Supportive Care for Hen with Water Belly?

[OversaltedEgg]

My 2 year old rustic rock hen was just recently diagnosed with water belly. She went downhill quickly and we ended up taking her to the vet. I have chosen to support her and try to keep her alive with the time she has left. I have given my chickens shots before but I’m not comfortable with draining her myself so she will have regular appointments at the vet for the draining. I believe her water belly is caused by liver disease since the urates in her feces are yellow. She is currently separated from the flock. She will eat and drink water, but she constantly shows disinterest in food. I have given her mash, scrambled eggs, nutridrench and oatmeal so that she can get her energy back. I can see that she is fighting and she does have energy but she will occasionally stand still for a couple of minutes. Her breathing is audible when you are near her but she isn’t gasping for air and there isn’t any other signs of respiratory distress. Occasionally I do hear a clicking noise coming from her and I am unsure of its origin. Her comb is still red and plump so I pretty sure she is getting oxygen throughout her body. And advice?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My 2 year old rustic rock hen was just recently diagnosed with water belly. She went downhill quickly and we ended up taking her to the vet. I have chosen to support her and try to keep her alive with the time she has left. I have given my chickens shots before but I’m not comfortable with draining her myself so she will have regular appointments at the vet for the draining. I believe her water belly is caused by liver disease since the urates in her feces are yellow. She is currently separated from the flock. She will eat and drink water, but she constantly shows disinterest in food. I have given her mash, scrambled eggs, nutridrench and oatmeal so that she can get her energy back. I can see that she is fighting and she does have energy but she will occasionally stand still for a couple of minutes. Her breathing is audible when you are near her but she isn’t gasping for air and there isn’t any other signs of respiratory distress. Occasionally I do hear a clicking noise coming from her and I am unsure of its origin. Her comb is still red and plump so I pretty sure she is getting oxygen throughout her body. And advice?

Did you deworm her along with the others?

Is she not able to get out and move about with the flock at all?

I'd feed her her normal feed, eggs a couple of times as week as well as the PND (too much PND can cause loose stools). Cut out the oatmeal.

Often a hen will eat better and feel better overall when she is with her flock even if she's standing about for periods of time. If she's unable to get out and about with her flock, then see if you can bring in another hen or two to visit for a short while each day. See if she will eat some feed while they visit.

Check to make sure her crop is emptying and that she has no lice/mites.

You can also try detox to see if that helps with the fluid. Keep in mind the "Water Belly" (Ascites) is a Symptom. Did the vet indicate the cause of the symptom? Liver or heart dysfunction, reproductive or ??

 

[OversaltedEgg]

Yes, I let her free range with her flock and she is active but she has times where she will just stand still for a couple of minutes. She has been dewormed already along with the rest of the flock. I just checked her crop and thankfully it is emptying. Unfortunately the vet did not have solid reason for the cause of the water belly but I believe it could be liver related due to her occasional yellow feces.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, I let her free range with her flock and she is active but she has times where she will just stand still for a couple of minutes. She has been dewormed already along with the rest of the flock. I just checked her crop and thankfully it is emptying. Unfortunately the vet did not have solid reason for the cause of the water belly but I believe it could be liver related due to her occasional yellow feces.

If she were mine, I'd let her be with her flock and just monitor her.