Swollen abdomen

[AnnaB]

Hi everyone
I'm feeling very sad
Took Floss to the avain vet today and it appears that she had fluid on her lung and this was pressing on her air sacs.
I got him to do the humane thing but it wasn't easy.
The logic part of me said that she had a very good year with me and it gave her a life that she wouldn't have had.
I could not see her suffer and then die with heart failure.
I didn't think she had been eating very much and he said her stomach was nearly empty due to the pressure form her swelling.

[b_cos_1_can]

:cry: after reading through peoples messages of loss and sadness, it dawns on me that they are pets, not just animals.
im sorry to hear of your loss annab. thinking of you.
i hope the others are doing well.
big hugs
kat

[keelan]

its same here ,before i started looking into chickens and all sorts, people just thought of chickens as their sunday lunch and nice eggs but its not until you actualy get to know the nature of these animals that you realise how much people actually doo car about them. :(

[Richard]

Hi Anna

ASo sorry to hear your news, but you did the right thing. You b'cos and keelan are absolutely right - they do become part of the home, family almost.

Wish you well, take care and you should be proud of what you've done.

Richard

[AnnaB]

Thank you to all of you for your replies. Told the checkout girl today and she gave me a big hug. People care so much. I am now getting in touch with the local co-ordinator for the hen rescue to get more girls when they next do their release (they call it 'the lottery winners') and they feel very sad to have to leave so many.

[morph]

Very sad to hear your news Annab - trying hard not to cry.

I have 4 ex-batteries, and Scraggy has just got a distended abdomen also. She's the little hop along of the group with dodgy hips, but is happy pottering about at her own pace. I know an organic free range chicken farmer, so he's given me some homeopathic drops. She seems a little better, but isn't "right". Am taking her to the vets tonight, along with The Other who has just started with the same problem.

Fingers crossed!! :cry:

[wendy]

Oh dear, fingers crossed here also.
We seem to having a number of little hens with problems lately. Perhaps our ex battery girls are just getting on a bit. I am not sure how long they last. I have had mine about 19 months now.
Wendy

[AnnaB]

Hi morph
Very best wishes at the vets tonight - I could not have bared to see any of my girls suffering and so I did the only thing.

[AnnaB]

Had a private message from morph about her problem I am hoping she posts.....

[b_cos_1_can]

fingers, legs, eyes, arms, toes and thoughts are all crossed hoping all was ok at vet yesterday!

[morph]

Thanks AnnaB, but they were terrible. I specifically asked for a vet that had experience with chickens, and he didn't. He didn't know what to do, and what was wrong, and said he'd have to speak to other vets in the area. I was still charged for a consultation though!!

All is not lost though, as I emailed the Battery Hen Welfare Trust where I got them from and their vet has replied to me today. She thinks it may be a build up of fluid and said it can be treated with diuretics and antibiotics, and is happy to speak to my vets, so I'm now waiting and hoping they can help!!

Thanks vety much for your concern!

[morph]

Hi all

Thank you very much for your concern and well wishing.

Well, I can tell you it's been a farcical nightmare!!! I will have to cut this long story short!!!!
Went to see vet, didn't know anything, couldn't diagnose or treat - would advise after speaking to another vet, who also couldn't diagnose. They wouldn't speak to the vet from the Battery Hen welfare trust and wouldn't prescribe any treatment until after x-rays costing £141. Anyway, I pushed and fought, and now have the diuretics and antibiotics for the girls -- PHEW!!!!
I had to sign a disclaimer though - haha!!! To say that they didn't endorse the treatment, and if anything happened, I couldn't hold them responsible.

So I'll just have to wait and see!!!!

Also, I want to add that Marcella (vet for BHWT) has been amazing - she was disappointed they didn't want to speak to her, as was I when she has so much experience with them, and they have none. She offered to see my birds for free if I could drive to her surgery (as the petrol would have cost enough!!!) How kind and thoughtful of her. There's hope yet!!

I'm now hoping it'll help - if not, then, well, at least I know I've done what I can, despite the vets......

[Mo]

Welcome to the site Morph, and best wishes for your hens.

[AnnaB]

Hi again morph
How far are you from Solihull in miles? I don't know if they have another practice nearer to you but he really knows his stuff.

[morph]

Solihull is about 60 miles AnnaB - worth a trip if the current medication doesn't work out!!