Please help!! Sweet hen (almost 2 yrs old) seems in pain, squishy belly, and dirty vent

[cachoolew]

My sweet girl Ravioli has something going on - and it happened over the course of just a few days.
She will walk short distances but then ends up sitting like the picture or standing puffed out. Her feathers are fluffed out most of the time and her abdomen is squishy feeling. I don’t feel any eggs stuck or broken inside of her even when I gloved up. Her crop is emptying and there is no odor from her mouth. Her breathing is fine and she does eat and drink a little bit (her crop is not nearly as full as it usually is at the end of the day). No mites, her color is good, but she does seem like she’s in pain when I pick her up. Her poops are very watery, mostly clear with some yellow - and sometimes it seems like it is leaking out of her - and some are very stinky. She hasn’t laid an egg since at least Friday (when we brought her inside). I thought maybe vent gleet or cocci but her symptoms don’t match completely with either one. I don’t know a ton about water belly and am curious if these symptoms all align with it.
Any ideas what might be going on and how to treat her? I’m just not sure where to start. I included pics of her in her laying and puffy stance and one with her vent. Thank you in advance!

 

[Debbie292d]

The first two behaviors, I'd have thought she was starting to molt as some do that molting, sit, walk a few steps, sit. I have one that does that in fact.

A soft abdomen can mean ascites (water belly) as well as the lack of eggs, lack of energy, and reddened bottom with missing feathers.

You didn't mention how she walks, or maybe there's nothing different. Most start walking like a duck, as their legs are spread out a little, and is she panting? Also, the loose poop isn't a symptom usually with ascites so it still could be something else, like worms. Worms could also be the problem except they don't usually get a squish belly from worms, but everything else you mentioned fits.

In the meantime, I'd crush a calcium pill or half of a Tums in some yogurt as perhaps a little added calcium and probiotics might help, and probiotics might help the loose poop. I'd do that morning and night for a few days and see if that helps anything, and if worms are a possibility, I would consider treating all of your chickens.

Here's a link with pictures of poop and diagnosis if you find one that looks like Ravioli's:

https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

I hope she gets better!

 

[dc95123]

Your hen has the same symptoms as my 2 year old ISA Brown. She declined over the past week with a dirty vent, water belly, purple comb and general lethargy. She doesn't lay anymore. We took her to the vet today who drained a pint of yellowish fluid from her belly. He wasn't sure what exactly was wrong with her though. He said it could be cancer, EYP, cysts, etc.

He mentioned the watery yellow poo is a sign of problems with inflammation around her bowels so she is on some medication that supposedly fixes that. She is being kept at the vet overnight as he wants to see her start pooing normally before she gives her back to me. Will keep you updated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you get a picture of her poops? It sounds like she may have a reproductive disorder or infection. Is she also molting? I would try to get some calcium citrate with vitamin D tablets, and give her 600 mg daily for a few days. An antibiotic, such as amoxicillin (Aqua Mox found online) might help. Try to keep her eating and drinking. If she is developing water belly, then she might continue to go downhill.

 

[dc95123]

I'm not the original poster but thought I'd give an update about my bird with the same symptoms.

She spent two nights at the vet on an intravenous medication to treat an infection and "restart" her bowels. Her droppings are more formed now, her appetite has improved and she is a bit happier. Without expensive scans and blood work the vet can't really say what's wrong with her. However the vet is sure it is related to her hyperactive reproductive system (a problem that effects all high yield layer breeds to some degree). She is back home with Maxolon, Meloxicam and Noroclav to keep her improving. If she improves, great, if not, we will have to think about euthanising her.