Undigested food in droppings, update on page 3

[Nambroth]

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My vet is good, but she won't offer advice over the phone/email (I guess for liability reasons?). She insists that I bring them in. I wish she was closer!

That's what I'm worried about. On the other hand, I've read that symptoms of worms are watery droppings, decreased appetite and weight loss, and listlessness/standing away from the group, which sounds like what I have going on.
I purchased some Valbazen (albendazole)... I should have some anyhow. Chickens are not a target species for this drug so it'd technically be illegal for the vet to advise for me to use it. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place sometimes!

 

[janine]

Just make sure it's worms...learn from my mistake...Same symptoms, I assumed worms and wormed her...in her weakened state she ended up loosing too much fluid way to quickly, and I lost her...I don't know if she had worms or not...but my advise would be to get her stronger before treating for worms,,,unless it is confirmed with the vet... JMHO janine

 

[drumstick diva]

Pepto Bismol contains salicylic acid which is aspirin, it may not be good idea to use on chickens unless the amount of aspirin is low enough. I'm wondering if yogurt would help her.

 

[BamaSilkies]

Maybe warm oatmeal would thicken it up. You can give aspirins to chickens so unless she has a bad bleeding issue I dont think theres enough in it to hurt. I figured for a chicken maybe only 2 or 3 drops.

 

[Nambroth]

Now I'm really confused. I will need to make a vet appointment, I think, because I'm really not sure what is going on here.

Last night she found some black oil sunflower seed in the two seconds I wasn't watching her and ate a bunch of it. Perhaps a tablespoon or two. I didn't think much of it.
This morning she will not eat for me (she still drinks regularly) and I felt her crop-- still full of some sunflower seeds.
Yet, she just pooped and it was more firm this time... and had undigested sunflower seeds and grain in it. It's not large or swollen... it's smaller than a golf ball. Nor is it hard... I can palpate it and feel the individual seeds in there.

I don't think her crop is impacted, because otherwise she wouldn't be pooping the seeds, but shouldn't it have passed its contents entirely by now? She ate the seeds last night, more than 12 hours ago.
If her crop had been impacted for the last week (causing her other symptoms) I'm pretty sure that she'd have a sour crop or be nothing but skin and bones right?

She is still active, investigating my basement, wanting cuddles. She is not eating, and pooping less regularly. Her weight is the same as yesterday.

 

[Nambroth]

We have a vet appointment for Monday... it was the soonest they could see her because of the holiday. Until then what do you think, crop massages and yogurt (kefir)? She's not keen on any food I've been offering, including cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, or applesauce.

 

[Tallulah Chicklet]

It seems to me that if you can palpate sunflower seeds and grain in her crop, you should be able to palpate grit as well. I know you said you've been offering grit, but what do you think of offering it by hand, more directly?

 

[Nambroth]

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Right now she isn't taking anything at all-- even her favorite treats-- by hand. I am offering it directly, in case she changes her mind. I thought that all the mechanical grinding with grit occurs in the gizzard though?

 

[Blue Ninja]

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[Animalian]

I just remembered something! Whenever one of my aviary birds gets sloppy poo I give them (cold) black tea instead of water for the day. It quickly helps them errrm.... firm up!

Maybe it would work with chickens too? I can't see why it wouldn't. If anything she may benefit from the antioxidants in the tea