Crop Surgery Need supplies - advice NH

[Leela NH]

After calling around to local vets here in NH, I have come to to conclusion that I am going to have to attempt crop surgery for impaction on my 1 yr old Ameraucana hen (breeding girl)

I am fairly comfortable attempting this, but need supplies and nobody will sell them to me!

I need disposable scalpel, draping, sterile gloves, sutures suitable for chickens (dissolving or otherwise) in case the super glue doesn't work.

I am also wondering if I should feed her anything in the meantime...I fed her yesterday and it went down, but the sticky hard dough like mass in her crop did not go away, today that is all that is in there. She is going on 24 hours without food and I can't attempt surgery until this evening when my husband comes home.

She has been isolated with epsom salt water and I syringed a more concentrated amount into her yesterday, which greatly helped the food in there to pass. She had some soaked starter yesterday, and all of that has been digested. I have been massaging her crop regularly to help feed pass.

She is uncomfortable but vital signs all good. She is just standing upright and adjusting her crop often.

I would also love to find someone to assist in Southern NH! Any takers?

Thanks!

 

[enola]

Stop feeding her until the mass has passed. If the feed is digesting, keep giving her water so her crop can do its job. STOP giving her epsom salts, it will cause her to have diarrhea, which will dehydrate her. Then you will have a whole new set of problems.

If she is digesting what you are feeding her, she probably does not need surgery. pm casportpony, she can help you learn how to tube her to keep her going.

 

[Leela NH]

I gave her food yesterday, but mass remains and food is digested. I think only because of vigorous massage. She is standing upright and adjusting her crop all the time, looks uncomfortable. It is the size of a large golf ball, hard and a bit squishy. She has ongoing issues as I have seen her adjusting crop more than normal, for about 4 weeks. I massage her and she seems fine. This time is different.

Thanks!

 

[Akrnaf2]

It could be an fungal infection of the crop I think that you should. Try an anti fungal Treatment try to give here Cooper Sulfate 0.5 gram in 1 liter of drinking water for 5 days. In the beginning you should use 5 cc syringe to give here water at least 3 times a day to be shore that she is having at least 15cc/day from the treatment. don't forget to enter 1 tablespoon of ACV to the water if the Cooper Sulfate that you will use is not acidified.

 

[enola]

I don't think ACV is a good idea with a crop bound chicken. casportpony can tell us if this is a good idea or not.

 

[casportpony]

I gave her food yesterday, but mass remains and food is digested. I think only because of vigorous massage. She is standing upright and adjusting her crop all the time, looks uncomfortable. It is the size of a large golf ball, hard and a bit squishy. She has ongoing issues as I have seen her adjusting crop more than normal, for about 4 weeks. I massage her and she seems fine. This time is different.

Thanks!

Have you tried something less invasive like tubing lots fluids to her?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I don't think ACV is a good idea with a crop bound chicken. casportpony can tell us if this is a good idea or not.

I wouldn't use ACV or Copper Sulfate, I would tube fluids and try to get it to pass that way. I'd also de-worm her with Safeguard at 0.23 ml per pound for five days.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If any of you reading this do decide to use copper sulfate it should be something like this:

Acidified copper sulfate is what you want to use if you're using copper sulfate.


I think @dawg53 knows the directions. Please don't use just any ole "copper sulfate", it should be "acidified copper sulfate". If you do use it, use in plastic container, not metal ones. Same for ACV, no metal containers!


-Kathy

 

[Leela NH]

Thanks all. Not sure which route to go. This mass is worrying me. Her breath smells bad, not like sour crop, I have dealt with that many times. This is more like a putrid rotten poop smell. I smell it mostly when I am massaging and manipulating the crop.

I have never tubed before, scares me more than surgery! I will look at some instructions and videos and decide best course of action.

I am unsure how fungal treatments are going to help out this mass?

Thanks again.

Leela

 

[casportpony]

If you can get 16" of aquarium air line from Petsmart and a 60 ml syringe from Tractor Supply I can teach you how to tube, and I can guarantee you that it is safer than crop surgery. I am available by phone to guide you step by step.

Tube needs to be modified by melting the end with a lighter first. Before inserting, make sure it smooth enough that you could rub it on your gums or the inside of your cheeks.

Best to start with a small amount of fluid, like 15 ml for full sized hens, then keep adding 15 ml at a time until the crop starts to slosh a little. Wait for the fluid to clear, add more. Then if crop doesn't go down in 24 hours, maybe do the surgery then.

Have you checked her for a stuck egg? Has she ever been treated for capillary worms?

-Kathy