URGENT HELP NEEDED!! Hen lethargic and very sick

[ChickenPeep]

I need help immediately. My hen has not been doing well for the past weekend suddenly she has gotten much, much worse. She is lethargic, not eating, barely pooping, very skinny, and has a swollen abdomen. She has not been laying eggs for about a year. Today she has started breathing more shallowly and I'm very scared for her. She is my favorite pet and I will do WHATEVER it takes for her. I am trying to get my mom to take her to the vet tomorrow morning.
Please help me save my baby

 

[Eggcessive]

To me it sounds like she may have egg yolk peritonitis or internal laying, and has developed ascites or fluid in her lower belly. That can cause labored breathing. You can try to remove some of the excess fluid with an 18 gauge needle occasionally to make her feel more comfortable. There is no good outcome for chickens suffering from those problems, other than some antibiotics and the draining. Your vet may have other suggestions, but I would hope that she doesn't suffer. So many hens seem to suffer from these illnesses because they have been bred to lay eggs almost every day.

 

[ChickenPeep]

Thank you for your reply. She is a silkie, so she is not bred to lay eggs every day. So I don't know if that is the issue. I'm going to bed soon and I am afraid she won't make it through the night. It you have any other suggestions let me know. I will let you know what happens.
This is truly heartbreaking

 

[ChickenPeep]

About every half hour she has a little moment where she almost seems to sneeze like something is in her airway. It takes her a few seconds to go back to normal. This scares me because it is almost like she is choking on something, but I have no idea what. Please help

 

[Eggcessive]

A vet would probably be a good idea if possible. Worming with Valbazen or SafeGuard if she hasn't recently been wormed, and antibiotics may help, especially if she has a respiratory or intestinal infection. Cancer is very common in chickens, too. Have you checked her crop to feel if it is full or impacted? She could have eaten or swallowed something that has gotten stuck, such as long grasses or a foreign object. I really hope that you can find out what the problem is.

 

[mg15]

How is she?