Which antibiotic for post-crop-surgery?

[threehorses]

No, cyclines are not what you use for wounds or I wound have mentioned it. It's for M. gallisepticum, E. coli (in the air sacs), M. synoviae, and Pasteurella. It's not at all indicated for wounds.

Penicillin (usually Pen G Procaine) is found at most feedstores; it's refrigerated. It's extremely common, probably the most common injectable at all, if you want to pick some up.

Otherwise see a vet for Baytril.

postscript: If you use an antibiotic for anything other than the above bacteria, you will risk antibiotic resistance. Also, note that during *any* antibiotic use, a bird should always get probiotics (yogurt, acidophilus, or a prepared livestock probiotic containing *live* bacteria and not just fermentation byproducts) daily during treatment and every other day for 2 weeks thereafter.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

what exactly was the thing that came out of her mouth?

Have you tried the flush yet?
this would be important to get the sour crop undone

if it was an object that fell from the tree what was it?

why does she need a antibiotic?

I am missing something I guess
thanks if you answer the questions to help with some answers???
email me any questions

 

[flakey chick]

Quote:
There are many members here. This is where people turn for help when something does go wrong so the percentage of crop problems isn't as big as it might seem. Some people join this forum just because they have a problem they need help with.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

I reread the part about flushing

once again I wil;l try and express the manner in which you do a flush

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE CHICKEN

(1) chickens do not throw up!!!
DO NOT PUT THE CHICKEN BEING FLUSHED UP SIDE DOWN???

(2) so it is you that have to keep them right side up and come up from below the crop and push, bringing the spoiled food etc out the chickens beak. tHIS IS DONE WITH YOUR PUSHING WITH YOUR HAND UP AGinst the chickens crop area.

(3) so when flushing the crop you only want to get the spoiled things out of the crop

(4) as for leaving the baking soda in the sour crop that is important as it is what cures the sour crop
so hopefully some of the baking soda stayed in the crop

(5) you have to do the flushing three times in a row when doing the flush

(6)as that is what gets the spoiled food out

any other questions email me

 

[threehorses]

Incidentally as it seems you got rid of the blocking problem, I wouldn't do the surgery at all. Instead, I'd treat the crop for the sourness.

Flush if there's still stuff in there that isn't normal food.
Correct the crop pH and digestive tract bacteria using OACV and probiotics daily for two weeks because this was a bad case.
Don't feed anything other than easily digested foods for one week; ease them back in slowly on week two.
If your birds are in a run with a tree over it, I'd offer them combination oyster shell/grit if they're of the correct age to eat it. Leaves drop, chickens love leaves and all manner of other things that might come from the tree. Plus they need them for greens if you ever give them, and the extra calcium won't hurt if they choose to eat it for their own needs.

Introduce it slowly if you do. Sometimes chickens, seeing a new thing (and sometimes sensing the need for this new thing) will just hog down grit and cause issues. I wouldn't introduce grit to this bird for at least two weeks.

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
Thanks for the additional advice. I'm not sure if I got rid of the blocking problem - liquids don't seem to be going down on their own without me "squishing" them through. I'm not sure whether the crop is "stalled" or whether there is still something down there that is blocking the exit tube. When I squish the water/liquid through, there is a noise like a squeak and sort of a gurgle. How long should it take to empty the crop of JUST LIQUID. I haven't given her any food AT ALL, just liquid diet - I have olive oil (fat) and a dextrose (carb)/amino acid mix (amino acids = protein) that I have been putting down her throat. Her crop is hanging so low, I want to give it a chance to "shrink" if it can, but she keeps filling it up with her drinking water (with the amino acids in it). So it stays stretched like a big water balloon, and it takes FOREVER for any liquid to go down.

I'm just in a Catch-22, if I keep her on the liquids, she'll keep filling it up and keep it stretched, and I still don't know what's going on. If I feed her, the food will sit in the low-hanging crop, and since she doesn't seem to be passing even LIQUIDS down normally, I suspect the food will again rot in there and I'll just have to flush again...

 

[threehorses]

So you think her crop hangs low? There's a condition called pendulous crop where the crop, overstretched, will hold food in the sagging part. Can you support it? With, perhaps, a tube sock? To help keep food from getting caught in the pocket like sag? Is that what you're seeing?

If she's on an only liquid diet, then that's why she's drinking so much - because she's trying to get nutrition from it so having to have more liquid. I would just try her on a moist diet rather than liquid. Crumbles, boiled and mashed egg yolk mixed with enough water to make a paste, yogurt, apple cider vinegar in her water to dissolve foods. If her crop is truly pendulous, then try finding a way to support it without constricting it. Vet wrap might even work.

This is different from blockage but it sounds like blockage isn't quite ruled out. Did you flush the crop as Glenda had said to do? Had you considered doing it again in hope that you can get the last of whatever the stuff was out?

Is there any way you can take a picture of it - the bottom of it with the feathers lifted off - so we can see if it's a more normally ballooned crop rather than pendulous?

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
I flushed it again today with baking soda, and while I was "squeezing" her crop, she expelled mostly nasty liquid but SOMETHING else moved inside. I could HEAR it. Perhaps the last item that was blocking the crop exit? Her crop is "truly pendulous", compared to any of the other chickens. I took a sock and cut a "crop bra" for her, but it didn't really seem to be supporting the crop, and I was worried about the bottom tie actually constricting the base/exit so I took it off her.

After the baking soda flush, we waited a couple of hours, then gave her some olive oil and some Omega-3 and Vit-E oil (Kickin' Chicken, if anyone has heard of this). Planning on giving her some actual liquids before bedtime tonight, and hoping her crop doesn't "blow up" when she drinks a lot again.

I'm leaving town on Tuesday for an overnight trip, so we have to resolve something at least partially before then. I'm hoping we can feed her some amino acid liquid on Monday, and then Tuesday before I get on a plane get some olive oil down her. Then hubby will have to give her moistened crumbles while I am gone and hope for the best.

I'll see about taking a picture - after this last baking soda flush it was actually relatively flat!

I pray that I got something out/down on this flush, as I mentioned, I HEARD something squeak down. If we are still having trouble on Wednesday when I get back from my trip, I'll see about getting a pic and posting it. I'll have to figure out how to insert a pic into a post...

 

[threehorses]

I can PM you about how to post a picture since a lovely gal on here let me know how to, bless her.

So I'm wondering what is down there.

Here's what I think. IF there's something down there, then it's possible this will continue until the "mystery whatever" dissolves down enough to pass or gets brought up. If that is the case, I'd bet that she continues to have crop stasis (slow to non-emptying crop).

Remind me - are you using apple cider vinegar in her water? You can use it at a rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon. It might help continue to cleanse the crop and break down whatever is in there. Continue to monitor the crop when you return and yes - wonderful that your DH will feed crumbles. They do need to be picked up after the first feeding so that they don't sour. But a first feeding of them and possibly some yogurt dissolved into the water before you moisten the crumbles would be great to see if at least she gets a meal in.

I"m curious - why are you using amino acids again?

 

[earthly88]

Question for you - I had assumed an impacted crop can eventually turn into sour crop. Then is essentially an imbalance of fungi (candidia). In my case, I had to do surgery on my hen. So now, post surgery I am giving her fluconozole (anti-fungal) and 2mg of asprin mixed with a smoothie of yogurt, rice milk, water, and chicken food.

Would giving the chicken penicillin interfere with her regaining the proper balance of bacteria and fungi in her crop?

I have the penicillin G in case she gets and infection but the surgery but am afraid to give it to her and have just been monitoring her closely instead. The surgery was 4 days ago. Do you think infection would have set in by now if it were going too?