Sour Crop Blues

[MohawkJEn]

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Our hen Hedwig got a sour crop after she was infested with poultry lice. we read online to give her a Epsom Salt bath. We also have her some olive oil laced with Goldenseal. I vomited her , and was graced with no disasters. Thank god! And we will never do that again. Last night she pooped twice! awesome! And her crop was empty this morning. We started the yogurt this morning. More olive oil and goldenseal. Water, which she took from the syringe very willingly. I really think she is turning around, and I honestly think that the bath is one of the big contributors. I you didn't already know to do this. I highly suggest it. It warms them up and gets things moving plus it makes them feel wonderful.

Bath: big mixing bowl. Glass preferably. Fill it with warm/hot water. 1/4 cup of Epsom salt. Set her in it and cover her with a towel. She can snuggle in for about an hour or until the water gets cool. Take her out and blow dry her. It invigorates the chickens just like it does us.

 

[casportpony]

Warning, bathing a critically I'll bird can kill them.

-Kathy

 

[MohawkJEn]

Or revive them! And relax them and make them more comfortable.

 

[casportpony]

Or revive them!

Not likely... Would you bathe a critically I'll dog, cat, puppy or kitten? What would a vet do? A vet will never suggest bathing a sick animal.

Glad you got lucky this time, but I have read way too many posts from people that have killed their birds by bathing them. So people, please be smart, do not bathe a critically I'll bird or animal, ever!

-Kathy

 

[MohawkJEn]

I didn't post this for a doomsayer to make people more afraid than they already are. I was posting this as an aid for people who choose not to take their animals to the vet. I don't agree with vet care and never will. I have a dog that is twelve years old and has never been to the vet. She is brilliant, healthy, never been sick. Unlike other dogs that I have taken to the vet and were killed at the vets office, that weren't even sick to begin with. Anything can happen. This post isn't for people who listen to vets. It's for people who do natural care at home. Who are successful in knowing their own animals and how sick they are. Even if the bird is beyond help a nice warm bath will not hurt her only make her more comfortable in her final hours. Or it will revive her. What I am saying is that it worked for us. If I can handle a nice warm bath when I have the swine flu, I am sure a nice warm bath for a chicken with any illness will also help. Epsom salt is a great tool. If you want to be afraid and think that everything can kill your already dying chicken then believe that. We are going to continue our home care that has worked for us under extreme circumstances for years now.

 

[casportpony]

Do as you wish to your pets and yourself, but I can guarantee you that giving critically ill birds a bath is a *very* bad idea. Most sick birds should be kept in a warm, humid room or cage and should not be bathed.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Thought I should comment on how pale your hen looks in your picture. Feather lice don't cause this, but mites can, so you should check your coop for mites and treat it accordingly. Also remember that sour crop and/or crop stasis are almost always a secondary problem, so I suspect there is something else going on with your hen... Maybe worms or some disease process. Anyway, I sincerely hope you prove me wrong and she just pops up out of her "spa".

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

After working in pediatric and adult critical care units for many years, I found that giving baths to the most critically ill patients were not done because it could push a head injury patient or someone who was in cardiac or respiratory distress to death. Baths even with drying them afterward cause chilling and shivering. For chickens close to death, it shouldn't be done.

 

[casportpony]

After working in pediatric and adult critical care units for many years, I found that giving baths to the most critically ill patients were not done because it could push a head injury patient or someone who was in cardiac or respiratory distress to death. Baths even with drying them afterward cause chilling and shivering. For chickens close to death, it shouldn't be done.

Exactly... How many time have people here on BYC killed their beloved chicken by giving it a bath? There is a right and a wrong way to warm up a critically ill hypothermic bird, person or animal.

-Kathy

 

[seminolewind]

Oh Gosh, I worked with critically ill newborns for 20 years and we Never bathed a sick baby. Sure some needed a clean butt and face, but that was it, and it was done with xtra heat lamps. I could have lost my job for bathing a sick baby.

I have not read all good things about Goldenseal. I think I would think a bit on that.

The Side Effects of Goldenseal Root

Last Updated: Mar 05, 2014 | By Shelley Moore

Pregnancy Considerations

Pregnant women should not take goldenseal root. Goldenseal can induce menstruation, and a component of this herb called berberine may cause uterine contractions, according to the NCCAM. This may lead to premature labor or miscarriage.

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Effects on Children

Women who are breastfeeding should not take goldenseal because it may be transferred through breast milk, and the herb is dangerous to babies and young children. Babies and young children also should never be given goldenseal, as it can cause life-threatening liver problems and a condition called kernicterus, or brain damage due to severe jaundice. Symptoms of kernicterus or other liver issues in babies and young children include yellowed skin, increased or decreased muscle tone, extreme drowsiness and lethargy, high-pitched crying, fever and arched back.
Cardiovascular Concerns

People with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease should not take goldenseal root, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center or MSKCC. Berberine may cause a life-threatening heart episode called QTc prolongation in patients with severe underlying heart disease. Goldenseal also may interfere with medications that regulate blood pressure.
Overdose Effects and Warnings

Although unlikely, taking very high doses of goldenseal root can cause toxicity. Symptoms as listed by the American Cancer Society include depression, nervousness, hallucinations, stomach ulcerations, sensitivity to sunlight, slowed heart rate and seizures. Toxicity may cause respiratory failure and even death. The NCCAM reports that goldenseal could potentially interact with medications. If you are on medication do not take goldenseal without approval from your physician first.