Poultry health: prolapse of the vent

Actually, hemorrhoids ARE prolapsed tissues. That’s PRECISELY what they are. They are prolapsed intestine/rectum and I think you are getting confused. You can have a prolapsed penis in a rooster or a reptile, etc, or you can have a prolapsed oviduct, or you can have a prolapsed intestine. The hemorrhoid creams reduce inflammation, the same as sugar water or honey, but they aren’t as messy and don’t attract debris to the tissues as badly. A prolapse that won’t self correct and has been traumatized is necessarily considered to be inflamed tissue. The best way to reduce inflammation and encourage retraction of such prolapsed tissue is with an anti-inflammatory approach. The tissue should be treated prior with sterile saline or room temp bottled water, and may be rinsed with a dilute topical rinse such as chlorhexidine gluconate .05% or weaker, and preventative systemic antibiotics can be given afterward. The best way to deal with inflamed prolapsed tissue, is to reduce the inflammation that is going to probably lead to the tissue not returning to normal, or causing the prolapse to occur again.

I love this post, you are doing a very wonderful job. Thank you so much and God bless you all.

Hi Amanda, if you have tried your best with the advice here with no real improvement a trip to a chicken friendly vet would be the next step. They will be able to advise you of the most suitable course of action.

Hi all. I have a guinea hen with a prolapsed oviduct. I noticed it yesterday, though it has likely been developing for a number of days. It was severely prolapsed. After reading online, I soaked her rear in warm sugar water, applied Preparation H, and pushed the prolapse back in, holding it for at least five minutes. I could tell it wasn’t going to work because I could feel her pushing against my hand as I was holding it. It felt like she was trying to lay an egg the way she was pushing. The prolapse popped right back out. I isolated her in a crate within the coop. This morning, the redness was improved, but the tissue was still very much prolapsed. I again soaked her and tried holding it in. Again, she pushed it out. I took her to a guinea hen-friendly vet, and he put two stitches in. She popped those out immediately and laid an egg on the table. He put two more in and sent us home. She laid an egg on the way home and popped the stitches again. I applied Prep H and popped it back in, but no luck, of course. I really don’t want to put her down, but I can’t keep doing $200 surgeries daily. Is there any hope of it staying in if I keep soaking and pushing it back in? Also, the vet said she should just be eating normal food, but I see here and other places that cracked corn in small amounts will be better in order to slow egg laying. Thoughts on that? Thank you!

Hi,

Does any one have any comments on what to do if the prolapse appears to be a relatively firm, poo filled bit of lower intestine. It does not feel in any way egg related although the hen is due to lay soon (early spring), if not now. She is a very old, big and very frequent layer, previously healthy, shaver type hen approx 8 years old now!

I AM TRYING ALL THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED , I have A 1 YEAR OLD NHR that has had prolapses but it keeps correcting it self…? with out any intervention but tonight ,we found her needing our help ,we washed a big lump of poo away its all clean now & it all went back in on its own, we have a cage were she will be in total darkness in our warm laundry room for 3 days we hope that will at least help her to heal & will help stop her from laying any more giant eggs, we also put liquid vit C & multi vits in her water and will feed only small amounts of corn, but tonight we fed her a soft boiled egg with vit E & C & cod liver oil mixed it to it & prayed for a complete healing to our goddess of the planet Gaia, we will also try repairing the connective tissue by feeding her vit C with bioflavonoids & vit e and that will cure any human of hemorrhoids, strange that doctors wont tell you that…? but its the connective tissues that are failing in a hemorrhoid & that should be true for any prolapse as well so using that same logic ,we are going for the vitaminbs that will help to cure a hemorrhoid, well so thats our plan, just praying it works for my sweet red girl, she is other wise very healthy, nice red comb, shiny feathers & its molting season to, & she has not a feather out of place ,she is not fat , may be a bit on the thin side & has been been eating very well & free ranging all the time, we feed all kinds of fresh foods sprouts & all not just layer feed ,so other wise she looks really healthy but also she has been laying giant eggs ,so we will try the Vit C & E to help heal her connective tissues & will be using that course of action and see how it helps her, o and maybe honey or use a bit of witch hazel on any swollen parts if that ever happens ..? but im not even sure if witch hazel will burn or sting her…? I should try the witch hazel on my self, on my own cuts first to see if it stings at all..? but we pray we wont have to go that far, well so thank you all this is a great place with the best info , i have been to so far sooo very helpful…!!! take care & have a good one all 🙂

