Swollen abdomen, low amount of droppings.

[Emy]

Hi everyone,

My almost 1 year old silver wyandotte has a swollen soft abdomen and isnt pooping as much as usual. She is eating like normal, is acting perfectly fine and doesn't seem bothered of I gently massage her abdomen. She laid an egg two days ago, and about 12 hours after that laid a very thin shelled egg and hasn't laid since. I gave her a bath and she is pooping a bit more. Has anyone else had anything like this happen? I've looked up everything I've thought it could be, but nothing seems to match well.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Emy]

Update for general thread info.
We went back in for a follow up. The vet drained 100cc of fluid from her, and put her on diuretics twice a day. Her blood work looks good, with no sign of infection or liver issues. He suspects it is either heart related, or possibly cancer. We are going to schedule an ultrasound to find out which. We're very lucky to live near an extremely experienced chicken specific vet, so regardless of the eventual diagnosis, he feels confident he will be able to manage it.

 

[Chickensfan]

Hi everyone,

My almost 1 year old silver wyandotte has a swollen soft abdomen and isnt pooping as much as usual. She is eating like normal, is acting perfectly fine and doesn't seem bothered of I gently massage her abdomen. She laid an egg two days ago, and about 12 hours after that laid a very thin shelled egg and hasn't laid since. I gave her a bath and she is pooping a bit more. Has anyone else had anything like this happen? I've looked up everything I've thought it could be, but nothing seems to match well.

Thank you in advance!

She may have a cracked eggshell stuck in her oveduct...
This may help,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/year-old-hen-with-swollen-abdomen-what-is-wrong.634687/
and this,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ot-pooping-update-respiratory-disease.741333/
and this,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hens-abdomen-swollen-soft-not-pooping.432383/
I hope that this helps!

 

[Emy]

She may have a cracked eggshell stuck in her oveduct...
This may help,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/year-old-hen-with-swollen-abdomen-what-is-wrong.634687/
and this,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ot-pooping-update-respiratory-disease.741333/
and this,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hens-abdomen-swollen-soft-not-pooping.432383/
I hope that this helps!

Thanks for the reply! I had actually read through most of those. The thing that baffles me is that she isn't showing any other symptoms, and doesn't have any indication of an infection. She's a very loved pet, so if she's not better soon we'll head to our avian vet. I can't seem to find much on cracked shells in the oviduct. Have you had experience with this?

 

[Chickensfan]

Thanks for the reply! I had actually read through most of those. The thing that baffles me is that she isn't showing any other symptoms, and doesn't have any indication of an infection. She's a very loved pet, so if she's not better soon we'll head to our avian vet. I can't seem to find much on cracked shells in the oviduct. Have you had experience with this?

I have not had experience with it, but I know that it is painful for them, and since her abdomen was swollen, I was thinking it may be a possibility. Is she walking like a penguin?

 

[Chickensfan]

read through these....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/
http://fresheggsdaily.com/2012/06/egg-bound-hens-how-to-recognize-treat.html
Maybe they have something?

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the reply! I had actually read through most of those. The thing that baffles me is that she isn't showing any other symptoms, and doesn't have any indication of an infection. She's a very loved pet, so if she's not better soon we'll head to our avian vet. I can't seem to find much on cracked shells in the oviduct. Have you had experience with this?

If you can afford a vet you should go to the vet. There are many things it could be, some treatable, some not.

 

[Emy]

I have not had experience with it, but I know that it is painful for them, and since her abdomen was swollen, I was thinking it may be a possibility. Is she walking like a penguin?

Nope, she's trotting around perfectly normally, and tail is up. We had her go through this exact same thing about 3 months ago. After a couple days, the swelling went down and she did a small partial moult, so we assumed it had to do with that and my avian vet said she seemed fine.

 

[Emy]

read through these....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/
http://fresheggsdaily.com/2012/06/egg-bound-hens-how-to-recognize-treat.html
Maybe they have something?

I don't believe she's egg bound. I don't feel any eggs and she isn't in and out of the nest area or showing other symptoms.

 

[Emy]

If you can afford a vet you should go to the vet. There are many things it could be, some treatable, some not.

If she gets worse tonight we'll head to the emergency vet. If she stays the same we'll head to my avian vet instead.