Help! Water belly/Ascites

[csfarm]

I have a white leghorn chicken who has water belly/ascites. This is my first time dealing with this so, people who have experience with this, how much fluid do you usually take out at each time or per day? Can you take out fluid more than once per day?
We’ve taken out 120 ml but she hasn’t perked back up.

 

[Eggcessive]

That is plenty of fluid to remove. Was the fluid yellow? Did she have any labored breathing before? I would give her some electrolytes and vitamin water to drink. Fluid can still leak out from the needle site, so I would place her on a towel to lie on. Ascites is a fatal condition caused by liver disease secondary to reproductive disorders, fatty liver disease, cancer or heart failure (more common in meat chickens.) She may live for awhile, or she could succumb earlier. I would make her comfortable, allow her to mix with her flock, and offer some scrambled egg bits with her feed.

 

[csfarm]

That is plenty of fluid to remove. Was the fluid yellow? Did she have any labored breathing before? I would give her some electrolytes and vitamin water to drink. Fluid can still leak out from the needle site, so I would place her on a towel to lie on. Ascites is a fatal condition caused by liver disease secondary to reproductive disorders, fatty liver disease, cancer or heart failure (more common in meat chickens.) She may live for awhile, or she could succumb earlier. I would make her comfortable, allow her to mix with her flock, and offer some scrambled egg bits with her feed.

The fluid was very yellow. I thought she was egg bound at first because she was pushing and in a penguin stance, but there was no egg. So, thought maybe it was ascites and got a bunch of fluid out. She does seem to be labored breathing, but it doesn’t seem terrible. Her abdomen still feels quite hard though, I’m sure there is more fluid in there. I shouldn’t get it all out? I read taking too much at once can cause shock but how much is too much?
We drained the fluid around 4pm and it is now 10:30pm here.
She is just laying down. A bit more alert than before. Still not eating or drinking. I have given her some vitamins by syringe. Any specific vitamins you would recommend?
I know it’s not a cure. I would just like to make her comfortable for as long as possible.
Thank you so much for your quick response!

 

[Saveria]

I'm sorry no one got to respond to this. It is tricky to catch them all.

I'm betting your hen has passed by now. I am looking this up for a hen of mine that looks to be on her way out.

If anyone sees this in the future and is wondering poultry drench is a good vitamin mix, or any of the rooster booster ones. You can also just go to your feed store and see what vitamin and/or electrolyte products they sell. Most animal/farm supply stores at least have something.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully the hen is doing okay. The only hen I drained only lasted a couple of weeks. I suspected others had it, and many lasted a long time. I only confirmed it after death when I could open the belly, and the yellow fluid was present.

I would only drain a few ounces of fluid at a time, although many will leak fluid for the rest of the day, probably because there is pressure. But electrolytes and fluids are good to give afterward to help prevent a fluid and electrolyte imbalance.

 

[csfarm]

I'm sorry no one got to respond to this. It is tricky to catch them all.

I'm betting your hen has passed by now. I am looking this up for a hen of mine that looks to be on her way out.

If anyone sees this in the future and is wondering poultry drench is a good vitamin mix, or any of the rooster booster ones. You can also just go to your feed store and see what vitamin and/or electrolyte products they sell. Most animal/farm supply stores at least have something.

My hen is actually doing okay. I’ve had to drain fluid twice already though, so I don’t know how long she’ll last. The last time I just poked her with a needle and let her drain outside with the flock all day. It definitely gives her relief. I would try that for your hen.

 

[Saveria]

Yeah, most of mine succumbed to the illness before that seemed necessary, but I might be able to do that in the future.

Was the fluid yellow?

 

[csfarm]

Yeah, most of mine succumbed to the illness before that seemed necessary, but I might be able to do that in the future.

Was the fluid yellow?

Yes, it was yellow. I think I may have a picture somewhere. I’ll try to find it.

 

[Saveria]

I believe that points toward internal laying, but maybe there are some other causes as well. Maybe Eggcessive knows and can confirm.

 

[csfarm]

From my research, the yellow fluid is most commonly from the liver.