Scorpion sting? Strange symptoms!

Henhouse Harlot

Crowing
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3 1/2 yr old Bantam Cochin hen, she is a house pet who is extremely important to my young child. She eats Scratch and Peck layer pellets, and gets a few live mealworms each day. Free choice grit and oyster shell are always available along with fresh water. I’m very careful about what she eats! Around the house there aren’t any poisons/toxic stuff, I use vinegar and baking soda to clean. She has a perch in my room, and a private dust bath outside.
Her symptoms began Saturday night. She has a lot of clear, thick mucus in her mouth, and there is a hard lump and swelling between her wattles. The vet gave her an anti-inflammatory medication (Meloxicam? Spelling!!) which really made her feel better, but it’s not a cure. (Monday morning)
I also gave her approximately two milligrams of Benadryl Sunday evening, and that seemed to relax her and clear up the mucus a bit. This morning she is acting almost normal, except that she still can’t eat properly, or drink. She did eat 4 small, live mealworms last night, and a shelled Black sunflower seed. I’ve been trying to get water into her, water mixed with electrolytes and some vitamins, but she is extraordinarily talented at avoiding the syringe. 🙄 The vet gave her sub-cutaneous IV fluids yesterday, and I am tempted to go back if I can’t get more fluids into her.
Anyhow!
Her comb is bright and perky, other than the mucus and the lump between her wattles, she seems to be her normal, healthy self. She is interested in food, but when she reaches out for it, she usually stops short. I’m going to get a video of that, actually. In the meantime, she is better now, but not well, here are pictures and hopefully video!

PS- Yep, nope! I’m going to figure out the youtube video thing! Also, please help @casportpony @azygous @Eggcessive 🙏🙏🙏
 

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You can see her throat is swollen, it’s also warm to my touch in that spot. She is acting like there is something stuck... Preening, beak wiping, pulling her head back and up…then looking mad, violent head shaking, and sticking her head under her wing more than usual. However, she doesn’t seem to have an infection; her comb has been bright and perky, eyes clear, nostrils clear, temp normal.
She has eaten little bits of food, and a few mealworms, but she seems to want hard food rather than soft. Like when I have a sore throat, toast feels good to swallow! Or like she’s trying to dislodge something.
Her vet gave her an NSAID and a broad spectrum antibiotic; this is the third day, and she does seem to be feeling better, but she still won’t drink water on her own or eat much. Food also seems to fall back out of her beak a lot.
I am hoping that someone will recognize these symptoms and help me figure out what is wrong! After reading an account where roundworms got into a chickens esophagus, I also started her on Safeguard. (Thank you @Eggcessive for the dosage!)
At this point I’m taking her back to the vet for another look down her throat, maybe she will see something this time. ♥️
 

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Have you looked inside her beak for any canker or growths? Do you have a picture of the lump under her waddles?
No bad smell from her beak, and when the vet looked at her throat Monday, it was clear. She also ran a swab to see if she had any anything in her throat, but nada.
I’m in SE New Mexico.
 
Have you looked inside her beak for any canker or growths? Do you have a picture of the lump under her waddles?
X-rays from today, the vet sent them to an expert but we won’t have the results until Monday. They don’t think it’s cancer, but the blank spot was a bit concerning… Also the odd bone around her throat? I’m hoping you might have an idea!
 

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