Swollen and Black Chicken Knee, please help!

[Snowlily30]

My 5 year old rooster has a swollen knee. I have noticed mobility problems in him for a long time, he takes huge steps and trips very often. I just now noticed this black stuff on his knee. Is this scaly leg mites? A tumor?

 

[Jennell]

To me it looks like a staph infection, a bumble on his leg. I would try and treat it like you do bumble foot. But maybe see what others suggest..

 

[Rhode]

With the crater-like appearance surrounded by abnormally shaped skin, my first thought was squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer).

Is anything oozing or able to be expressed from the site? Have you cleaned it with anything?

3 threads with pictures/examples of SCC, including what owners did to learn more/try to help:
June ‘23: Progression of Rooster Tootsie
June ‘23: Weird growth/sore
June ‘23: Rooster with “divet” in leg

@azygous any input or advice, given your experience with Tootsie?

 

[Eggcessive]

I haven’t seen the type of lesion on the knee, but yes, there look to be scaly leg mites. The knee is swollen and inflamed which could be a joint infection, or maybe she has picked at it or injured it. It looks like antibiotics might be helpful, some warm soaks in Epsom salts water, and I would treat the leg mites. Oil the legs with vaseline or similar oil and rub it into the scales twice a week, I am not a vet, so if one is possible it might help.

 

[azygous]

It's most likely squamous cell carcinoma. My rooster has an identical, though more advanced lesion on his knee. Check out my thread and the photos I've posted. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...lastic-tumor-update-injury-not-tumor.1543307/

At first I thought it was a tumor associated with the leucosis virus, then I thought it was an injury caused by a too high perch, then I researched it, and squamous cancers on chickens look exactly like what our roosters have.

My boy was in very sad shape, being in a lot of pain and not being able to get around very well. He deteriorated mentally, and became withdrawn and fearful of my other rooster, losing all of his self confidence. Then I decided to get aggressive with treatment.

First I treated for staph, but it did nothing to improve it. In a year, it grew to twice the size. I began treating the pain and doing things to boost his self confidence, using pain relievers and cortisone cream on the lesion. That conquered his pain and his confidence returned to such a degree that he beat up the alpha roo and is now number one.

A month ago I began treating him with serrapeptase, an enzyme that thins the blood and has been known to treat squamous cell cancers by depriving them of blood for growth. I got it on Amazon. It seems to be halting the progress of his tumor, and it may even be resolving somewhat. He has no trouble getting around and doesn't seem to be in any pain currently.

I suggest you also try the serrapeptase, one capsule daily. Also, give one quarter tablet of ibuprofen twice a day to bring the pain under control. This can be risky since both of those thin the blood. So, once the pain is under control, stop the ibuprofen and just use hydrocortisone cream for continuing pain control.

Squamous cancers are slow growing, but eventually they will metastasize. I figure my rooster is doomed anyway, so I feel the risks of any experimental treatment is worth the tradeoff for decent quality of life now.


The lower legs do appear to have leg mites which are easily treated as @Eggcessive advised.

 

[Eggcessive]

Having a second look, the lesion may well be squamous cell carcinoma, a very common type of cancer in poultry. Here are some reading and photos, and you can see how the early lesions can be seen on the skin, and may be multiple over the body:
https://sesc.cat/en/squamous-cell-carcinoma-in-laying-hens/

https://www.semanticscholar.org/pap...eira/e75a73d54abedcf1b6fe3af865727834051b870b

 

[azygous]

I had a hen some years back with a two inch squamous cancer on her back. I didn't notice it until it had grown quite large and had probably metastasized. I thought it was a very bad staph infection and treated her for that. She kept getting worse, tail feathers all fell out, and she was in a lot of pain so I euthanized her. It was black and scabby looking, like overdone barbecue. I now easily recognize it as a squamous - raised tissue with a black ulceration in the center that never heals.

 

[Snowlily30]

With the crater-like appearance surrounded by abnormally shaped skin, my first thought was squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer).

Is anything oozing or able to be expressed from the site? Have you cleaned it with anything?

3 threads with pictures/examples of SCC, including what owners did to learn more/try to help:
June ‘23: Progression of Rooster Tootsie
June ‘23: Weird growth/sore
June ‘23: Rooster with “divet” in leg

@azygous any input or advice, given your experience with Tootsie?

No, there dosent seem to be anything oozing out. I havent cleaned it with anything. Thank you for your help!

 

[Snowlily30]

It's most likely squamous cell carcinoma. My rooster has an identical, though more advanced lesion on his knee. Check out my thread and the photos I've posted. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...lastic-tumor-update-injury-not-tumor.1543307/

At first I thought it was a tumor associated with the leucosis virus, then I thought it was an injury caused by a too high perch, then I researched it, and squamous cancers on chickens look exactly like what our roosters have.

My boy was in very sad shape, being in a lot of pain and not being able to get around very well. He deteriorated mentally, and became withdrawn and fearful of my other rooster, losing all of his self confidence. Then I decided to get aggressive with treatment.

First I treated for staph, but it did nothing to improve it. In a year, it grew to twice the size. I began treating the pain and doing things to boost his self confidence, using pain relievers and cortisone cream on the lesion. That conquered his pain and his confidence returned to such a degree that he beat up the alpha roo and is now number one.

A month ago I began treating him with serrapeptase, an enzyme that thins the blood and has been known to treat squamous cell cancers by depriving them of blood for growth. I got it on Amazon. It seems to be halting the progress of his tumor, and it may even be resolving somewhat. He has no trouble getting around and doesn't seem to be in any pain currently.

I suggest you also try the serrapeptase, one capsule daily. Also, give one quarter tablet of ibuprofen twice a day to bring the pain under control. This can be risky since both of those thin the blood. So, once the pain is under control, stop the ibuprofen and just use hydrocortisone cream for continuing pain control.

Squamous cancers are slow growing, but eventually they will metastasize. I figure my rooster is doomed anyway, so I feel the risks of any experimental treatment is worth the tradeoff for decent quality of life now.


The lower legs do appear to have leg mites which are easily treated as @Eggcessive advised.

This is super helpful, I really appreciate it, thank you! I am glad your rooster is doing better. I will try the serrapeptase. My roosters name is Sandy, and he is a very good boy, Its hard to see him struggle.

 

[azygous]

Both my roosters are very, very good boys, as well. Perfectly behaved, so I hate it when I see one suffer. It's been such a relief to see my younger one respond to treatment and have a good life. Each good day is worth all the trouble of treatment.