Urgent!! Need Help with a Lethargic Hen

[casportpony]

Sour crop usually smells putrid and the crop is distended. I have (as per my poultry books) emptied the crop by turning th chicken upside down (so the crop's contents fall out instead of flowing into the lungs) and gently massage for no longer than 30 seconds until the contents come out. Sometimes this has to been done a few times with rests. Then giving some apple cider vinegar for a few days will help pH balance.

But is it wise to do one that's so sick?

 

[Suzierd]

So far, Susie is still hanging in there. She's made it through the night but is still poorly. She did pooh...2x since yesterday, so I think that's a good sign. I do wonder though...can the crop be drained of fluid? My vet has the day off and won't be back in the office until tomorrow so I just want to know what you think.

Thank you for the advice on Sour Crop. If I could get her to eat, that would be great but she has no interest whatsoever. I gave her the medicine this morning and chased it down with a dropper full of water...just to keep her somewhat hydrated. I will follow your advice and go to the feed store and get the acidified copper sulphate. But if she's not drinking on her own, how do I administer it and at what dosage?

Thanks again for all your help and concern
Fiona

 

If you don't want to make a whole gallon mix 1/8 teaspoon in a half gallon (plastic only) and get her to drink some from a dropper keep putting drops on the tip of her beak do several dropper fills at a time then give her a rest and try again. Until she's drinking on her own.
I think she's got a good chance. I wouldn't give olive oil for sour crop, olive oils good for impacted crop.

 

[Suzierd]

So she seems to be a lot more active today. Is out running around, scratching and eating.  I am not sure if I did anything to actually help her but she seem to be feeling better.  I will continue to monitor her.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Great to hear she's doing better!

 

[fmacken13]

I'll turn Susie upside down and get the goop out of her crop but I'm terrified that I might hurt her. Can you please offer advice...step-by-step. Also...what is the ratio of apple cider vinegar to water?

 

[cowcreekgeek]

In reading another post...do you think that Olive Oil will help the Sour Crop?

Hi, fmacken13 ...

If you're speakin' of the chicken that's been to the vet (as there are two different chickens in one thread), then I would imagine the doctor would have spotted such a common condition (esp. the 'sour' part ~'-)

I wouldn't do anything too differently than what your vet instructed, at least for now ...

And, it ain't just two different chickens, but two folks w/ the exact same avatar. Just to make identifying you each easier ...

​

... or, of course, you can use whatever you wish. But, please ... you just *gotta* change it.

I'll walk ya through it ... just 'right-click' the above image, and select 'save as' from the menu. Notice where it's gonna be downloaded to (or, change the location to your desktop, or my documents, where you can find it more easily). Then, go to 'my profile' on BYC, and you'll see toward the bottom there's an avatar gallery. Open it, choose upload, and select the one you downloaded and, submit. Once it's on there, you can make it your default avatar.

And, that way? Maybe my head won't hurt so bad ~'-)

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I'll turn Susie upside down and get the goop out of her crop but I'm terrified that I might hurt her. Can you please offer advice...step-by-step. Also...what is the ratio of apple cider vinegar to water?

Smell her mouth, first .. if it doesn't have a particularly nasty odor, then I don't think I'd be flippin' her around too much just yet.

The ratio for the ACV is 1 teaspoon per quart of water (4 teaspoons per gallon), but not in the galvanized metal containers -- for certain, it will do no harm, and may be among the best things you could do for her right now.

EDIT TO NOTE: This is the ratio for normally administering ACV to poultry, and NOT the amount that is supposed to be used with the copper sulfate when treating thrush (which I would not do right now), and requires an epsom salt flush, which I absolutely WOULD NOT DO right now.

Just relax a while, right after you change that avatar ... give those meds and IV fluids a chance to work before throwing caustics into the mix, 'cause I have no idea how they might interact.

Now, please ... get that avatar changed ~'-)

 

[cowcreekgeek]

If you don't want to make a whole gallon mix 1/8 teaspoon in a half gallon (plastic only) and get her to drink some from a dropper keep putting drops on the tip of her beak do several dropper fills at a time then give her a rest and try again. Until she's drinking on her own.
I think she's got a good chance. I wouldn't give olive oil for sour crop, olive oils good for impacted crop.

Slow down, folks ... not to offend anybody, but you're potentially treating an already struggling and very sick bird for something that a vet didn't notice while handling the bird, and that the owner hasn't confirmed as demonstrating the actual symptoms of.

The appropriate treatment for thrush begins with an epsom salt flush, which I would not do at this time. And, is then followed by the copper sulfate and apple cider vinegar dissolved into the water solution.

I am aware of some potential for toxicity, which may (or may not) become far more severe w/ the medicines that are already in this bird at this time. Enough of the right stuff? She probably gets better. Enough of the wrong stuff (or too much of the right stuff)? She simply dies. I simply wouldn't risk it.

 

[fmacken13]

Sorry about that. I've changed my profile picture. That's Mabel...not Susie...and yes...she's wearing a chicken diaper and is sitting on my desk

 

[cowcreekgeek]

"Sorry... I get confused whe people have the same avatar. And even more confused when they don't start their own thread ..."

Try doin' it w/ my miserable eyesight ... my head hurts (that's why I made them new avatars, too ~'-)

 

[fmacken13]

Got the avatar changed and started a new thread so there's no confusion