Male Button Quail with Irritation

[foxchasr]

Hi everyone .... I just noticed today my male button quail has a red bulbous cluster around his picky area. It's definitely a male and I am new with the quails and I have no idea what this could possibly be. He is about a year old and never had any irritation whatsoever. He's fine in every other respect, eating, drinking normal. I have him in a cage with 3 other females. I cleaned it with wound clean and spread a bit of neosporin on the area. I'm trying to get a picture, but it's very hard. Does anyone have any ideas? Should I bring him to the bird vet? Please let me know. Thank you.

 

[Denninmi]

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to, but I suspect you mean the vent.

If so, it's probably prolapsed. It happens a lot more with hens due to egg laying, but can happen in males, too.

Check out this thread for some ideas. In particular, click on the link to the avian medicine article on it in post # 16.

Good luck.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=793&p=2

 

[foxchasr]

Thank you so much! That's exactly what looks like happened. Question. You know I'm referring to a button quail and not a hen? I have hens too, so I don't know if I was being specific. The button quail is the size of a small sparrow. Do you think I should still try the honey? Thanks so much for your response. I know it sounds terrible, and I have no knowledge of what I'm trying to figure out here, but this is definitely a male and if this is his innards that have come out, would it be similar to a hernia? If I'm not able to get it back in .... the opening is the size of a pin head, what will happen if it remains outside his body. I'm really scared for him.

 

[Denninmi]

Yes, I know you were referring to a male button. I've got about 35 buttons myself.

What will happen without treatment -- hard to say. I suppose it depends a lot on just how bad it is. If it's just a very small portion of the intestine coming out, it might correct itself. If it's a lot, it might not. I would suspect that the biggest risk is infection.

Honey probably wouldn't hurt anything, and it is antiseptic/antimicrobial. I also saw a post in that thread that recommended Preparation H because it shrinks tissue. That might be worth a try.

Putting the bird on antibiotics to ward off infection probably would be a good idea, IMO -- I would put something like tetracycline and penicillin in the bird's water for about 10 days, no matter what else you do.

I know how frustrating it can be trying to deal with health issues on button quail because they are so small.

Good luck. I hope that someone else with more experience than I have will come along and answer you. I've only had the button quail since July, but they are interesting.

 

[foxchasr]

Thank you so much. I was thinking the Preparation H too. I'm gonna make an appointment for the vet sooner rather than later, you have been very helpful!

 

[foxchasr]

Hi ... I just wanted to give you an update. My button spent the night at the vet, but is back home, thank goodness. It wasn't his intestines, but some kind of mass which they will biopsy. She snipped off a piece of it and stitched it closed and was able to then push the mass back up inside him. He was fine overnight, but I still need to keep an eye on. She sedated him and was able to examine him really well. I hope he will be fine after all this. Thanks again for all your advice. Regards.