My Crop Tube Feeding Journey With My Bird (Pics For Visuals- VERY detailed Post)

[roddycn1216]

Welcome to BYC! I don't know any nurses, so I have to order all of my stuff. 

-Kathy

LOL! Well now you do! I have a chicken who was dropped off in Tractor Supply Company's parking lot yesterday... AND yesterday we took her in. We had to euthanize her sister because she was already too far gone But this one is fighting... HARD. She had Gapeworms... doing typical gapeworm behavior... stretching neck.. opening her mouth and gasping for air. I dewormed her with Wazine 17% (which i know doesnt cover Gapeworms) and Safegaurd for goats. This morning before i left for work she wasnt gasping for air Thank God but i dewormed her again and will continue to for 3 more days. I was reading this forum because i may have to tube her. From where she was overly infested with worms... her crop appears to have soured It is "moldable" to touch but it has already went down significantly since i dewormed just once. And went i palpate/massage i can hear and feel gurgling. I bought some Monistat and have probiotics at home. I'm gonna go home and make a little mixture consisting of Kefir, 85 Billion Count Probiotic, Pedialyte, and Monistat and probably tube it to her. Wish me luck! I get to play nurse to a chicken now LOL!

 

[casportpony]

Quote: One suggestion... tube fluids first at 10 to 15 ml per pound, repeat in 60-90 minutes if crop is clearing, repeat again in 2-4 hours.

I would love to have input on this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...mergency-and-supportive-care-updated-7-8-2016

And on these two:

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1064392/step-by-step-tube-feeding-guide-pictures (under construction)
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

-Kathy

 

[roddycn1216]

Give me one second and i will sit down and read those threads at work and its everyone's time for testing LOL!

 

[Jaxdrisc]

Resurrecting this one a bit...I just started tube feeding my hen yesterday afternoon. All of the information on this thread has been extremely helpful!! Thanks to the original OP and to Kathy for her never ending wisdom in all things chicken! I have to admit, it is a bit nerve wracking to tube her! I am terrified I'll hit the trach. I have a couple of questions, though. Does the esophagus get irritated at all from all the tubing? I am using a size 16 cath. and have tube fed twice, water fed twice. 1 set each yesterday and thus far today. She is much more fiesty today. Next question: she sort of passes out after the food feed. When I release her head after the tube removal, her eyes are closed and her head drops. I give her a little nudge, call her name and she "comes to". I might be holding her head too tightly?? Anyone have this happen? She also gets very sleepy after the food tubing. I'm assuming this is normal? Some of this scares the beejeebas out of me, to be honest, but she is emptying her crop and is benefiting from the fluids and nutrition. Not eating or drinking on her own yet. I think it is too early still? Thanks a bunch!

 

[casportpony]

The jugular on their right side is quite large and perhaps it's possible that the blood flow is being restricted while you're holding her, and that's why she seems a little off? That's just a wild guess, and I don't know if it's even possible...

Their esophagus will be fine as long as you keep the tube lubed and never force it.

-Kathy

 

[Jaxdrisc]

Thank you, Kathy. No, never forced, but I think I need to smear a little olive oil on it to make it slide easier. The jugular idea makes sense to me. I'll try not to press as hard. On average, when do people see an improvement?? In some ways she's better and in some, worse. She is weaker today as far as standing goes, but put up a stronger fight during tubing. Very sleepy, but rouses quickly. Make sense? I'm also wondering if she has enteritis along with cocci....can you give Corid and Baytril at the same time or must the Corid be completed first? Sorry for all the questions, but I am in new territory and struggling a bit. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[casportpony]

Thank you, Kathy. No, never forced, but I think I need to smear a little olive oil on it to make it slide easier. The jugular idea makes sense to me. I'll try not to press as hard. On average, when do people see an improvement?? In some ways she's better and in some, worse. She is weaker today as far as standing goes, but put up a stronger fight during tubing. Very sleepy, but rouses quickly. Make sense? I'm also wondering if she has enteritis along with cocci....can you give Corid and Baytril at the same time or must the Corid be completed first? Sorry for all the questions, but I am in new territory and struggling a bit. Thank you so much for your help!

Pretty sure Corid can be given with all antibiotics. Try tubing just Pedialyte, wait 60-90 minutes and tube more fluids if her crop has mostly cleared, then one more time in 2-4 hours. What other drugs do you have and can you post a picture of her poop?

-Kathy

 

[Jaxdrisc]

God bless you for being so quick to reply!! You are a huge comfort to those of us getting up to speed. I ordered Baytril yesterday, so it may be a few days before I receive it. I saw your other post on 20mg/kg so I'll be able to figure out her dose. I have Tylan 50 injectable as another med, but that is more respiratory? I also have Sulmet....liquid for the water....thoughts on that? That is all for meds. Obviously, I am beginning a collection! I have been alternating Pedialyte with the baby bird food. From what I think I understood, she would need 30 ml of Pedi at a time. I also use it, with the Corrid solution, to dilute the powdered food. I have been comfortably getting about 45cc into her the last 2. I know I can go up to 60, but she was so long without eating, I opted to slowly increase. That amount already seems to wipe her out.

The last 36 or so hours looked like this: 20 ml Pedialyte....1 hour later....40 cc Liquid food....3 hours later 20cc before bedtime...topped her off. This morning: 25cc Pedialyte/water...2 hours.....45 cc liquid food. Her crop does empty, but it is slow. I check for it to deflate a certain amount before adding more. Corid solution in all.

She isn't pooping a lot, but there was a slight improvement from the yellow, mucousy, liquid one a few days ago. The bright green specs I understand are bile from being empty. This morning, it was much less yellow and had some of the liquid food beginning to come through, although still liquid. And foul smelling. I'll post a pic if I she poops again. Thoughts?

 

[Jaxdrisc]

This is how she looks. I just brought her in to try to give her more Pedialyte, but her crop is still fairly full. And....she's doing that listing thing.....




This is her healthy...


Sigh.....

 

[casportpony]

Can you keep her in a warm room? 80-85 degrees is ideal.

How much does she weigh?

-Kathy