DD Absolutely do not use the witch hazel. That will burn badly and only lead to FURTHER irritation of already inflamed tissue. It’s an astringent meant for very superficial TOPICAL use, but that does not mean INTERNAL tissues which are prolapsed out. You’re dealing with internal organ tissue, remember that. This isn’t a scratch of the skin.

What you’re doing sounds OK. the fish oil containing a lot of omega 3 will help with inflammation. Quercetin will too. You need to as well as offering the supportive protective care, also offer something to aid in reducing inflammation. there are many ways to do that, pharmaceuticals such as steroids, or herbals. Keeping it clean is number one. Number two is addressing reduction of inflammation. Step three is to isolate her in a clean room environment to help prevent complications if it happens again (such as her being attacked by another bird, insects, tissue drying out, etc) and also her laying pattern needs to be interrupted to give time for this tissue to remain in place and recover. Isolating her elsewhere may help interrupt her egg laying to give that recovery time.

sorry prolapsed hen 😉

Hi. Since Saturdegay my duck had a prolapsed rectum after laying an egg. I laced her in a tub of warm water for 20mins and then pushed back her rectum inside. For 1 day I placed her in a dark place. Since then our precious duck has been sitting more than her usual playful self. She does walk a little around the back yard and mainly drinks but has no appetite. She took a bath on her own yesterday without my assistance. I have fed her via syringe with homemade vegie juice which she did not mind.She poos watery poo after my feed. She is definately not her cheeky self but I have seen improvement. Is this a slow recovery or should I take her to see a vet? I am strapped for cash which is why I have been giving her all the tlc and care from reading online.

Re Rou’s duck with a prolapse. One of my forum members rang me and told me that she was recommended to apply some child strenth Bonjela or very thin layer of Savlon cream/ointment on the outside of the vent and just inside, using your little finger and wearing gloves of course.Bonjela particularly also has an anaesthetising effect. The tissue will be sore and the duck will be feeling pretty miserable. Think of it as having piles yourself and how you would feel. The prolapse is caused by swollen blood vessels so that in itself is very uncomfortable and although the right thing to do is push the prolapse back inside the vent it inflames the surrounding tissue. If you do get some Bonjela or Savlon from a chemist don’t tell them it’s for a duck or they won’t sell it to you.
Applying creams for piles shrinks the blood vessels of the chicken’s prolapsed tissues, but does not shrink the prolapse. Instead, it inhibits blood circulation in the prolapsed tissues, drying it and making it tight and sore, which delays healing as the blood carries healing nutrients. Shrinking the blood vessels in the prolapsed tissues also means that any infection in those tissues cannot be cleared away as easily by the blood. So, although using a haemorrhoid cream seems “right” on an intuitive level, using it is actually counter-productive. In fact in some cases it can actually increase the inflammation. Use a lubricating cream instead. Also ensure to keep the duck’s vent clean using a warm saline solution. Never pick off any poo that has accumulated around the vent because you can cause more damage to already sore tissue; bathing the vent to keep it clean prevents the start of any infection.

I will pass your comments on to the member who gave me the information who can then contact the vet who advised her to use this method of treatment for haemorrhoids.
You may be a wildlife medical rehabilitator and although I not a vet I have used home remedies passed down to me from an elderly retired chickens keeper. The mention of Bonjela is new to me, I merely passed on information given to my forum member from a vet, who according to you, obviously knowns nothing about ducks or chickens.

