VN August 2023

Augustus 2023 35 o Diagnosis  Must be differentiated from a crop perforation (see below) o Treatment  Surgical resection of the burn and repair of the crop and skin is necessary to effect a cure. However, surgery must be delayed until the fistula has formed and all devitalised tissue has become obvious (usually 4-7 days after the incident )The crop has an incredible ability to stretch and even large crop resections seem to be well tolerated by most young birds. Subsequent feedings will obviously need to be reduced depending on the post-operative size of the crop.  While waiting for the burn to become clearly demarcated, the chick must be given supportive care: • Analgesia and antibiotic coverage • Small feeds given frequently so as to avoid distending the crop. Placement of an oesophagostomy tube may be necessary in some cases. • Crop perforations o Aetiology  Perforation usually occurs when using a metal feeding tube. The tube perforates the crop either because: • the chick has an unrestrained feeding response and thrusts up against the tube. • The person feeding the chick does so roughly or impatiently • Food can be deposited outside the crop and under the skin, in some cases without been noticed. o Clinical signs  Early cases may be presented because of blood on the feeding tube when withdrawn. These birds are usually asymptomatic.  More advanced cases may be presented because of apparent crop stasis, often with severe systemic illness. Distension is palpable in the crop region, but food cannot be aspirated with a feeding tube o Treatment  Surgical removal of the food deposited under the skin, followed by debridement and flushing of the subcutaneous tissues and repair of the crop injury is essential  Prognosis is determined by the time lapse since the initial injury and the degree of sepsis present in the patient. v Technical I Article >>> 38 This article is sponsored by V-Tech