Swelling Below Vent: Photo

[crazy huhn]

My 15 month old Cochin has an abnormal soft swelling below her vent, seems fluid filled. See photo after bath.
She used to be an awesome egg layer all summer long, but stopped - due to molt I guess for about at least 3 weeks now.

She is in a severe molt with some bare spots. She has been dewormed regularly, latest 2 weeks ago with Ivermectin pour-on and again 2 days ago, even though I did not see any ectoparasites or endoparasites.
Poor thing is just skin and bones. I thought it was because of molting, but now I think it is related to the swelling. She is not herself.

I did check her for egg binding, but I am pretty sure it is not. She used to have diarrhea a few days ago, better now after giving her crumble w/yoghurt, apple sauce, drinks water with ACV and/or Vitamins/Electrolytes. To get all my girls through the molt easier I added some protein with a handful of cat food every 2 days for 9 girls or a handful of Calf Manna.

Does that look like an internal layer to all you experts, Gumboro disease, Lymphoid Leukosis or just me being paranoid? Any other idea?

 

[chickensioux]

I have a year old Buff Cochin like this. I don't know if yours has the same thing as mine, but I think mine has "ascites". She is perfectly normal in all aspects except for the fluid filled bag under her vent. I give her Brewers Yeast and at times the swelling goes way down. She has been like this for at least 6 months and it never gets worse and she does not seem to have any ill effects from this. Maybe this is what your has as well. Keep researching tho' in case it might be something different. Good luck and I hope she stays well.

 

[thechickenchick]

I have a BO with the same issue. She has been like this for months as well. Sometimes it looks like it is getting better, but it never gets worse. She is eating and gets around just fine. I don't have an explanation either. Sorry.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
I would continue with the yogurt, though three times a week would probably work, probably stop the applesauce now that you've wormed. You don't want to cleanse her TOO much.

I'm wondering about a couple of things. First, she's obviously in a molt so I'd think that's not anything having to do with egg binding - which is a relief. Since she's apparently thin, I'd think it's more inflammation from pressure. But can you actually feel fluid there as you palpate it? Is it hot and tight, or normally hot and moves around?

What is her diet by the way - a heavy molt like this and I would make sure she gets no less than an 18% protein crumble, or a supplement of eggs twice to three times a week to facilitate those feathers coming in. Otherwise I'd keep her straight on her completely fortified crumble. I'm not opposed to adding some grower during a molt if it's a really good high protein. I personally use a 20% gamebird breeder/layer which covers us well during big molts.

Since she's molting - and it's very painful and thus causes stress which thus causes more vulnerable immune systems, I'd give her some good oil vitamins twice a week in that mash. For this sort of circumstance (really ANY where there's stress) I really like using the polyvisol baby vitamins (the one without added iron) 3 drops a day in the beak. The reason I like them is because they're the more important oil vitamins (A, D, E) in an oil-liquid form and go directly in the beak, versus the water-package vitamins in which the oil vitamins usually suffer and degrade as soon as light hits them. The oil vitamins are usually the most easily degraded from feeds, and thus the most usually deficient in a flock. In a healthy bird, the complete feed does the trick - but during stress I hedge my bets with this nicely balanced vitamin. And E is good for inflammation incidentally - which might help a tad with the swelling.

I look forward to your reply about what's going on back at the back. Also I wonder - could this be from where she had diarrhea? Did it possibly burn her skin?

Oh by the way, on weight, protein is the way to go - not grains. I had an issue where my very healthy birds weren't a perfect weight this year. I stopped using any supplementary grains on that group, went to a higher protein feed, and they're beautifully weighty now - not too fat, nice meat. So I hope my little experience there helps you with that issue as well.

 

[crazy huhn]

Threehorses: Thank You so much for looking at my post.

All my girls do eat a lot less then normal, even though nothing has changed in their diet, which is the Layena 16% crumble, a handful of scratch for 9 girls a day, the feed looks and smells normal. To add some protein I tried the Calf Manna or alternated high quality cat kibble with low salt content, but they did not really like any of it very much. I tried the 20% game bird mixed 50/50 with the regular Layena last year, but I have just noticed, that during molting season they just do not really want to eat like they did during the summer, not even the scratch.
So I mixed yogurt with crumble to a mash and they like that a little better. Mixed some new mash whenever I notice it is empty. I also bought the probiotic powder and added that instead of the yogurt.
I have been having difficulties finding polyvisol. First thing in the morning I will go to some different places. Your explanation with the oil based vitamins vs. the water packaged makes so much sense. I did not remember Vit. E being good to fight inflammations, but will start tomorrow.
The swelling can be an inflammation from the diarrhea and the redness and swelling went down a bit after I cleaned her up. It is normal hot and moves around.
So, I guess what I need to find out is, why my Cochins have the watery diarrhea, smell and color normal, while all my other girls eat the same, but so far no changes in their droppings. How can I stop the diarrhea and get them more to eat?

 

[crazy huhn]

Why waiting until tomorrow? Went online and found out "Toy's R Us" had them in the store. Got them right away and will give them now first thing in the morning.

 

[Wynette]

I've got a hen with a hernia - I took her to my avian vet to have her looked at (at the time, she was still laying without issue). She looks almost exactly like your girl does. Here's a thread about it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224335

Mine went into molt over a month ago and is now down; she has not resumed laying. My vet told me that eventually, she'd have egg-laying issues as a result and need to be culled. So far, she's still got a good appetite (she's had the hernia probably 6-7 months now) and is doing well, so I'll leave her unless she begins to feel poorly.

BEST of luck with your girl!

 

[crazy huhn]

Quote:
Interesting. Thanks for referring to your post. In her case I have to say, that I have hatched her here at my place and even though I have a flock of mixed ages, they never got "Layer" before they had started to lay. However, the possibility o being "Hernia" is of course still there. But why diarrhea???? Two different issues going on here?

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
You can help with diarrhea issues (without my knowing the cause) with probiotics - which can include yogurt, about 1 teaspoon a day. Or probios powder from the feedstore (the small bottle as it's 1/4 teaspoon per bird - don't use in the water despite their labeling), keeping their diet consistent, and perhaps giving them some powdered oatmeal in the food. But I think I'd do a gentle cleansing-replenishing flush first - the applesauce, yogurt, crumbles, honey, water, with a tiny bit of molasses - one time only. The fiber in the applesauce (or pureed apples) is a probiotic to bacteria, it feeds them and helps them colonize, while cleansing out the digestive tract of undigested food bits or anything else that might be irritating to them. If you're giving DE, always stop when a bird has diarrhea. Then consider the worming program - had they ever been wormed?

 

[crazy huhn]

Well, I did the apple sauce once on Sunday, but still have some to do the flush again.
Like stated in my first post, they have been dewormed regularly latest 3 weeks ago with Ivermectin pour-on and a second time last week on Thursday. The diarrhea was already present before the second deworming, so I am not sure if it might be related to the first round 3 weeks ago.
They did not get any DE since the first deworming.