My Bantam Cochin Hen has had what I believed what a Sour/impacted crop for a over 2 weeks that I have noticed it. Was most likely impacted for longer. I had tried everything I have read about to try and resolve the problem. I massaged it, gave her olive oil and butter. I tried turning her upside down and pushing gently on the crop to see if she could expel the stuff. After, reading on BYC about a guy that had to cut the stuff out of his hen to clear it up, I figured this was my last choice or she would die.
Last night I gave her a good bath and removed the feathers from around the Crop area. I put an old sock around her to keep her snug and secure and cut a hole out around the area that I needed to work on. I prepared the area with Iodine and used a new exacto blade to cut through her skin. I actually poked a little hole with the tip of the blade and turned the blade up and cut this way so that I did not cut too deep. It bled just a little and it didn't seem to bother Angel at all. Once I got the blood cleaned up and the hole was big enough the crop actually came through the hole I made.
Next, I did the same thing only I made the cut horizontal in the crop. I started by putting a small puncture in what looked like an air pocket at the top part of the crop that was bulging, a bunch of air came out and the crop settled down. I cut about a 1/2 inch opening in the crop and all the dark brownish green liquid started to come out. I saw the problem right away; there was a ton of grass built up in the crop. She would have never gotten it out. I started pulling it out bit by bit. It came out in little chunks with feed mixed in with it. I grabbed what felt like the middle of the mass which was hard and pulled it out. It was huge and all clumped together, it almost didn't fit out of the hole. Once that was out I rinsed the crop and the area with saline solution and looked in the crop the best I could. I used sanitized tweezers to remove the stuff. I used the tweezers to feel inside the crop and I could still feel stuff down in deeper, so I kept working little at a time and got some more feed and grass pieces out. I worked for about 45 min. removing all the stuff. The smell was terrible and it almost turned my stomach.
I rinsed the area with saline again and patted it dry with a sterile dressing. I used superglue to seal the crop (It took several time for me to get a good seal) then I pushed the Crop all the way inside and filled the area with Neosporin. I then picked up the ends of the skin and lined them up. I put superglue down the edges and held it together with the tweezers for a few seconds. Then I put a little more glue on the incision after I let go of it just to give a better seal. I covered the outside of the incision with more Neosporin and then covered it with a large Band-Aid and vet wrap. I held her for about an hour to make sure she was ok and then I gave her a little vitamins and electrolytes and put her in her cage with some water mixed with antibiotic. (NO FOOD).
I will check her incision tonight, clean it and cover it again. If it looks sealed up tight, I will let her have a tiny bit of wet food.
**I have to say that I was really scared about doing this to her, but after I thought about it, She would have died if I hadn't tried, so I am glad that I did. Hopefully she will heal up well and be ok from here on out.
Please keep her in your thoughts.
Here is a picture of what came out of her - Notice that I have a full size marker next to it to give you an idea of the amount.
Last night I gave her a good bath and removed the feathers from around the Crop area. I put an old sock around her to keep her snug and secure and cut a hole out around the area that I needed to work on. I prepared the area with Iodine and used a new exacto blade to cut through her skin. I actually poked a little hole with the tip of the blade and turned the blade up and cut this way so that I did not cut too deep. It bled just a little and it didn't seem to bother Angel at all. Once I got the blood cleaned up and the hole was big enough the crop actually came through the hole I made.
Next, I did the same thing only I made the cut horizontal in the crop. I started by putting a small puncture in what looked like an air pocket at the top part of the crop that was bulging, a bunch of air came out and the crop settled down. I cut about a 1/2 inch opening in the crop and all the dark brownish green liquid started to come out. I saw the problem right away; there was a ton of grass built up in the crop. She would have never gotten it out. I started pulling it out bit by bit. It came out in little chunks with feed mixed in with it. I grabbed what felt like the middle of the mass which was hard and pulled it out. It was huge and all clumped together, it almost didn't fit out of the hole. Once that was out I rinsed the crop and the area with saline solution and looked in the crop the best I could. I used sanitized tweezers to remove the stuff. I used the tweezers to feel inside the crop and I could still feel stuff down in deeper, so I kept working little at a time and got some more feed and grass pieces out. I worked for about 45 min. removing all the stuff. The smell was terrible and it almost turned my stomach.
I rinsed the area with saline again and patted it dry with a sterile dressing. I used superglue to seal the crop (It took several time for me to get a good seal) then I pushed the Crop all the way inside and filled the area with Neosporin. I then picked up the ends of the skin and lined them up. I put superglue down the edges and held it together with the tweezers for a few seconds. Then I put a little more glue on the incision after I let go of it just to give a better seal. I covered the outside of the incision with more Neosporin and then covered it with a large Band-Aid and vet wrap. I held her for about an hour to make sure she was ok and then I gave her a little vitamins and electrolytes and put her in her cage with some water mixed with antibiotic. (NO FOOD).
I will check her incision tonight, clean it and cover it again. If it looks sealed up tight, I will let her have a tiny bit of wet food.
**I have to say that I was really scared about doing this to her, but after I thought about it, She would have died if I hadn't tried, so I am glad that I did. Hopefully she will heal up well and be ok from here on out.
Please keep her in your thoughts.
Here is a picture of what came out of her - Notice that I have a full size marker next to it to give you an idea of the amount.
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