One Year Old EE Hen has Distended & Squishy Abdomen

[rebrascora]

Good luck.

If it gives you a bit more confidence, I will add that I recently did crop surgery on a little bantam pullet that was impacted and on her way out. My previous failure to act and it's consequences spurred me on and although it was extremely scary cutting into a live bird, I can tell you that she was up and running around and eating within minutes of closing her up (I used super glue) as if nothing had happened and started laying again 2 weeks later. She is back with the flock and apart from having a little bald patch on her chest, you can't tell there was ever anything wrong.
Knowing that she would die if I did nothing gave me the courage to do it. Your girl is in the same situation. You can do it and even if it doesn't work out, it's still better than not doing anything, but my best is that you will have a much happier and more comfortable chicken almost immediately, just like I did.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Make sure to scrub the lancing site with an anti bacterial and it will help to clip the feathers nice and short so they don't harbour infection.

 

[OldCrookedToe]

I love all your responses - they help a lot. Alrighty so today's update - I went to draw fluid and got air 3 times. So we called our vet and asked if he would see a chicken, they said no but directed us to a vet who would. So she went today and the vet gave us meds for her cut and said her abdomen is because she's laying so many eggs that she's screwing her muscles up and that she is in fact underweight (3.6 lbs.) she told us to look into chicken birth control or r me does to slow her down so she doesn't lay herself to death!

 

[LittlePip21]

I think I've heard of getting air instead of fluid before, if I can find the thread I will post a link. I'm glad you were able to see a vet! Definetly keep us posted!

 

[rebrascora]

I'm afraid I don't buy that explanation from the vet about muscle spasm causing abdominal swelling. The abdominal muscles are not large enough to make a significant difference in size when they contract.
Unfortunately, if you didn't get any fluid (well done for trying by the way as I know it will have taken courage especially when you didn't have success with it) then it may be that she is laying internally or she has a tumour or both.....being underweight suggests it may be a tumour. They are quite common in chickens.

I have one that I'm pretty sure is laying internally. It started last summer when I noticed her walking funny and her abdomen was swollen but hard (not squishy like a water balloon) but then she went into moult and has been fine all winter when she wasn't laying. Now she is starting to have problems again as I suspect she has started ovulating again and I will have to cull her soon. She is such a huge weight when you pick her up and she has stopped roosting presumably because it is too much of a strain on her legs. I agree that the vet's suggested hormonal treatment to prevent laying may help your girl, as it would mine, but I have too many chickens to afford veterinary treatment for them, so she will get a quick death.

Good luck with your girl.

Barbara

 

[OldCrookedToe]

I don't think its internal laying simply because she lays a perfect egg every day. The tumor is probably a real threat and is the one I've been thinking about the most since everything else I've found on a distended abdomen didn't match her. I guess I'll just watch and see how she does with time in a mostly covered kennel.

 

[rebrascora]

Yes I can see how you could rule that option out then. Let's hope, if it is a tumour, that it's a slow growing one. You could perhaps try turmeric and black pepper in her feed as they are supposed to be beneficial in fighting tumour growth.

Good luck with her and please keep this post updated with any developments. The more experience and knowledge we share, the more we can all learn.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[OldCrookedToe]

I will. And if she does end up dying I'll try to get a necropsy done and make a post about what it was and symptoms. Hopefully though she will live a long life. Thank you all for your help