Baby Chick not pooping/eating *graphic photos*

[SheenaBee]

Good morning all,
I have an issue with a little Silkie chick that is about a week old. It has seemed weak and lethargic since hatch and still hasn’t really improved.
Symptoms:
- vent is protruding slightly
- appears to have difficulty swallowing when given fluids from a dropper
- does not have any desire to eat
- a small pea sized hard mass inside its belly (further up, not the navel)
- is not pooping normally, nothing solid. Just the smallest amount of brown ‘gel’ and white urates.
- sleeps almost constantly and seems to seek out the highest heat
- has not been gaining weight or getting bigger
- during its brief wake periods, it still looks ‘bright eyed’

Things I’ve tried/checked:
- Temperature in brooder is fine
- Does not have pasty butt
- Has been given some vitamins/electrolytes daily
- Have tried offering cooked egg, will only take a couple of the smallest crumbs
- Navel is healed
- No other signs of illness in the other 24 chicks

I almost wonder if it’s some sort of obstruction. The little ‘mass’ in its belly is right before the rib cage, partially underneath - it’s about the size of a big pea. I’ve never really had reason to palpate a chicks abdomen as thoroughly, so I’m not completely sure if it’s normal... however, I have checked a couple other healthy chicks and do not feel the same mass.

I’ve attached a pic of it’s vent, please ignore the gnarly looking nails, I had just gotten off work. I have not tried using preparation H on it, as it’s New Years and it would be a hour trip to town if anything was even open today.

 

[azygous]

This tiny guy would benefit immediately by getting some coconut oil into it. It sounds a lot like constipation which can kill in a very short time.

I like solid coconut oil because it's easy to slip slivers of it into the beak without danger of oil going into the airway. Try to get at least half a teaspoon into it then massage the crop very gently to disperse the oil.

If you have no coconut oil, mineral oil or olive oil will do.

Smooth a bit of oil on the vent to help with the inflammation.

 

[SheenaBee]

I’ve used olive oil (don’t have any coconut oil ) on his vent, but maybe I’ll try to get a little down him orally then. Worth a shot I suppose. Thanks

 

[SheenaBee]

Tried orally giving him a drop... evidently it was too late. Within a matter of minutes he passed away. Hate to do it, but I think I’m going to have to find out was that mass was..

 

[ShannonR]

Sorry about your chick. Don't beat yourself up... there is a high probability that nothing could have saved this little one.

 

[SheenaBee]

Oh I know... out of this hatch of 25, I ended up with 2 oddballs. Both pink skinned, paint showgirls. The first one passed before it even made it out of the incubator... I was just really hopeful for this little one. There was evidently something amiss from the get go for them.

 

[SheenaBee]

A few minutes before it died, it passed a significant stream of diarrhea which contained little pieces of what almost appeared like charcoal when squished/rubbed with a Kleenex.

 

[azygous]

I'm saddened by the loss of your chick. I had one that had an intestinal blockage from the day she arrived at my local post office. She struggled with a swollen, inflamed vent, constipation that caused her a great deal of pain when she tried to poop, acute lethargy, and she never improved from any treatment I tried. This happens with new chicks, but understanding that never makes it any easier when they don't survive.

Did the chick get anything to eat that wasn't chick crumbles? If so, did it have access to chick grit?

The black solid matter could be coagulated blood. Watch the others for signs of coccidiosis and signs of lethargy and loss of appetite.

I would definitely recommend trying an necropsy (autopsy). Cut open both the gizzard and intestines to look for anything abnormal. If you take photos and post them we can take a stab at identifying what may have gone wrong.

 

[SheenaBee]

It didn’t have access to anything else to eat other than chick crumbles or the soaked, runny chick crumbles I tried to no avail. I did do a necropsy, though I’m definitely a novice in that respect. Lots more ‘twists’ and knots in the digestive tract than I’ve seen in any other chicken, spots full of air and areas that did contain coagulated blood when opened. I’m not sure if the pics help at all since I’ve untied the knots.. or if I’ve even taken pictures of the right areas.

 

[azygous]

I'm afraid I'm not much help. @Eggcessive @casportpony can you look at these necropsy photos?