# Slow Crop



## Fedwards (Oct 24, 2002)

How do you help a pigeon with a slow or impacted crop? I have one the crop has not completely emptied for 2 day...

Thanks,
Fred


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com


You will probably have to do a crop wash..
You can suck the content out with a tube and syringe if you know how to do it..You have to be careful as your bird could aspirate over the water or choke.
I believe other people do a crop wash by "milking the crop"..I am not sure about the details.

I hope someone will come along soon to explain..

Mary


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Fred and Welcome to pigeons.com.

Mary is correct in that a common treatment is to empty the crop of its contents. As she noted, you have to be very careful not to aspirate the bird.

Here is a link to an article about crop stasis/sour crop that may be of help.

http://pigeonnetwork.com/vet.directory/vet.usa/Dr.David.Marx/fluid.crop.cfm 


Sometimes a small amount of vegetable oil (like olive or canola) syringed into the bird followed by gentle massage of the crop area may help the bird naturally move the contents through the system.

You do want to be sure the bird isn't or doesn't become dehydrated as this can worsen the problem.

Keeping the bird warm and as stress free as possible will be helpful also.

Please review the link posted above and let us know if we can help further and how you plan to proceed.

Terry Whatley


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

I think I remember someone saying canola oil wasn't good for a pigeon..I can't remember well I think so....Just to be sure use olive if you're going down this path.....


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## Nooti (Mar 14, 2002)

Fred
Can you try sitting the pigeon so that the crop is on a hot water bottle. Have the water hot enough to discharge heat (not warmth) to the crop. This can sometimes help in the digestion to the contents.
You need to find out why crop stasis is occuring and this could be from many reasons. I have operated on a couple to incise the crop and flush out the contents but this is a drastic last ditch remedy. Try the bottle first.


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## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

This is a long post, but it's life saving info...

Our book will feature such information, complete with drawings. Judy, an accomplished artist, will handle all the line drawings for us!









Tube or crop feeding is a skill any pigeon fancier should learn. Not only can one rehydrate and feed a bird immediately, but the technique doubles for medical treatment in a crop stasis situation, or an accidental swallowing of say, a prescription pill dropped on the floor and snapped up by a pigeon.

This is a critical function and an error here will likely prove fatal.

The following are instructions for use of a flexible feeding tube and syringe.

Right Handed Instructions (Southpaws will have to wing it!):

Fill the syringe per instructions (for pigeons we use a 35 cc syringe) and attach the feeding tube snugly. Tip: a little cooking oil on the plunger rubber will make things work easier.

Get rid of all distractions--TV, friends, etc. You want 100% of your attention on what you're doing.

Place the pigeon in front of you sideways, so that its head is pointed towards your right shoulder (I like to kneel with the bird on a sofa or table).

If the pigeon struggles too much, wrap it in a light towel and have a friend hold it. Be careful not to bind the bird so tight it can't breathe. Bird's don't have a diaphragm like we do...

Gently open the pigeon's mouth with your fingers and prop the beak open with the fingers of your left hand.

With your left hand, draw the pigeon's head up and forward to straighten out the "S" curve of its neck. Support the pigeon's head under the lower mandible when doing this. Do NOT squeeze the pigeon's head too hard!

With your right hand, insert the feeding tube in the pigeon's mouth and angle it towards yourself slightly, towards the right side of the pigeon's mouth. Gently slide the tube down the pigeon's esophagus in the right side of the pharyngeal cavity, located on the right side of the pigeon's neck, and down into the crop. In a grown bird you may insert, say, five inches of tubing.

Feel for the tube beneath the skin of the neck and crop on the pigeon's right side. If you don't feel the tube, pinch it and withdraw it--do NOT depress the plunger!









If you feel the tube beneath the skin on the pigeon's right side, you're okay. While the bird may show a bit of distress, it should be breathing easily enough. It may gag a little (wouldn't you?).









At this point, while holding the head as described, depress the plunger smoothly. This should take only a few seconds.

Pinch the tube and smoothly withdraw it. Pinching the tube assures that no liquid or residual food will be aspirated by the pigeon to cause complications.

Wash the tube and syringe thououghly. Air dry.

I've done this well over 150-times without a fatality. I sweat bullets every time.

With that, here are instructions (see below) from my friend, Marian, on how to effect a crop wash. I've done this twice.

Final note: Accidental inhalation (aspiration) of oil would be bad news...

