Please HELP with chick, I’m at a loss!

[Zidrael]

Please, please can anyone help?

I’m absolutely at my wits end. I have a week old polish chick who seems to be struggling too poop. I have tried absolutely everything I can think of: coconut oil & sunflower oil (oral and vent), probiotics, vitamins, Epsom salt bath, sugar/molasses water, massage.

I don’t know what else to do. Could he just have a problem inside, such as a defect, that is inhibiting the digestive/excretion process?

I’m trying to hard to save this poor little guy.

He will still eat and drink on his own.

He cries when he tries to poop. I can see him pushing. He’s bent kinda swells as he pushes. But nothing is really coming out.

He has been like this for about 24 hours now.

 

[Zidrael]

Picture of chick and vent.

 

[thecatumbrella]

@Eggcessive

I'm so sorry. I'd be inclined to believe this is a failure to thrive (like you said, something wrong internally), but I tagged someone knowledgeable. If it were me, I'd be prepared to cull, just in case.

 

[Zidrael]

@Eggcessive

I'm so sorry. I'd be inclined to believe this is a failure to thrive (like you said, something wrong internally), but I tagged someone knowledgeable. If it were me, I'd be prepared to cull, just in case.

Thank you, I would really appreciate any help at all. I desperately want him to live… but I’ve been expecting that I may need to cull, and I am prepared to do so if that is the only option left.

 

[thecatumbrella]

This is the method I would use if it came to it.

I'm hoping one of the educators see this. I see some previous posts on the subject mentioning olive oil. See if you can get a tiny bit in her, and then maybe do another warm soak to relax her backend.

I lost a chick earlier this year, so I understand. You feel completely helpless.

 

[Eggcessive]

Some chicks are occasionally born without a vent opening. Can you see one? Has it ever pooped? A QTip with oil or vaseline could be used to see if it is open. Can you give it a few drops of NutriDrench? Is it drinking and eating some? It does sound like the chick is very weak and may nit make it.

 

[Zidrael]

This is the method I would use if it came to it.

I'm hoping one of the educators see this. I see some previous posts on the subject mentioning olive oil. See if you can get a tiny bit in her, and then maybe do another warm soak to relax her backend.

I lost a chick earlier this year, so I understand. You feel completely helpless.

I’ve done that, he’s consumed coconut oil and I’ve even given an enema if coconut and sunflower. I did get a lot of faeces to pass this way, and the vent swelling went down. This was last night. Now we seem to be stuck again.

He’s consumed molasses, sugar water, coconut oil and honey so far.
Also drank plenty on his/her own.

 

[Zidrael]

Some chicks are occasionally born without a vent opening. Can you see one? Has it ever pooped? A QTip with oil or vaseline could be used to see if it is open. Can you give it a few drops of NutriDrench? Is it drinking and eating some? It does sound like the chick is very weak and may nit make it.

Yes, I’ve done this. It stimulates him to push. His vent swells when he pushes and “balloons”. I can massage to help some faeces come out.

EDIT: sorry, he is eating and drinking. He can move around on his own too. I’m in UK, but he’s had our version of nutri-drench.

 

[Zidrael]

Thank you for any help and advice give , I am very grateful. Sorry if it doesn’t come across like that, I’m just so at a loss and desperate to try anything else I can. Can anyone offer any other advice? I’ve fed him a bit of olive oil but still no change. He will run and jump into my hand if I put him down, which just breaks my heart even more after all he’s been through, he still runs back to me.

Would just like to add that I have culled before, I won’t let him suffer needlessly if there is nothing left I can do. I just wanna give him every chance that I can.

Attached is what it looks like when he is trying to poop.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I’ve done that, he’s consumed coconut oil and I’ve even given an enema if coconut and sunflower. I did get a lot of faeces to pass this way, and the vent swelling went down. This was last night. Now we seem to be stuck again.

He’s consumed molasses, sugar water, coconut oil and honey so far.
Also drank plenty on his/her own.

If it worked last night, I'd keep doing it as often as you're willing. There's always a chance he could outgrow the issue if you can keep him going a little longer. But I also understand the impractically of that, and the decision to cull if he can't improve.