Life threatening event and now yellow urates

[jonalisa]

Hey all, I need some education here.
Yesterday morning I noticed my 5 yr old Golden Comet, Charlotte was puffed up, standing aloof with eyes closed. I felt her crop and it seemed hard, but not big. I went in the house and got water and olive oil and 2 syringes. I gave her some water, then olive oil and started to massage her crop, but she only seemed to get worse. Things escalated quickly and she began gasping and turning dark red, falling over. When trying to move everything downward didn't work, I had no choice but to hold her upside down and try to help her 'throw up'. She was obviously in worsening distress and scratch mixed with a clear 'mucous' started coming out. She was starting to turn blue and the other chickens were clamoring for what she was expelling, so I ran in the house with her. For almost an hour on my bathroom floor, I fought to help her breathe - her head, comb, wattles were purple and eyes closed. I stuck my finger down her throat, feeling only bits of scratch, no obstruction. I alternated upside down, rightside up, giving small amounts of water or oil, massaging the crop/throat -even breathing into her mouth. She seemed dead at some point, her neck limp and head swinging. I finally got to where her eyes were open and she could breathe. It was the most horrifying chicken experience I have ever had.
I put her in a 6ft brooder I have in a spare bedroom with water only. She seems good today, good color, making some soft clucking noises. This morning I gave her half a boiled egg chopped fine with some olive oil mixed in. But her poop is dark stool- very small pieces (like a mouse poop) and the urates is neon yellow.
I'm sure that is not good, but I don't know if it is normal for what she has been through or a sign of something worse.

Can someone advise me? What to do next and how long to keep her in the house...?

Thank you in advance.
jonalisa

 

[azygous]

What a terrifying experience! But your efforts did save her life.

What likely occurred was she had impacted crop, and your massaging the contents probably shifted them to obstruct her airway. If you will recall the manner in which you massaged, was it lower down on the crop or near the top? And how vigorous was the massage?

At any rate, you managed to get her breathing again, and she should be okay.

However, you may not have completely cleared the impacted crop. To be sure you've sufficiently treated the crop disorder, I recommend giving a couple teaspoons of coconut oil in its solid state. It's much easier to give safely without getting any into the airway (which is at the center of the throat). Insert at the right side of the beak so it goes down the right "tube"(which is on the chicken's right side of the throat)

To massage, place your fingers on the fattest part of the crop lower down. Gently massage in a circular and slightly upward motion, careful not to elevate the contents any higher than mid-crop.

You need to monitor the crop in the morning to be sure it has completely emptied. If the crop stubbornly remains full of solid material, you can safely use a stool softener such as Dulcolax.

Once the obstruction has been cleared, feed water and chopped boiled egg. Greek yogurt or probiotics will restore good microbes in the digestive track.

 

[jonalisa]

Thank you so much!

 

[jonalisa]

 

[jonalisa]

So, she's not really eating and this is the poop... very small with yellow urates.
Today, I have given about a tsp of coconut oil and a full syringe of olive oil. Hard to feel the crop - it just feels flat.
I could not find dulcolax in a liquid so I bought softgels but they are hard and I cannot open them. Ideas? I don't know whether to keep her in another night.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jonalisa]

So, she's not really eating and this is the poop... very small with yellow urates.
Today, I have given about a tsp of coconut oil and a full syringe of olive oil. Hard to feel the crop - it just feels flat.
I could not find dulcolax in a liquid so I bought softgels but they are hard and I cannot open them. Ideas? I don't know whether to keep her in another night.

Thanks in advance.

Also, I gave her a bath last night to make sure her vent wasn't blocked, as she had some hardened feces on her butt feathers. (She loved it.)

 

[jonalisa]

What a terrifying experience! But your efforts did save her life.

What likely occurred was she had impacted crop, and your massaging the contents probably shifted them to obstruct her airway. If you will recall the manner in which you massaged, was it lower down on the crop or near the top? And how vigorous was the massage?

At any rate, you managed to get her breathing again, and she should be okay.

However, you may not have completely cleared the impacted crop. To be sure you've sufficiently treated the crop disorder, I recommend giving a couple teaspoons of coconut oil in its solid state. It's much easier to give safely without getting any into the airway (which is at the center of the throat). Insert at the right side of the beak so it goes down the right "tube"(which is on the chicken's right side of the throat)

To massage, place your fingers on the fattest part of the crop lower down. Gently massage in a circular and slightly upward motion, careful not to elevate the contents any higher than mid-crop.

You need to monitor the crop in the morning to be sure it has completely emptied. If the crop stubbornly remains full of solid material, you can safely use a stool softener such as Dulcolax.

Once the obstruction has been cleared, feed water and chopped boiled egg. Greek yogurt or probiotics will restore good microbes in the digestive track.

What a terrifying experience! But your efforts did save her life.

What likely occurred was she had impacted crop, and your massaging the contents probably shifted them to obstruct her airway. If you will recall the manner in which you massaged, was it lower down on the crop or near the top? And how vigorous was the massage?

At any rate, you managed to get her breathing again, and she should be okay.

However, you may not have completely cleared the impacted crop. To be sure you've sufficiently treated the crop disorder, I recommend giving a couple teaspoons of coconut oil in its solid state. It's much easier to give safely without getting any into the airway (which is at the center of the throat). Insert at the right side of the beak so it goes down the right "tube"(which is on the chicken's right side of the throat)

To massage, place your fingers on the fattest part of the crop lower down. Gently massage in a circular and slightly upward motion, careful not to elevate the contents any higher than mid-crop.

You need to monitor the crop in the morning to be sure it has completely emptied. If the crop stubbornly remains full of solid material, you can safely use a stool softener such as Dulcolax.

Once the obstruction has been cleared, feed water and chopped boiled egg. Greek yogurt or probiotics will restore good microbes in the digestive track.

I'm not sure why my message didn't post, but I don't see it here.
I posted 2 pics to show she hasn't pooped much and what there is looks like very small feces and still yellow urates. Today I gave about 1 tsp of the solid coconut oil and a syringe of olive oil.
Her crop seems flat, in fact I don't feel anything there.
She's not really eating - I offered chopped egg with a little coconut oil mixed in. She's not lethargic, but not eating and not really pooping much. I guess I will have to keep her in another night until i know more.
Also I can't find a liquid Dulcolax. I bought the soft gels but the plastic coating is rock hard.

Ideas?

 

[azygous]

I give the stool softener gel cap with no problem. Just put it into her beak and her bodily fluids will dissolve the gelatin shell. It's not plastic. It like jello only hard.

 

[Abriana]

Sometimes after scary/traumatic events the poop won’t look too good. Possibly there is nothing wrong and she is just feeling a little stressed. I would watch her and do offer food, maybe mixed with coconut oil to help prevent obstruction. To prevent it in the future, always provide grit and water. Give her grit now and make sure she had complete access to water.

 

[jonalisa]

The chickens always have access to grit - the coop and run have sand for flooring, but I put a bowl of it in the brooder.. I will try the Dulcolax..it just seemed big to me.
Thank you both!