Post Crop Surgery Questions

[rebrascora]

I think this was her wound about 3 days post surgery and the mass of vegetation I removed. It was the size of a softball and she was a bantam cochin. It was so heavy it was tipping her forward so she could not stand up and clearly was never going to pass through her system!

 

[rebrascora]

And a full picture so that you can see what a sweet heart she was. Surprisingly the incision looks quite low down on these photos but I deliberately made it as high up as I could at the time.

 

[EggWalrus]

View attachment 1597159 View attachment 1597156

I think this was her wound about 3 days post surgery and the mass of vegetation I removed. It was the size of a softball and she was a bantam cochin. It was so heavy it was tipping her forward so she could not stand up and clearly was never going to pass through her system!

Looks like a tangled ball of feathers.

 

[rebrascora]

Looks like a tangled ball of feathers.

No, it was vegetation... straw and hay and grass... don't think I saw a single feather amongst it. Surprisingly it did not smell bad despite sitting there in her crop for at least 10 days. No indication of sour crop at all either.

 

[EggWalrus]

No, it was vegetation... straw and hay and grass... don't think I saw a single feather amongst it. Surprisingly it did not smell bad despite sitting there in her crop for at least 10 days. No indication of sour crop at all either.

Long grasses can hang up in there.

 

[rebrascora]

What I will say is that she sadly went back to eating straw immediately that I put her back in the coop with the others ...... literally 2 minutes after I released her and whilst she lived for 6-8 more months she eventually impacted again. Unfortunately I was somewhat distracted with other things at the time and when I eventually got around to doing surgery for the second time, she had lost too much body mass and was too weak to recover. I do not regret putting her back with the others. It was no fun being a lone house chicken with nothing to scratch and peck, but like a drug addict she had an urge to exhibit that self destructive behaviour when she had the opportunity. She had a good but short life.

 

[CPBlaire]

Happy Thanksgiving and good morning friends.
@CPBlaire,
How is your bird this morning? I have a question for you: Is Bonnie’s comb always floppy? Could you post a new picture of her face and comb when you wake up today? (Time difference)

I’m asking because I have one who had a previous comb injury and when it healed it was to the side.

But if the answer is no, it’s likely because she’s quite dehydrated.

The night owls and west coasters have given you excellent advice and @EggWalrus brought up a vital suggestion which is a must, of leaving the bottom of the *outer incision open to drain.
Yes. Yes. And more yes to this! Thank you @EggWalrus

This is the perfect example of the collaborative spirit of BYC.

You did an awesome job on closing your incision. So much so, that I vote for making a new one and just let that one heal.

Don’t be shy about trimming away or even plucking feathers (in the direction of growth, just like an eyebrow hair) to achieve room to work and make a clean, straight cut.

How many days would it take to obtain more suture material? Because if it’s “tomorrow”, that’s oka but if it’s “several” ...you don’t have time.

My opinion is that getting the contamination of the interior drainage controlled is the higher priority.

If you could get it by tomorrow then I’d consider keeping her in total darkness today, withhold all food and just give Electrolytes by scant drops to the beak to humanely address her thirst.

It’s possible that little to none of what she’s been taking in is even reaching her system because it’s escaping before it can get there.

Subcutaneous fluids are a thought, but I’ve only administered sterile saline from an IV bag (obtained from my vet) into any of my animals over the years. I’ve no experience with “homemade” and therefore cannot guide you on this.

If you choose to open her today, or tomorrow at the latest you can correct her electrolytes and dehydration after the repair.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so very thankful for the advice I've received from my friends of BYC. My Bonnie is so camera shy! lol...I tried to take several pics. Her comb normally falls to the side, but maybe it looks more slumped over today. I have seen her drink water this morning and last night, but she isn't really a fan of the mush I served her this morning. I think she detests the plain yogurt I put in there. I did the surgery on Monday, so this evening will be day 3ish. My mom will be here this evening so I had thought we might try to open her back up again, but I don't have absorbable sutures and from my search last evening. There was a site I could purchase some from, however, I am not sure how quickly I would receive them. Is there any alternative to store-bought absorbable sutures? If I open were to make a new incision, do I do it next to the one thats stitched up? I also don't have any more saline, but I have a lot of sea salt and can boil water. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[CPBlaire]

Make sure to close the crop incision completely. Think of it like a water hose going from the the beak to the vent. Any hole or opening is going to leak into the bird. And that's not good. once food goes in thru the mouth, the whole digestive system is pressurized. The crop, then the gizzard, then the guts /intestines and all the way to the poop shute. It's meant to be a closed system.

Thanks EggWalrus and Happy Thanksgiving! I will be sure to close the crop completely. My only worry is with what. Super glue may be my only option, but it seems to be a poor option.

 

[CPBlaire]

Quick update, my friend texted me saying she had some dog antibiotics (Clavamox). Can I give this to my chicken?

 

[CPBlaire]

I did crop surgery on my silkie. You close up the crop all the way. You don't want it to drain. I used dissolvable thread but if others say glue will work, try that.

How distended was her crop when it was impacted?

I would say it was the slightly smaller than a softball? Perhaps more like the size of a large orange. I just searched for disolvable thread. Is this the kind you've used? https://www.amazon.com/Superior-Thr...1542920583&sr=8-1&keywords=dissolvable+thread