Hard Tumor, Clumped Feather Thing on Fern's Chest

[Chicken Boo]

Photos:

Fern with current lump:

Various views of the lump:

 

[SC_Hugh]

$1000 is way too much to spend unless you have that kind of money to throw out the window.

My experience: 6 months ago, my wife (RN for 22 years) and I (experienced turkey and chicken carver) put a child's sock over my favorite chicken's head and neck in order to operate and clear out her impacted crop. Scalpel, needle and thread, super glue, the only thing that I would change next time would be better thread material. Everything went very smooth, our chicken hardly moved at all. We didn't know what we were doing and she lives on today.

Why don't you ask the vet to have the vet tech put a sock on the chicken and hold it down while the vet does the surgery? $100-150 should be enough for a 10-15 minute cut and suture.

My $0.02,

--Hugh

 

[Chicken Boo]

The doctor just called. Fern is OK. He said that I will be surprised by the size of the scar. The mass was huge and had started to develop blood vessels that had to be tied off. I would not have been able to do this myself. I am glad that someone who knew what he was doing the surgery. I will post pictures tonight.

 

[Beekissed]

Chicken Boo, that sounds more like a tumor than an abscess! Could it have been a benign tumor? Sounds like it would have been difficult to do at home, so I'm glad it was done at the vet's.

 

[MissJenny]

Oh, hell, I've ticked away a $1000 on lesser things. It's good you have the money and a vet capable to do the surgery. You'll sleep better and that alone is priceless. I am waving my magical wand that Fern enjoys a speedy recovery. ♥

Jenny

 

[Chicken Boo]

Thank you, Miss Jenny.

I did not have it sent out for pathology. That was another $200. I did get to look at it, though. They saved it and I think they plan to send it off anyway out of professional curiosity. The inside was like well drained cottage cheese and the skin on the outside was a little thick. The part that was attached to her chest was ~3.5 cm across and flat (strictly dermal, not entering the muscle or bone). This surgery appears to be the show of the day; the entire staff was in the room observing.

I will take pictures of Fern's scar after dinner (give her time to settle in). She has a pretty bare chest so she will be a house chicken until the temperature is consistently over 50. My DH is holding his tongue. I will have to look up how to construct a chicken diaper.

 

[AnnainMD]

I'm glad it came out well, when you posted the picture of her mass, there was no way I would have gone near that myself. It sounds like an odd mixture of abscess and tumor, I wonder if they'll tell you the results of the pathology results?

Congratulations and I hope Fern recovers well!

 

[Beekissed]

The inside was like well drained cottage cheese and the skin on the outside was a little thick. The part that was attached to her chest was ~3.5 cm across and flat (strictly dermal, not entering the muscle or bone). This surgery appears to be the show of the day; the entire staff was in the room observing.

That sounds just like a sebaceous cyst! I've assisted in the removal of plenty of these in humans....the cottage cheesy stuff smells horribly sour and is a smell you won't forget! The thick skin around the cyst is the sebaceous gland...sort of resembles the gel capsule of a pill, rubbery and flexible. Can't imagine from where the blood vessels derive but these things can bleed pretty badly after removal of the swollen and impacted gland. Nasty things!

 

[SandyK]

AnnainMD, you are in Eldersburg too! I dropped around $500 on my rooster with Bumblefoot and he didn't make it. Feather's Tails and Scales are great, but I can't afford any more like that one.

 

[BWKatz]

Healing prayers & blessings being sent ur way.