Please help! Water belly treated with bad results???

[Rachaels Zoo]

Hi!
I have a hen who has water belly. I’ve dealt with my fair share of chicken illnesses and issues. I’ve done a lot of research on water belly as well. I drained her yesterday afternoon I did not syringe. I did a 20th age needle and let the fluid come out and the pulled the needle. She continued to drain from the hole all night into this morning (she was kept inside for sanitary) she roosted last night on a baby gate and then today she has just been laying in the corner. She chugged water (with electrolytes) and ate a few worms nothing major. Now she will not stand and her comb has a slight purple to it. I understand they can go into shock or the underlying issue is just getting worse. Please tell me this isn’t because I did something wrong with the draining. I got no blood just typical colored water belly fluid. Thank you!

 

[LaFleche]

I am sorry your hen is unwell after draining.
It seems that you drained too much at once which can cause potassium deficiency. You can syringe some sugar water with potassium or maybe she is able to drink it herself. Offer pieces of banana and scrambled egg.

 

[Eggcessive]

Usually, most people use a larger bore 18 gauge needle, so the 20 gauge was fine. She may have been very distended with fluid and it kept dripping which is common. The only time I decided to drain a hen, she also drained from the needle hole for awhile. I don’t usually drain hens with ascites unless they are having labored breathing, and just to help ease that. Water belly or ascites is eventually fatal, since the under lying cause is liver failure secondary to egg peritonitis, cancer, or heart failure. Don’t beat yourself up. Just offer fluids and electrolytes, pedialyte, or gatorade with a tsp of sugar. I have seen posts many years ago by casportpony and she drained a lot of fluid from hers at a time.