# Hildas/operation and healing journey from waterbelly (warning, graffic photos).



## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Hi all. 

As not everyone seeing this would know about Hilda, I'll share a little info before sharing pictures of Hilda's surgery. (Warning as some if the photos are graffic)

Hilda is a rescue chook. An X layer from an intensive farm. She started showing signs of not being her forward bossy self. I health checked her, and noticed her crop wasn't fully emptied in the morning, and her belly felt squishy, her poop was much more watery than normal.
I had lost two rescue hens before to waterbelly. As Hilda laid a healthy egg daily I didn't suspect it would be that. 

At the vet, he confirmed waterbelly as he drained a thick yellow yolk from her abdomen. .. He suspected a blockage from it in her intestines which is why she wasn't clearing her crop. 

I thought I was about to lose another girl, thankfully, Hilda was in good enough health to have surgery to empty her crop and remove the yolk fluid build up. We caught it in time!

She also had an implant fitted to shut down her reproductive organs... No more eggs, no more waterbelly... We hope she makes a full recovery (so far so good) and is with us for many years. 

Here are the photos the vet shared from Hilda's surgery. Bless her. You can see the yellow yolk fluid that had built up inside her. 

Another warning as some are graffic. 





























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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

So is the yellow the yolk substance he removed?


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

robin416 said:


> So is the yellow the yolk substance he removed?


Yes, all gone. That's him washing it out and cleaning it in the last picture. He leaves nothing behind....


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Is she still doing as good as she was? I'm guessing the answer is yes.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

robin416 said:


> Is she still doing as good as she was? I'm guessing the answer is yes.


Yes she is....

She had her second post op this week and they were very happy and signed her off.

She has gone into a huge molt now. Maybe triggered by this experience so now getting her through that bless her.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I have no doubt you'll go the extra mile, (km?) to make sure she gets through it.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

robin416 said:


> I have no doubt you'll go the extra mile, (km?) to make sure she gets through it.


I will try ..... Been looking through the forum for Info about it ...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I really don't think the forum is going to have much that you don't already know or are already doing. 

The spayed girl I mentioned some time ago may not have been on this forum but on another that closed down long ago. 

You've got quite the advantage there having vets so willing to help bird owners with any health issues. They are few and far between in the states.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Yes, I feel lucky now. They are few and far between here too..

The last get didn't even consider any intervention other than meds or PTS.... 

If it was that vet that would have been her only option. 

I hope he never leaves! 

Hilda is still cracking on. Recovering from a heavy molt. Recovery is taking her some time, hut everyday she gets a bit better.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Believe me, you have far more than we have here that are willing to give it a go. Here it's usually a flat out no. They won't even see them. Bird flu made it even harder to find one.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

That's really sad for the chooks. Sorry to hear it's so tough there for that. Then I'm amazed how people have to find their own ways to try to help them..... 

We have ours indoors currently because of bird flu and she was still seen....


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's why forums like this can be so helpful. We can learn from each other what steps to take should problems arise.

Now it's become difficult to get antibiotics without a vet prescribing them. So far there have been ways to work around that but I imagine at some point that door will also be closed.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Robin is right, the hobby birds end up being marginalized because of the overall practices concerning commercial stock. This thread has been very educational, since it is rare to find a vet who will actually treat a chicken for a specific ailment.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Poultry Judge said:


> Robin is right, the hobby birds end up being marginalized because of the overall practices concerning commercial stock. This thread has been very educational, since it is rare to find a vet who will actually treat a chicken for a specific ailment.


Hope it's helpful somehow. 

Chickens are being veiwed more and more as other "pets" here at the moment. I got my girls pet insured for future too.

That's so sad about the hobby birds..... is it the law that doesn't allow vets to see them? Or they just won't?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

My vet explained to me years ago that very little time is spent in college learning anything about chickens. So, when one is in front of them, they are going in blind trying to treat. Large animal vets are more open to treating but that doesn't mean they know as much as we do about their care. 

I had one girl with a head injury. The treatment involved steroids. I had to provide them with the dosages needed to help her. The girl went on to live for 14 years. 

@Poultry Judge we hobbyists actually know quite a bit about some of this and things that can be done to help our feathered friends.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

LoxiKat said:


> Hope it's helpful somehow.
> 
> Chickens are being veiwed more and more as other "pets" here at the moment. I got my girls pet insured for future too.
> 
> That's so sad about the hobby birds..... is it the law that doesn't allow vets to see them? Or they just won't?


The vets generally just won't, because the chickens are classified as livestock. I find it very interesting that you were able to get insurance on them.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Poultry Judge said:


> The vets generally just won't, because the chickens are classified as livestock. I find it very interesting that you were able to get insurance on them.


Me too. I had no idea, but they are being treated more and more like pets here so hopefully more vets get up to scratch.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Hilda is still with us and finally started growing back all get glorious feathers. She'd been through so much get crop shrank to nothing and became so pale. Improvement in this is happening, slowly but we have a nice red colour to it now so hopefully the plumpness regains itself soon. 

Hilda is pretty large, and has a slight jaundice, we aren't sure if this is to do with the implant yet or stress from surgery. Vets recommended supplements excercise. (It has improved slightly) she's going back for her updated implant and a check up in afew weeks to see how she's doing. 

This was her in the garden today. X


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Those eyes say she feels OK. But I know you're going to worry anyway. It's what we do. 

Please let us know what the vet says after the checkup.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

robin416 said:


> Those eyes say she feels OK. But I know you're going to worry anyway. It's what we do.
> 
> Please let us know what the vet says after the checkup.


Yes exactly.

she's getting on with her hen stuff. Recovery was slow, vet said that's to be expected and no garuntee of full recovery, after such a surgery. 

He was happy that she was bright other than those symptoms, so no emergency to see her till the appointment. Fingers crossed.

Yes, of course I'll let you know how it goes. 

Fingers crossed!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We do travel the path right along with them even if we can't be physically present. So knowing the outcome and the continued good health is always a bright spot.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

LoxiKat said:


> Yes exactly.
> 
> she's getting on with her hen stuff. Recovery was slow, vet said that's to be expected and no garuntee of full recovery, after such a surgery.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the update!


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Poultry Judge said:


> Thank you for the update!


So welcome! Thank you for caring. It's nice not to feel alone with chicken life......


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Hiya all...

Hilda smashed her vet check. She is in good shape. Next implant fitted and everything is fine.

Feeling lucky with her. He was very happy as many chooks die going through that. She is a powerhouse! 💪

Thanks to everyone who supported through this. I feel I can rest easy now.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That is great news! We wish you continued good luck with her recovery.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

All I can say is, excellent. 

What makes this post even better is that so many times we don't know the outcome. Thank you so much for keeping us informed all the way through her adventure.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, thank you!


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