URGENT - Chicken with Swollen butt - have her in bath now

[Pixelsaurus]

Noticed my hen (Isa Brown ~30 months old), she didn't get back into the coop one night and I found her in the run just sitting on the ground this morning. Her butt is super swollen - and very firm to the touch and she isn't flexing her feet (just cramped up - see photo). I am soaking her in water right now as I search forums for answers.

I had been on vacation with guests checking on them, so I don't know how long she has been like this nor her recent eating or drinking. I gave her some yogurt and scrambled egg and she ate it. I also have some water through a dropper.

Ok, she just pooped little of that yellow stuff - see photo. But her butt is very impacted with feces....and ok, I just got her to cleaned enough to notice small maggots (eek). She is now standing in the tepid water bath (about 1/2" of water) and moving her muscles a little moving tail up. See video.

Oh, she pooped a little bit again.

HELP - what should I do??

Ginger

 

[Eggcessive]

I would fill up the basin with warm dawn, etc. soapy water. If you have some chlorhexidene or betadine, add a spoonful for disinfection. Soak her bottom for 15 minutes and try to get any maggots off of her that are not killed immediately in the water. She has flystrike, a deadly maggot infestation that can occur with a wound or prolapsed vent that gets dirty and attracts flies. After drying her, check for more maggots. You will probably need to repeat the soaks once or twice more for 24 hours to kill all emerging maggots. Use antibiotic ointment on her wound. Her swollen lower abdomen could be from ascites (water belly,) a condition that can happen with reproductive infection, cancer, or liver disease. It can also happen with heart failure.

Does she normally lay eggs? I would offer her clean water, scrambled egg bits, and some mushy watery chicken feed. A dose of Poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell 2 ml orally might give a boost.

 

[coach723]

X2!
Here are a couple of articles on flystrike, when you have time:
https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/flystrike-a-chicken-killer-cuddles-beats-the-odds-again/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

 

[Pixelsaurus]

Thank you coach723 for they reply. This definitely looks like what she has. I have done the epsom salt soak, sprayed with Povidone Iodine (betadine) and picked out as many worms as I could and slathered with Neosporin. Gave her Poultry NutriDrench and some water. She is resting.

But wow - her swollen lower abdomen area is SO engorged and tight. Will she eventually poop it out? Do I massage it or anything while she is soaking?

BTW - I am not sure if she was laying. I have 5 Isa Browns but only get 2-3 eggs a day.

Ginger

 

[coach723]

The swollen abdomen is likely a reproductive problem, that can be cancer or infection. It's generally not treatable once it reaches the point where the abdomen is distended like that. It's not uncommon unfortunately, and they hide symptoms well so often it goes unnoticed until it's advanced. Sometimes it's fluid(ascites), which some people drain to make them more comfortable for a while(there are videos on youtube showing how), but that does have some risk of infection or shock if the fluid is drained to much too quickly. If it's ascites then it will usually return since the underlying condition is still there. When their abdomen is swollen it can make it harder for them to push droppings out, so that is likely the reason she had droppings around her vent which caused the flystrike. When mine get like this I just leave them with the flock until they are obviously unwell, isolate themselves, go off food or water, or get attacked by flockmates (that happens and is normal behaviour-instinct to drive out a weak member who might draw a predator). Once they are just not doing normal chicken things anymore I euthanize rather than let them suffer. She needs to heal before she can go back with the flock so that her wound doesn't get pecked at and made worse. And keep her where flies can't get to her until it's scabbed up. Keep checking for maggots several times a day for a few days, they can continue to hatch. Remove any you find, or repeat the soaks, until you are finding no more.

 

[Eggcessive]

Good advice from Coach732 as usual. Right now it is important to find all of the hatching maggots. Later if she lives through this, and her wound is healing, you could consider draining her abdomen. I usually don’t drain them unless they are very uncomfortable, or having labored breathing. It is done by disinfecting the skin of the abdomen, and inserting an 18 gauge needle just into the abdominal wall. Of course avoid the area where the flystrike is. You can use a syringe to withdraw the fluid, or the needle will drain it alone. It may continue to drain once the needle is removed. If you can collect it into a jar, you can see the color. It normally is yellow to dark amber, even greenish in some cases. If you don’t get fluid, it may just be infection from egg yolk peritonitis. If the fluid is clear and colorless, that is not ascites, but from a rare cystic right oviduct. I have done several necropsies on my chickens who have died, and have seen the yellow fluid when opening the abdomen of hens with cancer, internal laying, and one with fatty liver disease.

 

[Pixelsaurus]

Thanks everyone. I think the abdomen is the worse issue here. She does not seem to be doing well. Not moving well or standing. Still excreting that yellow stuff. I am debating euthanizing her. But will wait and see how she is doing in the morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

I understand. I hope that she makes it and lives through the night. Her condition may not get better. Let us know how she is in the morning.

 

[Pixelsaurus]

Well, we euthanized our hen today. Sad, but she lived a good life.

But this morning I noticed another Hen - our favorite - with a very poopy butt . I brought her in and washed her up. I don't see any signs of flystrike - but I do see the beginnings of what could be the swelling in the abdomen and the area under the vent is very pink.

I kept her in the bath tub on a towel and noticed her poop is very runny and bit of white color. No yellow coloration, just very light and watery. There is also a strong ammonia odor??

I am keeping her inside separated from the flock. Giving NutriDrench, water, and some scrambled egg.

If I am not treating for flystrike, what should I be looking for? treating for??

I have fendendazole on hand, but not much else in the way of meds.

Very sad day today at Coop DeVille :-(

 

[Pixelsaurus]

Will post pictures of my new problem hen shortly. But it looks like I may need to try to drain her. She is no where near as swollen as our gal we put down today, so maybe catching this in time?

The best graphics I found for doing this is
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

Few questions as I will have to get a few things:
1. This is a needle I can get at the local TSC: 18 Gauge x 1-1/2 in. Disposable Livestock Needles, is this right?

2. About how long does it take to drain? Do you use any pressure or will it just expel under natural pressure?

3. Since this is early, I might be able to save her....but what about diet. I read some place that the flock might be getting too much protein diet. (We give our 7 hens 2-3 scoops of scratch with meal worms almost everyday). What should I be feeding her now? Oatmeal with cocunut oil? Scrambled egg? Regular feed with grit? (I have used chick food mixed with yogurt for sick chickens before).

4. What about the rest of the flock? 2 hens with same problem, one more advanced. Should I treat? Should I adjust diet?

Thank you so so much in advance. It would be tragic to loose my favorite gal.