Cause of abcess in her head? *Pictures*

[Moochie]

So I came back from Nevada today and I checked on my girls. My little buff orpington bantie caught my eye.
She is going bald, only on her head, and a weird swelling has formed on the very top. I was checked my other chickens' heads for this peculiar lump but only Sugar (the bantie) has it. So I felt around on the lump. I squeezed it gently and it felt like something popped out, on the inside. She showed no discomfort whatsoever, so I pressed the lump like a button and it felt like more stuff came out of it.... I'm a little worried as to what this is.

She is one heck of an odd chicken. I'm thinking she is deformed in some way, perhaps her bone structure, because she doesn't look like most other bantie buff orps. Her nails grow and grow so I have to file them down. Her beak is rather long so I have to file that down aswell. She loses her balance VERY easily, the slightest push from another chicken knocks her down! And she doesn't lay eggs, even though she's fed very well and her being about 10 months old.

I'll get some pics up as soon as I can. The swelling has gone down some. But I was feeling around and the thing I squeezed out is still in there. I can move it around in the back of her head. It's a small round fleshy thing.

 

[Moochie]

One picture.. Weird right?

If it's an abcess.. Why would she get one in her head?

 

[Moochie]

 

[Animalian]

I've heard of birds getting abcess's as they get older, you can get them removed at the vet but if they're generally not painful and it's not worth it if they're old anyway. I've seen one get removed before and their contents looks like peanut butter.

The baldness is strange though, perhaps its a heamotoma (harmless blood collected under the skin, like a inside bruise, sometimes do sometimes don't go away) caused by some trauma to the area. That could explain the baldness if they were damaged enough to fall out.... thats my best guess... just watch the lump doesn't grow or the baldness spread.

Hope she's ok

 

[Moochie]

Hmm.. Thanks for the info.

I'm still worried about the baldness and I have no knowledge of any chicken vets. Plus I wouldn't wanna pay a large sum of money (in the hundreds) just for a vet to exam Sugar!

 

[Animalian]

I would worry too much as long as it doesn't hurt or isn't itchy.
Here's some more I found on baldness:
"Baldness can also be caused by a mate. Inactive, undersized and/or diseased follicles are common causes of baldness. Patchy feather-loss on a bird can be a sign of Vitamin A deficiency, which can be treated by supplementing your bird's diet accordingly. Patchy feather loss can also be caused by ringworms.

An abnormal molt occurs on some birds, causing them to lose all of their head feathers at once. The birds may be juveniles undergoing their first prebasic molt. It's also possible that feather mites or feather lice may cause baldness."

And for treatment of lumps:
"Treatment of abscesses

Some abscesses will break open and the pus will come out. You may need to open an abscess and can do so when it is soft. To do this quickly you should:

· Clean the abscess and the area around it with soap and water. Stick a clean needle into the abscess. If blood comes out put the needle into another point on the abscess. If pus comes out when the needle is put into the abscess, remove the needle and with a clean sharp knife, razor blade or scalpel make a small hole through the skin into the pus pocket. Then cut downwards through the skin into the pus and allow the pus to drain out of the abscess.

· When the pus has been removed, the abscess is treated as a wound (see Unit 73).

· If the abscess is not ready to open soak a cloth in hot water and put it over the abscess for 10 minutes at a time. You will need to do this 4 times daily for a few days until the lump has become large and soft and can be opened.

Pus contains germs. You should clean up the pus and collect it in a piece of paper or cloth and burn it. Wash the area of skin around the abscess. Wash your hands and disinfect all needles and instruments used.

If the abscess is deep under the skin and does not break and the animal has a fever, you will need to ask your veterinarian for help. Antibiotics or sulpha drugs can be given by mouth or by injection for 3 days (see R6, R7, R9, R10 Annex 1) if you cannot get veterinary help.

Do not open abscesses of the lymph nodes but give an antibiotic or sulfa drug for 3 days to treat the infection.

Lumps of blood under the skin

This will result if an animal has been kicked or beaten. The lump is soft and not hot or painful and will disappear in 2 to 3 weeks.

You should not hit animals or try to lift an animal by holding its skin. This will cause blood lumps under the skin. If you want to sell animals for slaughter this will show as red-blue areas in the meat. "

 

[Pickaduck]

What my concern is that since you squeezed it whatever was encapsulated has now spread out which means if it is an infection it can spread to surrounding healthy tissue. Hopefully though it'll be okay. I have no idea what it is, but an abscess makes sense.

 

[Moochie]

Ahhh! D:

Omg I did the wrong thing?! I never hit her maybe she bonged her head on something while I was gone.. Or.. Hmm. The silkie roo I had with her often tries to mate with her, she does not allow it but sometimes he gets a little too persistent. Lemme check on her again..

 

[Pickaduck]

Quote:
It's ok, I didn't mean to freak you out! I just wanted to say what can happen. It may just be a cyst or something totally harmless. If she's not showing any signs of obvious infection I wouldn't worry. Sorry about that - I just wanted to caution you what can happen. It's like with people when they have cystic acne they will try and squeeze it and it can rupture beneath the surface. It doesn't mean that they will automatically get a big huge infection, it just is that it can happen.

I think it could easily be a bumped head or something like that since it's not a tumor or anything like that. And if she didn't have a cut or a scab on the spot then I seriously doubt it's a big infection. Sometimes people get random harmless cysts.. maybe chickens can too? I'm not a chicken expert so I don't know!

I hope she gets better quickly - she looks like a sweet girl!

 

[Moochie]

Her head is swollen now

Not her whole head, the area where the lump was, around her eyes. She doesn't like it when I touch the area either. What can I do for her?

Oh and I know it's alright. I'm just worried..