Swollen/hard crop in hen being treated with Amoxicillin

[hwrights04]

I’m treating my 5 year old EE hen for suspected egg yolk peritonitis with 250mg Amoxicillin 1x day. Today was her third dose.
She did seem much more her normal self today- got off the roost and ate with the others, drank water and electrolyte/probiotic water, and grazed in the yard...
But I noticed today that her crop looked large so I felt it tonight when she went to roost. It feels harder than the others crops and bulges more. Is this something that the Amoxicillin could be causing? Like gas build up in her crop? Or is it something I should be treating as well?
here’s the link to my previous post:

Thread 'HELP!! What in the world?? Possible peritonitis?'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-what-in-the-world-possible-peritonitis.1470185/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’m treating my 5 year old EE hen for suspected egg yolk peritonitis with 250mg Amoxicillin 1x day. Today was her third dose.
She did seem much more her normal self today- got off the roost and ate with the others, drank water and electrolyte/probiotic water, and grazed in the yard...
But I noticed today that her crop looked large so I felt it tonight when she went to roost. It feels harder than the others crops and bulges more. Is this something that the Amoxicillin could be causing? Like gas build up in her crop? Or is it something I should be treating as well?
here’s the link to my previous post:

Thread 'HELP!! What in the world?? Possible peritonitis?'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-what-in-the-world-possible-peritonitis.1470185/

Re-Check the crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink. Checking at night when a bird has been eating/drinking all day - it's hard to gauge function.

How much does your hen weigh? Dose of Amoxicillin is 57mg per pound of weight given orally twice a day for 7-10 days. Check your dosing to see if you are on it and give it 2X a day.

 

[hwrights04]

Re-Check the crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink. Checking at night when a bird has been eating/drinking all day - it's hard to gauge function.

How much does your hen weigh? Dose of Amoxicillin is 57mg per pound of weight given orally twice a day for 7-10 days. Check your dosing to see if you are on it and give it 2X a day.

Ok thank you! I will do that.
She weighs about 4.5 pounds. Do you have any tips on getting the meds in her easily? I had been dipping pieces of strawberry in the antibiotic powder, but now she’s caught on to that. Also tried mixing it with water and using a syringe but half of it dropped out and she shakes her head loose of my grip. I’m using Fish Amoxicillin 500mg capsule and dividing the powder in half

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok thank you! I will do that.
She weighs about 4.5 pounds. Do you have any tips on getting the meds in her easily? I had been dipping pieces of strawberry in the antibiotic powder, but now she’s caught on to that. Also tried mixing it with water and using a syringe but half of it dropped out and she shakes her head loose of my grip. I’m using Fish Amoxicillin 500mg capsule and dividing the powder in half

She's 4.5lbs.
4.5 X 57mg = 256.5mg sooo...you I would give her the 250mg twice a day since you have 500mg capsules.

You are right, the powder doesn't mix with water.
Mix the whole 500mg in something "known" like 1 tsp coconut oil. Mix well. Divide that in half, and shape each half into a little ball or pill like form. Put those in the fridge or freezer to harden the coconut. Pop 1 "pill" or "ball" into her beak in the morning, then the other at night. Make sense?

 

[hwrights04]

Ok that sounds much easier! Thank you so much!

 

[hwrights04]

She's 4.5lbs.
4.5 X 57mg = 256.5mg sooo...you I would give her the 250mg twice a day since you have 500mg capsules.

You are right, the powder doesn't mix with water.
Mix the whole 500mg in something "known" like 1 tsp coconut oil. Mix well. Divide that in half, and shape each half into a little ball or pill like form. Put those in the fridge or freezer to harden the coconut. Pop 1 "pill" or "ball" into her beak in the morning, then the other at night. Make sense?

Ok I checked her this morning prior to food or water and it did go down some, but is still rock hard...feels like a golf ball under her skin. Any ideas? Hoping the antibiotics will help whatever this is as well :/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok I checked her this morning prior to food or water and it did go down some, but is still rock hard...feels like a golf ball under her skin. Any ideas? Hoping the antibiotics will help whatever this is as well :/

If she's have some reproductive problems, this can often cause crop issues.
If what you feel in there is hard, then I would start with coconut oil and lightly massage the ball to see if it will start to break up.
Since she's on antibiotics, a crop that is not emptying could turn sour as well, so I would see if it starts to empty over the next day or so, if not, then I would treat as sour crop too.
I'm not sure what you feed, but I would definitely limit harder process feedstuffs like scratch, seeds, etc. Let her eat her normal feed, a little treat of something soft like scrambled egg is fine.
This article is what I use when I need to address problems with a crop
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[hwrights04]

We use Purina Layena Pellets and they free range and get scratch, so I will skip that today.
thank you! This is our first major illness in the entire 5 years we’ve had them, so learning as I go!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We use Purina Layena Pellets and they free range and get scratch, so I will skip that today.
thank you! This is our first major illness in the entire 5 years we’ve had them, so learning as I go!

Keep me posted on how she's doing.

 

[hwrights04]

I sure will!
and SO glad you told me about the coconut oil & coconut oil/medicine compound method- that was MUCH easier to give to her!