# Draining ascites fluid



## Wyandotter

I'm planning on draining the ascites fluid from my Production Red hen and I'm kind of nervous about doing it... I noticed that everyday she seems to get worse and a very full swollen belly like a full water balloon and she breathes with her mouth open most of the time, she can walk but not as much as a normal chicken would.

I have 18G X 1 needles and 6 ml (cc) syringes from tractor supply. They are about 2.5-3.5 years old can I still use them?
Also the chicken has bad poopy butt so could I cut off the poopy feathers around were I will do this and use red iodine or should I use something else like rubbing alcohol? I've watched videos of people doing this before to remove the fluid but I've never actually did this before so help would be greatly appreciated. 

Also just to confirm that it actually is ascites I'll tell you some of her symptoms. The swollen water belly is so full it seems to go to her legs (just not as swollen as the rest of her. She still walks, eats and drinks but prefers to just stand. She breathes through her mouth most of the time and has become family skinny so I can feel her spine MORE than normal. If this is something else please tell me. How far should I put the needle into her belly?

ALSO: 
What if blood comes out of the needle instead of ascites fluid? And what if I hit one of her internal organs on accident?


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## Wyandotter

I meant to say fairly not family.


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## dawg53

There are Youtube videos showing how to drain a hen. Ascites indicates a more serious health problem. I recommend that you cull her.


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## nannypattyrn

Ascites is not a disease in its self, but only a symptom of liver failure. Your hen will not live anyway. Draining the fluid will only prolong her suffering..Sorry, I'm a nurse and raise chickens . I've seen this in human and animal alike.


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## robin416

It could also be caused by internal laying which is still a life ending condition. 

Sorry, I'm one of those that will do everything to bring a bird back if the return to quality of life is achievable. Ascites is not one of them because it never fixes the underlying problem.


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## Wyandotter

If I still try to drain the fluid, it could help her live longer? I wouldn't want to prolong any suffering but if I was able to extend her life by a little I could bring her to a vet? She isn't suffering as much as It sounded in my first post, she still walks eats and "talks" and I don't think I'd be able to cull her.  If she has internal laying can I still do the draining?


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## robin416

Yes. Being so concerned about your technique even after watching the videos, I would go to the vet and ask them to show you how to do it safely. We're not there, hands on which makes saying do this or do that pretty much useless.

If she is internally laying the fluid will return fairly soon unless she is also treated with antibiotics which is another reason to pay a visit to the vet. 

The only fix for internal laying is to spay her.


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## Wyandotter

I have antibiotics that I've used before I think there called erithimicin (spelling) :/
I'm going to do it today with help of my family, the vet around here doesn't do chickens-just dogs and cats. I'll tell yall how it goes afterwards.


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## robin416

Find a large animal vet. They are more open to treating chickens. My 11 year old hen is still alive 10 years later because of a large animal vet. And they're generally less expensive.


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## Wyandotter

Ok I'll look for one. 
When I was about to do the draining yesterday I noticed she had magnets on her backside slightly to the right and below her vent.  I sprayed them off with a hose and all except for a few in a huge infection came out. The infection is huge on her abdomen I'd say an inch long and it's dark and gross. I tried getting the magnets out but they seem to be in her skin and it hurts her when I poke the spot.

This morning I lifted her tail to see how it was and a few drops of blood came from it. She hasn't pooped normally in days, when she tries to poop nothing comes out, it's like her vent won't open. She doesn't like to walk and she sleeps while standing most of the time. If I cannot bring her to a vet should I still try draining her anyways? Also I rubbed triple antibiotic on the infection in hopes to help in and smother the magets I also gave her oral antibiotics.


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## Wyandotter

I looked it up and I think it looks like fly strike. I'm going to go to tsc today and get fly spray and electrolytes to keep her hydrated.


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## dawg53

Fly strike could possibly be the infection you're seeing rather than ascites, or it could be both, a photo or two would help. Fly strike can be be prevented by ensuring your birds dont have poopy butt. 
When one of my hens has poopy butt, I pick it up and cradle the hen backwards in my forearm holding its feet together with my fingers and spray its rear with the garden hose using my free hand. Then I pat dry its rear end with a rag and take her back to the pen and release her. It takes about 30 seconds or less to remove the most hardened feces with the hose spray nozzle...done.
You're going to have to remove ALL the maggots out of the wound and then flush with betadine. Use neosporin to pack the wound. Whether she survives or not depends upon how deep in the tissue or cavity the maggots have penetrated.
Here's a link to help you out:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/07/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html


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## Wyandotter

The swollen abdomen has been like this even before the flys came so I think it's both but I'll get a picture as well. We have a big berry tree right above the coop and the rotten berries seem to attract the flies even more and she has poopy butt but she hasn't pooped in days. :/
I sprayed her butt and the maggots with vetericyn to make it feel better.


