Gas, So Much Gas & Slow Emptying Crop

[Alka1681]

Im please writing to ask your advice for my little Shona-girl...
Hybrid Australorp, elderly chicken but in good condition, still jumping window sills and eating mealworms hungrily. Just been though incredible big molt. Feathers got sheen, silky.

Symptoms: Day 8 today

● Over the last month, her normal poop has been interjected with a few poops that are creamy yellow urates.

(Friday 4th to Sunday 6th)..
● Hunched posture, ruffled feathers
● noticed poops liquid creamy yellow urates with small broken solids of khaki. ● Crop squishy soft, didnt go down. ● ● ● Moments of heavy breathing.
● In the crop, there is a big yellow hard thing which feels like a corn. Milo and a few small grains. All moveable in fingers.
● not walking, just standing. Lethargic. Will hungrily grab at her favourite food if held to her only.
○ began treating for sour crop

(Monday 7th to today...)
● Feather quality improved beautifully.
● Crop liquids go through. But very slow and never empty but squishy.
● poops small solids or no solids...have turned more brown not khaki. Urates lots.
● IMMENSE GAS. Can hear it if i press my ear to her lower back near tail. The sounds move along her intestines. They are not grumbling sounds. It is like wind moaning through her. The gas suddenly builds up and hardens the crop. Then deflates.
● When gases ease she perks up.
● Gases affect breathing. Heavy open beak phases when pooping. Tires her out.
● when needing to poop, she sometimes lets out this crow like shriek and starts walking fast.
● no thirst. No smell from beak. Vent clean.
● THE CORN AND TINY GRAINS STILL THERE. On Monday, we couldnt feel them. Then Tuesday they returned. Could she be refluxing them? She was brighter on the day they were gone.

○ we are doing kefir lactose free, fennel tea and crush seeds. Water with epsom. Coconut oil. Some baby food and few mealworms to brighten her day.

○ today after the fennel, poops slightly bigger. Other symptoms remain.

How do we get that corn and grain out please? What are your thoughts?

Thankyou.

 

[Alka1681]

More symotoms, doesnt walk much. When she stands, its more crop low tail end higher. Not wanting to drink.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BY .She probably has egg yolk peritonitis (coelomitis) from internal laying which is common in older hens and a common cause of death. An impacted and later sour crop can be common. The yellow urates and tan poop are probably also signs and she may have ascites (water belly.) You could try giving her chilled coconut oil cut into pieces that she can peck daily, and also get some Monistat cream, and give 1/2 orally twice a day. That treats fungal infection and sour crop. The oil can help move the impaction. I would feed her wet chicken feed and cooked egg, but no seeds or whole grains, scratch, etc. whuch are harder to digest. Worm her with fenbendazole 1.5 ml orally in case of worms causing the slow crop, and repeat that in 10 days. Honestly, she sounds like she is going down hill, and I would make her comfortable until you may want to put her down. That time has come for some of my hens, and when the others start to peck them, it is time. When that time comes, I would recommend doing a necropsy in her either at home or by your state vet lab to understand what was making her ill. I have learned a lot looking at the abdominal organs and noting any yellow fluid in the abdomen from water belly. Below is a vet necropsy which shows the abdominal organs to help know what is normal, and if you ever do one, post pictures her for any opinions.

 

[Alka1681]

Welcome to BY .She probably has egg yolk peritonitis (coelomitis) from internal laying which is common in older hens and a common cause of death. An impacted and later sour crop can be common. The yellow urates and tan poop are probably also signs and she may have ascites (water belly.) You could try giving her chilled coconut oil cut into pieces that she can peck daily, and also get some Monistat cream, and give 1/2 orally twice a day. That treats fungal infection and sour crop. The oil can help move the impaction. I would feed her wet chicken feed and cooked egg, but no seeds or whole grains, scratch, etc. whuch are harder to digest. Worm her with fenbendazole 1.5 ml orally in case of worms causing the slow crop, and repeat that in 10 days. Honestly, she sounds like she is going down hill, and I would make her comfortable until you may want to put her down. That time has come for some of my hens, and when the others start to peck them, it is time. When that time comes, I would recommend doing a necropsy in her either at home or by your state vet lab to understand what was making her ill. I have learned a lot looking at the abdominal organs and noting any yellow fluid in the abdomen from water belly. Below is a vet necropsy which shows the abdominal organs to help know what is normal, and if you ever do one, post pictures her for any opinions.

Shona hasnt laid in over 3 yrs. Shes 13 now. 14 in August. Never had egg troubles. Always had hard shells.

During the night, she improves. Did more walking today. Even jumped off a bench neatly. But on being syringed and fed, gas get louder and poop gets more urates and fewer. When gases hit, she breathes open beak with squeaks. Crop fills with air and deflates. Can audibly hear the gas from a half metre away from her back. We will be trying to worm her tomorrow. She is having a lot of appetite for fennel seeds on her own. We have Levamisole only. She weighs 1.9kg. What do you recommend following worming in regards to helping her excrete the impaction of the worms if this is that?

 

[Alka1681]

Thankyou so much for your help too ♡

 

[Eggcessive]

What is your location? Can you get Panacur or SafeGuard, or Albendazole where you live? Levamisole may be a little harder on the system. Do you have the product label and ingredients to post a picture here? If you use fenbendazole 10% SafeGuard or Panacur 1/4 ml per pound of weight or albendazole (Valbazen) 1/2 ml orally and repeat in 10 days, those slowly kill all the worms over time, and should not cause a worm impaction. I would try feeding her some moist chicken feed and a small amount of cooked egg. Try skipping the seed, since that might be causing the gas.

 

[Alka1681]

What is your location? Can you get Panacur or SafeGuard, or Albendazole where you live? Levamisole may be a little harder on the system. Do you have the product label and ingredients to post a picture here? If you use fenbendazole 10% SafeGuard or Panacur 1/4 ml per pound of weight or albendazole (Valbazen) 1/2 ml orally and repeat in 10 days, those slowly kill all the worms over time, and should not cause a worm impaction. I would try feeding her some moist chicken feed and a small amount of cooked egg. Try skipping the seed, since that might be causing the gas.

We are Sydney Australia.

https://www.petbarn.com.au/vetsense...P_Holwo91rSyA_OZSrQCA4t4LkMDdAA1m3yGZgxqcNaQd

This is the wormer we have. Im not sure if the ones you mentioned are available here. Ill check. Thankyou ♡ we are really stressed over doing it. Should we give coconut oil or molasses ir something to flush? A stool softener? The whole thought of worming her is making me ill.

 

[Alka1681]

We are Sydney Australia.

https://www.petbarn.com.au/vetsense...P_Holwo91rSyA_OZSrQCA4t4LkMDdAA1m3yGZgxqcNaQd

This is the wormer we have. Im not sure if the ones you mentioned are available here. Ill check. Thankyou ♡ we are really stressed over doing it. Should we give coconut oil or molasses ir something to flush? A stool softener? The whole thought of worming her is making me ill.

 

[Alka1681]

Ingredients​

14 g/L LEVAMISOLE (equivalent to 16.5 g/L LEVAMISOLE HYDROCHLORIDE)