Vent gleet - completely cement-like and impossible to remove?!

[pepchickens]

Background: I’ve been trying to clean my hen’s vent (day 3 of suspected gleet, with some prolapse, but she’s laying normally despite my efforts to suppress the laying). The poop looks like gleet photos (can’t say I notice a stink though? Maybe I’m desensitized?) and it is coated to every crevice of her vent, about a half inch deep in the vent. I’ve given multiple Epsom salt baths per day, and a litany of ointments. I try to pick the poop off but I psych myself out because it is completely cemented to the sensitive tissue inside her vent.

This is my first go with vent gleet and swear the poop will NOT come off, to the point that I’m wondering if I’m conflating poop with the fungal infection itself? If the former, why can’t I get this poop off?! If the latter, is the goal to pick it completely off or is it more of a “wait for the overgrowth of bacteria to clear” thing???

All the research says “clean her butt” and I’m like OKAY BUT HOW

 

[LaFleche]

Background: I’ve been trying to clean my hen’s vent (day 3 of suspected gleet, with some prolapse, but she’s laying normally despite my efforts to suppress the laying). The poop looks like gleet photos (can’t say I notice a stink though? Maybe I’m desensitized?) and it is coated to every crevice of her vent, about a half inch deep in the vent. I’ve given multiple Epsom salt baths per day, and a litany of ointments. I try to pick the poop off but I psych myself out because it is completely cemented to the sensitive tissue inside her vent.

This is my first go with vent gleet and swear the poop will NOT come off, to the point that I’m wondering if I’m conflating poop with the fungal infection itself? If the former, why can’t I get this poop off?! If the latter, is the goal to pick it completely off or is it more of a “wait for the overgrowth of bacteria to clear” thing???

All the research says “clean her butt” and I’m like OKAY BUT HOW

Pictures would help to assess the situation.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any pictures of her vent? It may be related to the prolapse. Is there evidence of pecking?

 

[pepchickens]

Pictures would help to assess the situation.

Edited my post to include a pic!

 

[pepchickens]

Do you have any pictures of her vent? It may be related to the prolapse. Is there evidence of pecking?

I edited my post to include a pic! I just watched her peck her own butt trying to clean it but otherwise I don’t suspect pecking

 

[pepchickens]

Background: I’ve been trying to clean my hen’s vent (day 3 of suspected gleet, with some prolapse, but she’s laying normally despite my efforts to suppress the laying). The poop looks like gleet photos (can’t say I notice a stink though? Maybe I’m desensitized?) and it is coated to every crevice of her vent, about a half inch deep in the vent. I’ve given multiple Epsom salt baths per day, and a litany of ointments. I try to pick the poop off but I psych myself out because it is completely cemented to the sensitive tissue inside her vent.

This is my first go with vent gleet and swear the poop will NOT come off, to the point that I’m wondering if I’m conflating poop with the fungal infection itself? If the former, why can’t I get this poop off?! If the latter, is the goal to pick it completely off or is it more of a “wait for the overgrowth of bacteria to clear” thing???

All the research says “clean her butt” and I’m like OKAY BUT HOW
View attachment 3817980

My only thought is that maybe it’s zinc oxide build up? I applied desitin early on and now I regret it.

 

[pepchickens]

She tucks up her vent after a bath. But then when she goes to poop, she strains so that it comes out again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She tucks up her vent after a bath. But then when she goes to poop, she strains so that it comes out again.

That's not Vent Gleet.

It's like a scab of tissue and urates likely due from a prolapse. Soaking is good. Apply some mineral oil or sugar to help keep that soft and pliable. It will take time, but the material will eventually slough off. You can use a wash cloth to gently scrub the buildup, careful or it will bleed.

I'd give her Extra Calcium for a few days, make sure she's staying well hydrated.
You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 in the vitamin aisle of stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give 1 tablet daily, just pull down on her wattles, pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow.

 

[pepchickens]

That's not Vent Gleet.

It's like a scab of tissue and urates likely due from a prolapse. Soaking is good. Apply some mineral oil or sugar to help keep that soft and pliable. It will take time, but the material will eventually slough off. You can use a wash cloth to gently scrub the buildup, careful or it will bleed.

I'd give her Extra Calcium for a few days, make sure she's staying well hydrated.
You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 in the vitamin aisle of stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give 1 tablet daily, just pull down on her wattles, pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow.

Lord. A scab. Thank you! How do you encourage a chicken to hydrate? She’s uncomfortable and she only seems to want to eat yogurt.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Lord. A scab. Thank you! How do you encourage a chicken to hydrate? She’s uncomfortable and she only seems to want to eat yogurt.

Yes, essentially it's like a scab. I've never really been able to completely i.d. what all that material consists of, but it sticks on like glue. Surprisingly, when it does eventually slough off, the tissue underneath usually looks very good and healed. Anyway...just keep working the oil/sugar or whatever ointment you have on hand. She's essentially retaining the prolapse for the most part until she poops. Once the material comes off, the action won't be so exaggerated.

As for getting fluids into her - you can syringe or tube fluids if necessary. Try giving sweetened water (sugar water) or electrolytes.
Anything juicy/watery to eat - tomato, melon, cucumber these seem to be interesting to them when they are "off".
Wet mushy feed. Ground up veggies/made into a bit of a soupy mush.

Here's the thing. We all know that they *should* eat their normal nutritionally balanced food, do provide it and make it available, but often when they are off their feed, getting them a little something else is better than nothing. Once better, I've never not had a hen go back to eating her normal feed.