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Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

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Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Rango2007 » Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:44 am

One of my cockatiels has something round in his crop. I noticed about a week ago when his crop was larger than usual. I started massaging the crop a few times a day and eventually it went down. When it was empty I noticed a ball about the size of his eye in the crop. It could be a whole seed? I have been feeding him a mix of parrot baby food and veggies blended up and massaging the crop every day and his weight is doing fine and he seems to be doing fine but the object is still there and won’t go down. If I don’t massage the crop becomes slow again. We don’t have a good vet here where I live just the vet that comes see our farm animals and what not. I’m not from the USA and the vet only has knowledge of chickens, ducks and pigeons and such. He told me to put some water in a siringe down his throat and make it throw it up but that sounds wrong and I feel like that is just going to make it aspirate water. Is there any safe way to get the object out? I know some people feed their chicken oil when they get crop impaction but no one here knows if it’s ok for cockatiels. I’m so sorry if my English makes no sense.
Rango2007
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatiel
Flight: Yes

Re: Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Pajarita » Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:05 am

Welcome to the forum. Your English is perfect but I am so sorry your bird is having this issue.

Now, that has never happened to me so I don't have any personal experience with this specific problem but I can tell you that I seriously doubt it's a seed. Normally, when a parrot swallows something it should not have (like strings, pieces of material, wrong kind of bedding, etc), it passes the cop into the stomach -and this where the problem starts because although the opening for the crop into the esophagus is wide (because it's like a pouch made out of the enlarged esophagus), the opening from the proventriculus (first stomach) and the ventriculus (aka gizzard and second stomach) is narrow. So, I doubt that what you feel is an object.... I am not vet, I just have many years of experience with many birds and have studied avian medicine texts on my own so don't take my advice as the gospel.

Does the bird vomit? Is the poop normal? is he drinking enough water? People like to use water bottles for birds but I think it's a HUGE mistake so, if you are, please give him a bowl. Was he gavage fed or was a syringe, pipette or spoon used? When you feel his crop, does the 'object' move around or does it feel 'stuck' in the same spot? Because, if it is 'stuck', it could be either inflammation, a sore or scar tissue from a burn or a lesion.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Rango2007 » Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:28 am

He does not vomit. The poop is runnier than usual because I have been feeding him soft foods. He has his water dish. I have been feeding with a syringe and the object definitely moves around. I say it’s a seed because there’s nothing else he could had eaten that was round and hard like that. There’s no toys with beads and no bedding or fabric materials he can get to. Since I can feel the object move around I was wondering if I could try to massage it up and out of the crop? Currently some family members are helping me by asking around if anyone knows a vet in the city or something. Hopefully we can find one but I doubt they would be able to do any kind of surgery. It’s hard to find a vet here that can do surgery on dogs let alone on birds.
Rango2007
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatiel
Flight: Yes

Re: Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Pajarita » Wed Mar 08, 2023 11:07 am

Well, the fact that it moves around is good news but I still don't think it's a seed and I'll tell you why. One of the symptoms of PDD (Proventricular Dilation Disease), a fatal disease that destroys the crop and the proventriculus, is that the seeds show up whole and undigested in their poop so, if a bird with a messed up crop (they get lesions that, sometimes, end up as holes in it) and a messed up first stomach can pass the seeds, I don't see how your bird cannot.

Try feeding it gloop and fresh greens for breakfast and some small seeds (millet, milo, safflower, etc) for dinner for a couple of days. Do not touch his crop or him at all, put a good splash of aloe vera juice (not gel) from the inner leaf (not the whole leaf) in his medicated water (instead of plain water, give him a mild licorice root tea) every morning (take the water out when he goes to sleep and put fresh one in the am). Add a sprinkle of mastic, ginger and garlic to his gloop. Now, make sure you don't overdo it with the 'sprinkle, it needs to be teeny, tiny, OK?

Obser him 'closely during these two days - does he have an appetite? does he eat on his own? is he eating enough? (you can tell by the amount of poop) - is his poop good? (good color, good amount of white, good shape green, no smell, etc) - is he normally active or lethargic? is he fluffed up too much during the day/
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Rango2007 » Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:20 pm

So far I let him eat soft foods on his own and yes he does want to eat but when I tried to do nothing his crop was just not empty so I keep doing crop massages and everything is fine. It seems like the object settles at the bottom of the crop and won’t let food through if I don’t massage the crop. And you are probably right it doesn’t seem to be a seed because the shape and feel has changed. It now feels less round and squishy. We plan to take him to a vet in the city this coming weekend. Hopefully they can take it out. But everything else is fine, he’s pretty hungry and cheerful as usual and his weight is not bad. I just hope the thing can be removed without surgery as it’s very risky here especially in such a small animal. Thank you for your help.
Rango2007
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatiel
Flight: Yes

Re: Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Pajarita » Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:47 am

You are welcome. I am sorry I was not able to help and I wish you and your bird the best. If you have time, please come back when you see the vet and tell us what he said and did.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Cockatiel has something stuck in crop

Postby Spromilt » Tue Dec 26, 2023 3:03 am

I hope your cockatiel gets the care he needs and makes a full recovery.

Geometry Dash World
Spromilt
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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