Help!! - Cherry stuck in throat!

[LedgeWoods]

I have this on the Peafowl forum, but hoping someone could help ease my mind here. Last evening my one year old pea hen gulped down a whole cherry. It got stuck in her throat just under her beak. As the evening went on, she got it down further (to her crop perhaps), but was still doing the gulping motions and occasionally spitting up white foamy stuff. She roosted as normal, but this morning, she's not coming down from her roost & not coming for treats as usual. She looks like she's uncomfortable.

It doesn't appear to be blocking her breathing, but she is definitely not herself.
Is there anything I could do?? My only thought would be to try to force water down her throat with a syringe maybe - but I'd worry about drowning her. Do I try to make her move around? Do I let her alone hoping her digestive system takes care of it? I'm completely at a loss on this one. What a dumb thing to happen!!

ANY advice from the BYC'ers here???

 

[onthespot]

Can you catch her and feel for it? Maybe you can work it down with your fingers, or smash it a little bit so it will go down on its own. No digestion is taking place in her esophogus. If she lives long enough, it could decompose in there enough to go down. Swelling in the area may be keeping it from sliding down. If it were me, I think I'd take the bigger gamble and just work it down by hand. She may not like the rough handling, but dying of thirst with a cherry in your throat would be a worse way to go. Have someone else help you restrain her, wrapped in a blanket or something.

 

[willkatdawson]

maybe some olive oil would help lube it up enough to slide on down.

 

[crawfordmama]

I agree, I'd try to give her some olive oil and gently work it down to her crop at this point (rather that trying to work it back up and out). Poor girl, that can't be comfortable!

 

[LedgeWoods]

Thanks for the ideas. After about an hour, she came out of the coop on her own and started roaming and picking at grass & bugs like all the other birds. She seemed better. She even came up to the deck and perched on the railing for a treat. We softened up a few pieces of cat food and she scarfed them down. This afternoon, she's acting a little strange again...almost like everything she ate today is sitting just above her crop maybe?? She stretches out her head & neck for a second, then scrunches it all back up. (looks like she's got a full crop) BUT, she is walking around and checking things out like her usual curious/nosey self.

I'm going to watch her for a while more and see what's up. I offered her fresh water, but she poo-poo'ed it at the moment.

I'll give her some evening olive oil (she'll be easier to catch in the coop when she goes to roost). The olive oil treatment can't hurt - give her about a tablespoon or so with a syringe? So would I basically treat her like she's got an impacted crop??

 

[chickenzoo]

If she will eat bread put some oil on the bread. If you can catch her try and feel around and see if you can massage it down.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I agree.

 

[LedgeWoods]

I soaked some cat food in water til it was "fluffy" then soaked it in olive oil. She ate that. Not so fond of me touching her, though. She seems content & happy now, no bulge in her chest/crop area like earlier today. I sure hope everything is passing through and she's back to her fun little self tomorrow.

If not, olive oil bread is on the menu.

 

[onthespot]

Good deal. I've been thinking about you and your bird. Hoping tomorrow is a good day for both of you.

 

[nurse_turtle]

I would imagine the fleshy part of the cherry may be dissolved and the smaller pit should be able to empty on it's own. Good luck!