Question of the Day

This is ascites in a chicken. Suddenly dead or cyanotic, panting chickens with abdomens distended by ascites fluid suggests ascites syndrome (waterbelly). 
Essentially a form of right ventricular heart failure secondary to pulmonary hypertension or more rarely, hepatic failure.

Because broilers affected with ascites syndrome frequently die on their backs, differential diagnosis includes flip-over disease.

Another cardiomyopathy to remember is round heart disease (spontaneous cardiomyopathy), but that is a disease of turkeys.

Dissecting aneurysm is another cause of sudden death, but animals display severe hemorrhage on necropsy. 

Image courtesy, The Poultry Site.