Growth on hen's neck????

[TheSparklingOrange]

So tomorrow is the county fair poultry show and I was bathing my show hens to take when I noticed a small scabbed over lump on my splash bantam cochin hen's neck. I assume its been hiding in all the fluff for a while but she hasn't shown any symptoms of being in pain and didn't mind when I examined it. It's about the size of a small grape and doesn't seem to be connected to anything, just hanging out underneath her skin. It has a sour smell to it and basically looks like a ball of fat

When I was examining it some edges of the scab--where the scab and her new skin connected--separated and a bit of the growth slipped out.
What do you guys think I should do? Do I need to take her to the vet and have it removed or will it leave naturally or is there something I could do to get rid of it. What do you think caused it as well? Our vet is a really good friend of ours so I've already contacted her about it and am waiting for her to get back to me but would appreciate any advice.
I also don't know if I should show her tomorrow or not...

I really have no idea what to do and am worried about her. She's such a sweet bird.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/64966317@N08/5910274951/in/photostream <-----The growth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64966317@N08/5910274443/in/photostream <-----Nudge

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

From the picture and your description it sounds like something a silkie of mine I used to own, had. Its got this very infecty yeast smell to it right? - yellow and white under the scab area?

Best way someone described it to me - its a staph type infection - (bumblefoot i believe is a type of staph as well) You got two courses of action. - (both are going to be gory and not for the squeamish - if your squeamish get someone else to do it - lol )

mess with the scab a bit - just rub it or rock it, then gently pull it off. it should easily detach - except it might hang up on healthy feather follicles - just pluck or cut - your choice. THEN once the scab/growth is removed flush with saline and then slather on some antibiotic ointment. you've got to remove the scab atleast once to flush and treat the underneath (since it has a smell to it - its definately infected and the nasties need to be dealt with)

this is where your secondary treatments come in - Option 1 - just keep it clean, spray with blukote and apply antibiotic ointment everyday. (for my silkie I tried this for awhile but it stayed around for weeks and I had to either remove the scab multiple times or just keep it wetted and soft - and it still lasted for WEEKS) OR treat with antibiotics (injections or water soluable your choice - though injectables tend to work faster and better - in my opinion) - and do the bluekote and ointment daily for a couple days.


good luck! take care!

 

[TheSparklingOrange]

Quote:
Oh wow! Thank you so much! I'm really glad its just an infection and not some kind of disease or something. Not to dumb down a staph infection but that is something I can deal with XD
Thankfully I'm not squeamish at all--future vet

--and even have a big bag of saline

. I've never heard of blukote though, where would I get that? Also what antibiotics would you suggest? If I can I may try and clean out the growth tomorrow before I leave for the show--I'll be leaving her home for sure-- and then pick up the blukote and whatever else I might need at the feed store on the way home that night. I'm assume that she would be okay for that period of time if I made sure to clean it out well and slathered on the antibiotic ointment?
Thanks again, I really appreciated it!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Oh yeah she will be fine for that time.

Blu-kote you can find at feedstores, its in the horse area. Honestly if the wound is hidden under the fluff, you don't need it. Blukote is an antiseptic spray thats a purply blue color (best for when you got wounds that need 'masking' from notice of other birds. )

Antibiotics, if your feedstore carries their line of Penicillin - it works well against simple strains of staph.

good luck and I hope all goes well, shouldn't be no issue with it though, it will eventually go away. with the antibiotic, I'd give it for 5 days and that should do the job. then you just have some penicillin on hand for a bit - lol. (they should sell it in small bottles for less than 10$)