Swollen behind, no other symptoms?

[Tailwise]

Hey all,

So my house chicken - part silkie, part Wyandotte and some other stuff - has had a somewhat swollen behind for about a week and a half now. It starts right at the end of her breastbone. It doesn't quite feel like water, but it doesn't feel hard, either.

Otherwise, she's completely fine. She eats (though she now refuses the shrimp treats I used to give her). She drinks. She poops. She's chatty. She isn't laying eggs, which worried me at first, but she went into a moult today which explains that. Our vet is stumped and thinks it could be just about anything, but he suspects it's her ovaries and has advised me to wait and see for a few more days, since the swelling's shrunk a little (it no longer surrounds her cloaca), so it's entirely possible it's just a bad egg that she's either about to absorb or to push out. But he still says he could be *anything*, including cancer.

Might anyone else have any guesses or similar experiences? I'm no longer in 'OMG SHE'S GOING TO DIE' mode, but I'm still concerned.

 

[azygous]

Your vet is right. It could be anything from liver disease to an oviduct infection or cancer.

I've used calcium citrate to treat a multitude of egg related issues. Sometimes a calcium deficiency can trigger these issues and supplying calcium can sometimes help resolve them.

I use 400mg each day, but a Silkie would need just half that.

If you are sure she's molting, I would hold off on calcium, though, unless she starts to show signs of straining to pass an egg mass.

 

[Tailwise]

Thanks for the advice!

I'm definitely sure she's molting - there's feathers everywhere right now.

I'm probably taking her to the specialized avian vet after easter, this one's my baby and I'm worried sick (even if she doesn't seem to be, outside of the swelling). Could be a fat problem too - I checked the nutritional information on the shrimps I've been giving her as treats for the past few months, which she now refuses to eat, and that kind of shocked me. (The vet said he could tell she was well-fed from her breast, and that her great constitution ruled out a number of things.)

 

[Tailwise]

Update: My vet had sent me home telling me to wait a few days and see if the swelling went away on its own, and apparently he was on to something - it's now much smaller, to the point of being nearly unnoticable. Maybe something got absorbed, or it's her 'molt diet' at work - I don't know.

I'm still taking her to the avian hospital sometime this week, when I can get an appointment. I've spent the past few days obsessing about every detail (particularly memorable is the day and night I spent on oh-no-she-isn't-pooping-watch, which ended when she took multiple poops... starting with in my chair. Brat.) with regards to her health and I need some certainty, sigh.

 

[azygous]

You're fortunate to have avian health support where you are. With resources like that, you should get some answers. Hopefully, it will resolve your sense of uncertainty, and your Silkie will be all right.

 

[Tailwise]

We actually found out a few days ago that an avian vet (who specializes in EYP-related hysterectomies, among other things. I may have stared) is opening a clinic just a town over today - much closer and cheaper than the avian hospital - so I feel very lucky in that department this week.

 

[Nambroth]

Sounds you are going to exactly the right place for her! I was going to suggest some "home diagnosis" ideas but your avian specialist will be a far superior experience. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Tailwise]

Ha! I'd be happy to receive the home diagnosis ideas too, I've been on edge about this one all week. Really hoping my current worries - her not eating that much and retreating a little when left to her own devices - are just molt-related.

But tomorrow it's the avian hospital for me. I'll keep this thread updated, just in case it's any help to anyone else later.

 

[Tailwise]

And I'll drop this here for anyone looking for info on EYP, if you can handle some graphic images and are willing to run the text through a Dutch -> English translator program, the avian vet moving over here wrote an article about EYP and the relevant hysterectomy procedure. Which I thought was interesting (and encouraging, back when I was researching what abdominal issues my chicken might have.) https://www.dierenartsrobvanzon.com/kip-chirurgie-verstopt-legapparaat

 

[Nambroth]

Given your dedication, I suspect you have done some good research and have already gone through the motions I might have suggested! Things like palpation (especially comparing the "feel" of her abdomen to a healthy hen of similar size). If you want to post a photo of her swelling it might be helpful.