Impacted Crop Surgery (with video)

[twilightgecko]

what a great video.. i can't believe how much straw was in her crop.. but so interesting.. thank you! i know this is and OLD thread, but still relevant..

 

[rebrascora]

@SpaghettiJo

This is an old post from 3 years ago, so the original poster may not still be an active member. I would imagine that it would run to at least a couple of hundred dollars but it is possible to do it yourself at home since there are no major organs in that area. I have no medical training and I've done it twice. In some respects it can be less dangerous at home without an anaesthetic because that is where complications can arise with chickens. I'm not saying it is something that I would recommend anyone to do and it is very scary but a huge sense of achievement and if you don't have access or funds for veterinary treatment and the bird is going to die without it, then it is worth a go in my experience. SuperGlue for closing up instead of stitching works well.

 

[SpaghettiJo]

@SpaghettiJo

This is an old post from 3 years ago, so the original poster may not still be an active member. I would imagine that it would run to at least a couple of hundred dollars but it is possible to do it yourself at home since there are no major organs in that area. I have no medical training and I've done it twice. In some respects it can be less dangerous at home without an anaesthetic because that is where complications can arise with chickens. I'm not saying it is something that I would recommend anyone to do and it is very scary but a huge sense of achievement and if you don't have access or funds for veterinary treatment and the bird is going to die without it, then it is worth a go in my experience. SuperGlue for closing up instead of stitching works well.

ok. thank you for the insight. I am currently trying to massage her crop and i will be trying to see if she will regurgitate any of it up, but if it continues to be a problem, i have found a vet in my area that will do the procedure

 

[rebrascora]

Good luck. I've managed to free a couple up with regular intensive massage and regurgitation. Some will not allow anything to come out when you try to vomit them but the act of massaging them in an inverted position helped to break up the debris and sediment that had settled in the bottom of the crop that was causing part of the blockage. It took nearly 2 weeks with one of them to get things working properly. She was managing to take down very sloppy food though even at her worst.
It is important not to leave them too long before the surgery as, if they get too weak, they are not strong enough to recover. That happened the second time I performed the surgery. Even though the surgery was a success in itself, she just didn't have the strength to come back up. The first time, she was on her feet immediately and wolfing down food within 10 minutes of closing her up.
Keeping my fingers crossed for your chicken.