Is this a tumor? Please help be determine the best course of action for this hot mess.

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Please help. Is this a tumor? I just got back from being out of town for the week. My husband said my Roo was bleeding by his tail feathers but it didn’t look bad. When I got home to check him out, I found this. It’s a huge mass about the size of a golf ball right by his preening gland. Skin around his vent and tummy are red and inflamed. I started to separate him in a crate but he was more stressed there and seemed happier in the flock with the others.

No clue what caused this. I’m wondering if he started bleeding because he was pecking at the mass and then it got infected, or maybe the pecking caused an infection that lead to this. At any rate, he’s acting normally - eating, crowing, drinking, talking to his ladies… But this can’t be good.

Cochin frizzle rooster, 1.5 years old. Out of my 12 chickens, he and my favorite hen are the only ones left of my original flock. I don’t want to lose him but I don’t want him to suffer, either. Unfortunately I don’t have the resources to use a vet.

 

[coach723]

So this popped up in a week? That's awfully fast for tumor growth. Is vet care an option? Uropygial gland tumors happen, it also could be infection from a plugged or blocked gland. Vet care would be best since it's so large and inflammed. They can determine if it's an infected blockage, or if it's a tumor and whether it can be removed or not.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

So this popped up in a week? That's awfully fast for tumor growth. Is vet care an option? Uropygial gland tumors happen, it also could be infection from a plugged or blocked gland. Vet care would be best since it's so large and inflammed. They can determine if it's an infected blockage, or if it's a tumor and whether it can be removed or not.

I can’t say it definitely developed over just a week because I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until he was bleeding.

As I mentioned, unfortunately I don’t have the resources for vet care right now… I’d like to do what I can for him at home, but if helping him is out of my ability, I’ll have to resort to culling. Just wanted to exhaust my options first.

 

[coach723]

You can try warm, wet compresses see if it loosens any thing up. I'm not optimistic with it being that large. If there is a scab, if you can loosen it to remove it, then what you see underneath might make a difference. I cannot tell from a picture if it's just full of pus from infection, or if it's a tumor. Tumors usually have a blood supply and can bleed a lot if opened up. If it's pus (and chicken pus is firm rather than liquid) then removing it, flushing it out and applying and antibiotic ointment might allow it it heal. It's also possible that it could be a feather cyst, that would contain pus and usually a curled up or malformed feather in it. Treatment would be the same, remove all the gunk and clean it out so it can heal. I just can't tell you for sure from a picture. I will tag a couple of others to see if they have any other ideas for you.
@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you get a few more photos at different angles including the top of the swelling?
Is the preening gland "normal" size with the swelling beside it or is it all just very swollen?

I would follow the suggestions made by @coach723 to try compresses and see if that helps.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Thank you @coach723 and @Wyorp Rock for your insight. I’ll try the compresses. Would the purpose of that be to loosen the scab and see what’s beneath? If the scab won’t loosen, should I try to remove it?

If it is pus, how would I go about flushing it out? Saline solution in a douche, or is water under a tap fine?

Sorry for silly questions… I have never dealt with a serious injury in my flock, nevertheless an infected/inflamed one.

I’ll attach another photo now and will take better ones this evening. Thanks again for your help, otherwise I’d be lost.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

 

[coach723]

Is that mostly just the tail? Can you get a picture of the preen gland itself from the top?

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Is that mostly just the tail? Can you get a picture of the preen gland itself from the top?

Will get more photos ASAP when I get home. These are the tail/mass.

Preen gland didn’t look off putting, normal size and color as of yesterday night.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Hope these help - preen gland is hot pink nub.