Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
Using the same needle, inject 0.5 cc into the breast muscle (see drawing opposite
for injection locations). This will usually solve the problem.
You can try the above procedure daily over the course of the next three to four days.
If you still don't see an improvement, it's time to cull the bird.
If a cheesy, chunky material comes out of the nose
when you squeeze the sinuses,
you have a more serious condition. You can try the above procedure, but generally it is
best to dispose of the bird. If you desperately want to try to save the bird, you can try
stronger injectables such as Tylan or Gallimycin, although the latter will cause tissue
damage. Black sores will appear at the injection sites. The sores will heal, but it takes
some time. You also would want to keep the bird on an antibiotic in the water until it
improves.
Sour Crop
When a bird develops a swollen crop filled with a foul-smelling liquid and spoiled food
mixture, it's
sour crop.
Something that the bird has eaten is not moving along the digest-
ive tract. I have seen autopsied birds with long strands of coarse grass, pieces of twine,
and numerous other compacted items. These things plugged up the tract and caused food
to stay in the crop, which, in turn, contributes to the fungal infection that develops and
creates a foul smell.
I've had some success with helping the bird to regurgitate and empty the crop: I take
the affected bird by the legs, turn it upside down, and apply gentle pressure to the crop,
massaging it until the nasty mix flows out through the mouth.
Once the bird has regurgitated, I place it in isolation and provide fresh water. In some
cases one treatment is enough, but sometimes I have to repeat it several times a day for
several days.
Antibiotics available from veterinarians are also effective, and over-the-counter non-
prescription antibiotics such as oxytetracycline and Gallimycin can help in some cases.
If the infection is fungal, however, these will not help. If no obvious signs of improve-
ment can be noted after over-the-counter antibiotics are given for a day or two, assume
it is fungal.
Antifungal medications for sour crop can be obtained from some veterinarians. Using
live yogurt mixed with crushed garlic, both of which are known to have antifungal prop-
erties, may successfully treat the condition. If the bird will not eat it on its own after
you have emptied the contents of the crop via regurgitation, then use a syringe without
a needle to inject some of the yogurt mixture into the back of the bird's mouth. You'll
need a fairly large syringe, but be careful not to choke the bird in the process.