Water Belly

[Gloria78]

I have a very sweet hen. Name Henrietta. She has water belly but is not in any distress from it. Can roost fine. It sounds from what I read in some threads, the only time to drain is when the chicken is in distress. It’s a pretty big water belly but I’d like to hear if I should just let her be. Does it ever go away or can I treat it somehow with medication. Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Is your hen’s lower abdomen enlarged and full, firm, squishy or tight? Water belly (ascites) is due to liver problems and it causes the liver to leak bile and fluid into the abdomen. Several common conditions can cause this including coelomitis (egg yolk peritonitis,) salpingitis, which is early coelomitis, fatty liver disease, cancer, and sometimes heart failure. All of those conditions are incurable, but she could live awhile with it. I have suspected hens of having this by the enlarged lower belly under the vent and yellow urates in their droppings. Normally the urates are white caps. I have only drained one of mine with ascites because she had labored breathing, but she died within 2 weeks at the age of 11.

 

[Gloria78]

Welcome to BYC. Is your hen’s lower abdomen enlarged and full, firm, squishy or tight? Water belly (ascites) is due to liver problems and it causes the liver to leak bile and fluid into the abdomen. Several common conditions can cause this including coelomitis (egg yolk peritonitis,) salpingitis, which is early coelomitis, fatty liver disease, cancer, and sometimes heart failure. All of those conditions are incurable, but she could live awhile with it. I have suspected hens of having this by the enlarged lower belly under the vent and yellow urates in their droppings. Normally the urates are white caps. I have only drained one of mine with ascites because she had labored breathing, but she died within 2 weeks at the age of 11.

 

[Gloria78]

Thanks for the reply. Your chicken lived to 11. That’s fantastic. My hen is just under 2.5 yrs. The water belly is very squishy and not firm. She gets around fine but it feels like a big soft water balloon. The underlying reason does not seem cardiac or pulmonary as she is never short of breath and has and gets around fine. Even in the heat. Perhaps it’s her
Liver. I suppose if she starts struggling I can tap
Her and see what happens. I’ll do it as sterile
As possible. I’m a nurse so I should be able to at least try. Any suggestions for that would
Be helpful. There is a you tube video I saw. Not sure about the sterility of their technique though.