Impacted crop...Not getting better.

[rena421]

Hi, I am new here and just wondering if anyone has any advice for me.
My chicken had an impacted crop a couple of weeks ago which I emptied for her. Turned out to be a big wound up piece of grass. After a couple of days she was still making a gurgly noise and we got worried and took her to an avian vet. Vet says she can feel a mass, lost focus from the impacted crop and said she will need $440 x-rays as she thinks it is ovarian cancer. She says she is underweight too. All the impacted crop issues flew out the window, the vet was so focused on getting x-rays. She ended up staying the night and had some fluids and we took her home with antibiotics. She never offered any medication for thrush as per advice from every forum I have read online about impacted crops?. She seemed to be getting better but then her comb went very pale and we took her to another vet. This vet gave her the medication for thrush but said she is very sick and if this doesn't work it is time to euthanise. I have about 6 days left to medicate her. She just keeps going, when do you know it's time to euthanise? It's not really in my budget for $440 x-rays and a hysterectomy. The following vet didn't even feel the mass the first vet said she felt.
Any advice would be great.
Kind regards

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

How old is she?

What does her crop feel like?Mushy, Doughy, Hard, Sqishy, Watery?
Do NOT Try and make her throw up, As it can make them unable to breathe.

Try some oregano oil in water, only a drop or two!
Massage her crop.

 

[Teila]

Hey there rena421 I do hope that you are able to recover your girl and do not have to euthanize.

From what I read, we do not know for sure exactly what the issue is? She may have cancer? But definitely has an impacted crop?

We recently had a very sick cat who we were told to say our goodbyes to and best to euthanize. We could see that he had not given up so we were not giving up either; sought a second opinion etc and went with our gut. Long story but he survived and is now recovering well. His bloods were 'through the roof' and we took comfort in a saying 'treat the cat, not the numbers'.

The point I am trying to make is that you should know if and when she has given up and until then, I recommend giving her the opportunity to fight this. If we do not know for sure what her issue is, treating the symptoms is the best option.

So, a tip I have for impacted crop is sardines in oil. Don't laugh, it worked for one of my gals who had an impacted crop and was recommended to me by a BYC member. The sardines have a double whammy in that they give her some much needed nutrition and the oil will help to hopefully move on whatever is impacted.

May be see if she will eat the sardines and then give her crop a gentle massage.

 

[rena421]

Thank you for your reply. She is 4. Making her vomit wasn't ideal, but that was the first information we came to online, was to make her vomit. It was only for a couple of seconds at a time and after the grass came out I stopped and her crop empties itself now, just slowly. That was around 2 weeks ago. I have read a lot more information and forums now, so I promise not to make her vomit again.
Her crop just feels squishy as she is on liquid medication and we have to syringe feed her water as she doesn't drink very much at all. It is still a bit squishy in the morning as I don't think it is emptying well.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Thank you for your reply. She is 4. Making her vomit wasn't ideal, but that was the first information we came to online, was to make her vomit. It was only for a couple of seconds at a time and after the grass came out I stopped and her crop empties itself now, just slowly. That was around 2 weeks ago. I have read a lot more information and forums now, so I promise not to make her vomit again.
Her crop just feels squishy as she is on liquid medication and we have to syringe feed her water as she doesn't drink very much at all. It is still a bit squishy in the morning as I don't think it is emptying well.

Ok, Sounds like my hen.
I did this for 3 weeks:
Oregano Oil in water
Massage Crop
Grit
Fermented feed
Watermelon.

And now she is happy and healthy!

 

[rena421]

I am glad to hear your cat is doing well now!
She is fighting it, but she is underweight, not eating and drinking much and the vet said it was best to put her out of her misery as it is not fair on her. I just don't want to put her through a hard time, but I don't want to have to euthanise, then I worry I am being selfish for not wanting to.
Her crop does empty just very slowly. She does eat the sardines cat food cans haha, and a little bit of baby food but it's just not enough to maintain her weight and get her healthy again.

 

[rena421]

That makes me hopeful. Thank you.
I will have to google fermented feed as I am not sure about it.
What does the oregano oil help to do?

 

[ChickNanny13]

Fermented feed = Crumbles mixes with water, left to ferment taking a few days, will smell like sourdough bread. Start off with 1 cup crumble to 1 cup water, you can add more if need to, you want an oatmeal mush consistancy. I've converted to this feeding method for the nutritional benefits, no feed waste, it's like a probiotic for the chickens & their poop don't smell as much, firmer poop & less of it.

Try people sardines in oil instead of the cat food sardines. The Oregano Oil helps to lubricate/soften the build up in the crop, is my guess. Hope she gets better...

 

[rena421]

Wow, I had no idea about the fermented feed. Thanks for the info.
Will try the sardines and oregano oil.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Vet says she can feel a mass..she thinks it is ovarian cancer. She says she is underweight too..She is 4..her crop empties itself now, just slowly.

Hi @rena421 Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry your girl is not feeling well.
If you have photos you would like to share of your hen that would be great

A slow moving crop can be a symptom of an underlying condition like cancer and reproductive disorders - masses or tumors can block or slow digestion and the intestines.
Cancer and internal laying (reproductive disorders) are, unfortunately, common in laying hens. Antibiotics can sometimes give relief, but the effects are usually short lived. Sometimes the only thing you can do is give supportive care, comfort and treat symptoms the best you can, then once she is clearly declining, put her out of her misery.

I'm sorry if my post is not positive. Those of us who have gone through this, watch for signs/symptoms and when a hen starts that decline that we all dread, she is either given supportive care for a short period of time to see if she will perk back or her suffering is ended. It's a very hard thing to do and not taken lightly. I recommend that if your girl passes that you have a necropsy (by vet or state lab) or if you can do it yourself - an informal necropsy looking at her abdomen, internal organs and reproductive tract may give you some answers. I've found a bit of comfort when I am able to see and know that a hen would never have recovered from masses/egg matter in the abdomen, no matter what type of treatment I tried.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments