Hen with a strange lump near her right thigh

[6BeachChicks]

Surgery is tomorrow, we will let you know what is is!

 

[6BeachChicks]

She is in surgery right now. I’m hoping for the best.

 

[6BeachChicks]

She passed away… I feel like I failed her. Our vet said if it wasn’t taken off she might die. Something went wrong with the operation. He had never seen anything like it. I need 6 girls not five…

 

[Dovethesilkie]

I’m so sorry you really tried to do the best I know people who would have just killed the chicken at the sight of a lump or just have done nothing trying to improve her quality of life was a great thing to do no matter what I am so sorry and really wish things would have worked out

 

[6BeachChicks]

Thank you! The vet said she might have had cancer or an internal issue.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

So very sorry for your loss.
I also have a hen, a sweet EE, Daisy, she has a fast growing lump at the thigh area, too. Under a wing it's hard to see. I felt it & her feathers were coming out, which now makes it easier to see when I hold her wing up. Her appetite is good & all else seems fine, poo is good, etc. I tried to drain anything in case it was an abcess but could get nothing, it is hard & seems solid like muscle feels. I'm afraid it may be cancer. She eats alot yet has lost weight...that's usually cancer. As she is an older hen, I doubt she'd survive a surgery. Will get another vet opinion soon. Just wanted to post photos for future reference for now. I noticed when I searched for "lumps" there were not many to be found in this thigh region. Most lumps are crop, chest or vent areas.

Anyway, I am so sorry for your loss & can relate to the frustration of not being able to find many vets willing to treat a hen.

 

[Eggcessive]

She passed away… I feel like I failed her. Our vet said if it wasn’t taken off she might die. Something went wrong with the operation. He had never seen anything like it. I need 6 girls not five…

So sorry for your loss. Anesthesia and surgery for chickens is rather dangerous. I doubt if I would ever let one have surgery, except possibly impacted crop surgery without any anesthesia. Tumors in chicken can be internal or external. It would have been good to have gotten the tumor checked in case it was viral, such as Mareks or leukosis. There are several other types of cancer in chickens. A necropsy by the state vet pathologist is the best way to know for sure what type of tumor versus something else.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Just wanted to let you know, no matter how hard we try to provide them a wonderful life, sometimes things happen we cannot anticipate. My Daisy went to the other side yesterday, as well, and a necropsy showed her lump was cancer. It started with a slight limp, which can be either a temporary strain from jumping, a rooster injury or calcium deficiency...at least those are the things I have experience with. When a lump started to form, I thought it may be an abcess. Well, her tumor was what they call an osteosarcoma, and formed on & in her thigh, and had already spread internally. We never know how or why these things happen. Just take some comfort that we give them our best while they're in our lives.