Hen with abcess (?)

[justusnak]

Jersey....can you post a pic of it? Maybe if someone here can see it, they might be able to ID it better. Good luck...and glad to hear she is still healthy!

 

[Spydrworks]

Yeah...if you can get a picture, that would help a lot. Plus, describe it. Include what it feels like. Is it bumpy or is it smooth? Does it feel thick or just a flappy thin piece of flesh like how a comb is or the waddles? Does it continue to get bigger or has the growth of it slowed or stopped? What color is it? Does it match the chicken's skin color or is it different?

If you can't get a picture to post, how about drawing it?...and it doesn't have to be a Piccasso...lol...just enough so we can have something to visualize.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'd dopeslap that vet raw!!!
As long as she's keeping up with everyone else, then I would'nt mess around with it...

 

[mudhen]

I'd dopeslap that vet raw!!!

SpottedCrow, you make me laugh!

jerseyridgearts , welcome to the forum,

.
Good luck with resolving this 'abcess' mystery.
Spydrworks , excellent tip on restraining. Should be posted in home page for all to find!

 

[jerseyridgearts]

thanks everyone...

in the vet's defense, this is farm country and culling sick/injured animals is a fact of life (just one I'm a failure at).

No camera here but this is a description of the absess/boil:

round shape under the skin at the back of her head - approx the size of a very small banty egg or the size of an unshelled hazelnut. It is solid to the touch and unlike a blister. When lanced, no discharge except a bit of blood from the skin. The condition came on very suddenly - not there at the a.m. feeding then appearing that evening.

the hen has maintained a solid weight, has good color, is functioning normally in all respects - no apparent distress or associated problems noted - none of her coop mates are ill or showing symptoms of any kind.

no sign of a tick and cannot determine if there is a spider bite. Have added DE to the ration for the last week. Have treated the hen with antibiotic cream and some blue kote (although no one is picking at her).

This looks like a boil in humans. At this point I'm taking a wait and see attitude. I'm unwilling to cull her as long as she's doing ok. I've talked to more experienced neighbors and both claim they've never seen anything like it before.

thanks all for your support

Catherine

 

[Gracefulspice]

I work at a vets office...although I'm NOT a vet. I've seen these things, I think called Warbles, under the skin of the cat. My grandmothers Sugar Glyder had it also. It was some type of parisite that lives under the skin. Why? I don't know. It;s more common is rural areas. Mabey it only happens in Mammals. But this thing makes a hard bumpy type lump under the skin. It had to be removed by surgery. I have no idea where they come from, and wether this may be the problem. Just an idea.

 

[Spydrworks]

Quote:
Spider bites are very characteristic and obvious...at least to me...lol. I've never seen a spider bite produce a lump such as what you are describing. The swelling to a spider bite would be tender and soft as well as reddish with bite marks in the center of the irritation. I had a cat that always got fat lips when messing with spiders. Eventually she did stop going after them...lol. I've also been bitten just a couple of times. Same deal. Soft, a little swollen at first then swelling seems to go away quickly. Spider bites are also painful, but do heal up quickly and not stick around for so long...unless it's a bite from a recluse and in that case, the skin actually starts to eat away in a circular shape with the bite being the center of the wound.

I doubt it's a spider bite.

A boil is a good thought. Perhaps there's a trapped feather under the skin? Is she heading into a molt or just come out of one?

 

[Spydrworks]

Gracefulspice...

I love your avatar

 

[jessied1227]

I was thinking a warble, also, but most of the warbles we got at the clinic I worked for (I'm a vet. asst.) actually had a "head" like you would see on a pimple or you could actually see the larvae working around under the skin.

Good luck.
Jessica

 

[Sharisr32]

my vet explained that chickens freguently have bacteria bubbles - (goats, horses get these also)

they contain a cottage cheese looking glob inside they either break and clean themselves or adventually the animal gets a bacterial infection-
a controled break such as putting a small needle whole and draining then using neosporin can be very helpful break - do not think animal think what you would do if it were on your foot --