Any luck with surgery??

[Saaniya]

My sweet barred rock has an oviduct impaction we have been medically managing (with a vet) for almost 3 months now, but we are getting to the point where a decision has to be made.
Surgery would fix the problem, but the procedure is very invasive. I’m concerned if she would make it through successfully and recover. It’s an expensive undertaking but Willow is our pet, so I’m thinking of scheduling surgery soon. The vet said they usually have a good outcome. She is only 1.5 years old.
Has anyone else had this surgery on their hen, and if so, what was the outcome? I know every case is different, but just looking for feedback if it worked for others. Thanks.

Oh so sorry but I'm so glad you think for her life
Don't worry keep the faith
If the vet is experienced and have done this kind of chicken surgical procedure then I would say u can go ..
If the vet treats chicken


I've seen success & fail both in the surgery depends on the experience and anesthesia they use


Wish u & ur chicken all the best luck
Hope she recover keep us updated about her surgery

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Best wishes to you and Willow!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens are not good candidates for surgery if they must be put under general anesthesia. The hen belongs to you and no one else so do with or to her as you see fit.

 

[rebrascora]

Thanks for posting such a lovely photo of her. She is a beauty and her face is clearly full of character and life, so I can entirely understand why you feel compelled to give her a shot at this.
Thanks also for posting the x-rays. She really is very "full" back there, so I can understand that things need to go ahead sooner rather than later. It sounds like you have a very knowledgeable and competent vet which is such a rarity when it comes to poultry. I'm sure that will stack the odds much more heavily in Willow's favour for her op.
Is this the first hormone implant she has had and if so, was there any particular reason why she wasn't given one sooner? I'm guessing perhaps she was moulting, but just curious since your vet is clearly very experienced with this sort of thing and I'm always interested in learning.
I also wonder if you would be kind enough to provide your vet's details here. I'm in the UK so it is of no benefit to me, but people often struggle to find a good vet that has experience with poultry so it can be helpful for people in your area to know where to find one. I think there was some talk of creating a list at least in the USA. Personal recommendation is a huge bonus with something like this.
Really hoping things go well for Willow on the 27th.

 

[leighks]

I hope Willow comes through just fine. She's lovely

I would very much appreciate you keeping the thread going as she has surgery and recovers, etc. I don't think anyone here has documented going through this procedure, it will be education for me and I'm sure others as well.

Thanks, she is a lovely girl!
Yes I will post and follow up, the more info people have who may face a similar situation, the better.

 

[leighks]

Chickens are not good candidates for surgery if they must be put under general anesthesia. The hen belongs to you and no one else so do with or to her as you see fit.

Yes I know the anesthesia is a big risk. If I continue to manage medically, she will be euthanized within a few weeks or less. If she has surgery, she may pass away, or she may survive. I want to give her a chance at living, she’s a fighter, so will do it and hope and pray for the best.

 

[leighks]

Thanks for posting such a lovely photo of her. She is a beauty and her face is clearly full of character and life, so I can entirely understand why you feel compelled to give her a shot at this.
Thanks also for posting the x-rays. She really is very "full" back there, so I can understand that things need to go ahead sooner rather than later. It sounds like you have a very knowledgeable and competent vet which is such a rarity when it comes to poultry. I'm sure that will stack the odds much more heavily in Willow's favour for her op.
Is this the first hormone implant she has had and if so, was there any particular reason why she wasn't given one sooner? I'm guessing perhaps she was moulting, but just curious since your vet is clearly very experienced with this sort of thing and I'm always interested in learning.
I also wonder if you would be kind enough to provide your vet's details here. I'm in the UK so it is of no benefit to me, but people often struggle to find a good vet that has experience with poultry so it can be helpful for people in your area to know where to find one. I think there was some talk of creating a list at least in the USA. Personal recommendation is a huge bonus with something like this.
Really hoping things go well for Willow on the 27th.

Aww thanks, Willow is an absolute sweetie and I have to give her a chance. The vet has had good success with this surgery in the past, but warned me about the anesthetic risks extensively. This is her 1st implant. Yes she was molting and she and all the other hens had stopped laying due to decreased daylight. I wanted to try conservative treatment 1st, so antibiotics and anti inflammatory meds were given twice daily for 2 weeks. When yesterday’s xrays showed no progress but a further compression of air sacs, we decided this was the time to do the implant. Although unlikely I was hoping meds would do the trick. I will post vet info and link shortly, am lucky to have good avian vets here!!

 

[leighks]

Oh so sorry but I'm so glad you think for her life
Don't worry keep the faith
If the vet is experienced and have done this kind of chicken surgical procedure then I would say u can go ..
If the vet treats chicken


I've seen success & fail both in the surgery depends on the experience and anesthesia they use


Wish u & ur chicken all the best luck
Hope she recover keep us updated about her surgery

Thanks for the encouraging words! I will post updates after surgery. The vet says they have a good success rate with this surgery, am lucky to have good avian vets who are familiar with chickens and this surgery. The anesthetic does scare me, but Willow is a tough one!

 

[leighks]

Best wishes to you and Willow!

Thanks, we appreciate that!!

 

[leighks]

I go to Specialized Care for Avian and Exotic Pets in Clarence Center, New York (in Western New York):

http://www.buffalobirdnerd.com/

We have mostly been seeing Dr. Burdeaux, who will be sitting for the avian board exam next year. Specialized Care is one of only 18 facilities in the US for veterinarians interested in residency-training for avian specialty. There are only
currently 154 bird specialists (see https://abvp.com). The other vet there, Dr Wade, is a board certified avian specialist and she has examined Willow and offered her opinion as well. They have had between 80-90% success rate with this surgery on hens.