Probiotic Substitute - Sick chicken

[NavyVetVetTech]

Thank you both so much for the quick replies. I'm anxious for her.

vet tech did check her droppings "for parasites" but no mention of coccidiosis or worms specifically - would those be included in that check you think? Said "no parasites."

We did feel her crop (the one thing I forgot to mention) and the vet said it felt a little full and "grainy" and said check again in the morning. I asked her what it meant if it was full and what to do for it and she really didn't have much an answer. She gave me the feeling it would take care of itself? I will have to research this quickly tonight. Maybe I will hold off on the probiotics, give the antibiotic for good measure and continue to give electrolytes (LyfeLite) until I can check her crop in the morning. No idea what to do for this!

Yes, they check for all parasites in stool. I work at a vet...

 

[Eggcessive]

Probiotics are good for all crop problems. Massage the crop several times a day, and recheck it first thing in the morning. Without a sour or bad odor, she might just have a slowed down crop secondary to other issues. An impacted crop is firm or hard. A sour crop is puffy like a balloon. If your vet checked for parasites, that usually includes coccidia and worms. TwoCrows has an excellent thread on "treatment and prevention of sour and impacted crop," if you Google that or do a search here on BYC.

 

[chickbee]

UPDATE on Fiona/sick chicken.

So we kept Fiona in and gave probiotics, electrolytes and antibiotics for a few days. She seemed to remain about the same and maybe got a little better. She did start loosing ALOT of feathers so I thought maybe it was just a hard molt. Her crop felt ok and nearly empty in the mornings so no apparent crop issues. Went ahead and put her back out with the other chickens but she's continued to lose weight, sometimes weak, and then about a week ago her crop did not seem to be emptying as usual anymore. Brought her back in and spent the week massaging her crop, trying to empty it a couple times (no success) and doing the usual things for it (grit, water, massaging). Did not feed her over the weekend and it has gone down significantly but remains full and hard. Took her back to a (new) vet and she is now scheduled for her crop to be surgically cleared this Wednesday. However, the vet mentioned mareks and feels maybe the crop is just a side effect of something else (maybe mareks maybe not). But wouldn't she be dead already with mareks? She's been like this for over a month. She was rechecked for parasites (none) and this time got blood work (results pending). Also was given de-wormer to give in case.

Not sure I have any questions other than maybe how quickly mareks kills. Just an update and quite frustrated without knowing what's going on. This vet was much better and just grateful I have one to take her to but regardless both said it's just too hard to know what's wrong. Feel like I just need a good, experienced farmer instead of these vets. This will be the first crop surgery this vet will do so fingers crossed for this! She is going to research and call fellow vets to make sure she will do it right.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

UPDATE on Fiona/sick chicken.

So we kept Fiona in and gave probiotics, electrolytes and antibiotics for a few days. She seemed to remain about the same and maybe got a little better. She did start loosing ALOT of feathers so I thought maybe it was just a hard molt. Her crop felt ok and nearly empty in the mornings so no apparent crop issues. Went ahead and put her back out with the other chickens but she's continued to lose weight, sometimes weak, and then about a week ago her crop did not seem to be emptying as usual anymore. Brought her back in and spent the week massaging her crop, trying to empty it a couple times (no success) and doing the usual things for it (grit, water, massaging). Did not feed her over the weekend and it has gone down significantly but remains full and hard. Took her back to a (new) vet and she is now scheduled for her crop to be surgically cleared this Wednesday. However, the vet mentioned mareks and feels maybe the crop is just a side effect of something else (maybe mareks maybe not). But wouldn't she be dead already with mareks? She's been like this for over a month. She was rechecked for parasites (none) and this time got blood work (results pending). Also was given de-wormer to give in case.

Not sure I have any questions other than maybe how quickly mareks kills. Just an update and quite frustrated without knowing what's going on. This vet was much better and just grateful I have one to take her to but regardless both said it's just too hard to know what's wrong. Feel like I just need a good, experienced farmer instead of these vets. This will be the first crop surgery this vet will do so fingers crossed for this! She is going to research and call fellow vets to make sure she will do it right.

From everything I've been reading, crop surgery is actually pretty straight forward.

Maybe the antibiotics are helping, but it sure does seem like vets are quick to prescribe them as an "I don't know but here, try this" failsafe.

Also, I've been meaning to research the benefits of using apple cider vinegar with probiotics. They do work nicely together? There aren't any contradictions?

And I think it's great your new vet is so willing to take on something she hasn't done before. Thanks to your darling hen she's now expanding her experience so she can help other chickens in her office. It's not easy finding a vet who will see one, let alone a vet with actual experience.

I'm praying for your girl and hope the mystery of the hardened crop is resolved so she can return to her feathered friends soon!

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she still limping and laying down a lot, as well as having the crop problems? Crop surgery is best done under sterile conditions by a vet. There are lots of videos on how to do it, but I would not do it without a vet unless the chicken would die. If the vet is questioning possible Mareks, then the crop problem could be related to that. TwoCrows has a good article on "Treatment and prevention of impacted, sour, pendulous crops," that you can do a search for.

 

[chickbee]

She seemed ok these past days (as far as walking) but yesterday did seem to grow weaker and is stumbling, sort of having trouble with one leg and laying/falling down and sleeping. I am feeling like she will pass at some point just because of how thin and weak she is now. I am debating doing the crop surgery as maybe I should just let her die here at home with us. She just isn't at that point yet (it appears anyway). I tend to agree with the vet and the posters on here that the crop is probably just a side effect of something bigger like mareks. However, she goes to eat and drink and just fast-walked over to me to get grapes and gobbled them up. Her comb is red, no respiratory issues although I know these things can change quickly!

What would y'all do at this point? Would you go ahead and try the crop surgery? I want to do something for her if possible. It is still apparent that her crop is impacted. But not sure she will ever make it through it. (The vet is cutting us a break due to this being her first surgery for this so money is of no consequence). She's just such a sweet darling chicken I want to do right by her!

 

[chickbee]

From everything I've been reading, crop surgery is actually pretty straight forward.

Maybe the antibiotics are helping, but it sure does seem like vets are quick to prescribe them as an "I don't know but here, try this" failsafe.

Also, I've been meaning to research the benefits of using apple cider vinegar with probiotics. They do work nicely together? There aren't any contradictions?

And I think it's great your new vet is so willing to take on something she hasn't done before. Thanks to your darling hen she's now expanding her experience so she can help other chickens in her office. It's not easy finding a vet who will see one, let alone a vet with actual experience.

I'm praying for your girl and hope the mystery of the hardened crop is resolved so she can return to her feathered friends soon!

The first vet prescribed antibiotics but this second one did not as it didn't seem to do anything.

There is so much info out there it's hard to know what to do but I have heard/read not to give Apple cider vinegar for a sour crop as it may not help with the yeast. But to mix baking soda in water for sour crop. ACV does help otherwise. Fiona does seem to have a sour smell so we just have been giving the probiotics and electrolytes. As well as grit.

 

[sbhkma]

What would y'all do at this point? Would you go ahead and try the crop surgery? I want to do something for her if possible. It is still apparent that her crop is impacted. But not sure she will ever make it through it. (The vet is cutting us a break due to this being her first surgery for this so money is of no consequence). She's just such a sweet darling chicken I want to do right by her!

I think you just answered your own question. And the question is never "what would y'all do" it's "what do I think I should do" because only you can answer that. Whatever choice you make, know that you've gone above and beyond what many chicken owners do and be at peace with that.

 

[chickbee]

Thank you and yes this is so true, I do feel at least we've done all we can! It's funny how these chickens really becomes pets.