Pepper Could Use Some Help

[NubbyRyuu]

So around 3pm est today, I noticed Pepper's crop hadn't gone down. I was gonna feed her when I saw hoe big and felt how hard it was, like a rock. I got her to drink water and massage her crop, but after a couple hours on and off, it's very slowly gone down. The weird part is this strange bubble that's appeared under her skin. Despite all this, she's acting like herself and her stools are normal.

I'm pretty positive the culprit was solid food, as Pepper has been on wet food the past few weeks, due to her good leg not working properly. She's 5mo and has had a slipped tendon since she was a baby. She's fought this long and hard, and she wants to keep fighting. Currently I have her more upright in her wheelchair (that's used more as a feeding chair, but hey, it's comfortable) to try and have the food move out of her crop better.

Is this a bad form of Impacted Crop? And what's with the bubble; anything I can do about it?

 

[azygous]

Do you have a needle syringe? Two things it could be. Air under the skin or the crop sac has sprung a leak and the contents are accumulating between the crop sac and the outer skin.

Wipe the bulge well with alcohol, and take a sterilize needle syringe with the plunger depressed, and pierce it. Then pull back on the plunger, drawing either fluid or air out of the sac. If it's fluid, it may mean the crop has been nicked by something she swallowed, lacerating the crop.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I would say leave the bubble if it’s not bothering her. That’s what I did with mine. But definitely listen to @azygous !
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bubble-under-wing-what-to-do.1492506/#post-24893459

 

[azygous]

It may be airsaculitis. That's why I suggested withdrawing whatever is filling the bulge. If it's fluid, it's a ruptured crop. It it's air, it's a ruptured airsac.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

View attachment 2830465It may be airsaculitis. That's why I suggested withdrawing whatever is filling the bulge. If it's fluid, it's a ruptured crop. It it's air, it's a ruptured airsac.

Yup you know best!

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Why is she so bare? Just curious.

 

[azygous]

The bulge is stretching the skin between the feathers so it appears bald. Think about what a design on a balloon looks like when you inflate the balloon.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

The bulge is stretching the skin between the feathers so it appears bald. Think about what a design on a balloon looks like when you inflate the balloon.

Oh no I meant her tummy.

 

[NubbyRyuu]

Do you have a needle syringe? Two things it could be. Air under the skin or the crop sac has sprung a leak and the contents are accumulating between the crop sac and the outer skin.

Wipe the bulge well with alcohol, and take a sterilize needle syringe with the plunger depressed, and pierce it. Then pull back on the plunger, drawing either fluid or air out of the sac. If it's fluid, it may mean the crop has been nicked by something she swallowed, lacerating the crop.

I don't, but I can ask my neighbor. I can tell there's no food in the bubble because it squeezes down with little effort. I know she could fill her crop endlessly if she wanted to, haha!

But I think I fully know what the culprit is that caused her crop to harden like that. As stated, she eats wet food, so there's plenty of water in it. I think she ate too many dry pellets behind my back that Pumpkin spills onto the floor, and those absorbed the water over time, grew because of that, and presto, perfect storm. But the air bubble is strange, I've never seen that before in any animal (save for the bubble-eyed fish, but that's normal for them).

Her crop has also slowly but surely gone down over the last few hours. I've dealt with Sour Crop before, but damn, this was something!

 

[NubbyRyuu]

View attachment 2830465It may be airsaculitis. That's why I suggested withdrawing whatever is filling the bulge. If it's fluid, it's a ruptured crop. It it's air, it's a ruptured airsac.

What would cause an air sac to rupture? Also never knew chickens had air sacs...no wonder they float XD