--Ray

*****
"...Anyway, crop stasis quickly turns into sour crop so I flush the crop within the first l-2 days that I see the problem. 
I would also make sure the bird had no symptoms of Trichomonas (cheesy clumpy deposits in the back of the mouth). 
I haven't used vinegar, but am told by a friend that l part vinegar to l5 parts water is tubed, in small amounts, being careful not to overfill the crop. 
My method just includes bottled water, but I think vinegar will be included in my next case of stasis.
For a baby that is about l0-l4 days old, I tube 3-4 cc of warm bottled water (not over l03 F). This amount increases to approximately 7 cc for big babies that are feathered.
I then gently massage the crop to liquify the crop contents that are not moving.
I then hold the bird around back and shoulders with one hand, and position my thumb and fore and middle fingers around the crop. It is important to position the hands properly so that when the bird is turned upsidedown over a towel or the sink, there is no fumbling for positioning. This delay will likely result in asphyxiation.
The hand positioning should be so that as soon as the bird is turned over, the crop can immediately be gently squeezed and the crop contents emptied in a few seconds.
This is not something to do slowly. Slow is dangerous. It is a fast turn upsidedown and immediate squeezing to empty. I also quickly check to make sure that there are no clumps of food in the mouth that the bird can asphyxsiate.
I may have to repeat this 3-4 times, directly after the first time (giving the bird however many minutes it needs to calm. It should not be done if there is any open-mouthed breathing or other excitement the bird may exhibit).
I give the bird only fluids until I see that the crop is emptying properly. This might be 3 cc for little babies, or 6-7 cc for larger babies. Pedialyte solution is fine also. Babies will become dehydrated within hours of a gastrointestinal problem such as this. 
If another mass is felt in the crop, then another flushing is done.
At the same time as flushing, I start an antibacterial; and an antifungal medication for possible Candidiasis.. 
I use TMS at 40-60 mg/kg twice a day, and
Nystatin 100,000 IU/kg twice a day
These meds are given only 5 days.
I add Bene-bac to one of the water feedings, apart from medication time.
The Nystatin is given last, so that it has some hours of contact with the oral and crop area. It is only effective if it is in direct contact with infected areas.
I have found that Exact solidifies quickly in the crop, and, so, do not use it for my baby pigeons. I have been using Harrison's passerine # l diet (adding water only). I haven't had opportunity to try this on a baby in trouble yet. That time will surely come soon.
The baby is kept in a warm environment (approx 90 F if unfeathered), with humidity of 50-60%. Both conditions are needed for proper digestive and metabolic function.
Once the crop is emptying, I begin a very dilute food schedule, and keep watch for further signs of crop stasis. 
It is a difficult condition to clear up once it gets a foothold on the baby. Many times, all efforts are futile, with the caregiver feeling helpless, exhausted and heartbroken. So although we keep trying, that fact is one that is ever present. 
I know of at least two wildlife rehab centers that do not try to raise babies younger than 4-5 days old because of the almost certain failures. They choose to euthanize instead..."

*****
"...I do have one correction to the crop flushing info (sorry I didn't think
of this yesterday): The use of vinegar, as I understand it, is not
generally done in preparation for flushing. Rather, it is given in the l:l5
ratio for the purpose of having the crop contents soften and then move
through the GI system in the normal fashion, without flushing. Since
flushing is a procedure that occurs within a minute, vinegar is probably
not necessary and may not be indicated for that kind of use.

During last year's baby season, the infants that I took care of had the
usual stasis problem. Even after the crop flushing, they continued to
quickly develop the same problem when I would start the feeding all over
again. After consulting with my vet, we decided on feeding the babies a
mixture of the silky type tofu, plain whole yogurt, and soft boiled egg. I
know this was nutritionally incomplete, however, it was the only diet that
did not result in resumption of the stasis.

I also pushed the babies to begin self feeding much sooner than I ever did,
as they were so thin and hungry. They surprised me and began eating
Harrison's fine pellets and the crop problem was resolved. One of those
pigeons, that nearly died, was adopted by my wonderful vet and he lives in
the treatment room, supervising all aspects of staff activity. He has the
run of the place and they love him..."

*****
End


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Wonderful post Ray, Judy, and Marian!!!!!

Thank all of you so very much for caring enough to do this.

Terry Whatley


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Yes, It is a very informative post and I will save it!

Thanks!!









Mary


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Bumping up for Dolly.

Terry Whatley


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

bumping up.

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Sour Crop*

Bumping Up


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