HELP WITH DOUGHY CROP PLEASE!!!!!

[DarleneE]

Has ANYONE ever had a chicken with a doughy crop?? It's NOT a sour or an impacted crop!! This is like a ball of dough that's in her crop?? You can knead it just like dough?? A cytology was done and nothing really stood out there and her bloodwork was all normal including a chemistry and a CBC. SO IF i could only get this stuff out of her crop, I think she has a fighting chance??!! She's eating and she's active with my other hen. She's actually doing pretty good considering. PLEASE I'M LITERALLY BEGGING FOR HELP!! She's a part of my family and I love this little gal very much. PLEASE any help will be very much appreciated!!

 

[casportpony]

Has ANYONE ever had a chicken with a doughy crop?? It's NOT a sour or an impacted crop!! This is like a ball of dough that's in her crop?? You can knead it just like dough?? A cytology was done and nothing really stood out there and her bloodwork was all normal including a chemistry and a CBC. SO IF i could only get this stuff out of her crop, I think she has a fighting chance??!! She's eating and she's active with my other hen. She's actually doing pretty good considering. PLEASE I'M LITERALLY BEGGING FOR HELP!! She's a part of my family and I love this little gal very much. PLEASE any help will be very much appreciated!!

Some of mine will get that when they don't drink enough water. If she were mine I would tube fluids at 10-20 ml per pound several times a day. Talk to your vet about getting a size 18 French catheter and a 60ml catheter tip syringe.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If you can get a tube, I can teach you.

-Kathy

 

[DarleneE]

Thank you... I know how to tube feed and I have done the hydrating thing but it did no good?? I do agree though cause I do not see her drinking much water at all for some weird reason?? I am still giving her about 10cc twice a day now though with a syringe down deep into her throat and have been for a couple of weeks now. She lost alot of weight when this started cause she'd stopped eating. She first began like that.. not eating at all and was just sitting in the corner, eyes closed. I hydrated her and tube fed her baby bird high nutritional formula along with some nutri drench which is a high vitamin, fast absorbing supplement for chickens and luckily saved her.. brought her back to life and got her eating and active again. However I just CANNOT get rid of this doughy stuff in her crop?? Oooooh she was also not pooping hardly at all.. I honestly think this all started with something blocked somewhere.. anyways I've been giving her about 2-3cc of warm veg oil twice a day and everything started working again. Sooooooo that's our story. I'm just really stuck on this one!!?? Thank you sooooooo much for responding and offering your help!!

 

[casportpony]

How big is she? I really think she would benefit from more fluids. Just about to do one of mine. She weighs 1600 grams (3.52 pounds) and will get 60ml of fluids now, then again in 60-90 minutes.

-Kathy

 

[DarleneE]

Well she weighed 2.5lbs on Tuesday at the vets. How much water can I give her all at once with a tube?? I thought their crop only held about 30-45cc?? I guess that is wrong!!?? At her weight, how much water should I give her?? Do you put the water in with the tube all at one time??

 

[casportpony]

Well she weighed 2.5lbs on Tuesday at the vets. How much water can I give her all at once with a tube?? I thought their crop only held about 30-45cc?? I guess that is wrong!!?? At her weight, how much water should I give her?? Do you put the water in with the tube all at one time??

Total crop volume is said to be about 5% of their body weight. She's 1134 grams, so in theory, her crop should hold almost 60 ml. I find it best to start with 1/3 to 1/2 of the max, so for her that would be 20-30ml. Once you verify that they do okay with the lesser amount you can increase it.

What size tube do you have? What size syringe do you have?

Here are some videos I have found useful:

Crop feeding videos

These are using a crop needle, not a plastic tube.




This one uses a tube like I use
​

-Kathy

 

[DarleneE]

Thank you so much for that info!! I really appreciate it!! Well I've given her 20ml of water at a time with a 20ml syringe. I've done this 4 times a day for 2 or 3 days with a long crop massage each time without any real results!!?? Then I've also tube fed her when she wasn't eating when this all first began. I used a 16 or 18 catheter to do it.. just not sure at the moment which of those two it was...with a 35ml syringe. I also have a 12ml syringe that I mostly use to give her water with. Then of course I have 5ml as well as 3ml syringes that I use for the warm oil. I really have no trouble putting a tube down into the crop if necessary.. I have gotten pretty comfortable doing it. Holding her is the only problem and I have my husband hold her for me when I have to do this to her. Getting fluid down using the syringe alone is no issue at all and am able to do alone, as I've been having to do daily to get some oil and water down!! I am a nurse, so these things are regular business to me... just the anatomy is different!!

I've seriously been thinking of filling the crop pretty full with water, then massaging the crop to help thin this stuff out. Then turning her upside down and making her vomit!! The ONLY thing that has stopped me is the fear of having her aspirate. If it weren't for that....I'd have done it long ago to tell you the truth!!

At the moment I've decided to finally just go ahead and try the treatment.. the ONLY treatment I've found for a "doughy crop"!! They are claiming that it works.. and I really don't see how it would hurt anyways even if it don't work!!?? Being as I've tried all else without success, this is nearly the last straw other than the hydrate, massage and vomit truthfully!! Honestly I'm just running out of cards?? Anyway, I'm going to attach the article I'm speaking of for you to see. Just scroll down to the doughy crop section. I know it sounds rather strange.. but there's just nothing else I can find and seriously I've torn apart the internet!!
Well again thank you so much for all your time and the videos etc etc. It is much appreciated!!
Darlene

 

[DarleneE]

PS I'm sorry I sent you just the section with the recipe for that treatment by mistake!! I'll attach the entire article now!!

 

[GardenChickens]

PS I'm sorry I sent you just the section with the recipe for that treatment by mistake!! I'll attach the entire article now!!

I have the same Problem and I was wondering whether this baking Soda solution worked?