Vent prolapse - NEED HELP

[Tookie]

Update for Saturday after trying the vet tape - the tape didn't quite hold, so when I took it off to try to reposition it, the prolapse popped back out with a bunch of yellow, infected-smelling discharge. She's still acting happy and fine, but I don't think there's anything else I can do for her. I was so hopeful that she'd pull through.

Is a vet an option?
Could you get a picture of the current prolapse?

 

[Eggcessive]

How is she acting? Is she eating or drinking? Is she passing droppings? I would soak her in a shallow bath to get her cleaned up again. If you have some chlorhexidene or betadine use those, but dish soap or Epsom salts would help to clean the infection. If you then put some plain antibiotic ointment or hydrocotisone cream, put one of those on. If not just keep it moist with oil. Do you have any antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or others?

 

[kokopelli91]

Is a vet an option?
Could you get a picture of the current prolapse?

A vet is not an option, unfortunately. The closest avian vet is over 3 hours away, and only works on-call on the weekend. I can try to get a picture of the prolapse in a little bit, I need an extra set of hands to hold her still.

 

[kokopelli91]

How is she acting? Is she eating or drinking? Is she passing droppings? I would soak her in a shallow bath to get her cleaned up again. If you have some chlorhexidene or betadine use those, but dish soap or Epsom salts would help to clean the infection. If you then put some plain antibiotic ointment or hydrocotisone cream, put one of those on. If not just keep it moist with oil. Do you have any antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or others?

I'll give that a shot. She's eating and drinking (and yelling about being cooped up), she is pooping but it seems to only be when I've touched the prolapse. I don't quite understand the anatomy of it, but she's pooping from the side of the prolapse - I feel like that's not normal, it almost looks like whatever part is sticking out is twisted to the side, but I haven't really spent time watching the healthy chickens poop.
I can give a bath later with epsom salts, I do have neosporin/polysporin and hydrocortisone cream that I've been putting on the prolapse already. I don't have any antibiotics, unfortunately.

 

[kokopelli91]

Should I try to push the prolapse back in after the bath, or just leave it alone and keep it from getting dried out with the creams?

 

[CoriM]

I'm so sorry it's getting worse, you're doing a great job and trying everything you can. I can't imagine that it would be good to leave the prolapse out, because it's such a danger to let the tissues dry out.

 

[kokopelli91]

I'm so sorry it's getting worse, you're doing a great job and trying everything you can. I can't imagine that it would be good to leave the prolapse out, because it's such a danger to let the tissues dry out.

That's what I was thinking, even if I can get it back in I'm sure it would be beneficial, but besides putting more/thicker vet tape, I can't think of a way to get it to stay in. This super sucks.

 

[CoriM]

Right, and you just couldn't get the big band-aid to stick? Maybe you could try one more time, and try to tape the sides a bit? I'm so sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post any pictures? Since there seemed to be infection and it smelled really bad from the previous bandaid, I woul probably not do that again, but it’s ultimately up to you how to handle this. We can just offer opinions, and you decide how to go from there. I would keep it moist and clean. I would try to push it back in occasionally to see if it stayed. Here is a picture I found online (homesteadinmama.com) that shows a prolapsed cloaca where you see the oviduct opening and the large intestine on the other side. Poop and white urates come out of the bowel opening while the egg comes out of the oviduct. When there is swelling or an egg stuck, the chicken may not be able to poop.

 

[kokopelli91]

Right, and you just couldn't get the big band-aid to stick? Maybe you could try one more time, and try to tape the sides a bit? I'm so sorry.

Right, it wouldn't stick because of all the ointment and Vetericyn. I'll be updating here in a second with some pictures.