Impacted Crop?? Need more advice.

[chickenlady]

I think my hen has an impacted crop. While I am dealing with that, I want to make sure she is not getting dehydrated. She feels very thin and just sits there with her eyes closed. She is drinking and eating still. I have taken food away and given more water. Being properly hydrated is important. I was going to give fluids just under the skin as you would do with most other animals that are dehydrated. Would I need to use saline or can I just inject tap water per se? Thanks for any info.

 

[JohnL11935]

Chicken Lady - I assume you are speaking of doing something comparable to what you see done in hospitals with humans?

If that is true please understand that "IV Fluid" is given intravenously, meaning, a sterile catheter is carefully threaded into the vein. Proper placement of this catheter is imperative.

A catheter that becomes dislodged from the vein results in the fluid being delievered into the subcutaneous space between the veins and does absolutely no good for the patient. In fact, depending on the fluid / medications being delivered, can actual cause a great deal of harm.

For the life of me I can't imagine this would be any different when treating animals.

It sound as if your hen is still taking water by mouth. I would suggest that so long as this is the case that she be allowed to continue with this.

Hope this helps.

 

[chickenlady]

John L -thanks for the reply. When my dog was ill, I brought him to the vet, they took a syringe and needle and injected fluids (maybe saline, not sure) just under the skin between his shoulder blades. The result was a huge 'ball' of fluid under the skin. The vet said that this was the second best way to get fluids in an animal as it will be absorbed. IV being the best but not possible in this case.

Secondly: A friend of mine had a pregnant goat that refused to eat and drink, it was becoming dehydrated and the babies stopped moving. This method was used again, injecting fluids under the skin to be absorbed by the body. Within a few hours of treatment, the babies began moving again and the goat seemed not as 'sickly'. This treatment was given to this goat a couple more times until she would drink on her own.

My fear is that my hen will get too dehydrated if her crop is impacted. The crop right now is so large it covers her whole chest and it is rock hard. She is pooping very little and feels thin. Being hydrated is so important to sickly animals. I am just trying to get info on anything I can so I can save this hen. It is my son's first hen, she is 4 years old. He is so upset right now. Thanks again for your response.

 

[JohnL11935]

Goes to show you why I (use to) treat people and not animals. I have learned something new today (which is always a good thing)!

I found this site that details the procedure you mention. It doesn't look like a do-it-yourself procedure unless you were somehow able to secure the appropriate sterile supllies.

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_fluids.aspx


The sites that I've looked at for treating the impacted crop seem to universaly agree to administer a couple of teaspons of vegetable oil, following by massaging the crop in an attempt to dispel its contents. I will assume trying to let gravity help while doing this may also be beneficial.

And, of course, many of these same sites indicate the surgical intervention may also be required. Not sure if you are up for this but I'm guessing it isn't as difficult as would be imagined.

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/ImpactedCrop_OldWay.html

http://www.poultryhelp.com/impactedcrop.html

http://humboldthens.blogspot.com/2006/02/sour-crop-impacted-crop-nothing-at-all.html


I will defer to those that are more experienced before exploring this route.

 

[chickiebaby]

I dont know why this would be god for an impacted crop, frankly, I believe olive oil soaked bread helps a lot if she won't just take olive oil. And massage has worked for me. I would not inject without proper sterile procedures (I'm a nurse) and its pretty hard to do anything sterile to an animal outside a vet's office.

Certainly normal saline would be used and NEVER tap or distilled water. The whole reason for administering fluids iv in people, or in animals, is to ensure proper balance of fluids and electrolytes, which you will only throw further out of whack if you use plan water.

Honestly, there are about a million things I've done or seen done that are safe in hospital but would be wildly unsafe at home.

Could you call a vet, even if you don't have a chicken vet per se? I beleive there's a list somewhere on here of vets who will advise by phone about poultry.

 

[goldensunriseranch]

I've injected fluids SubQ before to help a goat brought to me for help that was very dehydrated. I use lactated ringers solution that you can get from a vet supply. But if I remember right it is only available with a prescription from your vet. It makes a lump under the skin and slowly it absorbs as the lump disappears. I wouldn't use any other kind of fluid though, it might do more harm than good.

 

[chickenlady]

Thanks so much for the reads. I have all the proper tools to do this but would love to hear if anyone ever has. I am off the try to give her more canola oil. she has been eating some bread soaked with oil and her crop is now a little softer than it was previously. I have been massaging her crop every 1/2 hour or so. I really would like to resolve this without surgery if possible.

Chickiebaby: I am only considering SQ fluids to rehydrate her. She is not getting anything down at this point and her health is deteriorating what I consider rather quickly. She has been lethargic for the whole week so far and I thought it may have been from molting. After I watched her a little better, realized her crop was very hard and now has a weird smell on her breath. She is drinking but not as much as she needs to be. I was thinking that if she is hydrated properly, she may have a better chance at surviving. If you can tell me a quick, non surgical way to clear her out, I am all ears. As far as the SQ fluids go, I figured I could NOT use tap water, I would be using saline. I have sterilized syringes and needles in the packages.

Goldensunrise: thanks for the info. If I decide to do this, I will try to get that if I cannot get saline.

 

[redhen]

i also remember last year my vet giving one of my kittens lacted ringers sub-q..because he was a new born and failing to thrive..he needed hydration....i'm not sure about the saline though...i bet you could call a vet and just ask for a bottle of the ringers...explain why you need it..they may sell u some..good luck..Wendy

 

[bwebb7]

I'm with Red Hen- call the vet and ask if you can buy a bottle of "ringers" He would probably let you buy Betadine and syringes and needles too.
-we also use this sub-q method for "fading puppy syndrome" to be sure they stay hydrated. If an animal is sick and very stressed the best thing WOULD be to keep it hydrated.
I would think a very little bit would go a long way with a hen.
Good Luck

 

[goldensunriseranch]

Hi, If it helps here is a write up by fosters&smith on using sterlie saline subQ in animals. I just have no personal experience with it, just the ringers. (It's a pdf file).

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Rx_Info_Sheets/rx_sodium_chloride.pdf