Salpingitis (with 'lash' egg) - how to treat it?

[Hannah G]

My chicken has been ill for at leat 6 weeks - weak and puffed up and getting prgressively thinner. I found one strange rubbery small 'egg' a while back but didn't pay any attention but just found another one (about 8mm diamater) next to her latest poo. She is a 3 yr old Isa Brown and I recently posted she has yellow urates also and very decreased appetite - I have to entice her with the most delicious treats. I read they they rarely recover from spangalitis (inflammation of oviduct) but should I try anitbiotics anyway? My (hopeless) local vet has some Amoxyclav (penicillan based) antibiotic.
Has anyone had a chicken recover from Spangalitis?

 

[Shezadandy]

My chicken has been ill for at leat 6 weeks - weak and puffed up and getting prgressively thinner. I found one strange rubbery small 'egg' a while back but didn't pay any attention but just found another one (about 8mm diamater) next to her latest poo. She is a 3 yr old Isa Brown and I recently posted she has yellow urates also and very decreased appetite - I have to entice her with the most delicious treats. I read they they rarely recover from spangalitis (inflammation of oviduct) but should I try anitbiotics anyway? My (hopeless) local vet has some Amoxyclav (penicillan based) antibiotic.
Has anyone had a chicken recover from Spangalitis?

Unfortunately, no. It is the scourge of chicken keeping, and it's what most of us eventually lose our beloved hens to- sometimes organ (heart or liver) failure, but reproductive issues at one stage or another are not solvable. Here and there if someone catches a problem really early, maybe they have success, but once things go wrong with reproductive problems that's about it.
You may want to prepare to be able to drain ascities if her abdomen starts to fill with fluid - a common thing that happens under these circumstances. Draining fluid is not a cure, but it can make them more comfortable, especially if the fluid is making it hard to breathe which is a miserable state for them to be in - and very hard to watch if you don't have the right thing on hand to help as they start gasping for air.

The basic thing is to have a 14 or 16 gauge 1" long needle. These can be found online or in the cattle vaccines section of your farm supply store. The video explains the how to, where to etc. I stopped using a syringe and just let the fluid drain out directly as she does at the end of the process.

You won't believe what came out of this hen "How to drain Waterbelly" ascites - YouTube

 

[Hannah G]

Unfortunately, no. It is the scourge of chicken keeping, and it's what most of us eventually lose our beloved hens to- sometimes organ (heart or liver) failure, but reproductive issues at one stage or another are not solvable. Here and there if someone catches a problem really early, maybe they have success, but once things go wrong with reproductive problems that's about it.
You may want to prepare to be able to drain ascities if her abdomen starts to fill with fluid - a common thing that happens under these circumstances. Draining fluid is not a cure, but it can make them more comfortable, especially if the fluid is making it hard to breathe which is a miserable state for them to be in - and very hard to watch if you don't have the right thing on hand to help as they start gasping for air.

The basic thing is to have a 14 or 16 gauge 1" long needle. These can be found online or in the cattle vaccines section of your farm supply store. The video explains the how to, where to etc. I stopped using a syringe and just let the fluid drain out directly as she does at the end of the process.

You won't believe what came out of this hen "How to drain Waterbelly" ascites - YouTube

Thanks for you reply, I did read elsewhere that they rarely recover. At the moment she is quite happy but tired and weak. So no point trying antibiotics you'd say?
PS. Great video, thanks for sharing that

 

[Eggcessive]

You can try antibiotics for a week or 10 days just to see if they help. It won’t hurt. But most hens by the time you see lash egg material, have been sick for awhile. Some have had antibiotics extend the life a little. Yellow urates can indicate liver disease caused by the reproductive disorder, and can also be seen in cancer and heart failure. I would try to make her comfortable and offer foods that can be attractive and nutritious. Some of those include moist chicken feed, bits of scrambled egg, tuna, or canned cat food. Many hens with reproductive disorders can also suffer from crop disorders, so keep any eye on her crop emptying by morning. If she seems to be failing or suffering, I would put her down.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a couple of articles about salpingitis:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/salpingitis

 

[Shezadandy]

Thanks for you reply, I did read elsewhere that they rarely recover. At the moment she is quite happy but tired and weak. So no point trying antibiotics you'd say?
PS. Great video, thanks for sharing that

I always advocate for doing whatever you can that might give relief and improve her circumstances and give her some quality time. If antibiotics seem to help, by all means - what I wish to convey is they won't solve spangalitis itself, that's all.

 

[Hannah G]

You can try antibiotics for a week or 10 days just to see if they help. It won’t hurt. But most hens by the time you see lash egg material, have been sick for awhile. Some have had antibiotics extend the life a little. Yellow urates can indicate liver disease caused by the reproductive disorder, and can also be seen in cancer and heart failure. I would try to make her comfortable and offer foods that can be attractive and nutritious. Some of those include moist chicken feed, bits of scrambled egg, tuna, or canned cat food. Many hens with reproductive disorders can also suffer from crop disorders, so keep any eye on her crop emptying by morning. If she seems to be failing or suffering, I would put her down.

Ok thanks very much, I'm going to get some anitbiotics, the vet said it is a liquid to give orally. Any tips on how to do this without choking her?

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a couple of links including a video of giving meds to a chicken:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Shezadandy]

Another way is to start with sugar water (without medicine). Using a small syringe, without opening the mouth, squirt a little at the side of her beak, like oiling a door hinge. Some may run out in the beginning, but I've found that once they have something yummy to taste (like sugar water), they'll tip their beaks up and swallow. If that turns out to be successful, then you can mix some sugar water in with the medicine and down it goes. If you only have a limited supply of the medication, then the above method might be better. Or-- you can tube feed it along with some liquids and baby parrot food.

 

[Hannah G]

Another way is to start with sugar water (without medicine). Using a small syringe, without opening the mouth, squirt a little at the side of her beak, like oiling a door hinge. Some may run out in the beginning, but I've found that once they have something yummy to taste (like sugar water), they'll tip their beaks up and swallow. If that turns out to be successful, then you can mix some sugar water in with the medicine and down it goes. If you only have a limited supply of the medication, then the above method might be better. Or-- you can tube feed it along with some liquids and baby parrot food.

Thanks for that. I successfully syringed some antibiotics in without choking her (phew!). Now I'm wondering if I could suppliment her diet (as she is beeing very fussy and VERY thin) with some insectivore mix syringed in the same way. What do you think?