Crop Statis

[robin416]

I am making this post for a friend of mine on this board who just went through the pain of losing a feathered friend.

Today I had the opportunity to speak to a vet that also raises show birds. Tranlation? A ton of knowledge about some of what makes our birds tick. She admits that her training is not in poultry and at times it is a frustration for her because there is so little info out there when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. I did ask her if she understood what causes crop stasis. First words out of her mouth, there is nothing in the literature dealing with the topic that she has found.

She also mentioned that most crops she or other vets opened had too many wood splinters which indicates birds eating bedding. On Crop Statis she has no idea why they just won't work. But she did qualify her statement that Reglan might be very effective in jump starting it. Locally I don't think Reglan is available any where but your vet. First State Vet Supply might be another source.

One of the things she does the moment she finds a bird down or nearly down is to use injectable B12. It gives the bird energy to deal with the problem at hand. She recommends injectable because when a bird is down chances are they are not absorbing the vitamins given orally.

One other thing they are finding is a problem for show birds is vitamin D deficiency since they do not spend the time outside that most chickens do. Its something to think about if you have show birds kept in doors and not out in the sun light.

I'm sorry that I couldn't have had this information sooner but it is something for us to remember in the future.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, Robin. Interesting about the B12! The injectible B12 is something I'll have on hand from now on. Anything that may give a bird a little boost to carry it through to healing is something I want. Good info on the Vitamin D. Since I don't have show birds, all of mine should be getting enough of that, having access to the outside, fresh air and sunshine daily.

 

[robin416]

And I see I repeatedly typed "statis" every where. I'm tired, its been a long two days with the Silkie Nationals so my brain is a little fried.

I'm like you Cyn, my birds are outside. Even my birds that would be used for show do not live in a cage and have access whenever they want to the fresh air. The lack of D is just one of those things that we just don't give much thought to.

I will be getting the injectable B myself. She also told me to use insulin syringes, which I have a ton of. I'm going to ask her if she would post some of her findings on the ASBC board, things that would help others and bring what she says to the other boards.

Now I think I'll go carry my tired behind off to bed.