Help - dire case of sour crop!

My beloved EE has sour crop. she was going through a nasty molt, so i didn't catch it until quite late, as she wouldn't let me near her. Three days ago i started her on monistat. i try to jam 1/3 or so of a suppository down her beak. she's not a fan, but we do our best. i see her drink bits of water and i saw her catch a worm just a few hours ago. she is horribly thin and i'm sure in need of nutrition and fluids. i put some water and some kefir mixed with probios down her beak with a syringe just now and she seemed to not hate it. then i set her down and she threw up the most foul smelling green slime i've ever seen. she seemed to not choke on it, but her case is getting pretty severe and i'm not sure what else to do for her. i have heard it's really not a good idea to tip her upside down as there's a solid chance she'll choke. i'm hoping the monistat and the probios will kick in? any words of encouragement or helpful hints out there?

We just got a new article posted about this. (I don't know a thing about treating crop issues, but this author does!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/a-crop-story

Thank you. This was very helpful. She's still alive as of tonight but I'm so worried about her! I've emptied her crop a few times this morning and got some fluids and probiotics back in. Hoping she'll make it till Monday when the vet is back! Thank you for pointing me to this.

You're welcome, and I wish you both well. Crop issues can be very serious problems for them, unfortunately.

I want to update you that I did take my chicken to the vet on Monday to find out that she had very severe lead poisoning, which is what was actually causing the sour crop. she is on a treatment, but the vet said she has a very slim chance of making it because the levels were so high. Something i never thought about as a chicken owner, but others should be aware of it!

Thanks for the update, but sorry to hear about it being lead poisoning. Someone else here went through that this year and with lots drugs from the vet and supportive care (tube feeding) saved their bird. Where did the lead come from?

-Kathy

Here is a link on heavy metal poisoning and treatment:
http://www.birdclinic.net/avian1.htm

-Kathy

If you're interested I can teach you how to tube feed, it's very easy.

-Kathy

Thank you for the link! She has had a great appetite today actually and has even drank a lot of water. She still can't stand well and is very very tired. This has been the third full day of treatment. My concern at this point is that her crop still isn't really moving! She does seem to eat but there's no place for it to go. The vet said that the crop will respond (or not) to the treatment eventually and is a related side effect of the poisoning. I have been massaging it and giving her some buttermilk and probiotics but it definitely seems to be a muscular issue for her right now and I don't know if there's anything I can do about that? I would definitely tube feed if that were needed but the crop is the issue now and she seems to have an appetite. If it would only go somewhere. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that the medication will help her eventually. Poor baby.
I have 5 other chickens that are in perfect health. At least no lead poisoning... We did a lead test on the house paints and select soil areas and it was negative. We live in an old house in New England and I am guessing she must have selectively found something in the soil that she shouldn't have. Very unfortunate.

There are drugs that one can give to help with gut motility... Ask your vet if any of them are might help.

-Kathy