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

[jjthink]

Cara, I'm so sorry for these worries. I have never experienced this problem with my birds so am not much help. What exactly is her diet?
Weekly, I do give my birds a great quality grain bread broken into little bits and somewhat drenched in olive oil, in the hopes that this keeps things moving along if they get anything stuck....
Hoping she'll be okay.

JJ

 

[caralouise1974]

Thanks both for your replies. I'm worried sick about her now, as I can't face spending another £50 to have her die under anaesthetic, but on the other hand, dying slowly from starvation is going to hurt her a lot more than it hurts me.

I'm going to wait for DH to get back from work so he can watch the baby (although she's actually nearly one - I can't believe it!) and then go out there with my concotion of olive oil, ACV and the cellulose cat hairball stuff in a syringe. Daisy's still putting up a big fight when I try and hold her, so it's going to be a challenge...

 

[caralouise1974]

Oh, and her diet is pretty good usually, although recently she's not been eating much (except feathers it would seem). I suspect the combination of not a lot to eat or drink combined with the moult and consequent ingestion of feathers is what's gone wrong here. Poor girl

 

[caralouise1974]

Right, the concoction is done. She smells a bit sour, so time is obviously of the essence now. She's quite perky, but poo is still clear with bits of green. Still fighting me though, which must be a good sign. I'm hopeful that, even as I massaged I could feel everything loosening, it might clear itself by the morning. She's still eating and catching bugs, so must be hungry.

Fingers crossed for an empty crop in the morning...

 

[AndreaS]

Cara, I just was searching the forum on crop impaction and found this thread. Lots of good info from some of the old experts that I never see on this forum anymore. When I do a search, I usually do it with one of their user names included in the search because they provide such thorough information.

Lots of recommendations on liquid diets and only easily dissolved foods, along with things to replenish gut bacteria and Ph.

They were also mentioning baby bird formula.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229187

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
Oh Andrea, thanks so much! I'm disappointed to find her crop doughy and hard again today, although still surprised to find she's flapping about and scratching the earth as normal. I'm continuing with the olive oil/hairball formula treatment, as I need to wait until tomorrow to veterinary help. In the meantime, I've got chick crumbs and some natural yoghurt, so will try and get her to eat that, along with some special chicken pro-biotic supplement I have in my chicken medicine cabinet.

She's still very alert, so her chances are good that she'll be strong enough for an anaesthetic if required. Henny Penny was already very thin when she got her impaction, as she'd been broody not long before and never fully regained the weight she lost. Daisy is a big girl, so I'm hopeful.

If I can't clear this crop by the morning my DH will have to take her to the vet tomorrow while I'm at work. I can't face doing the surgery at home myself, and I'm not a subscriber to the theory that chickens don't feel it when you cut them open. It just doesn't fit with all my knowledge about the biology of living creatures (I'm a radiographer, and although people and hens are quite different, I cannot believe their nervous system doesn't feel pain just like ours does!).

Will update you later, if I have any success with the crop massage...

Thanks again for all your advice and support

 

[caralouise1974]

Okay, crop massage performed twice today, with olive oil, ACV and pro-biotic podwer (plus a little of the hairball stuff). I'm not sure if I'm imagining it, but it did seem to break up quite a bit when I just did her bedtime massage, and she burped and gurgled a lot. Is that a good sign?

Anyway, have briefed DH to take her to the vet tomorrow afternoon, and if they decide she needs surgery, then so be it. I can't let her go on like this, despite her being as perky as ever.

Poor Daisy... please wish her luck...

 

[AndreaS]

I am keeping Daisy in my thoughts and prayers!! I'm so glad to hear that at least she's feeling okay. Please keep the updates coming! I hope the vet has some suggestions other than surgery, but like you said.....if it comes down to that, you have to try what you can!

 

[caralouise1974]

OMG!!!!! I just popped out to do a bedtime crop feel, and the crop is almost empty! I am astounded.

Not getting my hopes up too high yet though, as the minute she starts to eat again tomorrow it might just fill right back up. I plan to put out some scrambled egg with specialist chicken probiotic for her tomorrow in any case, to neutralise all that vile festering stuff she's had in her crop.

God, I do hope that we don't have to go through that awful surgery experience again...

 

[jjthink]

JJ