Are there over the counter antibiotics available for chickens?

[Chasingcars]

My herbal two penneth...after any surgery I alway give my hens Hepar sulphuris and haven’t had any need for traditional antibiotics..which can be difficult and expensive to source here.
Sounds and looks like you did a fantastic job on the crop surgery!

 

[oregonkat]

My herbal two penneth...after any surgery I alway give my hens Hepar sulphuris and haven’t had any need for traditional antibiotics..which can be difficult and expensive to source here.
Sounds and looks like you did a fantastic job on the crop surgery!

Thank you, we shall keep the old fingers crossed but so far she seems to be doing well. I am very interested in the herbal possibilities, what is Hepar sulphuris?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

It is also possible to do a "no close" procedure....enter the crop from the top and use controlled feeding and hydration for the first three days postop and gradual increase from there to avoid filling the crop to the i cision point...gravity naturally asdists with this. The crop and skin incisions both will close naturally and fully. You do have to monitor for picking by the patient, but my hen showed no interest in reaching the incision site. Baby food makes a nutritious and easy to digest postop food...then well soaked crumble(added bonus of hydration and nutrition).

 

[Eggcessive]

Sounds like a professional job. Lidocaine, benzocaine, pramocaine or pramoxyl can be toxic in chickens in large doses, although a vet student on here said that it was used in surgery routinely. Most chickens tolerate pain well and are stoic, so many do not use products with those pain relievers just in case of toxicity or a bad reaction. This is a controversial subject on BYC, so many people will write—do not ever use pain relievers or “caine” drugs on chickens, but it may or may not be significant. I usually just avoid them, but lidocaine also helps with controlling bleeding during surgery.

 

[oregonkat]

Sounds like a professional job. Lidocaine, benzocaine, pramocaine or pramoxyl can be toxic in chickens in large doses, although a vet student on here said that it was used in surgery routinely. Most chickens tolerate pain well and are stoic, so many do not use products with those pain relievers just in case of toxicity or a bad reaction. This is a controversial subject on BYC, so many people will write—do not ever use pain relievers or “caine” drugs on chickens, but it may or may not be significant. I usually just avoid them, but lidocaine also helps with controlling bleeding during surgery.

Excellent to know, thank you. I was indeed advised to use the lidocaine but we may have been just fine without it. Hopefully anyone reading my description of the surgery will also read on to your post and skip the lidocaine. It was expensive as heck too.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I meant to say, well done @oregonkat !

 

[Chasingcars]

Thank you, we shall keep the old fingers crossed but so far she seems to be doing well. I am very interested in the herbal possibilities, what is Hepar sulphuris?

heparin sulphuris is nature’s antibiotic, useful post surgery or injury as a preventative to infection as well as a treatment (crop surgery, Bumblefoot surgery, injury from attack/fighting/ pecking, any sort of abscess/infection) here in England it’s available from chemists, health food shop & amazon but use a reputable seller. Costs around £6. It will be tiny tablet in a tiny jar and I usually dissolve 4 tablets in water if the hen is drinking and isolated ( no other hen drinking it) ..otherwise 3 straight down the neck! The hen needs to be in a quiet and warm environment for this type of treatment to work.
happy to share & hope it helps

 

[peckpeckpeck]

Wow I'm learning so much here!
Thank you @oregonkat @Ol Grey Mare @Eggcessive @Chasingcars for all your sharing!

Someone should write an article about crop surgery, with all these different considerations.
My childhood dream was to be a vet, and now that I have chickens I regret my decision to go down a different path.

 

[abraga]

My hen underwent crop surgery yesterday and this morning she is very hot. Is there an over the counter 'something' I can get to give her, antibiotic or something else? We do not have a chicken vet here, surgery was done by me and my neighbor. Surgery went very well, clean and tidy but I am worried about her now.

Did u stitch her up? The crop is separate from the surrounding tissue.

 

[Chasingcars]

Apparently stitching is THE only way to go with internal bits...I tried to glue and was lectured on why this isn’t the best option..what could happen ..why not to etc etc
I need a stiff drink after that chat!
#DoctorDaughter