Mouth wound on cockerel - Updated with necropsy results

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Happy Chooks

Happy Chooks

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Jul 9, 2009
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This morning I noticed my barnevelder cockerel had a strange, crusty appendage sticking out the side of his mouth. When I opened his mouth, I found this:
LL


I'm off to get some penicillin for him. Any other ideas on what to do to help him?
 
Kelly, I'd try to get as much of the crust cleaned off as possible with a Q-tip in saline. Then I'd probably dab it with Vetricyn, preferably the gel. Just put it on with a Q-tip also. I think the Pencillin systemically is the best plan. It looks almost like an abcess of sorts.

Try sending a copy of the photo to Dawg53, I've heard he is a great help with health issues. Did you look in the Health Handbook?

Deb
 
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Swelling and warm sounds like an abcess, probably from an injury. The norm would be to flush it out, but you can't really do that without risking drowning the bird. I'd try to swab it out.

I looked in the health handbook, under mouth sores, brown, crusty, in the corner, it listed pox. But it also listed it as very rare, so it wouldn't be my first choice of dx. It also doesn't really match the photo of the advanced case. Like I said, the swelling and heat would lead me to infection. You might also try holding a hot, wet cloth to the side of his head several times per day.

Good luck.

Deb
 
I got the penicillin in him, thankfully he didn't even flinch. I was able to clean out the area of his mouth and get some of the dead skin wiped away with Q tips. ) I didn't find anything imbedded in there. It looks like he had some sort of injury to it though, it looked almost like it had been sliced. He hadn't eaten, so I gave him a cooked egg and he scarfed it down.

I'll give him another injection tomorrow and see how he does.
fl.gif
 
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He got his 2nd injection last night. The swelling on the side of his face is still the same, but the inside of his mouth looks a little better. I was able to clean it up with some water and Q tips and get some of the dead tissue chunks removed. I didn't see anything imbedded in there. He had food in his crop last night, so that's a good sign. We'll see how it goes from here.
 
gosh, I know not much about pox, but I feel like I've seen pictures of it before and it's crusty looking "lesions" of sorts. Are you sure it's not fowl pox? I'm sure it must not be, as if it was, I believe you'd have more than one with it.

Does he seem to be feeling better, Kelly? Is he eating yet?

Did you look with a magnifying glass? Anyone else in the flock with issues?

Whatever it is, I'm so glad that you found it in time to get him some help!

ETA - great pic, by the way. Maybe you can post an updated pic with the scab removed?
 
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