Causes: Matted feathers, impacted cloaca, arrest of eggs, debility,
catarrh, parasites, nervous disorder. Symptoms: swelling of anus,
pendent abdomen, waddling gait, straining without effect. Treatment:
remove obstruction by mechanical means, cut off matted feathers, egg
matter may demand laparotomy, castor oil, tincture of rhubarb,
enemata, green food, ensilage, roots, onions.
In birds torpid and obstructed bowels may come from the effects of a
previous diarrhœa, which has led to the matting together of the feathers
over the anus at once obstructing defecation and rendering it painful.
It may result in and be aggravated by a slow accumulation of
indigestible matters in the intestine or cloaca (pebbles, feathers,
etc.), and the arrest of eggs in the oviduct, pressing upon and
obstructing the bowel. In a recent case the author removed 18 ozs. of
impacted egg matter from the oviduct of a hen, which when divested of
this load weighed barely 2 lbs. Debility of the general system and
particularly of the walls of the bowels, and its various causes (old
age, exhausting disease, intestinal catarrh, parasites, nervous
diseases, etc.) retard defecation and favor impaction as in the mammal.
The _symptoms_ may be; hard dry droppings, matting of the feathers over
the anus with feculent matters, a firm swelling surrounding the
sphincter, a pendent condition of the abdomen which when manipulated is
felt to be firm and resistant, ruffling of the feathers, drooping of the
head, wings and tail, walking sluggishly with legs half bent and a
waddling gait, and ineffectual attempts to defecate.
_Treatment._ As in dogs remove the obstructing mass by mechanical means.
Matted feathers may be clipped off, and feculent accumulations may be
dislodged by the aid of the finger, or in small birds of a blunt prob.
This may be favored by manipulation through the abdominal walls, and the
injection of soapy or oily enemata. Accumulations of impacted egg matter
may be similarly removed, or, failing this, by an incision made through
the abdominal walls and oviduct. As a purgative give one or two
teaspoonfuls castor oil according to the size of the hen, or a few drops
to a small cage bird. For the latter Friedberger and Fröhner advise a
few drops of tincture of rhubarb in the drinking water. Injections of
warm or cold soapsuds or water may be continued as symptoms demand.
Green food, ensilage, roots, worms, snails and insects are indicated to
correct the tendency to costiveness and may be continued until the
bowels have acquired their proper tone. A moderate allowance of onions
is often of great value.