Urgent help! Large sack out of throat

[dawg53]

If possible, I would try to give a dose of benadryl if you have any. Give 1/2 of a 25 mg benadryl tablet if you vpcan get it down her throat. Looking at your picture, it really looks like her tongue has been stung or injured. She may be able to breathe okay through her nostrils. Is there any way to get her to a vet or animal ER right away. She could be fed and watered with a feeding tube or crop tube, until the swelling goes down.

x2
I suspect she swallowed an insect that stung her. Childrens Benadryl as directed by Eggcessive will keep her trachea open unless the swelling presses too hard on the trachea closing it off completely. Watch her comb for darkening, a sign of lack of oxygen. At that point it might be best to put her down.
@Dgrif5 Where do you live, and do you have scorpions and/or fire ants, ground wasps?

 

[AmyJane725]

I also wouldn't put her down immediately. It looks bad, but you've got nothing to lose by trying the benadryl. I hope she recovers.

Does that thing feel squishy like the crop, or is it firm like something swollen?

 

[Dgrif5]

Sadly soon after the photo she collapsed and could barely breathe, so we had to put her down.... we live in the UK, so there aren't many creatures that could have sting her like that. We checked and it didn't seem to be her tongue, as that had been forced to the side and seemed normal, but there are no nearby vets where we live that will deal with chickens really, we took one a while back and they didn't have a clue :/ thank you so much for all your advice and support, and I'm so sorry that this story didn't have a happy ending. She was a lovely hen, and will be sorely missed.

I'll have to have a thorough scout around to make sure there isn't anything she could have tried to eat, for the sake of the others, and make sure we have a supply of benadryl in the future, just in case.

And once again, I can't thank you all enough for all the support I received, despite the rough, panicky, rushed post that i made. You are all wonderful people

 

[Willowspirit]

I'm so sorry you lost her but good try. It's so sad that so few vets are even interested in chickens or other avian medicine.

 

[casportpony]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm very sorry for your loss

I do agree she likely got stung or could have been an infected Salivary gland. This is just a couple links from my notes. Over the past few years every once in a while something like this comes along in the ER threads, sadly, I have not found one where a chicken survived.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-organ-hanging-from-the-mouth-tumor.1170982/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/horrible-swollen-thing-coming-out-of-my-hens-mouth.763473/

 

[AmyJane725]

I'm really sorry she didn't make it. How sudden. At least she didn't suffer long.

I know this is gruesome, but for the sake of future birds, would you be willing to cut that sack thing open and see what's in there? See if it's the crop, or just a fleshy ball, or fluid, or what?

 

[AmyJane725]

I'm so sorry you lost her but good try. It's so sad that so few vets are even interested in chickens or other avian medicine.

I don't know if it's a lack of interest so much as a lack of training because of a lack of a market for it. While most people who keep dogs and cats are willing to take them to the vet and pay big bucks to try to treat/save them, most chicken owners aren't willing to spend that same kind of money for a chicken. Consequently, there isn't much demand for vets that know how to help chickens, so not many of them ever learn.

It's really a shame, because there are those of us who would pay just as much to help a chicken as we would for a dog or cat, but there's very little help available regardless.

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh, I am just seeing this. Very sorry for your loss. It must have been very frightening for all of you. Thank you for posting this.