Crested duck with lump on her cheek

[azhnasa]

Hello Friends,
I have a Crested Duck that started developing a mass on her cheek, next to her beak.
When I touch it, it's not soft and also isn't painful for her.
Looks like a fatty mass but it can be infection.
Her eye is a bit watery but that's about it.
No discharge or discomfort.
She is completely living her normal life.
It started growing few weeks ago but it has stopped and hasn't gotten worse.
Do you guys know what this is, what may have caused it and how to treat it?
Attached are a few photos.
Thanks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It could be an abscess have you looked inside of her mouth to make sure nothing is packed in there?

any injury to that area that you know of? check under the feather and look at her skin.

 

[azhnasa]

It could be an abscess have you looked inside of her mouth to make sure nothing is packed in there?

any injury to that area that you know of? check under the feather and look at her skin.

Thanks for your response.
Sure, I will look inside her mouth tomorrow morning.
No, there is no injury. Skin and feathers are normal.
Assuming it is an abscess, what could have caused it and how to treat it ?

 

[Miss Lydia]

If it's an abscess then I would rec taking her to a vet so it can be lanced and cleaned out,
she may have to take an antibiotic.

here is some info I found
I would say this info would be for all poultry
https://crittercleanout.com/chicken-abscess-on-face/

 

[azhnasa]

Thank you very much.

I looked inside her mouth and there is no injury of any sort.

If it is not abscess, what else it can be ?

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you very much.

I looked inside her mouth and there is no injury of any sort.

If it is not abscess, what else it can be ?

Hi @azhnasa

Does the lump fee warmer to the touch than the face on the other side? [ducks are hotter than humans so you must compare one side with the other to determine if the lump is warm]

If it is warm, that would indicate an infection/abscess

If it is not warm it might be a cyst or a tumor. The tumor would likely be benign if the skin moves over the lump, the lump is not painful, the lump is a smooth shape.

If you have access to an avian vet, I would get a veterinary opinion. If you do not have access to a vet, you might watch and wait while the duck is eating and behaving normally

 

[azhnasa]

Hi @azhnasa

Does the lump fee warmer to the touch than the face on the other side? [ducks are hotter than humans so you must compare one side with the other to determine if the lump is warm]

If it is warm, that would indicate an infection/abscess

If it is not warm it might be a cyst or a tumor. The tumor would likely be benign if the skin moves over the lump, the lump is not painful, the lump is a smooth shape.

If you have access to an avian vet, I would get a veterinary opinion. If you do not have access to a vet, you might watch and wait while the duck is eating and behaving normally

Thank you Ruthhope for your message.
I touched both of her cheeks at the same time, each side with one finger, to compare them. They both are exactly the same temperature. I don't think they were warm. It was just a normal temperature.
I also touched the lump again. It feels exactly like the other cheek, it is just very chuby. It is not painful for her at all. The lump is smooth and the skin feels attached to it exactly like the other cheek. She eats and behaves very normal. She only has a chubby cheek on one side.
I also looked inside her mouth. No sign of any injury or anything stuck there.
So do you think it may be a benign tumor ? Does it go away by itself ?

 

[ruthhope]

From what you write, @azhnasa, signs are good that this swelling will not harm your duck. I don't know that it will go away but if it is not growing and your duck seems happy and healthy, she probably is happy and healthy!! It might be a lipoma or a benign fatty tumor. The photo seems to show a blue discoloration of the skin over the lump. I don't have any ideas on the significance. If a vet is not possible, wait and watch should be the strategy.

 

[azhnasa]

From what you write, @azhnasa, signs are good that this swelling will not harm your duck. I don't know that it will go away but if it is not growing and your duck seems happy and healthy, she probably is happy and healthy!! It might be a lipoma or a benign fatty tumor. The photo seems to show a blue discoloration of the skin over the lump. I don't have any ideas on the significance. If a vet is not possible, wait and watch should be the strategy.

Thank you for your response, Ruthhope.
The blue discoloration in those photos are just mud ! They love to play in the mud and they get dirty all the time and then they go clean themselves.
There are vets around me but none of them are specialized in ducks, so I wanted to do my own research before taking her to a canine and feline vet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you think you’d be comfortable doing an aspiration of the lump?