Choking? What do I do?

[callieisspooky]

I have a nearly full grown turkey, a favorite pet of my daughters, who just ate some cherries and now looks miserable. She's standing still, puffed up and neck retracted, head drooped. Husband and I think she may have swallowed a cherry pit which is stuck either in her esophagus or trachea. Is there anything we can do? I will never feed cherries to the chickens or turkeys again.

 

[Mathew544]

So sorry to hear this. I'm not sure what you could do besides contacting an emergency vet. I have read of people carefully pouring some water down a chickens throat and then tilting them upside down to empty the crop. I'm not sure if this will help or not.

 

[seminolewind]

See if massaging her crop will help. Dribble water with a spoon on the side of her beak. Most will take it down that way safely. I would not know how to check for a blockage in her esophagus or past the crop.

 

[BantamLover21]

I have a nearly full grown turkey, a favorite pet of my daughters, who just ate some cherries and now looks miserable. She's standing still, puffed up and neck retracted, head drooped. Husband and I think she may have swallowed a cherry pit which is stuck either in her esophagus or trachea. Is there anything we can do? I will never feed cherries to the chickens or turkeys again.

Try dripping some olive oil or just plain water on her beak, or dip her beak into the water/oil. This will usually cause birds to swallow. Then, massage her crop gently. Other than that, I don't think that there is much you can do, besides let her rest.

 

[callieisspooky]

Thanks everyone. It seems to have passed. I went to get oil and water, and when I went to her she was acting normally again. Hopefully swallowing the pit won't cause any future problems!

 

[BantamLover21]

Thanks everyone. It seems to have passed. I went to get oil and water, and when I went to her she was acting normally again. Hopefully swallowing the pit won't cause any future problems!

I don't think that the one pit will cause any problems. However, keep in mind that cherry pits are poisonous to birds (or at least that is what I've read), so if you feed your flock cherries again, I'd pit them first.