Lump Near Eye - Advice Needed

[tarahharlin]

My 5 ½ yr old Black Australorp has developed a lump near her eye and it has grown in size during this past week. This all started last Wednesday when I noticed her eye looked a little stretched (she had this same thing happen this past Spring, but there was never any swelling and it eventually went away) and there was some slight swelling. On Friday, it was a little more raised, which is when I decided to take her in to see a vet in case if it was something where antibiotics were needed to clear. The vet said her actual eye looked good and her suspicion was that it’s a sinus issue/infection and prescribed her antibiotics. She was prescribed Trimeth-Sulfa…twice a day for a week.


That same day I took her in, I noticed these two tiny cyst like lumps in her wattles, but didn’t even mention them to the vet because they were so small and seemed insignificant. However, they have grown in size during the past several days and are on the same side as the lump by her eye. I can’t help but think it’s all connected. There’s nothing visible on the surface like a peck, or like a fowl pox looking bump and it’s all inside the wattle…feels like a bb pellet.


She is currently not laying and in mid to later part of her molt. Her eyes are clear, nostrils are clear, no sneezing or weird breathing issues and no foul smell. She’s acting like her normal self.


I understand that she’s only been on her meds for a few days, so there is still time for it to improve, which I’m really, really hoping for. Just curious if anyone has dealt with, or seen anything like this, or has any advice to offer?

Thanks!

 

[tarahharlin]

From left to right, here’s a photo showing the progression...Wed>Fri>Sun>Mon (this morning).
You can see on the Friday pic (upper right corner) the little bumps in her wattles starting.

 

[FortCluck]

Could she have been stung by something?

I would put antibiotic ointment on the spots and wait to see if they go down.

 

[tarahharlin]

Could she have been stung by something?

I would put antibiotic ointment on the spots and wait to see if they go down.

I guess there's a slight possibility, but we have had several hard freezes here and I can't say I see any of the stinging insects out and about.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Looks like ant or mosquito bites.

 

[tarahharlin]

I would love if it were something that simple, however since we've had some hard freezes already, most mosquitoes are done for the season. It's gotten bigger in size since last Wednesday. I would almost think if it were an insect that it would have gradually gotten better over the past week. I don't know though.

 

[FortCluck]

Did you try to put anything on it? Colloidal silver, antibiotic ointment, or something...

 

[tarahharlin]

You all have given me some good insight/advice in the past...I would love to know your thoughts, if you don't mind. @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous @rebrascora

 

[tarahharlin]

Did you try to put anything on it? Colloidal silver, antibiotic ointment, or something...

I had been using vetericyn eye wash and terrimycin last week up until the vet put her on an oral antibiotic. I'll try putting some neosporin on it and see what happens. Won't hurt any. Thanks

 

[azygous]

It could be a respiratory virus flareup. In that case, the terramycin should improve it, and it should resolve shortly.

However, there's a possibility the lump is a fast growing myelocytoma, a tumor caused by the leucosis virus. I have a hen with such a tumor over her right eye, though it's slow growing.

If it continues to grow, and doesn't resolve with antibiotics, this is what I would conclude. You could verify this by having a vet take a small biopsy and have a lab test it for these cancer cells.

It's not the end of the world if this is a tumor. My hen has had hers, though it continues to grow, for the past six or seven years. She's an eleven-year old Brahma, and seems to be happy about life in general, though the eye is nearly blind and the tumor sometimes irritates it, causing bubbling. I treat her with lubricating eye drops when that happens, and she's good to go.