FirstTimeClucky
Songster
- Feb 13, 2017
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Today I had to euthanize my coturnix quail who was afflicted with this disease. She had it for several months, until it progressed to the point where she could no longer close her beak to eat or drink. I'm writing this to help others whose birds come down with this common but incurable disease. Swollen Head Syndrome can affect chickens, turkeys and quail. It was first seen in turkeys and broiler chickens.
DISCLAIMER: It's a good idea to consult a veterinarian for a firm diagnosis before following any advice given here. SHS is a complex disease, and there are other conditions which may cause similar symptoms.
I have done extensive research on Swollen Head Syndrome. It's difficult to find information because there are several possible causes. However, the symptoms are mostly the same. There is no known cure for this disease. Several organisms combine to cause this disease, a virus (paramyxovirus), a fungus (mycoplasma), and often, a bacterial infection (usually E. coli) which "piggybacks" on the viral or fungal infection.
SHS is thought to be spread by a peck to the head from another bird. All birds carry paramyxovirus. In the case of my quail, I put her in a cage with new hens and one of them probably pecked her. Within a couple of days I noticed the swelling and moved her to a hospital cage. None of my other birds in the communal cage contracted the disease. It can only be transmitted via direct contact (beak puncturing skin).
Symptoms:
- firm, slow growing, painless swelling on one side of the head. It affects the eye, sinus and mouth (inside the upper beak). There is no discharge from the swelling, however, in many cases there is a foamy discharge from the eye and/or mouth.
- the swelling gradually increases in size until the head is grossly misshapen. It always remains confined to the same side of the head. The swelling is worst below and around the eye. The eye on the affected side soon goes blind, then the swelling closes the eye. The swollen area loses its feathers and becomes bald.
- soon the corner of the beak and inside the upper mandible become swollen. Saliva will leak from the corner of the mouth. This eventually prevents the bird from eating or drinking when it can no longer close its beak or swallow.
- despite the deformity, the bird behaves normally and continues to eat, drink, forage, vocalize and lay eggs. It does not appear to be in pain or distress, other than its blindness. It should be separated from any other birds or it will be picked on. The brain and spinal cord are not affected.
Treatment:
- This is an incurable disease. The swelling is "walled off" and oral medications do not penetrate it. Antibiotics can be tried to get rid of any bacterial infection and prolong life. The most common bacteria associated with SHS is E. coli. Sulfa drugs or Sulfa/Trimethoprim are the best antibiotics for this condition, however, they do not work on the viral or fungal component. Antifungals can be tried, but once again they don't affect the viral component. Also, mycoplasma can be difficult to treat. The most that can be expected with these medications is to prolong the life of the bird by slowing down the progressive swelling.
- Lancing the swelling will not help. It is not possible to draw the contents out using a syringe. This is because the swelling is firm and there is no fluid to remove. The substance in the swelling is like a hard fat deposit. Also, lancing can cause heavy bleeding and is painful to the bird. The swelling is actually a slow growing tumour caused by the paramyxovirus. Even if the tumour were surgically removed, it would likely grow back because the virus is still present.
Prognosis and care
SHS is a terminal disease, very similar to a form of cancer. It's up to the owner whether to euthanize the bird immediately or keep it until the swelling affects the bird's quality of life. The bird is not in pain and can function normally except for the loss of sight in one eye. It should be kept separate from other birds, for its own protection. Without intervention the bird can still survive for weeks or months.
I let my quail live and kept her as comfortable as possible until it became obvious that she could no longer eat or drink. I found it was easier for her to drink from a water bottle as opposed to a dish. Other than that, she could still eat her normal diet until the end. She had also stopped laying eggs a few days ago. I used to put Polysporin cream on her swelling twice a day to keep the bare skin supple and hydrated. For a while, I tried Preparation H to see if it would help bring down the swelling (it didn't). Vaseline or Bag Balm or virgin coconut oil would also work.
