Vet said to try Crop draining?

[Hbixler]

We are struggling with a bacterial infection and sour crop in our 10 month old buff Orpington. We noticed her walking slower with soiled vent feathers on 11/3. The next day, I noticed her crop was squishy in the morning and she wasn’t eating so brought her inside. Checked her vent for egg (not egg bound), gave Epsom salt bath, and started monistat and crop massage. Poops are watery pale yellow with occasional dark droppings.

Took her to an avian vet on 11/6 as her crop is not emptying and she is eating less and less. Spent an inordinate amount at the vet (say beyond our budget) and he noted her crop did not feel impacted but full of fluid. Blood work showed normal organ functioning and vitamin levels but high white blood cell. He said GI inflection that’s slowing down the crop from emptying. He said fecal test was negative. Prescribed SMX-TMP, Nystatin and injectable metoclopromide. He said she is not infectious and to move her out with the other chickens to see if they can encourage her eat. She sleeps with her sisters on the roost at night.

As of today, she has been on the medicine for early 60 hours and she seems worse. Barely ate yesterday though I did manage to get her drink. She had a bug or two and I noticed them come out while in some loose stool. Doctor said not to restrict food or water. We have been giving her Epsom salt water, regular water, NutriDrench, probiotics and electrolytes.

I called the vet yesterday and explained that we can’t afford another visit but she seemed worse (sleeping on her feet much of the day, not eating) and asked for advice. He said that I should try to empty her crop by holding her nearly upside down and “milking her crop” until she expels all the liquid. I said I was worried about asperstion and she said as long as we hold her steady and upside down it should be okay. I tried ALL evening and could
Only get a tiny amount of thick sludge (like gruel). She gets very agitated when the crop contents comes up her and fights me hard and jumps out of my arms. I’ve tried maybe 15
Times and I’m never successful.

Any advice? I brought her in this morning and her crop is squishy and full and she is barely awake at this point.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does her breath smell sour or foul if you press on her crop? She could have something else causing a slow crop rather than a sour crop. Coccidiosis, other intestinal infection, worms, or a reproductive disorder are all things that can cause pressure inside the abdomen that may slow digestion and crop problems. The antibiotic may help, and the Nystatin can help prevent sour crop.

Stop trying to empty the crop because it can cause vomiting and aspiration and death. The vet could have tried to insert a feeding tube and irrigated the crop with water. Her tail is down which might point to egg laying issue or just illness. I would try giving the medications some time.

Does she normally lay eggs or have you seen some soft or shell-less eggs? Do you use a layer type feed and place crushed oyster shell in a separate container?

 

[coach723]

She had a bug or two and I noticed them come out while in some loose stool.

What kind of 'bug'? They were in the droppings? Or on the bird? Pictures of that?

 

[Hbixler]

Does her breath smell sour or foul if you press on her crop? She could have something else causing a slow crop rather than a sour crop. Coccidiosis, other intestinal infection, worms, or a reproductive disorder are all things that can cause pressure inside the abdomen that may slow digestion and crop problems. The antibiotic may help, and the Nystatin can help prevent sour crop.

Stop trying to empty the crop because it can cause vomiting and aspiration and death. The vet could have tried to insert a feeding tube and irrigated the crop with water. Her tail is down which might point to egg laying issue or just illness. I would try giving the medications some time.

Does she normally lay eggs or have you seen some soft or shell-less eggs? Do you use a layer type feed and place crushed oyster shell in a separate container?

Her breath smelled yeasty and now it smells terrible. She hasn’t laid in maybe a week. No history of soft shells but she is prone to going broody and we noticed that she was hanging out in the nest box more last week. Doctor doesn’t not think she is egg bound and her stool was negative for parasites and worms. They were all treated with Corid back in May when one of our other chickens had diarrhea. Is it possible the stool sample was a false negative?

I called the vet and he said to stop with the crop emptying. Apparently he put her on fluconazole (I was wrong about that) and I asked him to put an order in on Nystatin.

Her regular feed is pretty expensive high quality New Countey Organics but we switched last week to a chunkier feed with pellets in it. She free ranges much of the day and has free choice oyster shell in the run.

The bugs I saw were black solider fly larvae, two of the only thing she ate that day. Doctor said they must be hard to digest and just went right through her.