Chick has choked on something and tongue has slipped down the throat...

[Dawnclucks22]

Poor little guy! Hope you can sort this out.

 

[wyancrazy]

It sounds like the chick may have swallowed a long thread or some other fiber that is wrapped around the tongue attachment, and extending down into the digestive tract, which is pulling on the thread. If you could find a slender tool with a slight hook on the end, such as a small crochet needle. You might be able to reach behind the tongue and catch the fiber to pull it back. if successful be sure to unwind the fiber from the tongue and don't just clip it off.

Well this morning the little chick was still alive and breathing so I've got a crochet hook and will have a look when my second pair of hands arrives soon. The little chick is getting thirsty but when he/she bends over to get some water the water all runs out of the beak as it has nowhere to go. I'm hoping also when I'm looking down the throat I can get the tiny 1ml syringe to the side of the trachea to give some water to the chick.

Rowena.

 

[wyancrazy]

Hi everyone,

What is the tongue and trachea rooted to if anything. I just had a really good look and nothing is caught behind the trachea, but it's way down the throat and chick still can't swallow anything. I'm thinking if we can't get some water down there then we might have to cull

Will try again soon to give water,

Rowena.

 

[casportpony]

Hi everyone,

What is the tongue and trachea rooted to if anything. I just had a really good look and nothing is caught behind the trachea, but it's way down the throat and chick still can't swallow anything. I'm thinking if we can't get some water down there then we might have to cull

Will try again soon to give water,

Rowena.

Do you have a one ml syringe?

 

[ChickNanny13]

 

[wyancrazy]

OK, so thanks first to everyone helping me. Been some really great advice here. I managed to get 1ml of water into the little chick past his trachea and well into the esophagus with a 1ml syringe. Then I managed to get him to the vet a few miles away for a look. She seemed to think that he/she has a respiratory infection and that the tongue issue will resolve on it's own. She gave the world's tiniest injection of antinflammatory into the thigh and put .06ml of Enrotril down the beak with instructions to give the Enrotril night and morning til it's finished. While the vet was examining the chick it actually got blocked up with mucus and she had to clear that out as the chick wasn't breathing!

At home now, chickie is resting and still breathing with beak open but seems calm.
Will keep updating as things hopefully improve.

Rowena.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Wow. It's hard to find a vet here that has chicken experience. Sounds like you have a good one. Hope your chick recovers.

 

[andreanar]

Of all the gosh darn crazy things Ive seen on here, this is up there. Who would have thought this could happen. I hope the vet is right and the chick recovers.

 

[wyancrazy]

Wow. It's hard to find a vet here that has chicken experience. Sounds like you have a good one. Hope your chick recovers.

I'm lucky as I remembered seeing this vet treat a penguin from our antarctic centre and thought she'd know about chickens which she does. Whew! I have had a look down the chick's throat today and got a clearer video which shows the trachea is a bit more open than yesterday thank goodness. We've been giving .5ml ground up crumble made into a liquid paste about every 1/2 an hour as we don't want the chick to starve. It seems to tolerate the syringe quite well but I know it's still early days yet. Anyway here's the video...

Rowena

 

[lena_]

I hope your little chick pulls through! It sounds like you have an awesome vet! Keep us updated.
(Also: Are you also from New Zealand? Your accent sounds like you are! Just asking because i's rare to find another New Zealand BYCer!