Water Belly treatments

[Kimberlass]

Hey everyone! I have a chicken who just developed what I believe is water belly. After some research, I want to try adding some things to her diet. Buuut...aside from knowing brewer’s yeast, eyebright, and oregano are good to try, I’m not really sure how to introduce them. Can I mix all of it in with everyone’s food? How much would I give to a tiny flock? Should I only try one at a time? Are there forms I shouldn’t use? Any advice would be very appreciated!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you take her to a vet?
Do you feel fluid/water in the abdomen?
What symptoms does she exhibit - lethargy, labored breathing, difficulty walking, not laying eggs, crop issues, watery/loose stools, weight loss?

If she has fluid in the belly - Ascites, there generally is an underlying condition - reproductive disorders (Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Salpingitis, cancer, tumors, etc.) and/or organ dysfunction/disorder (heart, liver disease).

If she is having difficulty, you can try draining her to remove some fluid to make her more comfortable. Antibiotics to help control infection may be needed as well. With Ascites and reproductive problems, treatment results can be short lived, infection can set in or draining needs to be repeated periodically. Some birds can live a good while with these conditions, while others decline regardless of treatment and supportive care.

If the Ascites is associated with reproductive problems like Internal Laying or Egg Yolk Peritonitis, if you have vet care and an can afford it. Suprelorin implants to stop ovulation may be an option for you - that would need to be discussed with your vet. https://poultrykeeper.com/reproductive-system-problems/suprelorin-implant-for-chickens/

I do not know much about herbal or natural remedies for chickens. @coach723 has used them before with her flock. Here's a link to one of her posts, hopefully she will chime in with her thoughts.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...breath-if-you-hold-her.1284253/#post-20750855

Here's another link you might find helpful if you are looking for alternative methods of care:
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2017/06/water-belly-or-ascites-in-backyard.html

 

[coach723]

Agree with everything that @Wyorp Rock has said. The Aloe Detox formula in the link given will in some cases bring temporary relief, it helps with liver function which is often a contributor to the fluid build up, but the underlying condition may very well not be treatable. To get a better idea of what may be going on a vet is the best option if that is an option for you.

 

[Kimberlass]

Can you take her to a vet?
Do you feel fluid/water in the abdomen?
What symptoms does she exhibit - lethargy, labored breathing, difficulty walking, not laying eggs, crop issues, watery/loose stools, weight loss?

If she has fluid in the belly - Ascites, there generally is an underlying condition - reproductive disorders (Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Salpingitis, cancer, tumors, etc.) and/or organ dysfunction/disorder (heart, liver disease).

If she is having difficulty, you can try draining her to remove some fluid to make her more comfortable. Antibiotics to help control infection may be needed as well. With Ascites and reproductive problems, treatment results can be short lived, infection can set in or draining needs to be repeated periodically. Some birds can live a good while with these conditions, while others decline regardless of treatment and supportive care.

If the Ascites is associated with reproductive problems like Internal Laying or Egg Yolk Peritonitis, if you have vet care and an can afford it. Suprelorin implants to stop ovulation may be an option for you - that would need to be discussed with your vet. https://poultrykeeper.com/reproductive-system-problems/suprelorin-implant-for-chickens/

I do not know much about herbal or natural remedies for chickens. @coach723 has used them before with her flock. Here's a link to one of her posts, hopefully she will chime in with her thoughts.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...breath-if-you-hold-her.1284253/#post-20750855

Here's another link you might find helpful if you are looking for alternative methods of care:
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2017/06/water-belly-or-ascites-in-backyard.html

Thanks for responding! I’ve spoken with a vet about her condition, and while she is swollen she’s not quite swollen enough to be drained yet. She has no laying issues so it is likely a liver or heart problem. Her only side effect is the slightly swollen belly - she has no idea anything is wrong with her. High tail feathers, healthy stools, eating fine, etc. She’s doing great other than the obvious issue. If she starts having issues the vet is ready to take her in and teach me how to drain her in case of emergency. For now, I want to try any available natural remedy to prevent the condition from worsening. I’ve eliminated all treats from her diet and am very watchful. I’m hoping to just extend her lifespan at this point, because she is easily my sweetest girl and is totally clueless to the idea that anything is wrong. For now I’m just blue kote-ing her so no pecking starts with her flock mates.

 

[Bill Gibson]

Can you take her to a vet?
Do you feel fluid/water in the abdomen?
What symptoms does she exhibit - lethargy, labored breathing, difficulty walking, not laying eggs, crop issues, watery/loose stools, weight loss?

If she has fluid in the belly - Ascites, there generally is an underlying condition - reproductive disorders (Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Salpingitis, cancer, tumors, etc.) and/or organ dysfunction/disorder (heart, liver disease).

