Huge swelling in waddle, below eye

[Shawneegyrl]

Wynona has a huge swelling on one side of her face in the waddle area below her eye. Her eye looks bright and clean, so I do not think it is involved in what is going on.

She acts like she feels OK. I just put her in a cage and she has not eaten yet. She is not happy to be separated from her friends. ( She is eating. )

It looks like there is a spot that is yellowish and I was thinking of lancing it - but am concerned about making an open wound. I have Baytril here, but do not want to use it unless absolutely necessary.

Any guidance appreciated.

 

[dawg53]

I see no discharge or bubbles in her eyes, no runny mucus from nostrils; any head shaking, wheezing/gurgling? If there are no respiratory symptoms, it's possible she may have been pecked very hard on the side of her face and the swelling is caused by fluid build up...much like water on the knee. If this is the case, sanitize a needle and poke a hole in the yellow spot, then gently squeeze applying pressure as you squeeze. If fluid exits the hole, continue squeezing until completely drained. Then apply hydrogen peroxide to the hole using a q-tip. Then apply neosporin and release her.
You can wrap a towel around her snugly and tie her legs together (not tightly) to keep her from flapping around before you start this procedure.

 

[Shawneegyrl]

No other symptoms that I note. Just the specific area. I was thinking of doing something like that this evening.
Just a bit queazy about doing it. When she goes to sleep I will wrap her and work on it.

Thank you

 

[CasadasHens]

Good luck with doing that and please keep us posted.

 

[Michael Apple]

Good advice from dawg. If it is a local infection that developed from being pecked, and it heals after being drained, that's great. If the swelling continues and gets hot, you see loss of appetite, diarrhea, lameness, or other birds showing the same symptoms, you don't want to rule out Fowl Cholera: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/494

Individual treatment could be done with injections of the Baytril you have. Depending on the strength of it would determine dosage. The type I have is Enfloxil 10% which is 1/4 cc for standard breed, morning and evening for 3-5 days. Very severe cases have been remedied with Gentamicin at 1/2 cc morning and evening for 3 days.Flock treatment would be Sulmet at 1 tablespoon per gallon of water for 7-10 days. If it becomes a recurring problem there are vaccines for it.

Good info to have, but I hope it isn't FC, and just a local infection.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm just observing and learning here, but it looks like a possible peck mark in the dark spot at 8 o'clock in the first picture.

 

[dawg53]

I'm just observing and learning here, but it looks like a possible peck mark in the dark spot at 8 o'clock in the first picture.

Yes, that was the first thing I noticed. I'm hoping it's not a sting/bite of some type. I guess we'll find out once it's poked. If it were fowl cholera, I believe both wattles would be swollen.

 

[Shawneegyrl]

OMG Fowl Cholera is really scary. I hope it is not that, also.

I did pierce the swelling in several places. A little blood oozed out but not much. I used a needle hoping if it were a pus bag there would be a start and then I could open it more. She acts like it hurts and I had difficulty holding her head still. Since her eye is so close, I was afraid of stabbing the eye.

I may take her to a vet in the AM.

Also, the little spot scratched off and does look like it MIGHT be a scab over a peck that appears to have healed.

 

[dawg53]

OMG Fowl Cholera is really scary. I hope it is not that, also.

I did pierce the swelling in several places. A little blood oozed out but not much. I used a needle hoping if it were a pus bag there would be a start and then I could open it more. She acts like it hurts and I had difficulty holding her head still. Since her eye is so close, I was afraid of stabbing the eye.

I may take her to a vet in the AM.

Also, the little spot scratched off and does look like it MIGHT be a scab over a peck that appears to have healed.

Since it didnt drain, there are many things it could be; a sting/bite, tumor, perhaps the onset of a respiratory disease, sinus issue, cyst, fowl cholera as mentioned by Michael Apple.
Let us know what the vet says, and good luck.

 

[Shawneegyrl]

Vet saw Wynona this morning.

He spotted the nearly healed dot and is confident that it is infection due to being pecked. I asked about other virus and bacterial diseases and he said it would have affected both sides of the sinus or waddle. The waddle was not really affected - it was all in her cheek.

I told him that I had tried to puncture it and drain the area and he said that chicken pus tended to be very thick and cheesy and would not usually drain like runny pus usually seen in other animals or people.

He made a cut about an inch long and removed gobs of yellow pus that looked like small cottage cheese.

The cut needs to stay open to continue draining and bleeding and I have to clean it each day and try to squeeze what I can out. He said it would be yucky and bloody for a while. It should not be allowed to close or heal over either. There is still lots of swelling because of infection that needs to go away.

She also gets antibiotics for 2 weeks.

Interesting note about bird behavior. My LF girls that are laying eggs ignored the bantams during all the months they were growing up. Now that the bantams are approaching POL the big girls are picking on them. Mean girls!!