Laying hens with "water belly" or "ascites"?

[chicknmania]

Just to say its almost 10pm in the UK and for the last hour I popped a heated pad under Boots and she seems to have perked up a tiny bit. Obviously its bedtime for her but she's sat down for the first time in days and her head in not in her neck. I force fed her 3/4 of a scrambled egg. She had some water that I drip on her beak with nutri drops in it.
She's still sleepy but when she wakes she interested in what's going on.

If you read this, please say a little prayer for her to be still with us in the morning.

Sounds like you're doing everything possible. A little prayer said for you.

 

[Shabana]

Thankyou for your prayers

I am delighted to report that she ate her breakfast herself this morning. I left a bowl of her own food in her carrier last night and this morning she'd had some.
Shes much more wakefull and alert. Neck extended. Tail still down.
She did a poop and it was runny and very green. I think thats probably the antibiotics or the vitamins.
Im putting her on plain water today if she continues to eat.
Ive continued with the heat pad it seems to help.

Is ther any way to tell the difference between ascites and eyp? Ive read that milk thistle can help ascites but I'm not sure its definately that.
She was stood like a cowboy, upright like a penguin, she couldnt sit and she was like a water balloon between her legs.

I certainly hope the fluid doesn't come back soon. Its a horrible disease.

 

[chicknmania]

A vet might be able to tell.

I have good news too, and this is a little strange, so just wondering. Bitsy still had a small amount of fluid left, but she was able to poop and eat, so I just decided to watch her and see how she did. I've been giving her baby aspirin twice a day. I also gave her buttermilk and bread (a small amountO once in a while I noticed that the fluid reduced after she had this meal. No idea if it was pure coincidence, but I noticed it twice. I didn't give her the buttermilk bread every day. She started to accumulate fluid again, after a couple of cold days when she had to stay in our indoor big pen. So I added some Probiotics powder to her buttermilk bread. Next morning, fluid was totally gone..I can feel every inch of her bony little frame! (Except flesh, of course, that is supposed to be there) So I gave her buttermilk bread and probio powder again, and now she is pooping big poops, no fluid, eating well, bright and cheerful. I am still worried about the roosters chasing her if I let her out, but I don't really see any reason to keep her confined any longer. So my question is, would the baby aspirin and probiotic powder and buttermilk have anything to do with her improvement? Or is it just coincidence?

 

[Shabana]

Wonderful news !
I'm so pleased for you both. I was told bread was bad for Ascites for the carbs that sugar that's all I,ve read. I hope there's a connection. It would be great to think there's something positive we can do.

 

[chicknmania]

She is getting worse again.

She's filling up with fluid and I think we will just put her down if she gets any worse. I don't want her to suffer.

 

[Shabana]

I'm so sorry.

I keep checking boots and I think she will too. I'm giving her the best days I can. She has her little friend with her and while she's happy and pain free I will do everything I can to make her life good.
She's eating like a horse so I keep telling myself she's just putting the weight back on, but in my heart I know it feels like fluid again.

I know she can't stay forever but I hoped for a little more time.

I hope you have a bit more time with her. I'm glad she has you.

 

[chicknmania]

Thank you and the same to you. Sounds like we both have the same hens! Bitsy has her friend Bluebell, and she's eating like a horse too. I feel the same way, just make her happy as long as possible.

Wish we could get some lasix, but it doesn't seem to be available for chickens.

 

[Shabana]

I've read that dandelion root/tea is a diuretic and there's a few articles with people using it for Ascites.
It's available in health food shops.

I don't know what's the best thing to do for boots, she's over 6 years old, uurgh it's so hard

Her little friend is called flipflop. They are as thick as thieves ! I feel so sorry for her too.

I could quite easily sit and cry.

 

[Shabana]

I spoke to my vet and she said that furosemide which is lasix over in the U.S. Is safe in chickens.
She said I would need a 20mg in 5ml oral solution.
They don't stock it (great

) but are happy to charge me an arm and a leg for a prescription which I can then run around with or use on the Internet.

The restrictions here in the UK are a joke at times

 

[chicknmania]

The vets here would not give us a scrip without a consultation, and that would be about 200.00 plus the scrip, and probably follow up visits at around $90.00 each....so yeah, arm and a leg.

That's interesting that she told you what you'd need though. I wonder how often you'd give it?