Rooster Has a solid ball shaped mass in neck, can't hold head up anymore.

[camochick96]

The one on our pig felt solid until we started draining it and then it was softer. It had just filled so much that it was solid.

 

[Stayc]

Awww poor guy. I'm sure hoping for the best for this guy

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I would try and lance it- very small and very shallow cut-- at least at first, just to try and see what is in there. Be warned, if its a tumor, it could possibly bleed profusely- that's why I say go shallow at first and be prepared to have something to stop the bleeding quickly.



That is my best guesses, but no where near actually informed medically. We had a cat who had a tumor on its neck and the cat scratched it open and he bled to death. This was back in the early 80's when most people didn't take their animals to the vet unless they were rich... at least in this area.

Please keep us updated on what happened!

 

[Incukahlan]

Alright, time for an update. So sorry for everyone who has been waiting. Husband got home late yesterday, so I ended up trying to see what was inside of the mass this evening. We've been very busy. Now, he was holding his head up this evening, but the mass did not seem any smaller. He also is no longer lethargic after being brought in from the coop. I think he wasn't able to get to the water and food efficiently with the mass weighing him down. I have him in his very own cage now with food and water directly at ground level so he can reach both.

I first tried lancing it with a needle, but nothing came out, not even blood. So then I used a small scalpel to cut a very shallow slit that was no more than 1/2 a centimeter in length (I wanted to keep it as small as possible, to avoid infection and prolonged healing) Once I got past the outer skin layer and into the ball itself, it was very hard and a little blood came out. There doesn't seem to be any liquid, pus, or anything like that. It just seems like thick fatty tissue, which leads me to believe that it is indeed some type of tumor. I cut a little deeper to see if maybe it was just thick pus or simply another layer, but beneath that just seems like more fatty tissue. I don't think he could feel what I was doing, he only reacted to being restrained, not the cutting or lancing.

So now I'm kind of stuck. If he continues to do well, I may just keep him separated and see how it goes. I don't want to risk putting him back with the other birds if he may be contagious. I have no idea. If he goes back to being lethargic or the mass seems like it is keeping him from living a normal life and he is suffering I will consider culling him, though I would hate to have to do that. Thank you to everyone who passed along advice and knowledge, I really appreciate all of it. If you have any other suggestions or thoughts, please let me know.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh, poor guy. I’m sorry. Do you know how quickly this came on? I’m wondering if it is a tumor. Can you see anything in his throat?

 

[Incukahlan]

I think the discoloration of the comb is due to his lack of water for a few days as it got bigger. That is already brightening up a bit since I brought him in. Those pictures were taken a few days ago when we first found out. His throat is clear, it seems to be hanging more on the outside, which is good. He can swallow fine when I give him electrolyte through the dropper, and he eats fine as long as it is at his level. He has an appetite, so that is good. No respiratory issues, no open mouth breathing. And yes, it feels like a gold ball. I can literally hold most of it in my hand. It's solid and perfectly round.

 

[Incukahlan]

I don't believe it was any warmer. I will check tomorrow. At first glance I thought His crop was just full, then I realized it was too high up. I appreciate the attempt for helping! : ) I hope someone has experience with something similar. Without knowing what's wrong with him, I don't know if we are on a time crunch to fix this or what. Thank you for taking the time to go back and forth with me.

 

[micstrachan]

I am happy to try. I just wish I could be more help. I agree it is not his crop and hope someone else here has an idea of what it is and how to address it.

 

[micstrachan]

I thought of that, too, but OP says it’s solid?

 

[micstrachan]

Oooh! That’s great information! Did you have to actively pull the fluid? Did any want to leak out under pressure upon the initial poke?