Buff Orp has a lump under her ear!

[daphnelee]

Hi all! I'm fairly new to the chicken family. My Buff Orp has a lump under her ear. It moves with touch & is not too hard. Her comb is a bit pale and leans to the side. I am posting a picture and requesting any feedback! Thx so much!

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you tell if she may have been pecked and a small abscess has formed? Also, does it seem that the ear could have some infection from bacteria, yeast, or mites? A cyst may also be possible.

 

[daphnelee]

Thx for responding! I looked real close for any broken skin. Nothing... but it is possible. She's definitely lower on the peckng order out of the 15 other hens.

I read in another post about how to clean their ears, but haven't ventured into that yet! Don't know how a cyst would feel, so I'll continue to read. Still learning about the whole anatomy of a bird. I feel like a "new" mom as they are truely like having kids...IMO!

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some threads that show how bad ear infections get, and how to treat them, although yours may not be an infection, but possibly a cyst or abscess:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/630778/gunky-ears
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/767500/ear-infection
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/919235/ear-infection-in-rooster
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/831156/really-nasty-ear-infection-in-a-silkie-hen-graphic-pics

 

[daphnelee]

Here is my Buff Orp today after 11 days. The lump has gotten a bit bigger and harder. My husband and i tried to aspirate the lump using a needle syringe with no success. There wasnt even a drop of blood. Used vetrycin spray on it afterward. So now we are considering cutting it out. Also started her on VetRX. 1 drop on a q-tip in the upper part of the mouth.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

Although I am not an expert, it looks and sounds more like a tumor. An abscess would probably feel soft, and probably would have popped open by now. Tumors are fairly common in chickens. Pus can solidify in chickens into a hard cheesy core, but that has obviously grown since the earlier picture.

 

[daphnelee]

Although I am not an expert, it looks and sounds more like a tumor. An abscess would probably feel soft, and probably would have popped open by now. Tumors are fairly common in chickens. Pus can solidify in chickens into a hard cheesy core, but that has obviously grown since the earlier picture.

So would you suggest trying to open it up? If so, what is the best tool to use to open it. My concern is not knowing exactly what is in that area that could be affected by such a mass/tumor. Her ear seems to be clean and the mass is lower than her ear.

If we decide to extract the tumor/cyst, can we put a liquid bandage or superglue on it to help keep it closed? Do we bandage it to keep it clean? I have Vetrycin gel & liquid spray.

Thx for any feedback!

 

[longoriaacre]

If it's a tumor, it could be connected to tissue surrounding the growth and/or could cause excessive bleeding. If you try to cut it off, and it's a tumor - there is a good chance it will grow back if all of the tumor's tissue is not removed.

I'm my opinion, I'd seek a vet for the surgery... or just let her be. I think if it is not a fluid/puss filled lump to express, then trying to cut it off will do her more harm than good.