Dying chick?

[slystr]

I have a 10 day old chick that is probably dying.I think she has an impacted crop. She is very swollen on her right side. the top of th swelling is hard but lower it is soft and maliable. SHe is eating and drinking. her poop is very dry looking and frequent. She spends most of her time sleeping in the most horrible dead bird looking positions. So far for the last 2 nights I thought she would be dead my morning but she had been sitting and today she flew out of her isolation brooder and perched on the top . Now she is flopped over limp and asleep.
It is so hard to watch her die like this, looking dead one minute and then standing up for a few seconds. I can't euthanize her, yet is is horrible to watch her like this.
What would you do in this situation?

 

[Wes in Tx]

Get some mineral oil in her crop and start massaging the crop to try to get things to pass. I always recommend taking the feed away from the bird for 24 hrs while doing this but others say not to. My reasoning is, if it is impacted why add more food on top of what can be passed.

 

[justusnak]

I agree...mineral oil in the crop....and maybe cooked oatmeal? No butter or salt...of course. Im thinking the soft food might be good. Good luck. I remember someone saying on here....when putting oil down the crop...to make sure you go PAST the litle hole in the back of the tongue...that leads to the lungs? Am I right? Wouldnt want to get that oil in her little lungs. Good luck...I hope all comes out good! Keep us updated!

 

[JudyMcKinn]

And, baby chicks DO sleep funny. Lay down flat, and stretch their little necks out on the floor. and, being babies, they sleep a lot. Do you only have the one chick?

 

[dlhunicorn]

here is a link to the collected info I have on this problem:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1161893898

I know it is a lot of reading but this problem does appear quite frequently and can be due to a variety of causes ... personally, I never have straw nor hay anywhere near my birds...when I mow my lawn (I live in city and have a small "backyard" flock) my birds get locked up till I have raked thoroughly...I have never had crop problems. One thing the literature points out...the longer it goes on without resolve, the more difficult it is to get the crop system working again (even when the blockage and contents have been removed)... if possible then my choice would be to go to a vet that has experience treating pet birds as this is also a very common problem with cage birds. good luck! :aww