Is my hens back area swollen?

[4Dobermans]

I am really worried about this. Is she swollen in that area?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, it does look very enlarged. It could be due to ascites (water belly,) or she might have masses of internally laid eggs inside her abdomen. The yellow urates are probably related. You or your vet could try to remove ascites fluid with a sterile 18 gauge needle and large syringe. You can even just insert the needle under the skin of her belly and leave it there to drain on a towel or puppy pad. It is not without risk, but if a chicken in having labored breathing and in pain, it might help relieve them. Be sure to disinfect the skin before doing this. It won’t cure ascites or the underlying cause, but may give temporary relief. The conditions that can cause ascites are cancer, egg yolk peritonitis, internal laying, liver disease, and right sided heart failure.

 

[4Dobermans]

Yes, it does look very enlarged. It could be due to ascites (water belly,) or she might have masses of internally laid eggs inside her abdomen. The yellow urates are probably related. You or your vet could try to remove ascites fluid with a sterile 18 gauge needle and large syringe. You can even just insert the needle under the skin of her belly and leave it there to drain on a towel or puppy pad. It is not without risk, but if a chicken in having labored breathing and in pain, it might help relieve them. Be sure to disinfect the skin before doing this. It won’t cure ascites or the underlying cause, but may give temporary relief. The conditions that can cause ascites are cancer, egg yolk peritonitis, internal laying, liver disease, and right sided heart failure.

She has had it for over a month or two though. She is eating, drinking and not lethargic from what I have seen. I try to prevent vets with my exotics because they aren’t really good here. My hen who died not even a month ago, she had sour crop and I had taken her to three vets and every time they prescribed her fluconazole even after I told them it wasn’t working and she died because they wouldn’t give me the medication I asked for multiple times. She had gotten sour crop because I had taken her in prior for coccidious and they prescribed her baytril so she got impacted crop then sour crop because of the impaction. None of them are very good doctors

 

[Eggcessive]

I have had a couple of larger hens who have lived for a couple of years with an enlarged lower belly. We usually don’t know if it is ascites or internal laying, unless we try to drain. I did not drain mine. Last year a small bantam developed ascites and labored breathing. I drained her twice and it relieved her pressure and breathing, but she only lived about 3 weeks. The third time I tried, the fluid was too thick. Since ascites or internal laying is not curable, I would not see a vet myself.

You could get an antibiotic, online, such as AquaMox amoxicillin, and give 125-250 mg twice a day for 10 days to help her if it is an infection in the reproductive tract. Enrofloxacin or Baytril which is banned for chickens is sometimes used. Most hens I have seen sour crop in, would not respond to any treatment. They had other primary problems, such as reproductive disorders that were diagnosed after they died.