4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[peta]

Hi

I am looking for some advise re my chicken with impacted crop/ sour crop. It has been going on for some time, she would get better but then it will return. For the last 2 weeks she was impacted again and was given Metoclopramide by the vet. Yesterday she developed sour crop again. She is all bones so I don't think she is digesting much and now the vet tells me there is nothing more we can do for her and that we should put her down.

I am sad about it and was wondering if i did it all or is there anything more I can do? what is the right thing to do?

I fed her water, oil, yogurt, massaged , made her vomit, and the poor thing has survived it all but is not better.

 

Do I say my goodbye to her? do I keep trying and so prolong her suffering?

 

I do know that not all vets see chickens as pets and would not have spent half the time we do in taking care of them.

 

Would appreciate your input

 

Thank you

[Redwing]

Some people use Daktarin gel for sour crop (although I think this is intended for humans and is therefore not licenced for poultry) and live maggots for impacted crop (I think they literally eat their way through the blockage) I am not sure if you have tried them as you seem to have tried a lot of things

 

I would say if she doesnt start to turn a corner soon you may have to consider saying goodbye, its not an easy decision to make but two weeks is a long time for a little hen to be so ill

 

All the best x

[Guest]

can't really add to what Tash has said, sorry to hear she's not responding to treatment

[Olly]

I am so sorry to hear that - unfortunately hens (like most birds) are not the most robust of creatures, and there is a limit to how much you can do for them. If she keeps getting sour or impacted crop then it does suggest that she's got an underlying problem. Continued treatment is likely to cause her stress as well.

 

Only you can decide, it's a hard decision to make but you'll know when it's the right time to draw a line under further treatment.

[Egluntyne]

If she is skin and bone and the sour crop keeps returning, she will not be enjoying life and there will be little hope of her returning to full health.

 

I think your vet has given you good advice.

[peta]

Thank you for the replies

no I have not tried both the things that Redwing has mentioned, I might try the daktarin, the only problem is that although she has been spending all day in the house today when I tried to open her mouth to give her her medication she was fighting me and actually seemed to be in pain when I gave it to her.

she is not happy today. Up to now she has been out in the garden but today has been hiding.

she also has white spots on her comb, any idea if this is an indication of malnutrition?

 

The other problem would be that I will be left with one chicken and I am not sure how she will take it but that would not be a reason to keep a sick one.

 

this is difficult, i dont like playing god. I find that they are like babies, unable to tell us what is wrong......

 

well, will have to see how she is in the morning.

 

Thanks x

[peta]

Hi,

Just wanted to post an update, Lizi is not better today, this morning she still has a very big soft crop and I can feel lots of seeds and a hard lump in it. she is going out and pecking around but then goes back in to the house.

I have tried to empty some of the fluid and then gave her oil and yogurt - decided that it could not harm her.

Her comb is not as red and it still has lots of white specks on it.

 

Going to give her another day or two to see how she does.

 

Does anyone have any experience with crop surgery and know if it actually helps to empty the crop?

 

Thanks

[sandyhas3chucks]

Don't want to discourage you, but if she is so thin, she probably wouldn't stand the anasthetic.

Think real carefully about her quality of life, how much good life is she having compared to how poorly she feels baring in mind how well chooks hide how bad they are feeling.

Hard as it is for us, I think yu need to reconsider your vets advice.

You wouldn't want her to carry on suffering.

[peta]

Hi, I know what you are saying is the right thing and will make that decision tomorrow. Taking her to see a vet specializing in Chickens and will let her make the decision, no emotions involved then.

She is curled together with my other chicken in the nesting box tonight....

[sandyhas3chucks]

will all be thinking of you..

good luck!

we all know how very hard it is!

[Chickaboo]

Daphne had an impacted crop, and had surgery to remove what turned out to be impacted bits of grass and twigs; she mde a complete recovery. However, we did pick it up within 3 days, and she wasn't underweight. But it might be worth mentioning to your vet. Good luck x

[peta]

Hi there

an update to Lizi's condition

Took her to the vet and she felt that the best thing to do was to to let her go, so I decided to take her home and spoil her all weekend. She was in the garden eating everything, had grapes, seeds, bread soaked in milk oil and yogurt, she ate and ate.... the next day I checked her in the morning and - her crop was smaller, on Sunday it was even smaller and today Monday it has remained small. It does not empty all the way, I can feel something in there, my guess is that it would be grass all in a ball but the vet would not cut her open.

