Please help. My sweet chick is four weeks old and has some sort of neck tumor!

[ChickNanny13]

Thank you azygous & casportpony for responding
Never seen anything like it & looks serious. Wyorp Rock "taught" me how to call for HELP! Learning never stops in Life ...

 

[azygous]

One way to confirm it's an air sac involvement would be to do a small sterile puncture and see if pus or air or nothing comes out. Everything I've read on the disease mentions administering the antibiotic by nebulization.

The air sac may or may not contain a solid abscess. A vet would go in with an endoscope and examine it and pull the abscess off if they found one. I would treat with the antibiotic and see what happens and go from there.

Doing surgery would be going into uncharted territory. If I had to do it, and I would if I had to, I'd get my nurse friend to guide me. One thing about chicken skin is it kind of floats and is moveable. But chick skin is so darned thin, surgery should be a last resort.

 

[casportpony]

It’s not squishy like it’s a sac full of something it’s firmer like swollen flesh

Poultry pus is firm, lot liquid. I can show you a picture if you want.

 

[casportpony]

@Amy Carter , if your chick has an infection I suspect it looks like this:
My first sinus infection
Warning - those are pictures of a peahen that had an abscess sliced open to remove the hardened lump of pus. Pictures are graphic.

 

[Eggcessive]

Since it could be a leaking air sac, I would try inserting a needle just under the skin, and giving it a squeeze, to see if you can squeeze air out or something more. I would use a large enough needle such as an 18 gauge.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thank you Eggcessive for your help Think I'd be too chicken to try cutting nor poking. It's interesting to learn chicken "pus" is solid, thanks for sharing the pictures casportpony.

 

[Amy Carter]

Poultry pus is firm, lot liquid. I can show you a picture if you want.

Oh I didn't realize that . After last night's dose of antibiotics it is less bright red and less hard/full. That doesn't mean I don't need to do something to remove it but it is progress. She is running around happily eating and drinking . I gave her antibiotics again this morning , have to bring my son into Boston for an appointment, and when I get back I'll evaluate and decide what to do . Ladies I'm telling you she is the sweetest chick I've ever had. Poor thing

 

[azygous]

Keep up with the antibiotic. There's a chance her body will absorb the abscess and there won't be any need for surgery. Keep giving updates here. The more the better. You may be the first here with this disease as I do not recall this being discussed here before. It will serve as a resource for others in the future as you document the progress of your sweet chick.

 

[Hyroler]

Smash up some antibiotics mix with water and if you have to force feed it with syringe.you need to get as much antibiotics as possible in that chick if you want to have chance

 

[andreanar]

Agree with advice given. Was going to tell you that chicken pus is almost solid but was beaten to it. What kind of antibiotic are you giving?