The beauty of being able to share information like this is that you often get advice that while not necessarily by the book may well have worked effectively for some people. We often find that smallholders use many weird and wonderful remedies that have been passed down to good effect. In this case, in the absence of any further evidence, it may be wise to avoid the Bonjela but if one particular approach isn’t working for you then it may be worth trying some of the other suggestions here. If you see a rapid deterioration in condition though it is always best to seek the professional advice of a specialist poultry vet.

I forgot to click notify me of answers! So please re post!
Our 2 year old hen has just prolapsed. Late on a Sunday eve. Nothing in stock other than TCP. So diluted TCP with warm water, cleaned the area that was a little bloody but not too bad. Then gently pushed back in – took a couple of tries as was pulsating and popping back out. Think it’s in now. We’ve put her in the bike shed (removed bikes) as no pet container. She has water & hemp bedding and a perch of sorts. I’m worried that it’ll be very hot in the shed during the day – it was 26’c today! Any thing I can do? I’m working all day tomorrow so tricky!! I’ve no mixed corn just layers pellets. Can I give her scrambled egg with cod liver oil as have both of these? Any advice greatly received! Huge thanks!!

I’m currently dealing with a prolapse in a young hen. I cleaned her up with warm water in the kitchen sink which dissolved feces from the feathers and prolapse. I had to work with what I had on hand. So I used a little bit of coconut oil. (Again all I had on hand we live an hour from the closest town). While I was applying the oil I had her upside down under my arm. The prolapse went in pretty much by itself. But as soon as I put her right side up it popped out again. So wash it again and apply more coconut oil. Except this time I kept her secured butt in the air for about five mins. Let gravity do its thing. Hey it worked with cows and horses!! Why not a chicken?
After i put her right side up the prolapse stayed in that was 14 hours ago.
Now… what do I need to watch for with regards to infection?
I did run to town and grab some prep-h for swelling and covered the area. But she is still very swollen.

Pleased to head you managed to resolve the prolapse problem but the swelling is a cause for concern. Manuka Honey is thought to one of the best ways to reduce swelling. Witch Hazel will cause insufferable burning on swollen flesh so personally I don’t advise it.
My immediate reaction would be to get her to a chicken friendly vet who knows about chickens. That swelling may be due to an infection from a broken egg that was waiting to be laid. Egg laying is a converyor belt system in order tha there an egg ready for laying every day. It is possible there may be a broken egg inside her which is becoming infected. This could eventually cause egg yolk peritonitis. Basically it comes down to how much your hen means to you – is she a special pet or just a backyard chicken in a flock from which you can get eggs.
A vet will be able to tell you if there is an infection there and if there is it needs to be treated pdq. Depending on how much you are prepared to spend to save your hen an X-Ray will show how many eggs are awaiting lay and at wtage they are at but more importantly whether the next egg in line is entire or broken. If it’s broken your hen needs immediate attention.

So pleased to hear you managed to sort out your hen’s prolapse problem, and how lucky you are to have a friend who has knowledge of chicken illnesses and problems. A truly ‘chicken friendly’ vet is very difficult to find in the UK.
I have Googled ‘Caltrate’ to find out where in the UK it can be bought but there are so many varieties e.g. added vitamins, is it just simple Caltrate you used?
Also may I please copy the information you have given onto a forum I run for people who have adopted ex-commercial hens? Many members have their own ways of dealing with hens who have prolapses, including giving an implant to stop the egg laying cycle so that both chicken and owner can have some peace and know that the hen will not suffer whilst the implant is effective.
If you prefer you can PM me. I don’t know if I am allowed to post my email address on here but Stuart has my permission to pass it on to you. I think we could exchange some very useful information about chicken keeping if you are willing.

