascites) and could feel nothing, got my finger all the way in at least 2 inches, then thought I felt something... (?) it wasnt hard like an egg.

Oh and another question, how do you know, when doing the cloacal exam, that your finger is going in the oviduct and not the intestines? It seems they both connect right at the vent, right?

Does anyone offer a Chicken Health 101 course?!?! That would be GREAT!!!!!

Allison

 

[casportpony]

Thank you for the pictures, Kathy.

Regarding the cloacal exam on hens with egg peritonitis, you said that you could feel it? Just to clarify, you mean you could feel the yolks? or the hardened yolk masses in pic#5? I thought that with EYP the yolks were dropped into the abdomen (?) I did a cloacal exam on my hen who just died two days ago (Whitie, the one with ascites) and could feel nothing, got my finger all the way in at least 2 inches, then thought I felt something... (?) it wasnt hard like an egg.

Oh and another question, how do you know, when doing the cloacal exam, that your finger is going in the oviduct and not the intestines? It seems they both connect right at the vent, right?

Does anyone offer a Chicken Health 101 course?!?! That would be GREAT!!!!!

Allison

Good questions...

Those masses were big enough and floating around in her belly, so yes, I could feel them. Pretty sure the only thing "normal" thing one should feel is the gizzard, which is a firm mass on their left side. Sometimes one can feel the liver if it's diseases and enlarged, and I've also felt a few type of cancers.

When checking for an egg I don't usually go in more than 1", and to be honest, I'm not really sure how to tell if one is in the repro tract or intestines. What I can tell you is that it is hard to find the opening when they do had a stuck egg.

-Kathy

 

[KClivlaughlove]

Was looking for some pictures and found these. This is a hen that was walking like a penguin, breathing hard and she died while I was trying to drain the fluid.
















-Kathy

Wow! Poor girl!!!