Guinea path results. Pearl sick.

So Pearl is indeed very sick.  I caught her too easily this morning, and after a brief physical exam the only thing I could come up with was that her belly felt like it had fluid in it. I knew what that likely meant, and it couldn't wait to be attended to.  I called my vet friend (on her day off, while she had a colleague visiting from out of town) and she agreed to meet me.  How generous is that??

She tapped Pearl's belly and pulled out what must have been about 300 mL of yolk coloured fluid.  This could be egg yolk peritonitis, or it could be cancer.  But in the mean time she needs antibiotics, pain killers, nsaids, and fluids. I didn't manage to give her the fluids successfully on my own, so I'll have to wait until G is home.  Maybe by then she'll be stoned on her narcotics, and it will go more smoothly. Poor Miss Pearl....

From guinea's preliminary necropsy report:

6-9-14 The hen is in good external body condition, weighing 1.56 kg. The hen is in production with an egg in the shell gland. The tracheal bifurcation contains a 0.5x0.3x0.2 cm irregular, caseous mass that extends slightly into the right primary bronchus (photograph). The gizzard contains grit and the crop is empty. The distal aspect of P 2, 3 and 4 are absent from both feet. No other gross lesions are noted.   

Death is a result of suffocation from caseous mass at bifurcation of trachea.  Additional tests are pending and preliminary report with photo is attached.  My top differential is aspergillosis.

The pathologist believes it is aspergillus fungus, but I'll have to wait for the full results. This is what I was concerned about when Daughter of Chaos died on shearing day.

 This has just made us even more keen to bulldoze that evil coop and start over.