Please help! Chicken probably have egg yolk peritonitis, and she doesn't eat and barely drink on her

[Luckybaby]

My 1 year and seven months old bantam golden laced cochin have a swollen abdomen and I can feel hard things inside which are probably eggs. I noticed that her abdomen was swollen 3 weeks ago, but I didn't feel anything hard. The same thing happen several months ago( swollen, but not hard), and when I checked her abdomen 2 or 3 months later, it looks normal. She hasn't laid an egg for several months. I was planning on draining the fluid inside her abdomen today, but I noticed, that at least 75 percent of the swollen area feels hard. She might have a little bit of ascites, but I am not sure, if that is the reason why she is anorexic since yesterday. She probably have ascites several months ago, and her abdomen is about 20-25 percent less in area than her abdomen today, but she was acting normal on that time.

Should I try to drain her abdomen, and how should I do it? It is really important to tell me how to do it, since I might damage important organ(s) in her body.

I already gave her first does of 125 mg of amoxicillin 2 hours ago, and I am planning to give her 9 to 13 more doses. How many more should I give, to treat egg yolk peritonitis?

I know that hen can absorb egg yolk inside their body. Can hens absorb solid egg yolk inside their body?

 

[Blooie]

I just went through this with Ida, one of my Red Sex Links. She was a dear girl, gentle and sweet and so good with our disabled granddaughter. I chose to cull her rather than put her through a lot of procedures and treatments that I knew I was ultimately doing for myself, not for her. I feel so bad for you - I know what it's like to want to help them with every little thing that comes up but believe me, this is not a "little thing". In my opinion, any hen that starts having serious reproductive issues will never be 100% back to her old self. Far kinder and more loving to let her go and end her misery. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.

 

[mg15]

When impaction occurs, eggs that continue to form create layers of albumen and yolk material, and the oviduct becomes very large. Some eggs are refluxed to the abdominal cavity (abdominal laying), and affected hens assume a penguin-like posture.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...ts_in_poultry.html?qt=egg perintonitis&alt=sh

 

[mg15]

HI!
I have been doing loads of research in this area, as I have an egg layer with Ascites. After de worming, a round of electrolytes and antibiotics, I finally gave in and belly tapped her. I got 420 cc of fluid from her the first time, and 200 a couple of days later. The last tap confirmed my diagnosis when I could clearly see and feel a fully calcified egg free floating in her abdomen. She has egg yolk peritonitis. This occurs when the egg does not float into the reproductive tract and ends up in the abdomen instead, I am going to a chicken seminar today and hope the vet there can look at her, but short of surgery I am sure that nothing else can be done. It is unfortunate too since she has started eating and pooping again since I drained off the fluid. Her combs and waddles are even pinking up and she is cooing at me when she sees me. Poor girl. It will break my heart to euthanize her but I am afraid I will have to.

FROM POST #10 https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/68731/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites


Luckybaby : Have you tapped her belly yet??

 

[mg15]

POST # 42 https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/68731/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites/40

How to tap her belly instructions.

 

[mg15]

I have been reading the last www page I sent you and
mentioned is Milk Thistle and also Lasix which are diuretics.
Lasix from the vet and Milk Thistle herb also dandelion tea is a diuretic.

I sure hope things are progressing for you and your girl.
I am just so sorry for you having this awful problem with your girl.

 

[mg15]

There is no surgery you can do .
Only a vet can do it. And even with an avian vet doing it, you would have to ask the chances for her survival.
She seems to be doing okay. You are lucky.

 

[cafarmgirl]

For the sake of your bird please do not attempt to do surgery on her yourself. This is a major abdominal surgery and you do not know what you are going to find when you open her up. My avian vet does not even like to attempt surgery on these birds since you really don't know what you are going to find once you get inside and usually by the time these birds are showing symptoms they are not healthy enough to withstand surgery. Much less a DIY surgery at home.

Again, what you are feeling and thinking of as "cooked eggs" may be retained eggs in the abdomen or it may be tumors. These things are not cut and dried nor simple to treat and sometimes it's just better to let them go rather then put them through such a trauma as major surgery.

 

[mg15]

my girl A+ had this surgery and died on the table at the vets. I was broken hearted. Still am, she was leader of the flock and a friend.
You are doing the best for her now. Keep up the thoughtful and kind caring you are doing. Any other intervention would just make you sad.

 

[jodiaiken1]

Well, I was wrong - she likely had Avian Leukosis. I lost a second chicken the next day (she had shown signs of being ill only the day before). One of my friends is a Vet that works for the NYS dept. of AG & Markets - she picked up the second chicken & sent it to the state for necropsy - she confirmed Avian Leukosis in the second chicken. It's possible ALL of my chickens were exposed from the hatchery. The disease is passed from hen to chick, then laterally from chick to chick for a very short period of time post hatching. Since they shipped at one day old, they were all potentially exposed. Time will tell. I contacted the hatchery (highly rated) but have not gotten any response. I hate to trash talk about anyone's business, but I would not recommend dealing with them. What's strange is that Avian Leukosis is present in about 18% of commercially produced eggs (supermarket eggs). Before this I had never heard of chickens with cancer. With the days getting longer, I am getting 9 eggs from 12 chickens so they seem to be pretty healthy - we've had an easy winter so far, chickens have beenable to get out far more this year.