Is my hen dying?

[casportpony]

If her crop feels like a water balloon then that suggests there is a blockage somewhere, as water should filter through her system fairly easily, not stay in the crop. I would hold off giving her antibiotics orally until you know her crop is working, other wise it will just sit in her crop with whatever else is in there and not be absorbed. The fact that she has not pooped also points towards a blockage. That and the breathing difficulty are often linked to a problem with the reproductive system, particularly with an older hen.
When you say her rear sags, do you mean below her vent or between her legs and does it feel loose and saggy or full and hanging or a bulge? Has she been walking strangely recently.... perhaps with her legs wider apart?
How does her breast feel? Is her breast bone sharp under the skin or is it reasonably covered..... compare to one of your other hens of a similar breed, so you have an idea of what healthy feels like.

I would not give her any more fluids until some of those in her crop have filtered down into her system. If you can, give her a heat source as she will be struggling to maintain her body temperature whilst she is unable to eat. A heat pad would be ideal. Sometimes warming a bird up can really revive thme significantly, although it will not cure them, but can give them the strength and will to fight whatever it is.
The chances are she has been sick for some times and has been hiding it, so she may now be low on body stores. Once you have her warmed up, I would sit her on your lap on a towel and gently massage her crop, particularly the lowest part.
If you have some Vet RX or Vick's Vapour Rub, put a little on her comb and wattles and chest, to see if that will help open her airways. I would do that before you massage her. If the massaging distresses her either be more gentle or stop as any agitation will make her breathing problem worse.
Get back to us with any further information you can regarding body condition and that saggy area.

Good luck with her

Barbara

Excellent well written post! Thanks for taking the time to write this.

 

[casportpony]

Thank you so much for your response. I guess I mistook her being "slower" due to age and change in weather while she might have been sick. After clearing away her feathers and the poop her rear looks like it maybe bloated, the part directly underneath the vent, so between her legs. Her breast isn't swelling, I can feel her keel bone. She definitely seems a lot better then when she was outside. If her crop is blocked then should I try and get her to regurgitate what she has in there?

Since you can feel her breast bone, and her belly is bloated, that could mean that she has ascites (water belly). Many things can cause this, and most of those could cause her other two problems (fluid in crop & not pooping).

Pictures of her belly and her breast bone would be helpful, as well as full body side view.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Her breathing seems normal. She no longer has her beak hanging open and doesn't make a peep.

Since you can feel her breast bone, and her belly is bloated, that could mean that she has ascites (water belly). Many things can cause this, and most of those could cause her other two problems (fluid in crop & not pooping).

Pictures of her belly and her breast bone would be helpful, as well as full body side view.

Once she is done with her bath I dry her off and take the pictures .

 

[rebrascora]

The bloating between her legs is most likely what is causing a blockage of her lower digestive tract resulting in her squishy crop and also her breathing issues. I therefore doubt vomiting her will help. My guess would be internal laying and ascites (water belly) or possibly salpingitis (infection and usually impaction of the oviduct)
Does her bloated belly feel like it might be full of fluid? If so, using a large gauge needle to drain some out will give her almost instant relief. If it feels solid then the chances are that sadly her time has come and whilst she might be a bit perkier from her bath, there is little hope. Even if it is fluid and you drain her, it will almost certainly return as the underlying problem is incurable. It may be kinder not to put her through the draining experience and just make her as comfortable (warmth will really help) as you can until her quality of life becomes untenable and she needs to be helped into the next life. I'm sorry, but she has obviously had a wonderfully long and loving life with you and I hope that will comfort you when the time comes to end it for her.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Did y'all notice her comb color ?

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, her purple comb colour is probably due to fluid in her abdomen putting pressure on her heart and lungs, resulting in poor oxygenation.

 

[casportpony]

@rebrascora , cancer can also cause ascites and blockages. This was the cause of death in two of my necropsies. Have pictures of both if anyone is interested.

 

[casportpony]

Did y'all notice her comb color ?

I missed that. My bad for skim reading.

 

[rebrascora]

You know I am interested Kathy, but maybe post on the necropsy thread where more people may benefit from seeing them and perhaps be more receptive to graphic photos.
But yes, I can see that tumours would also cause the same problems..... I do get a bit tunnel vision with reproductive issues . Sadly regardless of whether it is caused by tumours or internal laying or salpingitis or Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome or even plain heart failure, this lovely old girl is unlikely to recover from it.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

The bloating between her legs is most likely what is causing a blockage of her lower digestive tract resulting in her squishy crop and also her breathing issues. I therefore doubt vomiting her will help. My guess would be internal laying and ascites (water belly) or possibly salpingitis (infection and usually impaction of the oviduct)
Does her bloated belly feel like it might be full of fluid? If so, using a large gauge needle to drain some out will give her almost instant relief. If it feels solid then the chances are that sadly her time has come and whilst she might be a bit perkier from her bath, there is little hope. Even if it is fluid and you drain her, it will almost certainly return as the underlying problem is incurable. It may be kinder not to put her through the draining experience and just make her as comfortable (warmth will really help) as you can until her quality of life becomes untenable and she needs to be helped into the next life. I'm sorry, but she has obviously had a wonderfully long and loving life with you and I hope that will comfort you when the time comes to end it for her.

It feels like an in between of solid and fluid . Here are some pictures, she doesn't stand very long on her own so I needed to hold her up for pictures (Sorry they are kind of graphic.):

So best case scenario you don't think she will live very long? I want to take the best course of action for her.