Lumps on chicken

[Bantamchick333]

So I found a lump on the side of my chickens head about a week ago which has grown bigger. There is also another mass under her neck. Over the past few days she’s declined dramatically; she has stopped drinking and eating on her own, her eyes are constantly shut and she’s having green diarreah. I took her to the vet and they couldn’t diagnose her becuase they don’t specialise in poultry. They gave me some antibiotics (baytril) and a dewormer for her to take over the next 7 days. I’m feeding her electrolytes through a syringe and she seems to be drinking it slowly. I’m not sure if this is a pus filled mass and needs to be drawn out. If anyone can give me advice on what to do next would be great.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am not an expert on tumors, but I think your chicken may have a type of cancer called lymphoma which can be caused by 2 different chicken viruses, lymphoid leukosis or Mareks disease. If you lose her, it would be good to have your state poultry lab do a necropsy to get a diagnosis. Can you find her ear opening to see if there is any gunk that needs to be cleaned out? Let us know if the antibiotics help to shrink this. I am going to tag @azygous in case she has any thoughts about this being viral cancer.

 

[Bantamchick333]

I am not an expert on tumors, but I think your chicken may have a type of cancer called lymphoma which can be caused by 2 different chicken viruses, lymphoid leukosis or Mareks disease. If you lose her, it would be good to have your state poultry lab do a necropsy to get a diagnosis. Can you find her ear opening to see if there is any gunk that needs to be cleaned out? Let us know if the antibiotics help to shrink this. I am going to tag @azygous in case she has any thoughts about this being viral cancer.

I see, thanks and her ear canal is clear it’s just swelling around the ear and some parts feel softer other parts of it feels more firm. It’s been day 4 of using the antibiotics but the swelling is still the same.

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? Lymphoid leukosis usually occurs after a chicken is 4 months old, and symptoms include tumors and an enlarged liver. It would be good to know if your flock is positive for either of the viruses for the future.

 

[Bantamchick333]

How old is she? Lymphoid leukosis usually occurs after a chicken is 4 months old, and symptoms include tumors and an enlarged liver. It would be good to know if your flock is positive for either of the viruses for the future.

She’s about 7 months old, is it contagious? And would they need blood tests to check for it?

 

[azygous]

My first thought was a massive upper respiratory infection, but you say the ears appear to be clear. So that leaves tumors.

When the eyes remain closed most of the time, the chicken is usually near the end. They also stop eating, and the green poop that. You need to prepare to lose her.

But finish the antibiotic in case this is bacterial. If the antibiotic is going to work, you should see improvement in 24 to 48 hours. If she continues to decline, I would euthanize and send the refrigerated (do not freeze) body to a state lab for necropsy.

If it comes back lymphoid leucosis, yes, it's extremely contagious and your whole flock would be carrying it. But it's not necessarily a death sentence. My flock carries it and they lead mostly normal lives with proper management.

 

[Bantamchick333]

My first thought was a massive upper respiratory infection, but you say the ears appear to be clear. So that leaves tumors.

When the eyes remain closed most of the time, the chicken is usually near the end. They also stop eating, and the green poop that. You need to prepare to lose her.

But finish the antibiotic in case this is bacterial. If the antibiotic is going to work, you should see improvement in 24 to 48 hours. If she continues to decline, I would euthanize and send the refrigerated (do not freeze) body to a state lab for necropsy.

If it comes back lymphoid leucosis, yes, it's extremely contagious and your whole flock would be carrying it. But it's not necessarily a death sentence. My flock carries it and they lead mostly normal lives with proper management.

I see, thanks, I’ll finish the course of antibiotics and see how she goes but it’s day 4 of antibiotics and she’s still the same, how do you manage the flock that are carriers?

 

[azygous]

Managing a flock with lymphoid leucosis is multi-faceted. It involves hygiene, good diet, and care when adding chicks to the flock and understanding how to manage the infectious nature of the disease.

There are some definite things you do not do and things you must do. Knowing these things will help you to have a mostly normal and productive flock while safeguarding deporting the disease.

If you get a diagnosis of LL, I can go into all of the details with you on how to manage your flock. Over time, your flock can become mostly resistant to the disease's symptoms.

 

[Eggcessive]

What state are you in? Some states are better for necropsies and can be pretty affordable. I would urge you to check the list of state vets below, and call them for any advice and info on getting a necropsy and testing for either avian lymphoid leukosis or Mareks. Be sure to not ever sell or rehome your birds if testing comes back positive. Birds can be take to the state lab or shipped overnight to arrive M-F. Here is the list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html