Hen with swollen throat

[HorseGirlAbby]

Hi all, good afternoon. My almost seven year old Barnevelder hen has been acting a bit off lately. I finally caught her this morning and found out why. She’s got a giant swelling on either side of her throat. I’ll attach a photo, but I’m not sure how much you can see from it. The swelling is hard, and doesn’t seem that painful, as I can push gently on it and she merely closes her eyes a bit. I noticed her having trouble swallowing yesterday, but thought it was just some grass that got caught in her throat. She’s having an hard time eating and drinking, and I might get some food wet for her and see if she likes it. She has been standing around more than usual, normally with her head in her wing, but she’s been talking, and came out to free range happily yesterday. She feels like she’s lost a bit of weight, but she’s not overly skinny. Any thoughts? I’m out here looking at her right now, and she’s just standing in the corner.

No, you can’t really tell much from the pic. Honestly, my first thought was cancer, but it’s very symmetrical, right under her earlobes.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to delete your other identical thread. Is the swelling seen better from the side in a picture? I would look into her ears, and use a QTip to see if there is any gunk in either ear. Also, have someone hold or wrap her in a towel so that you can shine a light into her beak and throat to look for any yellow or white material that could be canker. Smell the breath as well. Could she have swallowed something large that has become stuck?

 

[casportpony]

Can you post a picture with an arrow pointing to the swelling?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

You might want to delete your other identical thread. Is the swelling seen better from the side in a picture? I would look into her ears, and use a QTip to see if there is any gunk in either ear. Also, have someone hold or wrap her in a towel so that you can shine a light into her beak and throat to look for any yellow or white material that could be canker. Smell the breath as well. Could she have swallowed something large that has become stuck?

Thank you, I didn’t realize I double posted. Nothing in her ears, I think the swelling is too far down for that, but I looked anyway.
This picture shows the swelling really well

And in this one, you can see some crusty yellow stuff on the side of her beak.

From what I could see of inside her beak and tongue, it looked okay, but of course she wouldn’t let me see it very well. I’m planning to look more closely tonight, when she’s sleepy and I can get help holding her. Her breath does smell funky, and I smelled one of my other chickens to compare, and it’s definitely a worse smell.

Can you post a picture with an arrow pointing to the swelling?

The above photo shows it really well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is her crop emptying overnight? Feel it tonight, and then check it first thing in the morning before she eats or drinks when it should feel empty and flat. Canker can have yellow plaques inside the beak on the side, tongue, and there could be some in the throat or even extending into the crop. It smells bad. Pigeons and some wild birds carry the disease and can spread it through drinking out of standing water or chicken waterers. Canker can resemble wet fowl pox as well. Here is what to look for:

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Is her crop emptying overnight? Feel it tonight, and then check it first thing in the morning before she eats or drinks when it should feel empty and flat. Canker can have yellow plaques inside the beak on the side, tongue, and there could be some in the throat or even extending into the crop. It smells bad. Pigeons and some wild birds carry the disease and can spread it through drinking out of standing water or chicken waterers. Canker can resemble wet fowl pox as well. Here is what to look for:
View attachment 3745036

I gave her some wet food, and she ate like she was hungry, but had so much trouble swallowing it. Her crop was completely empty this morning, and still isn’t that full, as she hasn’t eaten much throughout the day. I got some photos of her trying to swallow, hoping I could see the inside of her beak better, but I don’t know if what I’m seeing is food or plaque.
This is the best shot of the roof of her mouth, looks pretty normal.

I circled what looks suspicious in these photos, but it’s so hard to tell…

 

[Eggcessive]

The pictures are out of focus or hard to see. Try to move around what you are seeing to see if it is food or canker. Does it appear yellow or white? If you have a vet or large animal vet, you could ask for metronidazole ( Flagyl, Aqua Zole.) Aqua Zole is found online, and dosage is 25 mg per pound given twice a day.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

The pictures are out of focus or hard to see. Try to move around what you are seeing to see if it is food or canker. Does it appear yellow or white? If you have a vet or large animal vet, you could ask for metronidazole ( Flagyl, Aqua Zole.) Aqua Zole is found online, and dosage is 25 mg per pound given twice a day.

Ok, I have a definite photo now. I took her off the roost and peered in her mouth, and there’s a large chunk of yellow stuff in the back of her throat.

It appears to be in the general location the swelling is.

Based on this, what do you think we’re dealing with? There’s a pretty bad smell. I do have access to a vet who treats chickens, and I could take her there if I really have to. I took one of my other hens there and the treatment didn’t really help her, so I’m kind of hesitant to take another one there.

If it is canker, is it treatable? And if so, will she be able to fully recover? She’s getting weaker, and her crop was completely empty tonight. I gave her some wet food, and she ate a little bit, it’s just so hard for her to swallow it past that giant lump.

Her name is Baroness, by the way, and she’s one of my original flock. I really would hate to lose her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I think she is dealing with canker, a protozoan infection common in pigeons. You can try to remove any cankers that you can see inside the beak if they are blocking her breathing. They can extend into the throat, esophagus, and invade the crop wall. It might be too late to save her, but you can start treatment and try. If she seems to be suffering at any time, putting her down might be an option. I just finished looking for the Aqua Zole or metronidazole online, and no one seems to have it now without a vet prescription. I usually see it at Allivet, chewy, and other places, but it is not available without a prescription. You could try getting it from your vet. @casportpony may know another way.

 

[casportpony]

I found some here:
https://birdpalproducts.com/products/metronidasole-fish-capsules-200-mg