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## robin416

The bird needs a vet. She is way past your capabilities and experience. She's past mine and I have a medical background. What I do know is that she has no quality of life like she is and that the more you fuss with her the more she's being stressed.

And I get that you want to do right by her, that you don't want her to suffer. I get that. We all do. But there comes a time when we have to think of them and not ourselves and what we want. I've had to make that hard decision too many times to number but I did it and so has everyone else because it was about them not us. 

Vetericyn is nothing more than watered down bleach, it is not what they claim it to be.


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## Wyandotter

in the mean time I removed most of the maggots with a tweezer and wiped of the area with iodine then but antibiotic all over..... she did poop when I was doing this. I know that this isn't about me I hate seeing her suffer and I hate loosing them too. I will try to bring her to the vet as soon as I can but I cannot drive yet and I live in an extremely rural area so there's no we're that's close so I don't know when that will be.


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## chickenqueen

Maggots are used in medicine on infected wounds.They eat dead tissue while leaving new tissue growth alone.That being said,I think you are dealing with a lot more than infection.The hens vent area is rotting and thus,the presence of maggots.It's probably best to put her down.Imagine if your butt was rotting and was crawling with maggots...


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## Wyandotter

I can tell that it is rotting. Her skin is really soft in the area, I cleaned the area with iodine, water and put antibiotic on it. I guess I'll try to find a vet to put her down. Any idea why her vet area would be rotting?


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## dawg53

Go back post #12 and click open the link I provided and read, "What causes Fly strike."


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## missedkitty389

Wyandotter I saw via other threads her sister Feathers died too of same beginner symptoms just after a week. The fact that Coopsy is still alive w/ this starting in February is shocking. Your girl is suffering & needs culled. Chicken's don't just rot while alive & 2 chickens w/ same condition means you may have problems in the flock specially since she's had a blue comb, breathing problems, a hole in her bum leg & more. 
I was hoping to see something you've overlooked in your postings but except for all the suffering your birds gone thru for months, no vet care, the respiratory conditions not posted here was all I can find out. 
Antibiotics helped her 1 time but not sure if you didn't use it long enough due to it being the dogs leftover med's. 
I know you said you won't cull her yourself but what about a family member or even a neighbor Chicken owner could help w/ that. I've had to help several friends cuz that process was hard for them nobody likes losing a pet but you could end up losing your entire flock. And again, she IS suffering greatly. 

You were looking for a borrowed Roo too you'll have no feathered friends left if any others already have this & try sitting for 21 days. 
Hens bodies lose a good bit of weight during sitting cuz they rarely leave the nest. A sickness going thru flock can wipe you completely out of chicken's.


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## Wyandotter

My chicken Coopy passed about 2 weeks ago, I think she had ascities.
My chicken Feathers had bumpy areas in her abdomen for about a year until I guess it got to her brain and gave her a seizure. This chicken doesn't have bumps but she has symptoms Coopy first showed in Febuary.
What type of illness can cause ascites? Also this chicken who I'm taking care of right now doesn't have a blue or purple comb.


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## Wyandotter

I'm going to drain the fluid with a needle and see if it helps her. What size needle should I use? A 20 gadge 3/4 inch length or a 16 gadge that's one inch long? I had 6 ml syringes but I got bigger ones (12 ml) will these needles sizes fit in the 12ml syringe? ALSO: I'm not looking for something to work quickly but rather to work more gently and less stressful for my hen. Thanks!


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## Wyandotter

I drained the fluid and she is doing better. Most of it is draining on it's own.


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## seminole wind

You will most likely need the 16 gauge and the larger syringe.


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## casportpony

seminolewind said:


> You will most likely need the 16 gauge and the larger syringe.


I agree... Big needle and 30 ml or 60 ml syringe.


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## Wyandotter

I guess the small needle worked. I only put it in her 4 times and all of the fluid (mostly) drained out from the small holes. She is breathing much better but walking is still a little hard she uses her wings to help her walk but she walks less like a penguin, she is being bullied though. :/
Her comb had peck marks on it so I put some antibiotics on it.


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## dawg53

It's not bullying. It's survival of the fittest. Birds instinctively will try to eliminate sick birds from the flock as not to attract predators to also attack healthy birds in the flock.


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## casportpony

chickenqueen said:


> Maggots are used in medicine on infected wounds.They eat dead tissue while leaving new tissue growth alone.That being said,I think you are dealing with a lot more than infection.The hens vent area is rotting and thus,the presence of maggots.It's probably best to put her down.Imagine if your butt was rotting and was crawling with maggots...


I had this discussion with someone the other day, and the maggots used in a hospital are not the maggots we see on poultry. The maggots we see on poultry, cats, rabbits, cows, dogs, etc. eat both live and dead tissue.


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