Impacted crop vs. Thrush (update post #28, pg. 3; treatments started)

[raindrop]

Hello all-

My 4 year old BO hen has a full,soft crop. Her appetite has been poor x 2 weeks. She is fed layer pellets, a couple handfuls of scratch every 2-3 days, a few kitchen scraps (pasta, veggies to pick at, leftover bread) every 2 days or so, and free-ranges for 2-4 hours in the afternoons when I am home to help deter hawks.
She has liquid green stool. Her body condition has been gradually declining. When I examined her a week ago, she seemed a little thin, otherwise fine. She was eating a little, especially when out free ranging.
Today she was depressed, not eating anything, just picking at food and dropping it again. Her toenails were curled under (it was about 30 degrees last night). Other than weight loss, lethargy and a full, soft crop (she regurgitated a small amount of clear fluid while I was palpating the crop) her external exam is normal. I see no lesions in her mouth or on the face. She does have some foul-smelling greenish feces on her feathers below the vent.
I can do surgery, I have access to anesthesia, antibiotics, other medications. Should I give her another day, or do surgery today to clean out the crop? From reading Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook, she either has sour crop (thrush) or an impacted crop. How do you tell the difference? Are there other causes of decreased crop/GI tract motility?
I have brought her inside in a dog kennel. She has water and no food right now.
Thanks everyone.

 

[d.k]

* Gee, Raindrop-- Sorry to hear that, but what you've described doesn't sound like thrush OR crop impaction to me-- more a systemic G.I. problem or maybe a acute parasite load, something like that. . She's passing even tho it's diarrhea-sounding & and was eating until today. . . Wait a bit until somebody with more insight chimes in before you go for an exploratory, 'kay?? 'Wasting' can be A LOT of things. Hold on. I hope she makes it, RD!!

 

[CUDA]

Sounds more like you have a fungus problem. You might want to treat with copper sulfate. Either way, it won't hurt to do it. If the crop is impacted, it will be very hard, like a baseball. If so, you can sometimes massage it loose with your hand, and some veggie oil down the throat.

 

[raindrop]

Yeah, I thought I would start with medical treatment. Is copper sulfate the best for fungus? Do I get that at a feed store? Should I do vitamins? If the GI tract isn't working well and I want to use Ivermectin for prophylactic deworming, does it go SQ or IM? Anyone know the dose or where to look?
I really don't think she has been eating much for a couple weeks.

 

[CUDA]

I copied this down for you for some more information, hope it helps!

COPPER SULFATE SOLUTION Copper sulfate is a fungicide used to control bacterial and fungal diseases WARNING copper sulfate is considered toxic and its use should be carefully measured. Never apply copper sulfate directly as treatment Always prepare and use a Stock solution at the appropriate and proportioned ratio

Use this solution as a treatment for mycosis (mold infection) in the crop. Treatment for Canker and "Thrush". If stock solution is dispensed properly can be used to control algae in standing water.

Go *outdated link-sorry* for information on mixing your own solution.

 

[SeaChick]

I agree that its not impacted crop, which I believe is the only reason you'd want to do an operation, right? When my EE han had an impacted crop, it was not rock hard, but obviously full of solid mass... it felt like a ball of modeling clay, pliable, but kind of fibrous. With massage and oil I was able to clear it, but that does NOT sound like the problem. Feeding plain, live-culture yogurt -which is helpful for thrush or sour cop but not harmful to a normal bird- can't hurt while you explore other possibilities.....
good luck!
STacey
Oh, and my hen was very thin adn "wasting" too. Feeding her soft-cooked mashed egg along with regular feed softened with warm water (as per vet instructions) got her back on track!

 

[raindrop]

Well, she's not doing very well. I gave her an ivermectin injection (0.2mg/kg IM) just in case internal parasites are the cause and while she was upside down for the injection she regurgitated clear fluid again and was gurgling and sneezing. I fixed her scrambled egg, yogurt, brewers yeast and wheat germ but she will not eat and I am afraid to try to force feed her food or water since she seems to regurgitate so easily.
Any other ideas? I agree that her crop is not impacted, but it seems to be accumulating fluid (or she is drinking water but I have seen no sign of that).
I couldn't find copper sulfate, my parents have some I could get tomorrow. I added some vinegar to her water, but am afraid to syringe feed her at this point.

 

[d.k]

*hey-- somdthing you said caught my eye, but what, I'm not 1OO% sure of at the moment. while I'm trying to catch that stray, I wondered if you noticed whether she was "tempy" or not. Also, is there ANY breathing noise or HINT of breathing abnormality. Third: Run your fingertips up under the feathers around the shoulder- tell me if there's fluid under the skin, o.K.?? Quick as you can. . Thx!

 

[raindrop]

d.k :

*hey-- somdthing you said caught my eye, but what, I'm not 1OO% sure of at the moment. while I'm trying to catch that stray, I wondered if you noticed whether she was "tempy" or not.

She doesn't seem to be. Haven't taken a temp yet. Maybe after my little one is in bed. She's just sitting in the back of the kennel, as far from the food and water as possible.

Anyone know if you can use metaclopramide in chickens?​

 

[d.k]

*I added to the "tempy" post a couple other things to check, RD. Got a couple ideas bout food & water, too. BUT, first things first, you gave her an inj. & were thinking surg. --- Are you also supplied to put in a I.V. if need be???