Necropsy - **GRAPHIC pictures** - diagnosed! Ovarian cystadenocarcinomas

[igotchickens]

Can anyone tell me what this is? I'm guessing cancer, but the pictures I've come across in research don't quite look like THIS. Symptoms were: floppy comb, purple at the tips, poopy butt, lethargy, no interest in scratch, I didn't see her eat pellets, though she was interested in drinking water. Hadn't laid eggs in a very long time (she had distinctly colored eggs), but she was 3+ years old, so that was not a concern to me. Day two of extreme lethargy I cleaned her butt off to see if it was blocked by too much poop. It was not, and she even pooped while the warm water ran on her, but died seconds later in my arms.




It was all attached to her organs as well as the tissue walls, so I actually had to pull quite harder on the insides than one normally does when only processing a chicken to get it out. It was everywhere, including her lungs, which could explain the purple tipped comb. But what is it and what caused it?

 

[satay]

cysts maybe ?

 

[letbeviepaint]

Interestingly enough, we had to put down our "Hazel" yesterday and are going to do a Necropsy on her today. She has had lots of symptoms that probably are very similar to yours, you can concur. For the last year (she was a rescue hen) she had a poopy butt always, loose stools, her comb was always droopy and at times very light in color. She waddled when she walked and the past several weeks she was very slow. Her undercarriage seemed very hard and I compared her to my other hens and their undercarriage was pliable.

I did extensive internet research and I believe she has ovarian tumors or cysts, which is what I believe your hen also had.

I will take pictures and post them after we have completed her Necropsy. A friend of mine home schools and her children recently dissected a frog and a cows eye so they are coming over to witness and participate.

I will miss my Hazel as I know you will yours. I am sorry for your loss.

 

[ChandlerDoe]

This is really interesting, I'm surprised there aren't more responses! I'm new to chickens, ducks, etc., but I do have extensive knowledge in the medical field. Unfortunately, this seems like a textbook case of cystic echinococcosis. What you're looking at is cysts, but more specifically it's eggs... This is a very tricky thing to treat. The echinococcosis parasite(type of tape worm) only lives in carnivorous mammals definitively, but is passed through the feces into water, soil, etc., and enters the intermediate host this way. The intermediate host can really take the form of any wild herbivore. It is likely the chicken was infected through it's water or food, and regretfully that means that the rest of your chickens are likely infected as well. This is a difficult thing to cure, or prevent for that matter. I can only suggest to take your chickens to the vet and they will do an ultrasound and decide what to do from there.. I would also recommend you take yourself to the doctors, just to be safe. I don't know of you grow your own vegetables or eat your chicken's eggs, but there's a chance you could have it as well. This disease is quite common on farms.

 

[casportpony]

@igotchickens , Can I send the pictures to the avian pathologist I know?

-Kathy

 

[igotchickens]

@igotchickens , Can I send the pictures to the avian pathologist I know?

-Kathy

Of course!

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Okay, thanks! Will let you know what he says!

-Kathy

 

[igotchickens]

Okay, thanks! Will let you know what he says!

-Kathy

Thanks, I'm looking forward to it

 

[casportpony]

What breed is she and what State or Country do you live in?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I see you're in San Diego? The Dr. wanted to know what age and what breed, so that's why I asked.

-Kathy