post crop surgery foods

[my beautiful girls]

I am getting mixed advice on what to feed Eleanor post crop surgery. the vet said no yogurt or crumbles made into mash for 2 weeks. she suggested cat food, baby food, applesauce. Most of the information I have found said yogurt and crumbles made into a mash are feed during recovery. Eleanor does not like boiled or scramble egg, nor applesauce or cat food. she also want me to keep her seperated for 2 weeks in the run. Eleanor is also trying to grow back her feathers as she was in the middle of a molt when she had the surgery. Could someone clarify a good post op diet? She is also on amoxicillin for the next 7 days. Thank you.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am getting mixed advice on what to feed Eleanor post crop surgery. the vet said no yogurt or crumbles made into mash for 2 weeks. she suggested cat food, baby food, applesauce. Most of the information I have found said yogurt and crumbles made into a mash are feed during recovery. Eleanor does not like boiled or scramble egg, nor applesauce or cat food. she also want me to keep her seperated for 2 weeks in the run. Eleanor is also trying to grow back her feathers as she was in the middle of a molt when she had the surgery. Could someone clarify a good post op diet? She is also on amoxicillin for the next 7 days. Thank you.

I would keep her separated from the others while she's healing, but if there's a place you can put her near her flock so they can all see each other that would be a good idea. It may make re-integration go a little smoother.

As for what to feed, it's best to follow the Vet's recommendations, but if she will not eat the cat food, baby food or applesauce the vet suggested, then offer her a wet mush made of her normal feed or chick starter. Her feed is going to be nutritionally balanced and give her what she needs. A small amount of yogurt, buttermilk or probiotics may also be helpful in restoring the gut since she's on antibiotics.

Let's see if @azygous has any other suggestions.

 

[azygous]

Following crop surgery, it's best to feed soft foods and liquids for at least one week so the strain on the healing incision will be minimized. Chickens have their food preferences, so try to be creative. Get your food processor or blender out and render into a puree any of this hen's known food favorites. Eventually, you should strike pay dirt.

 

[my beautiful girls]

Following crop surgery, it's best to feed soft foods and liquids for at least one week so the strain on the healing incision will be minimized. Chickens have their food preferences, so try to be creative. Get your food processor or blender out and render into a puree any of this hen's known food favorites. Eventually, you should strike pay dirt.

I ground her crumbles with coffee grinder added a little yogurt and warm water. is that ok? It seems her crop is sagging and not emptying all the way. she drank a lot of water yesterday. some was still in this morning. I made the crop bra from 4x4 cloth and some vet wrap. it pushes her crop up nicely. I will try some other foods in the blender.

 

[my beautiful girls]

I ground her crumbles with coffee grinder added a little yogurt and warm water. is that ok? It seems her crop is sagging and not emptying all the way. she drank a lot of water yesterday. some was still in this morning. I made the crop bra from 4x4 cloth and some vet wrap. it pushes her crop up nicely. I will try some other foods in the blender.

Is it normal for her crop to feel boggy in the morning after this surgery? I think the bra was bothering her stitches. I took it off yesterday. It doesnt feel like water anymore, it's thicker. She is hardly eating anything. I'm still trying different pureed foods and fruit

 

[azygous]

Ask the vet about this, but leave the bra off and see if that makes a difference.

Give her sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda in her water to keep her glucose elevated.

 

[my beautiful girls]

Ask the vet about this, but leave the bra off and see if that makes a difference.

Give her sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda in her water to keep her glucose elevated.

Update:

Ask the vet about this, but leave the bra off and see if that makes a difference.

Give her sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda in her water to keep her glucose elevated.

update: the vet has changed her antiobiotic to a mix with water. broader spectrum antibiotic. her crop is not flat in the morning. about size of a quarter. I gave her 2 ml of mineral oil and gently massaged it this morning. It is a real guessing game getting her to eat anything. at what point do you think she needs to be tube feed or at all? yesterday she ate watermelon and yogurt. today crushed up meal worms. How long will can this go on? Her poops are not close to being normal. This is what the vet took out of her crop on tuesday. It look like a lot of dirt as well as grass. this grass is from my yard, not the lawn mower clippings. she is still passing some grass in her runny poops. is an apple with no skin an option? she loves apples, but not applesauce.

