Sour crop- is it to late to save her?

[#lovemychickens]

The good news is she’s still alive this morning! She drank a little bit this morning and that is about it. Her stools are now a mix of some regular colored and some blood dark black color. Her crop is still big and full of air/ sour stuff. It doesn’t seem that the monistat is helping.. I wish the medstatin would get here faster! I really think if I could get her crop to go down, she’d eat and drink.

 

[azygous]

It's okay. No real damage done, I'm certain. Any soft foods. Applesauce, raw egg or soft boiled (chickens adore runny yolk), yogurt, rice boiled extra long so it's very soft, cooked carrots and puree them. I keep several small jars of strained baby foods on my shelf just for sick chickens. They are useful if I need to tube feed. Get a few jars of the meats. You can try making a wet mash out of the feed.

Avoid seeds, dry feed, and dried hard foods.

 

[KaseySnow]

This is such an educational thread, thank you for your expertise @azygous, and I love your dedication @#lovemychickens ! You definitely picked the right username.

Just popping in to say that I'm cheering you on and watching the progress on this thread with interest. I'm glad to hear her energy is up a bit! Would love to see a pic of this little girl if you ever get a chance, though I realize that isn't your top priority right now.

 

[#lovemychickens]

This is such an educational thread, thank you for your expertise @azygous, and I love your dedication @#lovemychickens ! You definitely picked the right username.

Just popping in to say that I'm cheering you on and watching the progress on this thread with interest. I'm glad to hear her energy is up a bit! Would love to see a pic of this little girl if you ever get a chance, though I realize that isn't your top priority right now.

I can always make time to show off my other children! Is it wrong that I have more pictures of my chickens on my phone than my own children?!? So kidding! I am so appreciative of all of the support from everyone on backyard chickens and especially from @azygous (#lovingazygous!).. it’s what keeps me from losing hope and from throwing in the towel. Below is Miss Gracie

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Just found this thread tonight. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Miss Gracie (my Sheltie shares her name!). You are doing such a great job of caring for her! And I always learn from our Ms @azygous, where would BYC be without her and others like her, I ❤❤❤❤ them all so much! They make this the great place it is! Will be watching this thread for more good news!

 

[azygous]

Gracie. Sweet Gracie. No you didn't hurt her with the meds. There just wasn't anything that was going to work for what really caused this.

As @micstrachan pointed out, her cherry red comb and wattles indicated a spike in body temp and that the infection was running wild at that point, and it was then I knew we had probably lost her. This was just bigger than all of us to fight.

I am guessing this was a cancer with a secondary bacterial infection. There isn't much to be done for those foes, even when it hits humans.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Awe, I'm so sorry about Miss Gracie. Take solace in knowing you went above and beyond to help her. I'll bet she knew you loved her little feathery self.

 

[Sally PB]

I have nothing to say that hasn't been said, but thank you for caring about and for her. She lives on in your heart.

 

[azygous]

ACV is fine for helping to prevent sour crop, but it's useless to treat a yeasty crop. If you had made things worse, your hen would have died on the spot. It sometimes happens that some sour fluid from the crop gets into the top of the airway, but it take quite a lot to get into the lungs to cause serious problems.

Yes, I have used Nystatin under the label Medistatin. It's a decent anti-yeast medication. But miconazole works just as well. Please keep that up while you wait for the Nystatin. In fact, it will hurt nothing to double the dose. Continue twice a day, and please read my article again so you are clear on how to treat a sour crop. You do not want to massage a sour crop.

 

[azygous]

Baby steps in the right direction are better than no steps at all. Try not to be overly concerned about her crop. It's a bi-product of her intestinal issue. That black stuff you see in her stool is likely dead intestinal lining from the inflammation (necrotic enteritis). Continue all the meds, and let them work. As the sulfa knocks down the bacteria and the Corid kills off the coccidia (if they are the culprits as we suspect) her blockage will lessen and the crop will drain.

This may happen quickly today and you'll see her perk up considerably, or it may take a few more days for this to happen more slowly. As long as you don't see her lie down, shut her eyes, and give up, she's showing us she's fighting.