Sour crop for 1 month.

[SpeckledCoopQueen]

I’m running out of options. I had a vet prescribe me Albon over the phone in the early stages of this issue and did nothing (because that’s not what she needed) I have treated her with ACV, fresh garlic, probiotics, electeolytes, plain yogurt, olive oil and maggots when it felt impacted. I also made her vomit on multiple attempts. The crop is not ALWAYS sour but it is always squishy and watery, which is when I empty it. Sometimes when I press on it some gas bubbles come up. She is slowly gaining weight and still eats/poops/drinks freely. Her legs are much skinnier and more frail than the others. I recently had a vet prescribe me nystatin, I’m on day four with no huge improvements. She hasn’t been wormed and at this point I’m hesitant to give her more chemicals in her little body. The vet also gave me some sort of antibiotic, but haven’t started it because not sure if it would make the problem worse or better. Any ideas on what to do next?

 

[rebrascora]

Can we go back to the beginning and get some basic information...

How old is she and how did you first establish she had sour crop? Was the bird refluxing foul smelling liquid/does her breath smell bad?
Do you know what is causing it? Grass impaction/pendulous crop/abdominal swelling causing slow crop etc.
Did the vet take any samples to test for bacteria or yeast?
I was of the impression Albon is a sulfa antibiotic that is used for coccidiosis. Did you ask for that drug or did the vet offer it. I do not believe it would be beneficial for a yeast infection. I appreciate sour crop can be bacterial but a phone conversation is unlikely to determine that.
Have you limited her diet to liquid/sloppy feeds only and no access to fibrous material like grass hay and straw? Are you giving her daily massages to help break up the crop contents and ensuring that it empties. If it is not emptying with regular (3-4 times) daily massage, have you tried a stool softener like Dulcolax (without stimulant)
It is expected that birds with crop problems will lose body condition but I would be surprised if her leg shanks show much change since they are just skin bone and sinew.
I agree that putting wormer into her crop at this stage is not going to be helpful particularly if she doesn't have a high worm burden. Having a faecal sample tested would indicate if one might be necessary.
Nystatin should deal with a yeast infection if that is what she has but it could just be a grass impaction that is slowing her crop and trapping air which makes it feel gassy. If you haven't tried it, and you have been giving her regular massages with no success, then I would try the stool softener next. Final resort would be surgery if you feel it is likely to be a grass impaction and it will not shift, but restricting her diet only to feed that is fine enough to pass through a kitchen sieve and preventing access to any more fibrous material is really important until you get the crop to completely empty.

 

[casportpony]

@rebrascora ,

 

[casportpony]

I have been doing a lot of research on crop problems lately and if you and your vet think it's yeast, ask your vet about adding fluconazole to the treatment. If it is yeast, that should clear up the yeast. However, it's been my experience that these crop problems are secondary to something else, like cancer, worms, coccidiosis, or bacterial infections.

 

[SpeckledCoopQueen]

@rebrascora when it all started she had a very ballon feeling crop with the smell. I had her inside and monitored what she ate for a week and things stayed relativly the same. I do daily massages more than once a day. She is 11 weeks old. I don’t know what is causing it, she doesn’t seem impacted and is still passing pretty regular stool. I’m stumped.