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.

 

[good old days]

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.

Hi, I'm so appreciative of a knowledgeable person like you who shares it to all with out pay. I have a Leghorn hen, 2 yrs old that had a big water belly with sour crop and very lathargic. I drained about 1/4 cup light yellow liquid then she drained the rest on her own. I then gave her Rooster Booster for more than a week. Plus monostat for 7 days. She perked up in about 3 days after draining and seems to be normal, this was 7 months ago and she's still well! But now I have another hen with a water balloon belly that is discolored yellowish with a few blood veins showing and her vent leaks plain water and then some solid small droppings but mostly diarrhea. She is NOT lethargic, is eating but looks so uncomfortable, waddles and can't jump to perch like before.I'm not sure if I should drain her discolored belly? Past week I have been giving her Rooster Booster and Lily of desert detox. Belly stays the same size, Big! Do you think I should drain her? THANK YOU.

 

[good old days]

Hi, I'm so appreciative of a knowledgeable person like you who shares it to all with out pay. I have a Leghorn hen, 2 yrs old that had a big water belly with sour crop and very lathargic. I drained about 1/4 cup light yellow liquid then she drained the rest on her own. I then gave her Rooster Booster for more than a week. Plus monostat for 7 days. She perked up in about 3 days after draining and seems to be normal, this was 7 months ago and she's still well! But now I have another hen with a water balloon belly that is discolored yellowish with a few blood veins showing and her vent leaks plain water and then some solid small droppings but mostly diarrhea. She is NOT lethargic, is eating but looks so uncomfortable, waddles and can't jump to perch like before.I'm not sure if I should drain her discolored belly? Past week I have been giving her Rooster Booster and Lily of desert detox. Belly stays the same size, Big! Do you think I should drain her? THANK YOU.

Oh, and her breathing looks normal.

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t usually drain my hens with suspected water belly, but it can be a way to confirm it. If she seems better after draining, and then giving some electrolyte water, then it would be worth it. The only one I drained was an 11 year old bantam favorite who had labored breathing. Draining relived that, but she was weak again 4 days later. She was drained 3 times, but died about 10-12 days after the first draining. Draining can sometimes cause infection, shock, and more rarely death. I do necropsies at home with hens I lose, just to look for water belly, and other things that might have made them ill.

 

[good old days]

I don’t usually drain my hens with suspected water belly, but it can be a way to confirm it. If she seems better after draining, and then giving some electrolyte water, then it would be worth it. The only one I drained was an 11 year old bantam favorite who had labored breathing. Draining relived that, but she was weak again 4 days later. She was drained 3 times, but died about 10-12 days after the first draining. Draining can sometimes cause infection, shock, and more rarely death. I do necropsies at home with hens I lose, just to look for water belly, and other things that might have made them ill.

Thank you. I was wondering about her big discolored yellowish waterbelly with some veins showing. I thought waterbelly skin color is a dark pink with no veins? Thankyou.