Doughy crop, cocci

[CoffeeKat]

I have a girl who is 1 1/2 years old. We went to the vet on Wednesday because of rapid weight loss and loose stool, even though I had already treated with Corid. She had a resistant coccidiosis strain, and the vet treated her with an alternate medication. No worms. No other bacterial issues.

However, she now has a very impacted crop with no guarantee of getting back into the vet. They are booking months out. I have been trying to massage it after giving her some oil several times a day, but every morning it’s a rock solid golf ball.

At this point I’m reaching concerned about what to do, especially if I cannot get into a vet to clear the blockage.

Advice welcome. We love our Belle.

 

[Faithful flock]

Try giving her some papaya. As well as a tiny bit of olive oil. Though this usally clears a small impaction it's worth a try. Serious impactions unfortunately do need surgeries.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a girl who is 1 1/2 years old. We went to the vet on Wednesday because of rapid weight loss and loose stool, even though I had already treated with Corid. She had a resistant coccidiosis strain, and the vet treated her with an alternate medication. No worms. No other bacterial issues.

However, she now has a very impacted crop with no guarantee of getting back into the vet. They are booking months out. I have been trying to massage it after giving her some oil several times a day, but every morning it’s a rock solid golf ball.

At this point I’m reaching concerned about what to do, especially if I cannot get into a vet to clear the blockage.

Advice welcome. We love our Belle.

One of the great things about BYC is it has an article on just about every chicken problem imaginable.
This is an excellent article on crop issues.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

So is this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

 

[CoffeeKat]

One of the great things about BYC is it has an article on just about every chicken problem imaginable.
This is an excellent article on crop issues.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

So is this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

These are both great articles I also came across. They were super helpful in identifying the problem.

I’m looking a little into the future and wondering what I’m able to do provided I cannot get the crop to drain AND my vet cannot get her in. Are there any further options?

 

[Shadrach]

These are both great articles I also came across. They were super helpful in identifying the problem.

I’m looking a little into the future and wondering what I’m able to do provided I cannot get the crop to drain AND my vet cannot get her in. Are there any further options?

If the impaction won't shift with persistant treatment and a stool softener the final option is surgery. People do do their own surgery. It's not something I've done. It looks feasable in the pictures and if you have the stomach for it and a steady hand then this is your final option.
I'm not the person to give you advice on how to go about it but I believe there are some threads where people have detailed how they went about it. The search function should find them for you. It's picking the most relevant and informative.
Sorry to bother you @azygous but I think this is something you have some experience/expertise in.

 

[CoffeeKat]

Noted. Can you guys clarify one thing also, please?

I wasn’t really planning on trying this unless it was my last option. But my understanding is this regarding final options:

Impaction= surgery
Sour crop= Induce vomiting (comes with risk of aspiration if done incorrectly)

Am I straight on this?

 

[azygous]

Crop surgery, while not a terribly risky operation, is still a means of last resort. About the only real risk is infection, but following all the surgical protocols, which I can supply, that risk is low as long as you prepare carefully and include an antibiotic in this prep.

Impaction doesn't always require surgery as long as the treatment can break up the impacted material. Saline flushes can also help clear the digestive tract of this material and should be tried before surgery.

Vomiting a chicken with a crop issue is not a safe thing. Chickens often die instantly from aspiration, something you do not want to risk.

 

[Shadrach]

Noted. Can you guys clarify one thing also, please?

I wasn’t really planning on trying this unless it was my last option. But my understanding is this regarding final options:

Impaction= surgery
Sour crop= Induce vomiting (comes with risk of aspiration if done incorrectly)

Am I straight on this?

More or less.
There are degrees of impaction and differences in what has cause the impaction. I've been lucky and what some would describe as an impacted crop has in fact been partial and some food and liquid has still passed through the crop to the gizzard. I've managed to clear the crop blockages I've dealt with through massage, coconut oil, water and two with a stool softener when no progress was made with the standard methods.
If the hen isn't passing anything through her system then the problem is critical and you don't have a lot of time to experiment.
Most crop problems are often neither impaction or sour crop.They tend to be partial obstructions and fall under slow crop.

 

[CoffeeKat]

Crop surgery, while not a terribly risky operation, is still a means of last resort. About the only real risk is infection, but following all the surgical protocols, which I can supply, that risk is low as long as you prepare carefully and include an antibiotic in this prep.

Impaction doesn't always require surgery as long as the treatment can break up the impacted material. Saline flushes can also help clear the digestive tract of this material and should be tried before surgery.

Vomiting a chicken with a crop issue is not a safe thing. Chickens often die instantly from aspiration, something you do not want to risk.

Thank you. I’ll update my treatment to include the stool softener. Because she’s so thin from cocci, I don’t have much time to play around with this. I’ve got to get a handle on it fast, or I’m afraid I’m going to lose her. We’ve had a few losses lately. It’s fatiguing.

I’ll take any information on crop surgery you want to pass, but ill start at the search bar. I want to be prepared so if I have to act fast I can do it with excellence.

 

[CoffeeKat]

More or less.
There are degrees of impaction and differences in what has cause the impaction. I've been lucky and what some would describe as an impacted crop has in fact been partial and some food and liquid has still passed through the crop to the gizzard. I've managed to clear the crop blockages I've dealt with through massage, coconut oil, water and two with a stool softener when no progress was made with the standard methods.
If the hen isn't passing anything through her system then the problem is critical and you don't have a lot of time to experiment.
Most crop problems are often neither impaction or sour crop.They tend to be partial obstructions and fall under slow crop.

She passes a lot of water and a lot of just…matter. Nothing solid. I attributed it to cocci she was treated for but in reality it’s likely both.