SultanChicken won’t eat. Crop not changed for nine days with treatment

[Banana01]

Oh I Really appreciate the thorough thread. I never even thought Worms could be the problem Since she was wormed two months ago. But she does free range and eat a lot of soil so it’s possible. I don’t know now if It would stress her to worm her now. Also I wonder if it would be absorbed with her full crop. My next step was to follow instructions how to tube flush her twice a day with Epsom salt. I ‘m beginning to think there is no hope. She is surprisingly alert and seems content to sit in the cage in our kitchen. Otherwise I would end her suffering. This is day 11 of various treatments.

Sorry again for long post, but you may want to consider worm treatment tonight. I will try to explain why. Day 11 is a long time. Is her weight very low compared to a month ago? She may probably be suffering from anemia, which can be caused by long term vitamin B12 and iron deficiency. Another possible worm indication, but anemia is a symptom which can be caused by too much fluids, worms, diet, cancer, etc.

I don't see any droppings in that photo, unless she is passing pure water, another worm symptom.

Personally I always deworm my sick birds first before any treatments using oral drops to rule out the most common problem.

If you give her a few dewormer drops, right now her condition is worsening and still is undiagnosed, with worms still a possibility. A hen her age could survive with a worm impaction for 11 days and just keep dropping weight and become slowly anemic. So her condition may improve with a dewormer, if it is worms she would return to eating again in a couple days with treatment.

Forgive me if she dies from any of these treatments, but any night the crop stops emptying, it may be her last one. But if you can pass some dewormer through her that is a possible cause of the blockage. You can mix the dewormer with the other ideas in this thread like coco oil, electrolyte, etc.

So far your prognosis options are still quite broad, it could be so many things. Like i have no idea about egg bound hens, but i do see worm signs like these and for me its my first treatment option.

For the anemia, if you can remove the blockage, she can eat liver to replace the iron deficiency, and supplement vitamins asap. But be careful too much fluids and salt can cause anemia also.

This is the albendazole based dewormer i use. The directions are to give four drops on an empty stomach. I give it at night and the worms go away fast, and you can monitor her condition over the following two days, and you can begin a different treatment the following morning.

Anemia symptoms, can be caused by worms, cancer, cocci, anything.

 

[Fontaine]

Sorry for the long post. How is her weight now? 2 months is a long time ago to worm and expect 100% worm free. Usually with worms my hens will go to bed with only water in their crops and very small crumbs of food you cant even feel. Then theyll wake up in the morning and fill their crop again with water and maybe a few specs of food. Watery crop and excessive water drinking is definitely a worm sign and impaction sign. You can't rule out worms as the cause of the blockage. Im afraid for how much time has passed, and how slowly the food is moving through her that your limited with options what you can do for her.

A 16 month old hen is fairly resistent to worms, but if there is a blockage it would be really easy to treat for worms again.

If you feel her chest, is her breast bone elevated or puffy at all more than normal? That would indicate a swollen liver, which would also cause a potential blockage. It does sound like the comments in the thread are on the right track towards an impacted gizzard. But a swollen liver can be caused by bacterial or viral infections, toxins, or poor diet and gizzard function.

Be careful stuffing solid foods in her or anything else solid for that matter. You can only put into her what will fit on her crop. So no excessive solids or overfilling with water. Hope she passes whatever is the problem. Plan accordongly what you want in her crop at night. Something to pass the impaction is best. I like the coconut oil idea, it has some nutrients. A little salt or apple cider venegar might be good too as you tried. For me the rest would be water or very little soft food. You dont want to clog her more withh force feeding. Hopefully what she has ingested is going to help clear her gizzard.

Sorry again for long post, but you may want to consider worm treatment tonight. I will try to explain why. Day 11 is a long time. Is her weight very low compared to a month ago? She may probably be suffering from anemia, which can be caused by long term vitamin B12 and iron deficiency. Another possible worm indication, but anemia is a symptom which can be caused by too much fluids, worms, diet, cancer, etc.

I don't see any droppings in that photo, unless she is passing pure water, another worm symptom.

Personally I always deworm my sick birds first before any treatments using oral drops to rule out the most common problem.

If you give her a few dewormer drops, right now her condition is worsening and still is undiagnosed, with worms still a possibility. A hen her age could survive with a worm impaction for 11 days and just keep dropping weight and become slowly anemic. So her condition may improve with a dewormer, if it is worms she would return to eating again in a couple days with treatment.

Forgive me if she dies from any of these treatments, but any night the crop stops emptying, it may be her last one. But if you can pass some dewormer through her that is a possible cause of the blockage. You can mix the dewormer with the other ideas in this thread like coco oil, electrolyte, etc.

So far your prognosis options are still quite broad, it could be so many things. Like i have no idea about egg bound hens, but i do see worm signs like these and for me its my first treatment option.

For the anemia, if you can remove the blockage, she can eat liver to replace the iron deficiency, and supplement vitamins asap. But be careful too much fluids and salt can cause anemia also.

This is the albendazole based dewormer i use. The directions are to give four drops on an empty stomach. I give it at night and the worms go away fast, and you can monitor her condition over the following two days, and you can begin a different treatment the following morning.

