# Need help with slow crop



## Pidgeys (Nov 18, 2012)

Hi there,

Two days ago (Saturday) someone brought in another feral squeaker to me at work. It was starving, dehydrated, lethargic, couldn't stand, had really watery and green poop and was very sleepy. I actually was not sure it would make it. I warmed it up for about half an hour and then fed it peas and some seeds. However, the seeds have never emptied from the crop. I have barely fed it since that first feed as I know crops should empty. I only fed it because it was desperate for food, jumping out of its box and scavenging anywhere.

It is now extremely energetic and hungry with pretty normal poops, but still seems to be a wee bit off balance and it's squeak seems weaker then any other squeakers i have had. I'm not sure if that is a symptom of if it is just a quiet pidgey though.

I put ACV in the water and have given it some apple sauce as well as carefully massaging its crop roughly once an hour and really restricting food. 

Is there anything else I can try or need to do? Should I stop all food completely?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Did you make sure the bird was thoroughly re-hydrated before you fed it? If it WAS dehydrated, then its system would be less responsive than normal, including its digestive process. In fact, if a bird is severely dehydrated (which this one evidently was not) then feeding it can kill it pretty quick.

It does not sound like there is a blockage if its poops are OK and it must be digesting, but it is always worth giving a treatment for (crop) canker just in case.

I would desist with the feeding for several hours, anyway, to see if it does remove the rest of the seed. If it still has a problem, then we would use Metoclopramide. Unfortunately, I can't tell you where/how to get it - we got it from our vet.


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## Pidgeys (Nov 18, 2012)

the first thing i gave it was water but perhaps i did not give it enough or did not wait long enough. You can't just order or buy meds here in n.z, you can only get it through an appt. with a vet. Perhaps that might be the way to go...

what would some symptoms be of sour crop? apart form crop not emptying?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You always need to rehydrate a bird first, and wait on the feeding. Then only feed after the crop has emptied. You don't want to add new food to old, as this can cause crop problems. How full is the crop? Can you post a picture of the bird?


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## Pidgeys (Nov 18, 2012)

crop was empty this morning!!! looks as if all of the apple sauce, acv and massaging did the trick. three days of almost no food. poor pidge. 

Will post again if i have more crop problems. Thanks :]


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