Chick with a lump under her beak. What to do?

[cree57i]

I first noticed this 3 days ago. It is larger now than this picture which was taken 2 days ago. Today she has developed some white patches inside her mouth that weren't there yesterday. She is still eating, drinking and acting normally. She is broody reared and free ranges all day. The lump is firm. It seems too hard to lance. There is nothing in her mouth or under her tongue.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is possible that it could be a tumor, an abscess, or some type of infection. Tumors can be common in chickens, especially in certain diseases such as lymphoid leukosis or Mareks disease. Have you seen any canker or fowl pox in any other birds recently? Fowl pox in the wet or diphtheritic form, can cause white to yellow patches inside the beak and airway. Is there any wattle on her? If it is growing fast and is hard, it may be a tumor. Below are pictures of wet pox lesions in the mouth and airway. Here are 2 good links that have pictures of pox, both dry and wet forms:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/195/fowl-pox/

Wet Fowl Pox Lesions In Airway And Beak

 

[cree57i]

@Eggcessive

OH NO! This is such a sweet pullet I hate to think it is this. I had not considered it as a possibility, but it is a thought. We have been very dry this year and there have not been any mosquitos for fowl pox transmission. There are about 200 chickens here, mostly ranging together and no one else is sick. She doesn't have any respiratory symptoms. I was guessing abscess, as it has happened so quickly. I started her on oxytetracycline today. Her swallowing seems a little bit difficult today which is a new development. I have an assortment of antibiotics and am trying to think what would be broad spectrum and turn this around, if that is possible. What this most reminds me of is a pilonidal cyst in a human. These are pictures from a few minutes ago.
The inside of her mouth looks like strep throat in a human with the white patches. When I get a helper, I will get a picture.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a vet nearby who could see her?

 

[cree57i]

Do you have a vet nearby who could see her?

Not that I know of. My dog vet said he didn't know anything about birds. The Vet Corner answered me. They seem to think she needs a vet too. Maybe for an incision and drainage. Guess I was close with the pilonidal cyst. Do you know how I could find an avian vet?

 

[Eggcessive]

I just went up to the search box at the top of this page and entered "Tennessee state threads" and there is a page of different ones to ask about avian vets. You might also google avian vets in Tenn.
Some people find that a regular vet with experience in chickens might be a better choice than an avian vet. Probably discussing this over the phone might help. I would be tempted to lance the lump myself, and see what I could squeeze out. Chicken pus may be solid and cheesy. If you only get blood, then it might well be a tumor or cyst. Let us know what happens.

 

[cree57i]

I just went up to the search box at the top of this page and entered "Tennessee state threads" and there is a page of different ones to ask about avian vets. You might also google avian vets in Tenn.
Some people find that a regular vet with experience in chickens might be a better choice than an avian vet. Probably discussing this over the phone might help. I would be tempted to lance the lump myself, and see what I could squeeze out. Chicken pus may be solid and cheesy. If you only get blood, then it might well be a tumor or cyst. Let us know what happens.

I let her have a couple of days of antibiotics before cutting into it. She was an amazingly cooperative patient. It was like she knew I was trying to help her. I made a 1/2 inch incision in the bottom of the sac. Initially a thick bloody exudate came out. I couldn't squeeze anything out, but was able to insert a TB syringe into the opening and suction out a bunch of chunky stuff. Some was yellowish and other was purulent, bloody clumps. I lavaged with beta dine 50% solution, but the solution did not come back out, so I didn't do much of that. After 1 hour patient and technician were tired, so I filled the sac full of neosporin. She is still getting oxytetracycline in water and food. The sac was much softer, but one side still has hard places in it. She is eating and drinking now, but is far from out of the woods. Thanks for caring!

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Here are two links:

• http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
• http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/vetfinder.htm

 

[Eggcessive]

I let her have a couple of days of antibiotics before cutting into it. She was an amazingly cooperative patient. It was like she knew I was trying to help her. I made a 1/2 inch incision in the bottom of the sac. Initially a thick bloody exudate came out. I couldn't squeeze anything out, but was able to insert a TB syringe into the opening and suction out a bunch of chunky stuff. Some was yellowish and other was purulent, bloody clumps. I lavaged with beta dine 50% solution, but the solution did not come back out, so I didn't do much of that. After 1 hour patient and technician were tired, so I filled the sac full of neosporin. She is still getting oxytetracycline in water and food. The sac was much softer, but one side still has hard places in it. She is eating and drinking now, but is far from out of the woods. Thanks for caring!

Great job. Are you a nurse? I recognize some nurse speak here. It sounds like it could be a possible abscess, which is better than a tumor. Vetericyn is good for flushing out wounds, nut it sounds like you know what how are doing. Keep us informed.

 

[cree57i]

I am a nurse, but wish i was a vet! I'm not satisfied with the look of the abscess and wish i could have put a drain of some sort in it.