 

Well, she had the death sentence given twice but she seems to have recovered for now

I have no idea how, but I sure hope that she will continue to improve and get some meat on her. Then I might ask the vet about doing the surgery .....

 

Thank you to all of you for the support and advise.

 

xx

[Olly]

Golly - well, she's one tough chicken! If she can put some weight on, that will help - maybe it is clearing itself. Delighted to hear that, I hope she continues to improve.

[Stargirl]

That's great news, what a tough girl! Hope she continues to get better now.

[sandyhas3chucks]

oooo... get some live maggots in her...

she will love that and they might be able to shift it!

£2.80 a pint here!

Let her eat losads a few times a day...

good luck there and keep spoiling her rotten, if she is eating and not feeling poorly thers gotta be hope!

[peta]

Thank you for the advise, will be going tomorrow to find some.... not sure where but determined to get them

Lizi is a fighter!!!

[Olly]

Fishing tackle shop might have some.

[Egluntyne]

You want the plain, undyed ones.

[sandyhas3chucks]

tes somewhere that sells fishing stuff £2.80 a pint here!

[peta]

Found the maggots.... well, not my cup of tea. gave them to the chickens and they just looked at them for about 5 min, didn't know what they are suppose to do!!!! had to add soe of the regular treats to get them to eat.

Lizi is not well again with a full liquid crop.... will see how she is in the morning.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I really think you need to see a vet & get some Nystatin down her, and try & work out WHY it is sour...

Is it blocked... is she blocked other end. etc.

It "Can" kill them, so please don't traet is as something mild!

good luck

[Lizzie]

Hi there

 

Just been re-reading your post as I have exactly the same with Flo - I picked her up from the vets on Saturday evening and she had been in there for nearly three days. They finally managed to get her crop to empty with metacam and another drug and she had a camera down her throat to check in case there was a blockage.

 

Her crop is not blocked but her crop muscles are not doing what they are supposed to do.

I am seeing the vet later to go through everything, but from what I understand, we can give her medication which will help her crop muscles work.

 

My post is "still not right, what do I do now? " - I'll update when I get back from the vets tonight.

 

Regards

Liz

[peta]

Not much improvement with the crop after 4 days of the maggots but Lizi is as happy as always. Her crop will go between being full of fluid to just a small fist.

 

Have been to see 2 vets and they both told me to put her down.

 

She must be getting something as she is eating lots but the crop does not get much bigger. I was told by the vets that the muscle is not working as it should and the medication we gave her that was suppose to get it going did not work. So, she gets a massage every morning and night and that seems to keep her going.

 

She jumps around, eats lots and loves to sunbath, I will just have to take one day at a time.

 

will look out for info on Flo

x

[sandyhas3chucks]

Peta, I have been re reading too.

You strated by saying she was all skin & bone and ubhappy, not wanting to move much.

You started your last post by saying not much improvement, BUT looks like she is eating... jumping about, sun bathing?

I am sure I have read that when the muscles are overstretched bit like us it is hard or impossible to get them working again.

what medication did the vet give you to make them work?

I don't know what to suggest really as never been there but if she is happy & eating and you have the time to continue and she is gaining weight, as yoou say one day at a time.

I would personally not let her stuffloads at once.

But I DO know that if it keeps going sour they are not happy with a sour crop.

what are her poos like? this might give you an indication of how much food is really getting in and through her.

Please please be aware if she starts doing lots of funny neck movements like break dancing only worse & making gurgling noises that it IS really horrid for them.

Be prepared for the wosrt & good luck.

I know how much hard work irt is and emotionally too.

[peta]

Hi

I know it is confusing my posts but Lizi has been going between good and bad. She was very sick to start with and looked sick, not eating, moving or leaving the house, that was more then 2 months ago. since then she has gone between sour crop and a large hard crop which the vet called impacted.

 

the first vet that saw her gave me Metoclopramide (as they did for flo) but since there was no improvement I was told to stop after a week.

that was when i was told to put her to sleep but she has improved over the weekend.

she still gets a crop full of fluid every few days but then it improves again, Her crop never empties all the way, there is always something in it but she seems to be managing. the second vet that saw her did say that the muscle is not working as well as it should and that there is nothing to do for it.

 

for the last week she has been acting normal, seems happy but she still has the problem. she must be getting some food as the crop is not getting any bigger and it would if it was a complete blockage.

her comb is red, her eyes are bright and she runs over when i come out with treats.

 

As with flo (other posting) I will keep an eye on her and if she does get worse again i will take her back to the vet and consider our next move.

 

thanks

it might be the maggots that did it after all, might give her them once a week as a treat.