Swollen abdomen in Ameracauna Chicken, comb looks tinier

[lovelysea123]

Hello everyone, my three year old Americauna Chicken stomach looks bloated and is walking very funny. I'm not sure what's going on or if it has something with the food that I'm giving the chicken or it could be the weather. I feed her bread, oatmeal (due to winter) and provide them with Purina layer feed crumbles and Livengoods layer feed pellets. Right now I stopped giving her treeats because she's not feeling well. She free ranges all day. I also attached a video of how she's acting right now and a picture. Currently this week its very cold, below freezing and my chicken isn't feeling too well, I brought her inside the house yesterday. I noticed her comb looks different and looks tinier. She barely walks and just stands in one spot. I was holding my chicken and liquid were coming out from her butt and it smells. Her lower abdomen looks swollen, but shes not egg bound. She hasn't been laying eggs at all and barely eats.

 

[LaFleche]

Hello @lovelysea123 ,

your chicken does look very unwell, and I have some questions that needs answering:

• When did you last deworm her?
• When did she last lay an egg?
• How does her swollen abdomen feel? Is it rather hard or squishy?
• What exactly can you feel while gently sampling the abdominal area especially between her legs and underneath the vent?
• Is she still able to poop and if so, how does it look? (Pictures)
• Did you already give her a warm bath with epsom salt?

 

[LaFleche]

The swollen abdomen and the waddling way she walks hint to a severe issue with her reproductive tract, such as internal laying/egg yolk peritonitis or ovarian cancer accompanied by ascites.
In the video it looks as if there is a bulge on her right side near her leg, can you feel if it is hard or soft?

 

[lovelysea123]

Hello @lovelysea123 ,

your chicken does look very unwell, and I have some questions that needs answering:

• When did you last deworm her?
• When did she last lay an egg?
• How does her swollen abdomen feel? Is it rather hard or squishy?
• What exactly can you feel while gently sampling the abdominal area especially between her legs and underneath the vent?
• Is she still able to poop and if so, how does it look? (Pictures)
• Did you already give her a warm bath with epsom salt?

• No, I havent dewormed her, I don't know how to.
• Her last egg was a long time, I dont think she lays anymore
• Her swollen abdomen is squishy.
• She poop like liquid whiteish
• I didnt give her warm bath with epsom salt. I don't know if she would feel better.
• I attached a picture of her poop right now and her stomach. She didnt poop when she was sleeping but when I was feeding her it had liquid like a really stinky smell.

 

[LaFleche]

The dewormer you could use might depend on where you live (country).

The stinky smell might be caused by the infection of the oviduct or the accumulated masses (egg yolk and pus) in her abdomen.

Is starting an antibiotic treatment/seeing a vet an option?

 

[LaFleche]

A squishy swollen abdomen means that there is an accumulation of liquid = ascites, a symptom of severe condition, which could be caused by the afore mentioned infection of the oviduct, tumours, internal laying where the masses start to pressurize on the internal organs or heart failure etc.

The masses could also consist of entangled worms, so I would recommend to deworm her to see, if that would help with her condition. If she does not improve after deworming, the other options are to be considered.

 

[lovelysea123]

The dewormer you could use might depend on where you live (country).

The stinky smell might be caused by the infection of the oviduct or the accumulated masses (egg yolk and pus) in her abdomen.

Is starting an antibiotic treatment/seeing a vet an option?

I don't think theres a vet in my area. What kind of antibiotic do you recommend? I live in Texas, so I would like to know what kind of dewormer product. Thank you!

 

[LaFleche]

I don't think theres a vet in my area. What kind of antibiotic do you recommend? I live in Texas, so I would like to know what kind of dewormer product. Thank you!

You could get some Safeguard liquid goat dewormer from TSC. Here is a link to the dosage: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/round-worms-in-hens.1318143/post-21485807

The antibiotic to use would depend on the bacteria found in her discharge, and without the results of a test it would be just a try. You could get some Amoxicillin for her, here is a link to the dosage for birds: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rir-with-bare-red-belly.1315715/post-21448827

 

[lovelysea123]

A squishy swollen abdomen means that there is an accumulation of liquid = ascites, a symptom of severe condition, which could be caused by the afore mentioned infection of the oviduct, tumours, internal laying where the masses start to pressurize on the internal organs or heart failure etc.

The masses could also consist of entangled worms, so I would recommend to deworm her to see, if that would help with her condition. If she does not improve after deworming, the other options are to be considered.

Is the deworming a pill or is that a liquid? I saw it on Tractor Supply, which is the link you gave me. Is there anothet alternative? Do you recommend to get amoxicilin and deworming product?

 

[LaFleche]

You could get some Safeguard liquid goat dewormer from TSC. Here is a link to the dosage: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/round-worms-in-hens.1318143/post-21485807

The antibiotic to use would depend on the bacteria found in her discharge, and without the results of a test it would be just a try. You could get some Amoxicillin for her, here is a link to the dosage for birds: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rir-with-bare-red-belly.1315715/post-21448827

The dewormer I use for my poultry is Flubenol 5% powder for 7 consecutive days. Works even for tape worms. No egg withdrawal.
But it seems to be difficult to come by in the U.S.A.

And if the deworming does not help, I would end her suffering, as usually all other treatment will not be able to cure them of the underlying cause, but will only help temporarily with the symptoms. But that is just me.

There are plenty of BYC users that treat their hens administering antibiotics and/ or getting suprelorin implants etc. to stop the laying in hope that this will allow for healing.

As always, there are different opinions and different ways to deal with this.