View attachment 2910511

Anemia symptoms, can be caused by worms, cancer, cocci, anything.
View attachment 2910539

Thank you so much. I will worm her now. I’ll keep you posted

 

[Fontaine]

I gave her another ducolax last night. Just liquid diarrhea green tinged this morning. I wormed her.I’m not sure how to flush her but will when I find out how. I was looking on the Internet for more help and saw the method of hanging them upside down and massaging the crop. It looks horrible but I’ll try anything at this point. Any opinions from the experts on this? Her behavior really surprisingly hasn’t changed she’s quiet but alertAnd walking around a little in her cage. Her crop has not gone down at all since yesterday. It’s at least day 12 now I’m wondering if I’m fighting a losing battle and should just put her outside to enjoy the sunshine and free range until she feels ill and then put her down

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is food and water being left in her cage overnight?

Please don't hang a chicken upside down to expel the contents of the crop. You risk them choking to death. I don't think that's something you want to experience.

I would try the flush and see if that helps.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/crop-feeding.75454/

What a chicken chooses to consume can give us clues as to what may be going on, if not actually diagnose the problem. It is usually a process of elimination. We do that by coming up with possible explanations and treating the most likely, and when that doesn't improve things, we try treating the next thing on the list of possibilities.

I'm thinking, from the way she shuns food and focuses on picking up grit, that she may have an obstruction. That's very broad and can include, in order of probability, impacted crop, impacted gizzard, stuck egg, or cancer tumors.

First, even though you don't believe she's egg bound, give her a calcium tablet to cover that base. If she has an egg stuck, and often it's two eggs, the calcium (can't hurt) can start to work to give her strong contractions to move the egg(s).

Second, I would do an Epson salts flush to clean out the crop and gizzard. This can be a simple one-dose procedure there she is given the solution to drink on her own or a three-day, twice a day procedure where it's tubed directly into her crop.

After all of the above has been tried, if nothing improves her condition, I would then assume she has cancer tumors interfering with crop and digestive function and maybe reproductive function, as well.

Give one whole tablet of the citrate directly into her crop. She will swallow no problem.

The one-dose Epsom flush is one teaspoon in one ounce of warm water. She may drink it if it's the only water. Confine her with it and see if she drinks it. She has to drink it all.

You can get a tube feeding catheter and syringe at you nearest vet. Mine sold me a kit for $3. Or you can scrounge the tubing from a friend who uses oxygen and discards the tubing regularly. Or buy aquarium tubing and try to get a syringe from a pharmacy to fit it.

Much more effective is the three-day Epsom salts treatment. One teaspoon magnesium sulfate to one half cup warm water tubed directly into the crop. I'll instruct if you decide to do this. You do this twice a day for three days. It stimulates the intestines to push material through, hopefully pulling any clogs out of the gizzard.

 

[Fontaine]

Is food and water being left in her cage overnight?

Please don't hang a chicken upside down to expel the contents of the crop. You risk them choking to death. I don't think that's something you want to experience.

I would try the flush and see if that helps.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/crop-feeding.75454/

Only water,sometimes with electrolytes. She won’t eat ANY food. I bought a tube to flush, ( per BYC advise) have a syringe but have no idea how to do it. I was looking for flushing instructions when I ran across the upside down chicken method. I didn’t do that and decided against it after reading more on the subject. But I really would appreciate some Flushing information. I’m guessing I put the tube down her esophagus and push fluid in. But I don’t know how much fluid or if there’s instructions after it’s in. I’d love some advice on that as I think it’s her last chance. She weighs 2 pounds now but still is actually alert And walking around. Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you using the stool softener doccusate sodium, or the Dulcolax laxative? The laxative should not be used, only the stool softener.

 

[Fontaine]

Are you using the stool softener doccusate sodium, or the Dulcolax laxative? The laxative should not be used, only the stool softener.

Only doccusate sodium. Again because of great advice from BYC.! All that did and I’ve repeated it several times is give her watery diarrhea. No substance. I’m keeping on with the coconut oil.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Green in the stool concerns me. What is the possibility of a vet visit for your bird? We've been down a few roads with different treatment plans/options, but a vet visit can save a lot of time. Birds don't usually show mortal symptoms until they're close to passing.

I think you're on the right track, but there could be a host of other issues going on. She could have a liver issue, a tumor causing a blockage in her digestive tract, or she might have eaten something she can't pass that causing a blockage (metal, long grass, wire). It could be an impacted gizzard too. There's just a lot to consider...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I bought a tube to flush, ( per BYC advise) have a syringe but have no idea how to do it. I was looking for flushing instructions

But I really would appreciate some Flushing information. I’m guessing I put the tube down her esophagus and push fluid in. But I don’t know how much fluid or if there’s instructions after it’s in.

Instructions are in previous posts. 1 tsp epsom salt to 1/2 cup warm water tubed directly into the crop.
Link provided previously shows you how to tube
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/crop-feeding.75454/

Much more effective is the three-day Epsom salts treatment. One teaspoon magnesium sulfate to one half cup warm water tubed directly into the crop. I'll instruct if you decide to do this. You do this twice a day for three days. It stimulates the intestines to push material through, hopefully pulling any clogs out of the gizzard.

 

[Fontaine]

The link on tubing was very helpful. I was unsure about inserting the tube correctly and info was very clear. Many thanks to all who have taken the time to help me with Antoinette. I will post our outcome