Impacted Crop - when do you resort to surgery???

[jbeard]

Okay, I've been reading the posts on the impacted crop. When do you decide you need to do the surgery? My Diana's crop is soft and massagable, but she is still spitting out sour gunk and occasionally grass or grains. I have held her upside down and massaged junk out twice and her crop goes down. Then she drinks a lot of water and begins to spit out the junk again. She is not eating, but I can get her to drink. Have been treating her for two days.

 

[ChickyPooh]

Wait! is it bad that their crop is mushy?!!!!

 

[Jenski]

Good question, jbeard. I am researching the very same thing. I hope an expert will comment, but at this point I see three escalating "tiers" of treatment for impacted crop:

1 - administration of oil and massage
2 - metoclopramide (Reglan) to facilitate the natural movement of the digestive system
3 - surgery
[4 - culling, I suppose]

I am not seeing much discussion of the Reglan on this forum, but I will be discussing further with an avian vet in the morning for my own girl. I will post my experience with the hope that will be some help.

 

[jbeard]

Okay, Let me try the oil. Haven't done that, just lots of water, massage, and the upside down thing.

 

[Jenski]

jbeard, I sent you a PM.

 

[Jolyn]

what does an impacted crop look like? Anyone have a picture?

 

[Jenski]

Jolyn, I think the easiest way to tell is to take a good look at your chickens first thing in the morning. When full, the crop should appear as a lump just above the breast, slightly to the left as you look at the bird (the chicken's right) ~ sort of opposite where our hearts are. Before the chickens go in to roost at night they should be all nice and full, and the crop should be a prominent lump. First thing in the morning, the crop should be pretty empty and not really visible. If it is, you may have an issue.

"A full crop at night is a beautiful sight ~ but a full crop in morning, chicken folk take warning."

 

[dlhunicorn]

the "surgery" is more for crop stasis due to impaction... from what I am reading here (and I stress I am NOT an "expert" nor a vet) is that your bird has "sour crop" and you need nystatin for this (vet) ... this also concerns me in regards to your statement that you have "turned" the bird "upside down " a couple times to get the "gunk " out... (not really to be advised in issues of sour crop as more often than not a small amount of the gunk gets into the hole leading to lungs and exacerbates the problem by causing respiratory infection)... Your bird is dehydrated (a usual complication of crop stasis) and this is why she is so thirsty and "over" drinking to try and compensate (put electrolytes in waterer immediately).
I think it is time to see a vet and get proper meds to treat . The vet cn also treat the dehydration issues (this often accompanies crop stasis) by giving subcutaneous fluids (injection).