Update (pg 11): Daisy's crop - successful surgery and now eating!

[jjthink]

So glad she's home and got through the surgery and I fervently hope it is not a gizzard impaction.

Hopefully R&R and TLC will do the trick from here.
Good hydration and vitamins (such as Avia Charge 2000 in their water or the Polyvisol drops by mouth) come to mind as of imminent import.
I don't know all that much about these crop issues, having never encountered them, other than knowing how darned confounding they can be. And when it's unclear whether it was the crop in the first place...... Ack!
Sending umpteed good wishes and whisper hugs to sweet little Daisy.
JJ

 

[AndreaS]

I think i would err on the side of caution....avoid the maggots for now and only feed the foods for crop impaction. Hard boiled egg yolk, applesauce, yoghurt, and finely ground crumbles....just to be safe. Also, i second JJ's suggestion about the aviacharge or poly-vi-sol.

So glad to hear you're all feeling better. I just know Daisy is going to make it!

 

[caralouise1974]

Morning all!

Daisy is fine after her sleep in the coop with her best friend, and had a huge drink again this morning. She then followed me down to the house, catching a couple of bugs on the way, and we went inside to her little chicken hospital in our downstairs toilet. I gave her the nystatin and baytril and then decided to try a little food (well, it was 20 hours since surgery and she was obviously interested in eating!). She had a whole egg yolk, mashed up, and a few tiny pieces of bread soaked in milk. She wolfed it down!

She's dribbling quite a lot of water back out from her beak when she puts her head down though - is that a cause for concern?

Now I have to hope that a) the food makes it through to the other end and b) she doesn't get any infections from the surgery

I really wish we weren't going on holiday for a week this Saturday - I can't bear the thought of leaving her if she's still recovering.

When should I start putting her back outside with the others to start eating normal food? It really needs to be before the weekend if possible or I don't know what I'm going to do with her while I'm away...

 

[jjthink]

Hope she gets better and better.

I understand your dilemma. Hence the reason I almost never end up going away anywhere - just too darned complicated!!!!!!!!!! Something of a bummer.

The only thing I can think of that might give you peace of mind is if you train someone really well between now and then to be her temporary governess (whether inside or out with her buddies), someone who will be able to tell if there is trouble and who can watch her quite closely. Not easy, I know... and that's an understatement.

JJ

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
I've booked all my girls (and chicks) into a special chicken boarding place a few miles from our home. The people there are very experienced with chickens and should hopefully be able to give her the baytril twice a day and keep an eye on her. However, it's costing us £5 per night for each pen (one for Bella and Daisy and one for Tospy and her chicks) and if Daisy needs to be kept in her own pen with a special diet, that cost is going to skyrocket!

And of course I don't want to leave her while she's poorly anyway

 

[caralouise1974]

Well, it's still looking promising - she was waiting for me at the door of her 'hospital' when I got home at lunchtime, had eaten all of the wet bread and boiled egg yolk I had put down for her, and had done two 'poos' - actually they were massive watery splats with some white and green bits in, but at least there was something solid in there. I'm pleased to see that there were a couple of bits of undigested grain in there too - so the stuff that was left in her crop after the vet cleaned it out is clearly coming out of the other end, as she hasn't eaten any grain since Sunday.

I gave her the nystatin, let her out for a ten minute forage in the garden with Bella, and then brought her back in. I gave her the fleshy inners of a few cherry tomatoes, some bread soaked in natural yoghurt and milk, some wetted crumbled baby rusks (see earlier post!)and another mashed up egg yolk, and she started eating again immediately. I'm wary of feeding her too much today, so will probably give her a small snack this evening, but I do want to give her enough that I can tell whether or not her crop is emptying when I feel it tomorrow morning.

 

[caralouise1974]

Sorry for the constant updates, but I feel I have to see this through with you guys now I've started!

Well, she's been eating nicely all day, and has had two adventures outside with Bella, and seems happy. She's preening, stretching her wings, pecking and scratching for bugs, and generally being normal. Her poo is also turning from clear liquid with green bits in it to light green paste, so hopefully it will get more solid as her system flushes all the rubbish that was in her crop and she starts to eat more. The wound looks fabulous and she hasn't tried pecking at it at all, which was what I was worried about when I saw the vet had left it uncovered. In terms of the work he has done, I would say it was £100 (including the consultations and the meds) very well spent. The rest is up to Daisy (and me!) We'll keep on with the meds and give the vet the update he asked for tomorrow, and then hopefully she can go back to some solid food in a couple of days, in time for our holiday.

Dare I say I'm hopeful?..............

 

[crtrlovr]

keep the good news coming! Congrats to you and Daisy.

 

[AndreaS]

I cannot tell you how happy all this good news makes me! And I'm so glad you were able to get a sitter. Now you will be able to relax and enjoy that much deserved holiday without having to worry!

 

[jjthink]

This sounds most promising. So glad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Daisy knows she is loved

and that goes a long way

JJ