Swollen head/possible ear infection?

[lonnyandrinda]

Noticed this guy yesterday morning on feed check. Roughly 5 month old capon (actually I think he's a slip). I think he's been hiding this from me for a few days by turning his head away from me when I'm walking by. He's quarantined now. At first I was thinking bee sting as we have beehives near the chicken pens. Gave him 1/2 CC benadryl about 11 AM, no change this afternoon. He seems even worse today than yesterday. I have onhand Pen G injectible, Terramycin tablets, FishMox (Amoxicillan), and the standard respiratory ones, Tylan, Gallimycin, Denagard. Also some Bactrim DS liquid (from vet) left over from another chicken's infection.

NO drainage from the nose or eyes yesterday, they are clear and clean. Today a slight amount of nasal drainage. Swelling on the back of the face is pressing the eye closed. I've seen and dealt with MG/MS before and this does not look like it. Ear canal looks clear but is obviously pressed closed from the pressure. Inside of mouth is normal. He is eating and drinking fine. The swollen side of the face is beginning to feel pretty hot.

I'm thinking ear infection, as the swelling seems centered around the ear??

Unless someone has a better suggestion I'm going to start with the Bactrim as first treatment. If this poor guy makes it through.

Pics from yesterday:





Pics from today:

 

[chicknmania]

That is strange but you seem to have a pretty good handle on which way to go with it. I can't add anything to what you've already said you'd do.
Maybe a sinus or ear infection, I think so too. I'd definitely treat with a powerful antibiotic.

 

[chicknmania]

I wonder what an epsom salts compress would do, if you could keep it away from the eye? Will he stay still enough for you to try something like that for a few minutes, a few times a day? I mean I'm just thinking...just in case it IS a bee sting..or something like that...Epsom Salts might help. And regardless of whether it's a sting or not, Epsom Salts should help with the swelling. Make a paste and put on a cotton ball and see if he'll let you hold it on there. If it's cool, he might, because it will feel good.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Hm. That's a thought. Will try that tomorrow, at least once before church and once after. He's not used to handling so he may not take it well- but it might feel good to him to do it with a cold compress? I've never heard of an Epsom Salt compress but will do some reading. Thanks for the idea. I hate to put down a perfectly good bird but he's a capon- not something I want to fork out a vet visit for. Luckily it seems limited to him I'm not seeing any symptoms from the other birds that were in his pen.

 

[chicknmania]

I would make it very cool, but not real cold. We use warm Epsom salts soaks for sore feet or legs in our birds and it helps a lot, and they seem to think it feels good.And I know Epsom salts compresses help with stings and swelling in other animals, so I guess it would help for a chicken too. I've never had occasion to try a compress,, but it makes sense to me. Good luck, let us know how he does.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Today it was even worse. I went in with a scalpel hoping I could open it up and cheesy gunk would come out. It was a firm solid mass, about the diameter of a pingpong ball and half as thick. As soon as I opened it up the skin pulled back away from all the pressure. Tumor maybe? He was obviously in pain and starting to get thin. I put him down immediately. No need to make him suffer longer when I thought he probably wasn't going to make it.


Graphic pic hidden. I have to say- I have done crop surgery and bumblefoot surgery before, but doing this really made me queasy!

 

[chicknmania]

That's awful! It does sound like a tumor. Idk if it applies to chickens, but I know cats can get tumors in their sinuses, from breathing dust, and it is common. We had a cat that died that way and the vet told me that they are low to the ground and breathe in all kinds of dust and stuff, and he felt that was a contributor to the cancer in the face.. So, chickens certainly do, too. (breathe in a lot of stuff)... I'm glad you put him out of his suffering. Sorry you lost him though.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

In addition to being a hard, well-attached mass it had a smell to it that just made me queasy. And it bled a lot. I only have the very basic surgical skills for chickens- crops, bumblefoot, etc. I knew I could not remove that mass without killing him and the mass's continual growth eventually would. It was kinder to him to let him go. Thanks for your kind thoughts.