Canker not going away!

[Icymeteus12]

Do you have any friends, high school age, university age, that are taking biology courses, or even better, a veterinary student? If you can scrape some of the substance into a sterile container, someone with access to a microscope and the basic knowledge to determine bacteria from parasites, we could begin to get somewhere.

I'm going to ask a few Vets if they do this kind of testing.

 

[Icymeteus12]

There is another possibility we haven't discussed. Avian pox. If you have mosquitoes and they have access to your rooster, this may be the diptheroid form of pox. It's a virus and would not respond to any of the treatments you've tried. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pox-virus-infection-in-birds

It is a possibility, but then again, there are also a few pigeons that have been visiting our place for the past few months which could've been infected with canker. I also have a hen with the rooster but she's doing fine.

I'm assuming the virus would clear itself after a few weeks but it's almost 40 days since the first symptoms.

 

[azygous]

Pox does clear up on its own after running its course. But forty days without responding to any of the treatments should have produced results by now.

 

[Icymeteus12]

@azygous Yesterday a part of the Lesion in the Rooster's throat seemed a bit detached so I tried pushing it a little with a Q-tip but it was too hard. Today when I checked his throat again, it had this whole thing stuck in the throat.

There's still a lot of it left but it looks like a bit of pulling would make it detach from its throat. I'm not sure if it's Ronidazole's effect or not but some parts of it do seem a bit "detached" from the sides of the Lesion.

 

[azygous]

You can go ahead and try pulling off more that seems ready to come off. In canker treatment, it's okay to do this, and very necessary when a chicken can't breathe or swallow. Some bleeding is normal as you detach the lesions.

 

[Icymeteus12]

You can go ahead and try pulling off more that seems ready to come off. In canker treatment, it's okay to do this, and very necessary when a chicken can't breathe or swallow. Some bleeding is normal as you detach the lesions.

Went to a Vet on the same day who managed to pull most of it out. There was some bleeding and it healed but there's a white patch on the same place again and it came back almost within 24 hours. I'm not sure if it's Canker or what because I'm treating him with Ronidazole.

He's lost a lot of weight and is too lethargic. I'm hand feeding him multiple times in a day but it's like the food has no effect on his weight. Left side of his face is also swollen a bit.

 

[azygous]

There is an informal rule I go by when confronted by mysterious lesions that can't be explained. If it doesn't heal and keeps getting worse, even with all the different treatments I try, then I'm probably looking at a cancer lesion.

That this rooster is getting worse, and you've noticed swelling in the adjacent tissue, it could be that cancer cells have invaded the rest of his body. Soon, you will need to make the decision to euthanize him to stop his suffering. At that time, you can have his body necropsied. Cancer tumors inside the abdominal cavity would be very easy to see. You could even cut the body open yourself and take a look.

Was the vet going to try to culture those bits of tissue they removed? I would ask. Put under a microscope, perhaps the cells can be identified. It's not a lofty special science. Any person with a strong microscope and some illustrations of what the common bacteria look like and what the common chicken cancers look like can probably tell what the cells are that refuse to be vulnerable to the microbial treatments you've been trying.

 

[azygous]

It's been my understanding that antibiotic products labeled for animals or fish and have the warning: "Not for human consumption" are still obtainable over the counter." However, the stronger antibiotics, the ones most medical practitioners prescribe for people need a vet's prescription.

 

[Icymeteus12]

It's been my understanding that antibiotic products labeled for animals or fish and have the warning: "Not for human consumption" are still obtainable over the counter." However, the stronger antibiotics, the ones most medical practitioners prescribe for people need a vet's prescription.

I cannot seem to find a proper Lab that does testing however I'm suspecting that it might not be Canker. Ronidazole isn't working and all the images I've seen online have canker as yellowish, sharp patches on sides of mouth but my Rooster has whitish, smooth patch at the back of throat. Could it be fungul infection/Sour crop? His crop does seem to empty just fine.

I'm really out of options and his health is worsening everyday.

 

[azygous]

Some of the meds you've been using also work on fungal infections. Ronidazole is one. So, it probably isn't fungal in your rooster's throat.

I'm sorry to say that you've tried everything. In this country, when a doctor has tested and tried all sorts of drugs and a condition persists. they call the condition "idiopathic". It means "We don't have a clue what's wrong". I have such a condition, but even though no one knows what it is, it still makes me sick from time to time. Your rooster likely has such a condition, and maybe even a lab might not be able to identify it.

The bottom line is it's making this rooster so sick, he's likely dying from it. Is he the only rooster you have?