Surgery a few days ago, was doing great, now lethargic

[Ccort]

I've always left it up to my sour crop patients to regulate their food and water intake. Generally, they do not wish to eat and drink until the yeast is becoming under control.

I feed fermented feed, but for some reason I don't understand, the sour crop patients prefer dry feed when they do feel like eating. When the yeast is coming under control, they decide when they're ready to try eating again.

Water is something I never restrict. If a crop disorder happens to have a compaction component, water is critical in resolving it. The patient knows this and will drink on their own while a sour crop patient may avoid water. This distinction isn't always obvious, so that's why I continue to provide water in all cases.

Occasionally, a sour crop patient will not respond to the treatment and gets worse. Those are almost always older hens with serious underlying issues such as chronic reproductive infection or poor immune systems due to the leucosis virus they carry. Euthanasia is usually the end game.

Thank you!

Can I ask...if it's still large in the morning (her crop), does that change what to do to treat it? I didn't know how long this typically takes.

Also, do you ever empty the crop yourself?

 

[azygous]

For sour crop, it takes two days on average for the patient to begin to feel better, but around five days for the yeast to cease being evident. But the treatment with the anti-yeast med must be done for a full seven days to be sure all the spores are eliminated from the chicken's system.

While I do not recommend emptying the crop by vomiting, on rare occasions when the crop is so full the hen is regurgitating, I will tip her forward and let the crop drain out of her beak by gravity. Again, this is dangerous if the liquid backs up into the airway, and generally I discourage it.

 

[Ccort]

For sour crop, it takes two days on average for the patient to begin to feel better, but around five days for the yeast to cease being evident. But the treatment with the anti-yeast med must be done for a full seven days to be sure all the spores are eliminated from the chicken's system.

While I do not recommend emptying the crop by vomiting, on rare occasions when the crop is so full the hen is regurgitating, I will tip her forward and let the crop drain out of her beak by gravity. Again, this is dangerous if the liquid backs up into the airway, and generally I discourage it.

Thank you. That was very hopeful, as was the article.

She's had one dose of the medicine. (Liquid version, from vet) This may be a stupid question but won't the liquid medicine just float around in the crop?

Do you recommend acv water?

 

[azygous]

No I don't recommend the ACV because it's very acidic and it doesn't seem to help a yeasty crop. The meds will enter the crop and immediately the crop "action" mixes and churns it. It eventually makes its way down the digestive tract churning more, and it therefore treats the entire tract.

Questions are not stupid, and I'm always happy to answer them.

 

[Ccort]

Her crop feels just as full this morning as it did yesterday. Shouldnt it at least be starting to go down? Will drinking water just add to it?

She's also getting very bored because she only seems mildly lethargic now. I plan to bring in a box of dirt, assuming that will do no harm? Could she be with another pullet while inside too?

 

[Ccort]

Vet just mentioned her sucking some of the fluid out. Anyone done that? Am conerned with the danger of that

 

[azygous]

Withdrawing fluid from the crop is the safest way to reduce it. I've done it, and it's not difficult, but it doesn't produce a magic cure. It merely relieves some of the discomfort. It's extremely temporary. Merely do the reverse of tube feeding. Tube into the crop. Suck the fluid out with the syringe.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Her crop feels just as full this morning as it did yesterday. Shouldnt it at least be starting to go down? Will drinking water just add to it?

She's also getting very bored because she only seems mildly lethargic now. I plan to bring in a box of dirt, assuming that will do no harm? Could she be with another pullet while inside too?

Well, it's good her energy has increased! I imagine another bird for company would be ok.

 

[Ccort]

I was surprised the vet didn't so blood work yesterday. Is that something needed for sour crop?
Maybelle seems pretty perky today and almost normal except for not eating yet voluntarily. I haven't tube fed her but am hoping she'll eat scrambled eggs or yogurt. She seems interested in food but not eating.
Shes drinking, however.
So to make sure I understand correctly, emptying the crop doesn't really do anything medically?

 

[casportpony]

What medication did the vet prescribe for the yeast?