Impacted Crop

[Gabipentin]

I noticed my 10wk Silkie was acting unusual and immediately felt that it's crop was huge, and felt full of air. She was still eating, so i brought her inside for the night, and witheld food for 24hrs. I work as a vet nurse and took her in to work with me. At 24hrs, we x-rayed her, and her crop was still huge, and full of fibrous and very radiopaque material. I was asked if she was eating flakes of metal... I was advised to try and crop flush, to remove some of the material, and the vet did crop cytology. Crop cytology revealed high levels of bacteria, but nothing fungal. The flush was unsuccessful in removing the gritty material, but did deflate the crop to a smaller size. The crop is now small and hard, full off the gritty material. I deduce she has eaten loads of small rocks, like a road base (they have scratched up when free ranging recently), causing an obstruction, with a secondary bacterial infection?
Overnight I crop fed/ tube fed 20ml electrolytes and her antibiotics, which inflated her crop again. In the morning her crop was void of the liquid, back to being smaller with gritty material. She is much brighter (she was dehydrated) and is eating a small amount of chick starter.
This morning i crop/ tube fed her the electrolytes, antibitoics and coconut oil. Her stool does contain gritty rocky material.
1. My question is, does this sound like I am on the right track, or is there anything else recommended?
2. How do i go feeding her? She is VERY hungry and i have been giving small amounts of chick starter only. Do i need to limit her food? the vets also noted she is emaciated, and i confirmed she feels thinner than her sister.
3. If this fails to clear the crop/ obstruction, I have seen crop surgery recommended. What is this procedure, and is it done by a vet?
Thanks for your help! I was repelling the vets with my chicken, they ARE NOT avian vets!

 

[Debbie292d]

It does sound like you're on the right track. Here are two excellent articles about crop issues that may shed some light on other ideas for you too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

I'd be at wits end though. Something should work. I wish you the best!!

She's going to need probiotics when you're done with the antibiotics. We use Hydro-Hen mostly, sometimes a little Greek yogurt.

 

[Tookie]

You're doing great on what you're doing, and what you have done! You are on the right track!
I wouldn't limit her feed too much, just let her eat whatever she wants and make sure her crop doesn't get overly full. Keep an eye on her and see what she will consume. If her crop does get really full take away the feed and only give her certain amounts. You don't want to risk aspiration with a full crop.
Since she's got an impacted crop, you're going to want to do massages. After giving the coconut oil, massage, massage, massage. Try going in a circular and downward motion. Do this a few times a day and it should help her.

 

[Gabipentin]

It does sound like you're on the right track. Here are two excellent articles about crop issues that may shed some light on other ideas for you too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

I'd be at wits end though. Something should work. I wish you the best!!

She's going to need probiotics when you're done with the antibiotics. We use Hydro-Hen mostly, sometimes a little Greek yogurt.

Thanks so much! Those articles are very informative.

You're so right about the probiotics, i'll get on to that! Chickens have hugely high doses of antibiotics!
I am getting pretty unsure of how to continue, some of the vets say her prognosis is poor since crop stasis is usually secondary to some other underlying GI issue. Yesterday we did faecal testing for parasites and coccidia etc, since often something further down the GI tract is actually the original issue. However, her cytology was negative.
At this stage i think i will re-xray her tomorrow and see if the material of her crop is different, since the poor thing has been isolated to chick starter and electrolyte water only. Maybe if the contents is less gritty, it will point toward some crop motility issue, rather than impaction. Poor little chicken, she just wants to scratch around with her friends!

 

[Gabipentin]

You're doing great on what you're doing, and what you have done! You are on the right track!
I wouldn't limit her feed too much, just let her eat whatever she wants and make sure her crop doesn't get overly full. Keep an eye on her and see what she will consume. If her crop does get really full take away the feed and only give her certain amounts. You don't want to risk aspiration with a full crop.
Since she's got an impacted crop, you're going to want to do massages. After giving the coconut oil, massage, massage, massage. Try going in a circular and downward motion. Do this a few times a day and it should help her.

Thank you! Poor chicken is so over crop massage! But she forgives me as soon as i feed her. She does seem to eat non stop, i think being inside in a cage is just so boring she just eats. Her crop is still getting super large during the day, despite significantly emptying overnight. I have the material ready to create a crop bra, i'm concerned about over-stretching! so if it gets really large again today, i'll make that.
I will re-xray her tomorrow, i'm curious if the contents of the crop will be less gritty, and i had it suggested to use epsom salts 1tsp to 1C water to increase crop motility. She is defecating normally, so i'm hoping if the gritty material seen on her last xray has moved on, it will eliminate an impaction and we can concentrate on why it's emptying insufficiently. Pending the x-ray I might re-do her faecal tests to make sure we didn't miss something further down the GI tract.
Honestly, 6 weeks in to chicken ownership and this is more than i bargained for! But she's sooooooo cute, and her trill is adorable!!!

 

[Tookie]

Thank you! Poor chicken is so over crop massage! But she forgives me as soon as i feed her. She does seem to eat non stop, i think being inside in a cage is just so boring she just eats. Her crop is still getting super large during the day, despite significantly emptying overnight.

That's great she has a good appetite.
Exactly how full does her crop get? Like golf ball size or tennis ball size? How does it feel when full? Squishy, hard, or doughy?
How much is left in her crop in the morning?

I have the material ready to create a crop bra, i'm concerned about over-stretching! so if it gets really large again today, i'll make that.

If nothing else seems to be helping I would definitely give that a try!

I will re-xray her tomorrow, i'm curious if the contents of the crop will be less gritty, and i had it suggested to use epsom salts 1tsp to 1C water to increase crop motility. She is defecating normally, so i'm hoping if the gritty material seen on her last xray has moved on, it will eliminate an impaction and we can concentrate on why it's emptying insufficiently. Pending the x-ray I might re-do her faecal tests to make sure we didn't miss something further down the GI tract.

Sounds good! Good luck! Hopefully the gritty material is gone.

Honestly, 6 weeks in to chicken ownership and this is more than i bargained for! But she's sooooooo cute, and her trill is adorable!!!

Well you're doing great on treating her for how much experience you have with chickens, good job!