Sour crop

[shell3]

Arrhh! Checked bombies crop last night and it felt a bit fluidy again checked again this morning and is still enlarged and full of fluid again. I'm so upset cos I've been checking her crop every morning and night and she was doing so well! I've brought her back in the house and started on nystatin and canesten again but she's really fighting me to take it from the syringe! Last time she had it she's was really ill so didn't fight it, just lay still but I can see where this is going and I think she'll go downhill fast if I don't act now. If I lie her on her back she goes very calm. Can anyone tell me is it ok to lay her on her back and drop medication into her mouth? I've done it once already and she was swollowing it but it occurred to me it might not be a great idea! Advice on this would be very welcome. I'm going to open a new thread asking the same hoping to catch attention. Thanks

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Sorry this is happening again!

I hope you can find your answers on the new thread. I don't know a whole lot about doing such things.

 

[delisha]

Normally it is not done laying on the back, however if you were successful last time, go for it. The easiest way is wrapped in a towel with someone holding and the other person opens the mouth and administers the dose.

 

[shell3]

Well seem to have caught it quick this time thank goodnes. Ive been giving nystatin for 3days and th crop is feeling more normal thou not empying completely over night bombie is well in herself so i think im doing alright by her. I found a speciaist chicken vet in my area(hertfordhire) in case it help any one her names hazel and shes at cuffley hill vets. Shes great and im waiting for a call back today but all looking well at the moment x

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Glad to hear a report on Bombie!!!

 

[shell3]

well im back im afraid! i cant seem to get a handle on this crop problem!
bombie has had about 5 lots of nystatin over the last few months, been to the vets twice and still not better!
last visit to vets last week, crop is balloon again all filled with fluid, when emptied there was just clear fluid with no smell coming out so thought not an infection. vet gave liquid parafin for three days to lubricate any blockage that could be in there although she and i could not feel one. have now finished with that and have been masaging crop to try to dislodge anything that could be blocking up down low. this morning shes all filled up with fluid still so tipped her up and emptied crop as much as i could and brown/grey liquid came up but does not smell like sour crop had bits of what looked like grass in it. after that i had a good feel and think i can feel a mass of something prob grass quite small but too big to come up through her mouth, also not sure but can feel something else, maybe bit of stick? stem or something? not sure its kind of floating about in the fluid! her comb is really pale and shes not herself. question is what to do next. ive brought her in the house in a cage with just grit and water . someone suggested starving her for the day to see if the crop empties some so thought id try that then maybe get a better feel of this mass. my thinking is that perhaps the parafin dislodged this mass but if so it surely will just clog back again. one vet said she could operate with local to numb area and remove blockage, ive also read about feeding them live white maggots which eat the blockage away but dont know if thats true or something i should try, i have a bait store near me so can get some maggots no problem but would like to know if this has worked for anyone? would love opinions on what you guys think i should do. at least having her in doors i now know she is pooping. bit runny so will add some biostop to water, but seriously desperate to cure her ! please share anything thats worked for you.
thanks

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Awww!

I would think you would want to use the surgery as a last resort. I know the second time my little EE got squishy, I massaged her several times a day and she got better without any medicine that time around. I wonder if diligent massage several times a day would go a long way to helping break up that lump? I know you are giving biostop. How about some vitamins and electrolytes in her water too? Did you search about the maggots on BYC? I have not heard of that one before.

 

[shell3]

hi, thanks x
no googling for answers i came across a few posts here and there about the maggots but not sure its true! and wont try it unless i know . plus maggots are one of the very few things that creep me out! id do it if i had to but would NOT enjoy the experience! lol
as for vitimins and electrolites, i dont think i have electrolites! i have the chicken vet Amino+ which says it has a mix of vitamins and minerals and protein. i have 'poultry drink' by battle,hayward and bower which says its a liquid feed supplement. but i dont know what electrolites are where do i get some and what is it? im going to give her a little food now as shes been starved all day, crop now feels emptyish apart from lots of grit! either shes trying to grind that lump away or shes just fricking starving and eating grit as theres nothing else! ill add the amino + to water and see if crop empties over night. fingers crossed! and thanks x
ps yes surgery very last resort!

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I think electrolytes would be a sort of energy boost. I think it tends to be like a type of sugar. I think you are good with what you have. And, she is pooping, so you know she is getting SOMETHING! Keep up the massaging!!! I would massage the crop upwards in hopes of helping to dislodge whatever was blocking. Hang in there!!!

 

[shell3]

Well had to take her to a vet as I've tried everything she was getting worse and I just didn't know what to do! He checked her over and emptied the crop and her back end which was stuffed with grit! Causing a blockage. Could be her problem if she's been eating grit obsessively for ages but if its just for last few days its prob not the answer. She's got another infection in the crop so now has antibiotics and paraffin again to try to get the grit and anything else that's stuck hopefully out! Also another medicine to contract the digestive muscles to help empty any blockages. She has to go back on fri to check up and see how she's doing but if no better the vet may want to knock her out to investigate which scares me that she won't wake up! Pray it doesn't come to that. Thankfully I've finally found a chicken vet who knows his stuff and really close by. His the vet for paradise which is a local zoo so he must be good!