- Dec 11, 2010
- 2
- 0
- 7
Need a little encouragement, my chicken has had an impacted crop for 3-4 days now (maybe longer). I have made her vomit about 4 times over the course of two days (once AM and PM for two days) the crop is still not depleted despite just being on fluids for 24 hours. I have offered her yogurt and water but she does not want any of it. I can feel some mass in the crop now, feels like hay or bailing twine so I am thinking that surgery is my last option. What have people's experiences been like with doing this themselves- any helpful hints? Have people done this with success?? No success? I have a vet tech friend who is going to help me- she has assisted in some large animal surgeries. Feedback is appreciated...thanks : )
I got the following instructions from another board:
Alternatively, if she is strong enough and you think she can handle
the surgery, you can perform "surgery" yourself on her, as long as you
can get the proper instruments. I've done it and it's not that
difficult (scary, but not difficult!) Here's how to do that:
You'll need a sterile scalpel, soap, water, gauze or cotton balls,
tweezers, crazyglue (superglue) that IS skin bonding OR a sterile
needle and suture material, an empty cup to put goo in, a person to
hold the bird, a towel, rubbing alcohol or betadine. Find an area on
the crop that is relatively free of blood vessels- you'll be able to
see them in the skin. The incision should be made about halfway down
the crop- far enough down that you can reach the impaction but not at
the very base of the crop. Cut or pluck some feathers from that area,
wash the area thoroughly 3 times, rinsing in between. Dab the area
with rubbing alcohol. Make sure bird is wrapped quietly in a towel and
is held firmly by your helper. Generally the bird is very well behaved
during this procedure... find the area that is more or less devoid of
blood vessels, then, using your sterile scalpel, make an incision that
is about 1 inch long. Use enough pressure on the scalpel to cut
through the skin and thin muscle layer below. Once in the crop,
quickly remove all the crud. When you are done and satisfied that the
impaction is gone, give the bird about 10 cc of water in the crop to
flush through any crud and give the bird a bit of water. If you have
some, rinse the incision with saline solution. Now, without gluing
yourself to your chicken, put a thin line of superglue on the incision
and glue the edges of the muscle and skin together. Put the bird in an
area where he won't be bothered, keep him quiet and warm and do NOT
give the bird water or food. If you are worried about dehydration, you
can give him subcutaneous fluids under his skin (on his back and where
his wings meet his body). Inject STERILE saline, about 5 cc per side
of the chicken, just under the skin until you form a little blister of
fluid, The fluid will dissapate quickly. Repeat the subcutaneous
fluids every 4-6 hours for the first 24 hours. The chicken should have
nothing to eat or drink for 24 hours, then you can start to offer them
fluids and pureed babyfood (squash, carrots, apples, pears etc). Check
to make sure there is no weeping around the wound. You may choose to
put him on antibiotics, such as baytril (10-15 mg/kg) if you suspect
an infection (talk to your vet).
Try the saline/fluid therapy first and put her on some probiotics or
nystatin in the meantime. Usually the fluid and massage will break up
the mass enough to get the crop working again... Definitely do not let
her out to have access to grass again and keep her on a soft diet. If
need be (and she's getting dehyrated) you can give her subcutaneous
fluids by injecting STERILE saline or lactated ringers under her skin
to form a "blister". Do this using a 25 gauge needle, in the area
where the wing meets her body. If she is a standard sized hen (not a
bantam) you can usually get about 10 cc per side. Depending on how
dehydrated she is, you can generally repeat the procedure 4-5 times
per day.
I got the following instructions from another board:
Alternatively, if she is strong enough and you think she can handle
the surgery, you can perform "surgery" yourself on her, as long as you
can get the proper instruments. I've done it and it's not that
difficult (scary, but not difficult!) Here's how to do that:
You'll need a sterile scalpel, soap, water, gauze or cotton balls,
tweezers, crazyglue (superglue) that IS skin bonding OR a sterile
needle and suture material, an empty cup to put goo in, a person to
hold the bird, a towel, rubbing alcohol or betadine. Find an area on
the crop that is relatively free of blood vessels- you'll be able to
see them in the skin. The incision should be made about halfway down
the crop- far enough down that you can reach the impaction but not at
the very base of the crop. Cut or pluck some feathers from that area,
wash the area thoroughly 3 times, rinsing in between. Dab the area
with rubbing alcohol. Make sure bird is wrapped quietly in a towel and
is held firmly by your helper. Generally the bird is very well behaved
during this procedure... find the area that is more or less devoid of
blood vessels, then, using your sterile scalpel, make an incision that
is about 1 inch long. Use enough pressure on the scalpel to cut
through the skin and thin muscle layer below. Once in the crop,
quickly remove all the crud. When you are done and satisfied that the
impaction is gone, give the bird about 10 cc of water in the crop to
flush through any crud and give the bird a bit of water. If you have
some, rinse the incision with saline solution. Now, without gluing
yourself to your chicken, put a thin line of superglue on the incision
and glue the edges of the muscle and skin together. Put the bird in an
area where he won't be bothered, keep him quiet and warm and do NOT
give the bird water or food. If you are worried about dehydration, you
can give him subcutaneous fluids under his skin (on his back and where
his wings meet his body). Inject STERILE saline, about 5 cc per side
of the chicken, just under the skin until you form a little blister of
fluid, The fluid will dissapate quickly. Repeat the subcutaneous
fluids every 4-6 hours for the first 24 hours. The chicken should have
nothing to eat or drink for 24 hours, then you can start to offer them
fluids and pureed babyfood (squash, carrots, apples, pears etc). Check
to make sure there is no weeping around the wound. You may choose to
put him on antibiotics, such as baytril (10-15 mg/kg) if you suspect
an infection (talk to your vet).
Try the saline/fluid therapy first and put her on some probiotics or
nystatin in the meantime. Usually the fluid and massage will break up
the mass enough to get the crop working again... Definitely do not let
her out to have access to grass again and keep her on a soft diet. If
need be (and she's getting dehyrated) you can give her subcutaneous
fluids by injecting STERILE saline or lactated ringers under her skin
to form a "blister". Do this using a 25 gauge needle, in the area
where the wing meets her body. If she is a standard sized hen (not a
bantam) you can usually get about 10 cc per side. Depending on how
dehydrated she is, you can generally repeat the procedure 4-5 times
per day.
