Swollen abdomen- culled and found tumors... GRAPHIC PHOTOS!

[SavageDestiny]

I'm posting this just so others might learn something too. I did tonight.

Posted this a couple days ago:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/888470/poopy-butt-feathers

From her symptoms (swollen. liquid filled abdomen and weight loss) I assumed she had EYP or was laying internally. Possibly ascites. But we culled her tonight and I did a necropsy. She drained a LOT of fluid... a shocking amount. It was clear yellow and looked like urine, even though I know chickens don't produce urine. Everything looked pretty normal until I lifted up her intestines... there was a huge mass of tumors under there. Poor girl.

Just wanted to post this to get the info out there. I never would have thought tumors but that's what it was.

THERE WILL BE GRAPHIC NECROPSY PHOTOS IN THE NEXT POST. DO NOT SCROLL DOWN IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE.

 

[SavageDestiny]

This was the fluid... it is reddish since it mixed with blood in the container. This container was big enough to hold an entire LF hen and this was how high it was filled with fluid we drained.



What she looked like opened up


Under her intestines.

 

[casportpony]

Excellent thread, thanks for sharing! FWIW, some cancers and internal layers can often be diagnosed by doing a cloacal exam.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I have some cancer necropsy pics, I'll see if I can find them.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Here is one that had ascites, oviduct cancer and fatty liver disease, I think. See those little lumps? Those I could feel while doing a cloacal exam, so I was not surprised when I did the necropsy to find it.

































-Kathy

 

[SavageDestiny]

Here is one that had ascites, oviduct cancer and fatty liver disease, I think. See those little lumps? Those I could feel while doing a cloacal exam, so I was not surprised when I did the necropsy to find it.


-Kathy

A cloacal exam wouldn't have revealed much with Berta, my hen. When we started cutting her open, there was a sac filled with the liquid that was surrounding all her innards. We had to puncture it, drain it, and cut it open in order to see intestines and the tumors. If I had done a cloacal exam I would just have felt the sac of liquid.

 

[casportpony]

Most of the time I can feel past the liquid. Not saying I could have with your hen, just sayin that it's possible. I can also detect egg bits from internal layers doing this.

-Kathy

 

[4chickens3dogs]

What were the ages of your chickens that had these conditions? Horrible & sad to see, but thanks for sharing your knowledge.

 

[casportpony]

What were the ages of your chickens that had these conditions? Horrible & sad to see, but thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Mine were all ages 1-5 years.

-Kathy

 

[SavageDestiny]

What were the ages of your chickens that had these conditions? Horrible & sad to see, but thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Berta, my chicken in the original post, just turned a year this month.