Redstar w/ waterfilled/bloated belly, graphic pic pg3

[meriruka]

My poor Parsley has a bloated tummy, it feels like a water balloon.
What do I do? I read you can puncture somewhere and drain the fluid, but what is the exact spot? Does anything else work?

Thanks,
-Sam

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Is it possible she may be egg bound?

If she is not egg bound, the fluid will eventually re asorb by itself. I've never had to drain a hen myself, so I don't have detailed instructions on how to do this. Every now and then this same thing will happen to my hens. I usually just keep them separated, clean and warm. Most of the time (providing the bird doesn't have anything else going on) the hen recovers within a week or two. However, on two separate occasions, the bloating turned out to be caused by a stuck egg. When this was the case, I bathed the bird in warm water and massaged the abdomen very carefully until the eggs came out.

 

[meriruka]

I've got her in the kitchen in a big plastic tote. If I fill up the kitchen sink with warm water, how long do I keep her in there? How to dry her off? I can wrap her in a towel for a while, but I know she will loose her mind if I try to use a hairdryer.........

oh and how much water? Up to her wings? neck? (I'll be sure to keep her head up!)

 

[LynneP]

Keep water shallow, immerse her only enough to assist with procedure, try to keep back and head reasonably dry. Get someone to help if possible and warm up some towels in the dryer. Offer her a towel-covered hot water bottle or put it on your lap and dry here there.

If you have a spare heater you can position away from the water you could create a warmish place for her in a cage just after. Be really careful about fire/electrocution though, liquids and electrical have to be separated as you know.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

When I soaked my birds in the bath tub I just kept them in the water long enough for me to clean them up a bit and rub the affected area. This usually took no more than 15 minutes.

If you can't use the hair dryer on her, then try and get as much water off by rubbing with a towel. If you keep her inside in a very warm place, then she should dry up with little issue. However, if you can keep a heat lamp on her, it will prevent her from shivering and catching a cold. If she should start shivering, rub her with the towel again until she feels warm. It should take about three hours or so for her to dry off. Just be sure to keep her inside until she is completely dry.

Also, when you bathe her, feel the abdomen for any hard areas. If there is an egg stuck, you should be able to feel it with gentle palpatation. If this is the case, then you will have to work very gently to expel the egg. I have a feeling this will NOT be the case, but its a good idea to check anyways.

Good luck! And feel free to ask more questions!

 

[meriruka]

Ok, I'm off to try soaking her and I do have a heat lamp after I towel her off. Crossing my fingers this will work, she is the only one left from my very first batch of hens (out of 4) so she is my precious old girl.......

 

[meriruka]

Well, she enjoyed her soak, I massaged but couldn't feel anything like an egg and nothing came out. She's asleep, wrapped in a towel on my lap. What do I do next? There are no vets around who will treat chickens.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would keep an eye on her to see if the fluid goes down at all. Fluid in the abdomen is usually NOT life threatening. Someone else with experience in draining the area may come on and be able to give you some direction with that. Otherwise I would just make sure she has food, water and is acting relatively normal. In a few weeks the swelling should go down.

 

[mjelse]

I found a site once that spoke of hens and reproductive cysts and tumors. They said the abdomen fills with fluid and you do need to puncture and drain it, that it increases their comfort and buys them time. This was a rescue operation that runs a farm sanctuary in the midwest and has a set of chicken health pages. I can't remember the name of the organization, but they did not give exact instructions anyway. I have had a bunch of hens with this problem. Sometimes it has resolved, sometimes not. The problem is it gets hard for them to breathe when their abdomen fills up with fluid because they have no diaphragm. Sooner or later that fluid will start impinging on the lungs.

If she starts wheezing gor gasping et her on her feet so the abdomen has lots of room and is not pressed on by anything, including your lap.

I necropsied some of the birds that died this way. When I punctured the abdominal cavity, fluid came out with amazing force. It was clear yellow fluid and thus not infected with bacteria. Something else was the problem that caused this fluid buildup.

I know this is not very helpful. But this has been something I have dealt with with a bunch of hens. If I can keep them eating, some of them live on and do fine. If she does have trouble breathing, keep her on her feet so the fluid does not press on the lungs.

 

[meriruka]

mjelse, it IS helpful. She is breathing heavily. I will try to keep her on her feet for as long as I can stay awake. If it does resolve itself, how long will it take?
I'd be willing to try to drain the fluid, I just don't know how.....

She is still eating and drinking, but you can tell she's uncomfortable.