Remedies for Impacted Crop Create Difficulty Breathing for Bantam

[trinitynow]

hi all chicken lovers,

i have a sweet seven year old Polish Bantam named Bronte that's been struggling with an impacted/sour crop for about a week (six weeks ago she had vent gleet which we were able to treat and she recovered from. our nephew was taking care of her while we traveled and gave her moldy fruit and didn't clean her waterer). Bront is again separated from the flock (in the bathroom) and I've been treating her with probiotic yogurt, bread crumbs dipped in olive oil and apple cider vinegar/water administered with a dopper. Each time she eats, when I massage her crop, or when I administer the dropper Bronte struggles to breathe afterwards. I am not massaging her upside down or trying to empty her crop with fear of aspirating her. I am unsure what to do, because any of the remedies I administer create great difficulty in her breathing. I tried over 10 vets and animal hospitals in the LA area today and not one clinic (even emergency clinics) would see her. Any suggestions? I've read nearly every forum post here on sour and impacted crops. Thank you in advance.

 

[azygous]

You may be getting a little fluid into her airway as you try to give her fluids by dropper. Look at this photo of a chicken being given fluids by oral syringe and notice where it is placed. The airway is the hole in the center of the throat behind the tongue, while the esophagus leading directly into the crop is on the right side of the tongue. By sliding the dropper or syringe into the right side of the beak, just under the tongue, and keeping to the far right in the throat, you can avoid getting fluids in the airway and the chicken choking and coughing.

 

[trinitynow]

You may be getting a little fluid into her airway as you try to give her fluids by dropper. Look at this photo of a chicken being given fluids by oral syringe and notice where it is placed. The airway is the hole in the center of the throat behind the tongue, while the esophagus leading directly into the crop is on the right side of the tongue. By sliding the dropper or syringe into the right side of the beak, just under the tongue, and keeping to the far right in the throat, you can avoid getting fluids in the airway and the chicken choking and coughing. View attachment 2829400

Thank you! The picture and description is very helpful. I will try this.

 

[trinitynow]

Thank you! The picture and description is very helpful. I will try this.

So I modified the way I'm administering drops which is great input - thank you. Strange still, each time Bronte eats her olive oil covered breadcrumbs with a touch of probiotic yogurt and tiny bit of chick grit -- she has trouble breathing, mouth-opened breathing sometimes with a tiny sound. Oh my goodness I love her so much. Postponed a vacation today to stay here to tend to my baby. Any advice would be appreciated. Namaste.

 

[azygous]

What was the med her vent gleet was treated with? And for how long? It could be she's still dealing with active Candida in her system, now filling her crop. The resulting fluid can work its way into the airway and make breathing a bit difficult, and it's just an all around miserable thing to have.

Perhaps you need to get some miconazole vaginal yeast cream from the store and treat her crop.

 

[trinitynow]

What was the med her vent gleet was treated with? And for how long? It could be she's still dealing with active Candida in her system, now filling her crop. The resulting fluid can work its way into the airway and make breathing a bit difficult, and it's just an all around miserable thing to have.

Perhaps you need to get some miconazole vaginal yeast cream from the store and treat her crop.

Thank you for this!! Please forgive me if it is explained somewhere on the forums, how is the cream applied? Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge!

 

[azygous]

Squeeze out half an inch on your finger, pry open her beak and wipe it off inside her mouth. Do that twice a day for seven full days. That usually takes care of crop yeast.

 

[trinitynow]

Squeeze out half an inch on your finger, pry open her beak and wipe it off inside her mouth. Do that twice a day for seven full days. That usually takes care of crop yeast.

This morning Bronte's crop was much less full, grainy and hard after doing the oil-soaked bread crumbs and continually massage yesterday. Her poop looks much healthier too. But her crop was still not fully empty now a bit more squishy -- like we have almost cured the impact but not the sour aspect. I've started the yeast cream and also giving her a dropper mix of greek yogurt, ACV and probiotic pill. In your other thread you talk about administering Dulcolax and massaging up to the crop "drain." Does that make her regurgitate? How do you administer the Dulcolax? I'm going to try the chilled coconut oil pieces like you suggest, the Dulcolax and the cream. Thank you in advance for all of your insight. You are helping sooo much!

 

[azygous]

When you massage an impacted crop, it doesn't make the chicken vomit. Massaging a sour crop is trickier. You need to keep the massage as a gentle needing motion and don't put so much pressure on the crop that it pushed the fluids up into the throat.

Adminster the Dulcolax stool softener as you would any pill, directly into the beak intact.