Please help immediately!!! Internal problem with chicken!!

[cluckcluckgirl]

I have a 2 year old RIR who has been acting slow these past couple days. Today she didn't even want to come out of the coop, so I checked on her. Her tail was down, she was puffy, and her comb was not as bright as usual. She had poop around her vent, which I cleared away. I suspected she might be egg-bound, so I checked inside her vent and didn't feel any egg. Upon internal inspection, I discovered she had some dried up poop inside her (which I also removed) and a lot of this white, runny substance which I think is pee. I also discovered some lumps right below her vent (on the inside of her) which appeared to be part of her. They seemed to be covered with her skin as far as I could tell (I had gloves on) and felt as if a bunch of small pebbles were inside her right below her vent. What could be wrong with her? If she is egg-bound, could I have felt the egg using the procedure I did? She was a very good egg layer, so could it be ovarian cancer? Please help soon, I don't know if she'll be around much longer.

 

[Judy]

They don't actually pee; they get rid of urates as white solid matter in the poop. Could the white, runny substance be egg white? Another possibility is pus, discharge related to an infection. I have no guess to offer on the pebbles; I've never heard this described. Sometimes ou can feel an egg in an eggbound hen, and sometimes they are too far from the vent, but there wouldn't be white liquid discharge if that were the only problem. I suspect you may be right about an ovarian cancer; internal laying is also, unfortunately, fairly common. I'm sure there are other possibilities. Sometimes people drain fluid from the abdomen of these hens, but you don't even mention noticing what would feel a bit like a water balloon in her belly area. You could try warm soaks and calcium supplements as is done for eggbound hens.

I'll give you a couple of links; maybe you will find something that will help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/856735/egg-bound-chicken/0_20#post_12864399

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/79443/tell-me-about-your-internal-layers/80_20#post_6235380 (see esp. post 92)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/639749/timeline-of-internal-laying-update/0_20

Good luck, and I hope she recovers.

 

[realsis]

http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment.html?m=1
The white substance could also be vent gleet. Take a look at this link. As for the lumps that does not sound good.possible cancer? As above post states? But take a look at vent gleet and see if it's familiar.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I read that Penicillin can be given to help fight an infection, which I suspect might be present in her. I don't think it is vent gleet because she shows no signs of the poop building up on her outside. Would ovarian cancer result in the white puss or would it be cancer and possibly internal laying?

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Update: Her swelling near her vent has decreased a little since yesterday, when I gave her some Nutri-drench. This morning I gave her 1/2 a clove of fresh garlic and more Nutri-drench to help her immune system. We will look for some antibiotics at the store when we can get there next. Other than the reduced swelling, her behavior is still the same as yesterday: not moving much, puffed up, and quiet.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Our hen passed away yesterday.

Her health had been declining for the past couple days. Thank you guys for the help.

 

[BantamLover21]

Our hen passed away yesterday.

Her health had been declining for the past couple days. Thank you guys for the help.

I'm sorry for your loss.