Help! My favorite hen swallowed fishing line and possibly a hook

[Jenna L]

Help! Last night my favorite hen swallowed fishing line and we don't know if there was a hook on the end or not. I was about 3 hours away driving home when my husband called. He cut the wad with the lead sinkers off her but left about 5 inches of line not realizing she would just swallow it. By the time I got home I couldn't see any sign of the line or hook ( I propped her beak open and looked with a headlamp). I checked her today and she is not acting herself. Please, any advice about how I may help her?! She is the type of chicken that hops in my lap and comes when she is called and I am so upset.

 

[Kiki]

I am so sorry you are in this situation.
Is taking her to a vet for crop surgery an option?

Some people have performed surgery like this at home.

 

[coach723]

If you have a vet that will do an x-ray, the hook, if there is one, should show up, then you would know for sure if she swallowed one and where it is. If there is a hook then I think it unlikely it would pass, so would probably need surgery to remove. Depends on where it is. If that is not an option then about all you can do is watch and wait and see how she does.

 

[Jenna L]

I am so sorry you are in this

If you have a vet that will do an x-ray, the hook, if there is one, should show up, then you would know for sure if she swallowed one and where it is. If there is a hook then I think it unlikely it would pass, so would probably need surgery to remove. Depends on where it is. If that is not an option then about all you can do is watch and wait and see how she does.

Thank you for your responses. I called a vet and they said that there isn't much we can do. I talked to a friend who suggested that I give Finch (my hen) a warm epsom salt bath. She loved it and I also slowly gave her a syringe full of water/olive oil drops/epsom salt mixture (followed directions from another blog). I have her in a separate cage so I can check her droppings. She still is acting herself, but she also isn't acting miserable. I have soft oatmeals and banana in her cage as I am guessing soft food is better for her right now? I'm just really hoping she pulls through.

Any other ideas? I'm just worried what that fishing line will do internally, and I still don't know if there was a hook.

 

[coach723]

If the piece of line was short it may pass with no issues. If there is a hook then I would guess it will get caught somewhere along the line and probably ultimately cause an infection, fishhooks being what they are. I hope that is not the case and maybe there was no hook, but you will just have to keep an eye on her and see how she does. I wish you luck and hope she does ok.