Chicken has lump, can't walk--tumor?

[wholegrainmommy]

My two year old cochin has an enormous lump on her underside. I first noticed it maybe 3 months ago, when she was molting. She never grew back the feathers, so I've been able to see it grow, and it's nearly double the size it was then. SHe can no longer use her left leg, and has to hop and flap to keep up with the other girls.

Someone suggested that it was just a fat deposit, but it keeps growing. She is still laying eggs, but I'm worried about her quality of life. Should I put her down, or is she ok hopping on one leg? I dont know if she's in pain, but she seems mostly happy.

I know when dogs have fatty tumors, they are pretty easy to remove, but I feel silly paying a few hundred dollars for surgery on a chicken. Any suggestions?

 

[redhen]

i'm sorry to hear about this...

..i cant help you (i'm pretty useless here)..but, i can give you a bump up...best of wishes..

 

[pwand]

Does the lump easily move. sometimes that is a good sign, it may not be attached and possibly a fatty lump. If she is happy, I wouldn't put her down.

 

[wholegrainmommy]

It does move very easily, and is very squishy.

I'm most worried that she doesn't have any feathers over it. can she get frostbite on her bottom?

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, it is up to you if you think her quality of life is suffering, and to make that decision.

If it was me, I'd let her go till she couldn't "be a chicken" anymore.

 

[Bandana]

A few weeks ago there was a similar thread, but that hen turned out to be an internal layer. Doesn't sound like yours is. They actually did surgery on her themselves. Wife held the bird while hubby did the surgery. They described the whole process. Might want to search for that thread. I'll look for it, too.

 

[pwand]

I was searching for that surgery, this is the one that I came across. She explains in message #66, hopefully this link works.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=86999&p=2

 

[Bandana]

Quote:
Yes! That's the one. And the link worked for me. There are "after surgery" pics in msg #82.

I also found:

This one explains catheters and draining fluids.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4340

This has good info. Especially msg #10.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=10534

This give info and shows VERY GRAFIC pic of surgery.
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=diseasecasestudies&action=display&num=1169201098