Some people may prefer to just euthanize their bird when it shows the classic sign of swelling around one eye and/or discharge. Again, I recommend you take your bird to a vet first, to rule out any other cause of the swelling.
DISCLAIMER: It's a good idea to consult a veterinarian for a firm diagnosis before following any advice given here. SHS is a complex disease, and there are other conditions which may cause similar symptoms.
I have done extensive research on Swollen Head Syndrome. It's difficult to find information because there are several possible causes. However, the symptoms are mostly the same. There is no known cure for this disease. Several organisms combine to cause this disease, a virus (paramyxovirus), a fungus (mycoplasma), and often, a bacterial infection (usually E. coli) which "piggybacks" on the viral or fungal infection.
SHS is thought to be spread by a peck to the head from another bird. All birds carry paramyxovirus. In the case of my quail, I put her in a cage with new hens and one of them probably pecked her. Within a couple of days I noticed the swelling and moved her to a hospital cage. None of my other birds in the communal cage contracted the disease. It can only be transmitted via direct contact (beak puncturing skin).
Symptoms:
- firm, slow growing, painless swelling on one side of the head. It affects the eye, sinus and mouth (inside the upper beak). There is no discharge from the swelling, however, in many cases there is a foamy discharge from the eye and/or mouth.
- the swelling gradually increases in size until the head is grossly misshapen. It always remains confined to the same side of the head. The swelling is worst below and around the eye. The eye on the affected side soon goes blind, then the swelling closes the eye. The swollen area loses its feathers and becomes bald.
- soon the corner of the beak and inside the upper mandible become swollen. Saliva will leak from the corner of the mouth. This eventually prevents the bird from eating or drinking when it can no longer close its beak or swallow.
- despite the deformity, the bird behaves normally and continues to eat, drink, forage, vocalize and lay eggs. It does not appear to be in pain or distress, other than its blindness. It should be separated from any other birds or it will be picked on. The brain and spinal cord are not affected.
Treatment:
- This is an incurable disease. The swelling is "walled off" and oral medications do not penetrate it. Antibiotics can be tried to get rid of any bacterial infection and prolong life. The most common bacteria associated with SHS is E. coli. Sulfa drugs or Sulfa/Trimethoprim are the best antibiotics for this condition, however, they do not work on the viral or fungal component. Antifungals can be tried, but once again they don't affect the viral component. Also, mycoplasma can be difficult to treat. The most that can be expected with these medications is to prolong the life of the bird by slowing down the progressive swelling.
- Lancing the swelling will not help. It is not possible to draw the contents out using a syringe. This is because the swelling is firm and there is no fluid to remove. The substance in the swelling is like a hard fat deposit. Also, lancing can cause heavy bleeding and is painful to the bird. The swelling is actually a slow growing tumour caused by the paramyxovirus. Even if the tumour were surgically removed, it would likely grow back because the virus is still present.
Prognosis and care
SHS is a terminal disease, very similar to a form of cancer. It's up to the owner whether to euthanize the bird immediately or keep it until the swelling affects the bird's quality of life. The bird is not in pain and can function normally except for the loss of sight in one eye. It should be kept separate from other birds, for its own protection. Without intervention the bird can still survive for weeks or months.
I let my quail live and kept her as comfortable as possible until it became obvious that she could no longer eat or drink. I found it was easier for her to drink from a water bottle as opposed to a dish. Other than that, she could still eat her normal diet until the end. She had also stopped laying eggs a few days ago. I used to put Polysporin cream on her swelling twice a day to keep the bare skin supple and hydrated. For a while, I tried Preparation H to see if it would help bring down the swelling (it didn't). Vaseline or Bag Balm or virgin coconut oil would also work.
Some people may prefer to just euthanize their bird when it shows the classic sign of swelling around one eye and/or discharge. Again, I recommend you take your bird to a vet first, to rule out any other cause of the swelling.
