Sour crop- is it to late to save her?

[#lovemychickens]

Find the mass with your finger tips and massage as if you are breaking apart a lump of cookie dough. When/if it breaks apart aim for the lower one-third of the crop, pushing the crumbles toward the "drain". View attachment 2533633

Are you sure you aren’t a vet?!? You are so knowledgeable! I’m envious of you!

 

[#lovemychickens]

The Medistatin is finally here!! I’m not sure how to treat her. I can find directions for pigeons, hand reared chicks and feed application. She isn’t eating feed so that won’t work.. It’s a powder and I’m assuming dilute it? Any suggestions on how to dose, the amounts and how often? I was just reading the bottle and it states not for food producing animals.. does this mean I can’t use her eggs if she starts laying again?

 

[azygous]

Use about a teaspoon over the course of a day sprinkled onto foods. You will want to refrain from eating eggs from her for about two weeks after the treatment ends.

 

[#lovemychickens]

Use about a teaspoon over the course of a day sprinkled onto foods. You will want to refrain from eating eggs from her for about two weeks after the treatment ends.

What do I do if she’s not really eating? I’m trying to remain positive but am emotionally exhausted. After I got home from work I immediately went down to check on her and she has blood in her stools again and it doesn’t smell like normal chicken poo.. it’s has a very strange odor to it.. almost like the smell of infection if that makes sense. Her crop is still big and instead of being firm it’s now squishy again.

 

[#lovemychickens]

I melted a little bit of coconut oil and mixed in a 1/4 tsp of the powder. I put it in the fridge to harden and cut it into chunks and popped them down her beak. About 10 minutes later she laid down and started to turn on her side so I picked her up and she vomited all over. Her crop is still huge! Did I make her worse by giving her this? Do I give her more since she threw up?

 

[azygous]

There may be something in the intestines or other parts of the digestive tract that the sulfa isn't able to respond to, a blockage such as a tumor. There's no way to know, but an infection should be responding to the sulfa by now, and the crop should be draining better than it is.

I'm only bringing this up because it would explain why we aren't seeing the progress we should be seeing at this point. It doesn't mean that this is a diagnosis. Even a vet wouldn't be able to tell without fancy imaging equipment.

All we can do is keep up with the meds, and hope they kick in soon.

One thing I've tried when a crop refuses to empty is to massage very gently, keeping to the lowest part of the crop, while cupping the crop in the other hand to elevate it so it is even with the crop drain on that diagram. This will help empty the crop unless there's a solid blockage downstream preventing it.

Yes, I'm very worried, too. Sometimes doing all we can isn't enough.

 

[#lovemychickens]

There may be something in the intestines or other parts of the digestive tract that the sulfa isn't able to respond to, a blockage such as a tumor. There's no way to know, but an infection should be responding to the sulfa by now, and the crop should be draining better than it is.

I'm only bringing this up because it would explain why we aren't seeing the progress we should be seeing at this point. It doesn't mean that this is a diagnosis. Even a vet wouldn't be able to tell without fancy imaging equipment.

All we can do is keep up with the meds, and hope they kick in soon.

One thing I've tried when a crop refuses to empty is to massage very gently, keeping to the lowest part of the crop, while cupping the crop in the other hand to elevate it so it is even with the crop drain on that diagram. This will help empty the crop unless there's a solid blockage downstream preventing it.

Yes, I'm very worried, too. Sometimes doing all we can isn't enough.

Hopefully some of the Medstatin/nystatin stayed in.. and maybe another night will help. I’m fearing it’s more than what we can fix. I lightly touched her crop to feel it and she burped and started acting like she was drinking so it must be pretty full of liquid. The crop smell isn’t as bad as it was (still there tho) so that’s giving me something to hold onto. Will the coconut oil help lube things up so if there is a blockage somewhere it will help push it through? Is my other hand that’s cupping the crop kinda pushing it down as I lightly rub the bottom so she doesn’t throw up again or just trying to hold it in place as I massage?

 

[azygous]

Cup her crop in your left hand and lift it up about two inches while making a tiny circular motion on the crop with your right fingers. Or just sit and hold her while raising the crop up two inches. Sort of like you're cupping a boob.

I don't think coconut oil will help. By the way, your innovation mixing the Nystatin in a little coconut oil is one way I've given Nystatin. Great minds.

 

[#lovemychickens]

I think she’s taken a turn for the worse. I went down to lightly massage her crop. I gently cupped it and barely moved it up and she threw up, coughed, sneezed and laid down. Closed her eyes and her breathing was very labored.. her head was almost laying flat in the ground. Her comb and wattles are a very deep red. Although I don’t want to see her die, I don’t want her to suffer either. All I could do was rub her back and tell her it’s okay to go. I picked her up and then she stood for about a minute and laid back down again. Her breast mass is gone and I can feel her bones. How do you know when it’s time to say your goodbyes and help her end her suffering? Is it selfish of me to keep trying everything to keep her going? I’m struggling and my heart is breaking.

 

[azygous]

This is the hardest part of keeping and loving chickens. When I have this situation and I know in my heart that there is no chance of my patient making it, I give myself and my patient a deadline, say tomorrow morning. If she is the same or worse, there is no more thinking involved. I just do it.