Advice needed regarding quail hen with head enlargement

[Lobzi]

Did the mass return? I hope the antibiotic takes care of any residual infection if that is what it was that I removed.
Did the vet say if it was infection or tumor or what it was?

How is your horse today? Good as new with full eye sight?

 

[DK newbie]

No return of the mass, the horse looks like nothing was ever wrong. The vet did take a couple of samples to look at in the microscope, but I don't think they ever told us what they found, so it probably wasn't anything exciting. It was obviously an infection though, I just can't guess what caused it.

 

[Lobzi]

Was the horse's mass anywhere near where an eyelash might have ingrown and started the infection? Im wondering if the quail mass was an ingrown feather to begin with. I wish I had noticed a problem with her earlier. The girls tend to hide from me while the males run right up to me when I enter the aviary. I just happened to see this little girl run by, her head wiggling as she bopped along.

 

[DK newbie]

I don't think it was, no, as I recall it was too far down to be caused by an ingrown hair. The vet thought he might have got a stick in the eye, but there was no damage on the eye and I don't think the hole in the swelling was there all along - I think it exploded when the pressure became too high.

 

[Lobzi]

Just in case you all would like an update, my little girl is doing well now. The next day following the first surgery her head was all blown up again so I had to do a second surgery. It was quite messy. I pressed on the lump and got a face full of blood...yuck! I removed about as much tumor as I did the first surgery. This time I really tried to clean out the flap of skin. She was a real trouper and slept for about a half hour or more on my lap following this second surgery. Instead of packing the opening with antibiotic ointment I just smeared a little on the incision. Here she is now. I just took these pictures of her.



No more bump for now and even the loose skin seems to have shrunk down. Only a small bald place remains where I opened up her head. She is acting normal now. Ill keep an eye on her for a few more days before releasing her back into the main pen. She is inside with a few other younger quail who are about ready to be introduced to the main pen.

 

[DK newbie]

She looks great! Glad it worked

 

[Binki]

Oh that's so great! What a sweet girl