Button Quail with swelling...any ideas?

[Terri O]

I got a pair of buttons for my finch cage again...I noticed that the female's wing was starting to stock out a bit about 2 weeks ago. I thought she had caught it in the cage bars. Today I took her out because it is REALLY sticking out now. I tried aspirating because I suspected an abscess. It appears the mass is blood filled. Any ideas? Makes me sad because she started growing her feathers out and is laying nicely even now. She was picked on when I got her and they said she only ever laid one egg.









THis literally grew in 2 weeks. Any ideas for me?
Thanks! TerriO

 

[Sycamore27]

Yikes!
Definitely looks like an infection to me, could be the result of the old injury from the abuse she suffered from the other birds before or a feather growing in poorly. Put her in a separate hospital cage a little warmer than where she is now and get her on antibiotics, immediately!
Good luck with her.

Cheers,
Jessie

 

[Terri O]

Thanks Jesse--that is what I initially suspected too. But when I tried to drain it there was only blood in the bump. Good red blood--not any pus or other fluid. I am stumped. (as from all the responses I have gotten--NOT--so are many others!)I think I will take the pics to the vet tomorrow and show them...doubt if they will be able to help but...I have not seen anything like this before!
TerriO

 

[GrandmaBird]

looks like a tumor to me but I am not a pro. I would ask the vet but would wager a guess that they will want to operate on the wing and either remove it or ?. Seeing as this is a button I would let her live out her life like this if she Is laying she must not be in pain. The only trouble would be the others pecking on it. good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Terri O]

Thanks for your reply Grams. SHe is normal today running around and being a quail so I am thinking of just trimming the feathers on the end of the wing and leaving her be. I am going to pop those eggs in the bator though! TerriO

 

[GrandmaBird]

she sure has a lot of feather missing. Is she in with just one male? Maybe before you got her she was with more then one male. be sure you are giving her enough protein so her feathers will grow back quickly and calcium for that egg production. they are such silly birds. addicting too!

 

[veggiecanner]

She needs to be put down. I hate to say it, but at some point that is going to kill her.
And she's going to suffer.
Be good freind and do it humainly before she gets in pain.

 

[chooks4life]

It looks bad, but I've treated very damaged animals that everyone said to put down because they wouldn't make it... Well, most of them DID. So I wish you the best with her. I think amputation might be the best bet but since I don't know what the lump is for sure I can't say for sure. Looks to me like she may have smashed her shoulder joint at one time and it's gotten infected or is calcifying.

About animals laying being a sign they're not in pain, they lay even when they're dying. Some issues cause them to stop, but with many issues they need help to stop so they can heal. Only some injuries and illnesses put a stop to laying in breeds that were bred to overproduce.

Female reproduction, of which egglaying is a part even if the eggs aren't fertile, is a powerful physiological process that occurs even if it will kill the female, irrespective of the expense of her health and life. Many heavy production chooks cannot stop laying even while it's killing them unless you take them off the layer pellets.

 

[Terri O]

Thanks for all your replies. Yes I realize that they HAVE to lay. I meant that she was doing all the normal things not like a sick bird...running about, eating, drinking, dusting AND laying too.
Well, the point is moot anyhow. Today I took her out and clipped the wing feathers so they stopped catching on things. Well, I think they were actually balancing her out! I smeared some 3x antibiotic on her lump too. I set her back in the cage on a paper towel and she didnt want to move. SHe passed shortly after. Made me sad because he is calling and calling...

For my own curiosity I cut open the lump. The skin over it was vascular but the inside was just like raw chicken meat! I definitely think it was a tumor. There was no sign of infection, no bad smell, no blood--nothing! To say I was shocked is an understatement.

When I got them the woman said she was growing her feathers back. (she had only owned them a few weeks) But she also said that the bird could hardly walk, but now seemed better. I am wondering if she had cancer or something and it finally started to show with that tumor thing.
I was planning on putting her down on Monday if she didnt turn a corner for the better by then. I have never seen such a fast growing tumor except in a rat!

Thanks again--TerriO

 

[veggiecanner]

to hear that.