Dianna, thank you for all that useful information. Actually I am fairly ‘au fait’ about treating poorly chickens; I run a forum for people who have adopted ex-commercial hens and with time a lot of the longer serving members have been able to advise new chicken keepers with information about the care and attention they need when they are first released from cages or barns.
I can offer you one tip as to how to hydrate a chicken that won’t eat or drink of its own accord. Get a 2mg syringe and fill it with body temperature sweetened water (boil some water and add sugar, honey or glucose then allow to cool). You can of course just use water on its own. Tuck the hen under one arm ensuring you are able to reach the beak with the hand of whichever arm you have tucked the hen under so that you can open the beak enough to get the tip of the syringe into then using your lead hand, depending on whether you are right handed or left handed, put the tip of the syringe just inside the left hand side of the beak, must be left hand side of the beak and drip a few drops of fluid from the syringe into the beak. Just give a little at a time and be prepared to be bathed because the chicken will shake its head. By using a syringe you can monitor exactly how much fluid the chicken is getting. You can give as much or as little at a time at intervals of your choice to keep the chicken hydrated. Never drip any fluid into the centre of any chicken’s beak because it will go straight into their lungs, a sure way to kill your chicken by drowning.
I also have a “Sick Chook Diet” sheet which I can send you if you are interested. It is named so because it was sent in by one of our Australian members and you probably know that chickens are called chooks in Australia. Several members and other people from different chicken groups have used it with great success. Let me know if you would like a copy and I’ll liaise with Stuart re: email addresses etc.
I’m very pleased to hear your red hen is improving and hope she continues to do so and returns to full health very soon.
I have fed some sick cats exactly as you have so we must be doing something right!

Hi one for Mick if he’s listening in. I have a hen just badly prolapsed, she keeps pushing it out, my ww2 smallholder book recommends washing with a potassium permanganate solution and using boracic ointment (that would be astringent if it was obtainable! I’ve just mixed some boric acid with Vaseline. I’ve made a retainer out of a self adhesive bandage and she’s hanging in a plastic bag with her wings and legs restrained as best as possible (the advice from the oldbook) . So for Mick, do you have any advice on stitching (I’ve got 25 years experience as a shepherd and have stitched many a sheep) also is depomycin ok as an antibiotic in chooks? I’m going to try some honey on her shortly and see if I can persuade her not to push it out that way. Age of chicken nit known, I captured her and several mates from the roadside where they had been dumped. She is the prettiest so I’d prefer not to lose her!

Unfortunately, I don’t monitor this email much anymore. If you need to reach me more quickly I can be messaged on facebook at Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue.

Is the chicken still alive, first of all?

I did give some pretty exhaustive recommendations previously. That would be the first place to start. If that’s not working, then other options can be discussed. I don’t know what you mean by advice on stitching. If the tissue is not remaining in place, then suturing may be necessary to hold it in place until swelling goes down and there is healing. There’s not really anything more to say about it than that, so if you’re not sure how to proceed with that, then don’t. Find someone who does know how to do it.

I’m not familiar with that named antibiotic and I’d need to know exactly what it is by drug name, not brand name. But antibiotics shouldn’t be reached for just because, regardless. They should only be used if there’s an actual need based on evidence of an infection. Just because there is a prolapse doesn’t mean there is an infection. Antibiotics can make the situation worse.

I have a Rhode Island Red that had gotten some egg goo frozen on her butt (its 10-15 degrees here right now)…I didn’t see it until I went to shut them up for the night. I brought her inside and cleaned it off and she was severely prolapsed. I applied honey and coconut oil and slowly eased it back in and put her in a box inside for the night. I have been doing that for the last four days and it is not staying in. Today I was finally off work and have held this chicken upside down all damn day, she prolapses every time she poops. The vet here is useless (i live in a remote town with 3k people)and they say they don’t work on chickens. She appears perky and alert, and I’ve only been feeding her small portions of egg and cod liver oil and fish chowder with cooked barley (soft foods). I’ve also been sprinkling calcium citrate on her food and in her water. I am at my wits end! I absolutely adore this chicken, she is my pet…I am a vegan and don’t even eat eggs! I got her as a chick and raised her, she is only 10 months old! I have to leave to go to Georgia for 9 days on the 24th…is there anything else I can do to fix her???? I don’t want her to die 🙁