 

[azygous]

Soften the apples for a minute in the microwave and cool. Cut into quarter inch cubes. Have you tried soft boiled or other cooked egg? Sometimes I have sick chickens that will eat a raw egg when they reject all else. Boiled rice almost all but a dying chicken will eat.

Are you keeping her glucose up with sugar in the water? This can help give a sick chicken the necessary energy to want to try eating. It's a self perpetuating syndrome - if a chicken eats something, the chicken will keep eating more. If a chicken eats nothing, they lose the energy and will to eat anything at all.

Tube feeding is called for when nothing tempts a chicken. But we usually tube feed only once or twice to get the crop working. Tube feeding for too long removes the ability of a chicken to feel hunger, and they are less likely to want to eat on their own. It's a delicate balance.

It sounds like your patient could use a molasses flush to wash out the rest of the grass stuck in the gizzard and intestines. One teaspoon molasses in one-fourth cup warm water as the only water. The patient much drink it all.

 

[my beautiful girls]

Update:

update: the vet has changed her antiobiotic to a mix with water. broader spectrum antibiotic. her crop is not flat in the morning. about size of a quarter. I gave her 2 ml of mineral oil and gently massaged it this morning. It is a real guessing game getting her to eat anything. at what point do you think she needs to be tube feed or at all? yesterday she ate watermelon and yogurt. today crushed up meal worms. How long will can this go on? Her poops are not close to being normal. This is what the vet took out of her crop on tuesday. It look like a lot of dirt as well as grass. this grass is from my yard, not the lawn mower clippings. she is still passing some grass in her runny poops. is an apple with no skin an option? she loves apples, but not applesauce.

I dis

Update:

update: the vet has changed her antiobiotic to a mix with water. broader spectrum antibiotic. her crop is not flat in the morning. about size of a quarter. I gave her 2 ml of mineral oil and gently massaged it this morning. It is a real guessing game getting her to eat anything. at what point do you think she needs to be tube feed or at all? yesterday she ate watermelon and yogurt. today crushed up meal worms. How long will can this go on? Her poops are not close to being normal. This is what the vet took out of her crop on tuesday. It look like a lot of dirt as well as grass. this grass is from my yard, not the lawn mower clippings. she is still passing some grass in her runny poops. is an apple with no skin an option? she loves apples, but not applesauce.

Soften the apples for a minute in the microwave and cool. Cut into quarter inch cubes. Have you tried soft boiled or other cooked egg? Sometimes I have sick chickens that will eat a raw egg when they reject all else. Boiled rice almost all but a dying chicken will eat.

Are you keeping her glucose up with sugar in the water? This can help give a sick chicken the necessary energy to want to try eating. It's a self perpetuating syndrome - if a chicken eats something, the chicken will keep eating more. If a chicken eats nothing, they lose the energy and will to eat anything at all.

Tube feeding is called for when nothing tempts a chicken. But we usually tube feed only once or twice to get the crop working. Tube feeding for too long removes the ability of a chicken to feel hunger, and they are less likely to want to eat on their own. It's a delicate balance.

It sounds like your patient could use a molasses flush to wash out the rest of the grass stuck in the gizzard and intestines. One teaspoon molasses in one-fourth cup warm water as the only water. The patient much drink it all.

do they make an appetite stimulate for hens like they do for cats and dogs? Can the vet syringe/ tube in the molasses mixture or will that bother the stitches? A crop holds 50 ml? She is still barely eating. I took her to work with me today and tried 7 different foods. barely anything. 2 days ago, I brought her sister in the crate with her and they ate some together. yesterday and today, eleanor did not eat with her. she didnt want to microwaved apple either. no egg of any kind, she didnt eat rice either. I know shes hungry.