If she is having difficulty, you can try draining her to remove some fluid to make her more comfortable. Antibiotics to help control infection may be needed as well. With Ascites and reproductive problems, treatment results can be short lived, infection can set in or draining needs to be repeated periodically. Some birds can live a good while with these conditions, while others decline regardless of treatment and supportive care.

If the Ascites is associated with reproductive problems like Internal Laying or Egg Yolk Peritonitis, if you have vet care and an can afford it. Suprelorin implants to stop ovulation may be an option for you - that would need to be discussed with your vet. https://poultrykeeper.com/reproductive-system-problems/suprelorin-implant-for-chickens/

I do not know much about herbal or natural remedies for chickens. @coach723 has used them before with her flock. Here's a link to one of her posts, hopefully she will chime in with her thoughts.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...breath-if-you-hold-her.1284253/#post-20750855

Here's another link you might find helpful if you are looking for alternative methods of care:
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2017/06/water-belly-or-ascites-in-backyard.html

I realise it is generally considered incurable but I have just had a hen recover following giving her Noroclav 250 mg x 6.Powdered and given sprinkled on sweetcorn.It was kill or cure given the poor prognosis,well worth trying if out of other options.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I realise it is generally considered incurable but I have just had a hen recover following giving her Noroclav 250 mg x 6.Powdered and given sprinkled on sweetcorn.It was kill or cure given the poor prognosis,well worth trying if out of other options.

I'm glad to hear that your hen is doing better with treatment.
Hopefully she will continue to do well. Thanks for sharing.

Antibiotics to help control infection may be needed as well. With Ascites and reproductive problems, treatment results can be short lived, infection can set in or draining needs to be repeated periodically. Some birds can live a good while with these conditions, while others decline regardless of treatment and supportive care.

 

[PoultryLover1012]

I believe my chicken also has ascites. She has been acting kind of weird and secluded for the past week and then I picked her up and she threw up a lot of whitish yellow liquid.

How can I help her?

 

[PoultryLover1012]

I believe my chicken also has ascites. She has been acting kind of weird and secluded for the past week and then I picked her up and she threw up a lot of whitish yellow liquid.

How can I help her and ease her pain. Will she live?

 

[seedymartini]

Hey everyone! I have a chicken who just developed what I believe is water belly. After some research, I want to try adding some things to her diet. Buuut...aside from knowing brewer’s yeast, eyebright, and oregano are good to try, I’m not really sure how to introduce them. Can I mix all of it in with everyone’s food? How much would I give to a tiny flock? Should I only try one at a time? Are there forms I shouldn’t use? Any advice would be very appreciated!

I have a hen with water belly, and have had great results with dried herb powders in my hen's chicken feed, mixed with water as a before-bedtime snack (so I can make sure she is getting some in her). I put each herb powder in an empty spice shaker and add a sprinkle of each to the wet food and mix it up. The main herb is called Bai Zhu/white atractylodes. There has been scientific studies (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579120308889) that show it works to treat fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in chickens, which sounds very similar to water belly. The fluid seems to be lymph buildup, and is highly tied to spleen function as well, which seems to be overlooked in most articles I find. So I give milk thistle (for liver), astragalus, Oregon grape (natural antibiotic), cinnamon, licorice, and vitamin C powder. These are all good for chickens and are in other spleen support supplements I have found. There are other herbs, but I had these already, so it is what I tried and I can't believe how it has helped. Most of these are common herbs but the Bai Zhu is more rare, but you can find it here for very cheap: https://bulkherbshop.com/products/a...r-bai-zhu-organic?_pos=1&_sid=1b25e376e&_ss=r

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen with water belly, and have had great results with dried herb powders in my hen's chicken feed, mixed with water as a before-bedtime snack (so I can make sure she is getting some in her). I put each herb powder in an empty spice shaker and add a sprinkle of each to the wet food and mix it up. The main herb is called Bai Zhu/white atractylodes. There has been scientific studies (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579120308889) that show it works to treat fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in chickens, which sounds very similar to water belly. The fluid seems to be lymph buildup, and is highly tied to spleen function as well, which seems to be overlooked in most articles I find. So I give milk thistle (for liver), astragalus, Oregon grape (natural antibiotic), cinnamon, licorice, and vitamin C powder. These are all good for chickens and are in other spleen support supplements I have found. There are other herbs, but I had these already, so it is what I tried and I can't believe how it has helped. Most of these are common herbs but the Bai Zhu is more rare, but you can find it here for very cheap: https://bulkherbshop.com/products/a...r-bai-zhu-organic?_pos=1&_sid=1b25e376e&_ss=r

Thank you for posting the links and information.
It will be helpful for others when they are doing research to find the best method of treating their flock.