Prolapse in 1 week old

[ditzyanne]

BACKGROUND/CONTEXT: Had 15 chicks shipped out a week ago; they got to my PO 23 hours after ship time. Someone else collected them for me and placed them in the brooder with a heat plate and water. No one was injured or lethargic. Later that day I looked them over and everyone looked healthy, so I offered wet mash, and the next day switched to dry.

Since then I've had a day where I had to wash dried fecal matter off of half of them; checked again the following day and everything was fine. Yesterday I glanced at a few butts and they seemed clean enough, only a couple had tiny bits of dried poop sticking to the ends of their fluff. Nothing I haven't seen before!

PROBLEM: This morning I discovered that one had a severe, bloody prolapsed cloaca. She's crying very loudly. I rinsed her off, and used petroleum jelly on a q-tip to try to push it back in, but every time she cries or strains it pops back out. I've isolated her in a separate brooder, with a low-temp heat pad and some water. Since then when I've handled her she's passed some petroleum-jelly-urate-mix. I put a few drops of water inside the front of her beak, trying to get her to rehydrate just a little.

WHAT IM WORKING WITH: On hand I have petroleum jelly, Epsom salts, some cooking oils (not coconut), various hemmeroid products, triple antibiotic ointment without painkillers, save-a-chick electrolytes, distilled water, nutri-drench, rubbing alcohol, and q-tips & pipettes. I probably forgot some human medicines we have, but most things not on that list would have to wait 24 hours until I can make a trip to a grocery store or feed store/big box store.

This is my 4th or 5th time round with baby chicks. The only other prolapses I've seen have been more minor, in younger birds, and resolved quickly without major intervention.

What can I do to a) improve her chances of surviving and b) reduce her discomfort in the meantime?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try and get the chick drinking some electrolytes or a couple of drops of nutridrench along with dipping it’s beak into water often. A little egg yolk and moistened chick feed may be offered. Coconut oil offered orally to peck or a bit of olive oil or mineral oil on food could soften the poop. It sounds like the chicks were really stressed in slow shipping, and that can cause losses and pasty butt. I hope that you can save her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Also keep the prolapse tissue from drying out, and vaseline, hemorrhoid cream, witch hazel and others may work. Let us know how she gets along. She may take some fluids from your finger tips or by dipping her beak into them. Some of these chicks with a prolapse may survive, but some also don’t. Her shipping stress doesn’t help. I like to get chicks from the nearest hatchery, or get them in the feed store as soon as they arrive. Good luck.

 

[ditzyanne]

Huh, I'm surprised to hear that- I would think that shipping stress shows up fairly promptly (which I've seen before) as opposed to 5 days after they arrive! And I'm surprised that less than a day in transit counts as slow shipping, compared to the two-plus days I've heard others report.

I'll try the olive oil in some feed, and get some nutri-drench mixed up for her. Definitely gonna stay on hydration.

She's still upright and energetic 6 hours after I saw the problem, so I'm not giving up hope yet

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I thought that your shipping was delayed, sorry. Shipping stress is more likely in chicks that are days in delivery, stuck at the post office or in a truck for more than 2 days. When it occurs, things like pasty butt can last as long as 7-10 days. Cold temps during transit can add to it. Just let us know how the chick gets along.

 

[ditzyanne]

Thank you! Will do! Unfortunately she doesn't look better six hours after I found her. Fortunately she doesn't look worse, either. I'm thinking she's still got some constipation that's causing her ongoing distress and keeping her from healing.

So far she has zero interest in eating or drinking on her own; a couple of times I forced a drop of nutri-drench (diluted) into her beak and she swallowed. I also put one drop of olive oil on the tip of her beak but didn't see a clear swallow.

The Vaseline seems to be staying on her prolapsed vent. I'll keep refreshing it a few times a day anyways, just so theres no risk of mucus membranes drying out.

Left a little food soaked in olive oil in her brooder along with the water. Maybe her interest in eating and drinking will return?

The only other thing I could think of is soaking her in a warm Epsom salt bath, but I have no idea what that does to a prolapsed cloaca. Has anyone tried it on a young chick and had success?

 

[Eggcessive]

Soaking is usually done in older birds. I would probably not do that since it could chill the chick. I would dip her beak in food and water often, and hopefully she will take it.

 

[ditzyanne]

Chick is still alive and vocal at the 12 hour mark. Prolapse has not visibly reduced, but appears slightly less irritated/swollen/red. Have been dipping her beak periodically but she does not eat or drink. Her vent has been periodically 'refreshed' with Vaseline.

Will update in the morning.

 

[ditzyanne]

She made it through the night, and even slept (or went quiet, at least) for some time. She passed fairly normal-looking fecal matter overnight, and I found her prolapsed vent covered in urates again, which I wiped off with a lubricated q-tip. Her vent no longer appears irritated or swollen. Once she woke up she was back to her loud, active, uncooperative self.

I still cannot get her cloaca to stay in place after I push it back.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not push it back in, but clean it as needed with warm water and tissue. I hope that she gets through this.