UPDATE 6/29: RIP Olivia. :-(

[tellynpeep]

I recently asked an Avian vet what she charges for a spay...$1500. A bit more than a dog or cat! But it is a much more difficult and specialized procedure. Good luck with this girl.

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Sorry to hear about your girl!!!! I admire your dedication to her as a special pet.......it takes a special person to be so intent on her well care and value of life.

 

[pawsplus]

UPDATE:

I put Olivia back outside w/ the other girls on Sat. She's being good and letting me catch her (after they have roosted) once a day for her meds. She seems to be acting pretty normally (YAY!)--roosting up high, eating well, etc. All this bodes well for successful surgery next week!

 

[Veggie4life55]

We have had 2 chickens that internally laid and have now been spayed. Our estimate was for around 182.00 plus I have blood work done to check kidney and liver function.

Everytime we have had surgery there has been complications of the internal laying being worse than expected and it took a long time to remove lesions and move around all the blood vessels.. So much in fact that the during Gaia, the 2nd chicken's surgery the Vet called and asked if I wanted him to go on because it was going to take a while and she might bleed to death because of all the vessels and lesions. Luckily he did a great job and she only lost a little blood and is doing very well. She looked pretty rough the first day but the next day you could barely tell anything had happened. She was on Medacam for a week for pain... and Baytril for 2 weeks since she was open for so long. But they are very resilient and do very well after the surgery!

but both chickens are doing well and even though it cost more than expected when I took them into my care I took on the responsibility of caring for them the best I can. A life is a life be it a Dog or Chicken... we don't have alot of extra income or anything, my husband is the only one who works in our family, but we do what it takes to keep our animals healthy.. I have been griped at on the forums before for talking about spending so much money on "just" and chicken.... So that is why I am leaving the explanation...So to answer the question of how much our chickens cost to be spayed.... Because Both chickens were under anesthesia for around 2 and a half hours each it cost us a little over $500.00 per chicken for the surgery.

But if you have any questions about a chicken being spayed I will be more than happy to tell you everything I know or ask our avian vet. Hope everything works out well for you and Oliva! Please let us know how she is doing!

 

[chkn]

I've got one too I've been dealing with on and off with antibiotics and I think she's doin' it again. I might have to drain her if she keeps this up. I tried once or twice but I didn't have a good needle and syringe. I'm holding off. I'm hoping the antibiotics will fix your girl. Keep us posted. BTW, those are some lucksy chicksens to have such a good mom.

 

[cochinGurl]

just wondering: what is the point in spaying a hen? ive heard of people neutering roos to stop the crowing, but I know nothing about spaying hens. what is hte purpose?

 

[pawsplus]

UPDATE

Just got off the phone w/ my avian vet who just completed the spay on Olivia.

He told me the following:

- He has never in his life seen so much pus in one place. Her oviduct was FULL of pus, including hard, golf ball sized chunks. There was an egg stuck in there that accounts for the necrotic area on her butt. He said that he thinks this began as egg yolk peritonitis but that it was at the point of being the chicken equivalent of pyometra.

- Everything was adhered to everything else. The surgery took 2 hours b/c it was so hard to tell what was what and what went where (and he's VERY experienced). Olivia stopped breathing several times

but the anesthesiologist was, in my vet's words, "amazing" and kept her going.

- He said that if this had been a dog, a cat, or a human being, she would have been dead weeks ago. He has no idea why she was seeming to do so well. He said it gave him renewed respect for the ability of chickens to hold onto life.

- He said that he thought that after 20+ years in the biz he had no more gag reflex, but it turns out he does.

Olivia is going to spend tonight and tomorrow there. Normally I would insist on her coming home, since no one spends the night at vet clinics and I, at least, would be home. But he said he would stay until 8 or 9 tonight. He wants to bring her up slowly and control her pain (since he was pawing around in her abdomen for 2 hours), so she's on Torbugesic as she comes out of the anesthesia. She also got a monster shot of Baytril and she'll be on oral Baytril once I pick her up tomorrow evening.

All in all, he said that there is no question that this was the ONLY thing to do. If we had not done it she would have not made it for long. And it probably explains why Clarice has been picking on her--I didn't understand it, but if Clarice knew she was sick even though Olivia was acting OK (mostly b/c of the Metacam she was on), that might explain it.

Please keep thinking good thoughts for my sweet Olivia. She is a VERY tough chick and she needs all your good thoughts and wishes!!!!

 

[pawsplus]

Quote:
Hi - How long ago did your girls have surgery and how are they doing now?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

You are both so blessed.

Her for living with you and you for finding an amazing avian vet

What an amazing strong girl Olivia is.

 

[hencackle]

He said that he thought that after 20+ years in the biz he had no more gag reflex, but it turns out he does.

Wow, that says a lot about the severity of Olivia's case.

Wishing Olivia a speedy recovery and a nice, long, happy and healthy life!