Does this look like cancer?

[Heres2U_MrsR]

This guy is four years old and seemed healthy until recently. My son picked him up and noticed an awful smell. Since his feathers covered this there were no indicators that something was off until he started spurring us(something he’s never done). I’ve tried Tylan 200(I know it’s not ideal for this type of infection, but I have it on hand), silver topically and orally, coconut oil, antibiotic ointment, and soaking. It doesn’t want to come off like a scab might. It’s incredibly hard and leathery, but appears to be eating at his skin. In one picture there appears to be something jagged that I think is cartilage from around his keel. I am willing to treat if that’s even possible, but I’m thinking it’s probably time to euthanize him. The crazy thing is that while he hates soaking he is eating and drinking well. I’d guess the black area to be 4ish inches in length. Possibly even more.

 

[Sally PB]

Where is this on his body?

The only thing I've learned about tumors is that they usually have their own blood supply.

@azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

Tagging people who know a lot more than I do.

 

[azygous]

Yes, please tell us exactly where it is on the body. You did mention his keel being associated with the scab. Is it on his breast? Is it a part of his body that comes into contact with a roosting bar? If so this may be an infected chronic breast blister.

A cancer lesion usually doesn't have a bad smell, but an infected wound certainly does.
He will need a strong antibiotic. Amoxicillin is the strongest you can obtain without prescription in the US. If you are in Europe or Australia, you will need a vet.

Soak his wound for twenty minutes in 41C or 106F water with lots of soap or Betadine or another wound cleanser. No hotter or it will cause burns. Keep the water hot. Take him out and try pulling the scab off. Debriding must be done to expose and remove the infected tissue.

After you do that, take more photos with the feathers smoothed away from the lesion so we can get a better image of it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you identify and feel of his crop? How does it feel? How long have you noticed this? Could this be partially over his crop, and maybe the skin has eroded away? Does it leak when he eats and drinks a watery mash of food? If it is a breast blister that has become leathery, it has been there for awhile. But if his skin is gone over that, he may have a rotting wound.

 

[Heres2U_MrsR]

I’m happy to take more photos, and show the location and scope a bit better. It has the smell of a dire infection and I only have one teen who can stomach holding him for me to take pics. I have been soaking with the hopes of debriding, but it’s not budging. It almost looks like it’s eaten into his chest cavity - is that possible? I think I was *maybe* seeing some internal organs.

Location - under crop and right at the top(am I saying that correctly?) of his keel bone and extending down 4ish inches. I could see it possibly being where he makes contact with the perch, but it almost seems a bit hit for that. I could be wrong though. More pics to come. I will get amoxicillin.

 

[Eggcessive]

I’m not sure that he can survive this. He may need a daily warm soak in Epsom salts, Betadine, or chlorhexidene water to soften and disinfect the skin. If it is open into his chest cavity, there could be a danger of more widespread infection. You can use a turkey baster or large syringe to flush saline into the wound. I would consider putting him down.
If you choose to treat him, that is fine, but it may take weeks to months. He may not have enough skin left to cover the area. He has to be kept warm inside to tolerate the daily baths and treatments. Towel and then blow him dry.

I had a rooster who lived with 2 other more dominant young roosters in a large pen with a roost. He was scared to come off the roost and lost weight. They wouldn’t let him eat. He developed a pressure sore/breast blister over his keel bone. I had to remove him and treated the scab with Betadine, and he got better.

 

[Heres2U_MrsR]

I’m not sure that he can survive this. He may need a daily warm soak in Epsom salts, Betadine, or chlorhexidene water to soften and disinfect the skin. If it is open into his chest cavity, there could be a danger of more widespread infection. You can use a turkey baster or large syringe to flush saline into the wound. I would consider putting him down.
If you choose to treat him, that is fine, but it may take weeks to months. He may not have enough skin left to cover the area. He has to be kept warm inside to tolerate the daily baths and treatments. Towel and then blow him dry.

I had a rooster who lived with 2 other more dominant young roosters in a large pen with a roost. He was scared to come off the roost and lost weight. They wouldn’t let him eat. He developed a pressure sore/breast blister over his keel bone. I had to remove him and treated the scab with Betadine, and he got better.

I was wondering if this would be survivable or not. I have him in a bathroom to keep him warm and dry, but the rooster situation you describe is where we’re at in our flock. I’m taking pics or a video as we speak so maybe you can confirm what I think I’m seeing. I care a lot for all of my flock members, but I also try to be realistic and fair about what the outcome would likely be. Thank you for your help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Location - under crop and right at the top(am I saying that correctly?) of his keel bone and extending down 4ish inches. I could see it possibly being where he makes contact with the perch

I agree, he may not be able to survive this, from your description and the one photo, I'd say it's a breast blister. A lot would depend on how deep the blister goes.

I might consider putting him down too, a lot depends on whether it looks like it's going to be relatively easy to remove and there's not a lot of damage underneath.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumble-breast-breast-blister-graphic-pictures.1096276/

 

[Heres2U_MrsR]

Video of wound @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous

 

[Heres2U_MrsR]

Crop seems to be fine and functional. Somehow he’s trying to escape confinement! I have pads soaked in coconut oil and silver on it and he’s wrapped with bandaging on clean shavings. It looks like it’s protruding(think tumor) from his body more than I realized.