# Lump on baby pigeons neck



## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

Hi, I've joined this forum to get some advice on a baby pigeon I have taken in. I found him 2 weeks ago in the middle of the road with a bashed up eye and several shallow cuts round his face. I think he was around 3 weeks old (which makes him about 5 weeks now) and had fallen out of his nest. 
I have been feeding him eggfood, blended and watered down, with a syringe. In the last few days he has started taking bits of pigeon mix seed and sweetcorn. Also a bit of bread dipped in eggfood to encourage him to eat alone, I know bread isn't very nutritional. 
Anyway, he has developed a strange lump on the side of his neck up to just under his ear entrance. It looks like swelling, but it doesn't seem to be causing him any pain. He's eating well and well in himself, but I'm concerned. 
Any ideas what it could be? Thanks for your help.
Clare


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Clare,


Images? ( showing the 'lump' )

Also images of his poops/urates?


Phil
Lv


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

*Picture*

I've just changed his paper and thrown it away so I have no dropping pictures at present, but as far as I can tell they are normal. I have a pic of the lump however. He's a tad scruffy as he was hard to feed in the first week!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Can you let us know where you are? It might be useful if someone experienced in pigeons could examine him and if you could tell us your rough location we might know of someone.

In the meantime, can you have a good look inside his mouth, just to ensure that it is clean and pink, with no growths inside.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Clare, 


Well, he is certainly a happy and lovely little Pigeon.


I can not see anything though, as far as any 'lump'.


Maybe you can describe it some more, size, consistency, location, and or try again with more of a close up image of it?


Also, images of poops/urates, soon as some are made.


Phil
Lv


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

Thankyou.  I will get some more pictures in the morning and upload them. I would do it now but he's sleeping and I'd feel really mean waking him up! The lump itself sort of fills the space where the bottom definition of the head should be and the body. I'll take pics of both sides to show the difference. It's as if the side of his neck is swollen, I suppose like the human equivalent of swollen glands. He lets me touch it and it feels much the same as the rest of his neck. Like I say it doesn't seem to be bothering him, but it looks odd and I want some reassurance that he's ok!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Clare, 



Well, as feefo mentions, please see if you can arrange him under some good lighting, and look into his Throat, opening his Beak of course, to do so.

Should be merely happy 'pink' tissue, but, he might have some 'cheezy' or yellows tan color material in there.

Usually, such a lump will be from either 'Canker' ( a localized Trichomona infection), or, an abcess.


So, see what you can tell by looking well into his Throat...have someone halp hold him if need be, to do so.


Phil
Lv


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

I'm in Blackburn, Lancashire. I've checked his mouth earlier and it is clean and pink, no growths.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

You could ask Laura Steele at Springfield Vets' 144 Redlam BB2 1UW to have a look at it. Her telephone number is 01254 54654. She is very experienced with pigeons as she used to work with Helen who used to run Wild-life-line. Or I could get in touch with Helen and ask her if she would have a look at it, but I am not certain when she is at home and available.

We think so highly of Helen and Laura that we have driven all the way from Norfolk for their help with a pigeon.


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

Ok, I rang to try and speak to Laura Steele but she won't be in until Wednesday. Not wanting to leave it that long I took him to a Myerscough vet. She says it could potentially be a damaged gullet. :-( I'm not sure how this could have happened as he hasn't eaten anything hard and we don't put the syringe down his throat. She has given me antibiotics to administer twice daily and if he's not better in a week I have to take him back. I'm really hoping it's something else as I don't want to lose him. :-( Does anyone else have any experience of this sort of thing?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Could you tell us what antibiotic was prescribed and at what dose, plus was any mention made of canker/trichomoniasis?

Karyn


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

The antibiotic is Baytril. The vet checked the little guys throat and it was all clear, so no canker wasn't mentioned.


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

Meant to say it is 0.1mil twice a day.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Clare,


Images of the poops/urates?


Close ups of the 'lump'?



If an abcess, it could be Bacterial.


If Canker, localized from maybe some small abrasion or something - a weed Seed with a shapr pointy end - having poked the esophagus enough for a Trichomonal infection to get in, then of course, it is Trichomonal/Canker.


What sort of consistency does the lump seem to have over the course of a day?


Does it remain the same consistency? Or, does it seem to be harder or softer sometimes?


Is there anything different about the skin covering the lump, than the skin elsewhere?



Phil
Lv


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

It remains the same consistency all day. The skin covering it sometimes looks a bit redder than the rest of his skin. It's not an abcess as the vet stuck a needle in it to try and withdraw fluid, all that happened was that he bled a little. I will get some pictures now.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

The Baytril is a very good broad spectrum antibiotic and will clear up many kinds of infections, but if it is by chance canker, Baytril is not effective against this. Ideally, at least IMHO, I would have like to see a course of Metronidazole run, in this kind of case, to cover any canker issues if they are present and not picked up on, as Metronidazole works very well with Baytril so there are no conflicts with giving both of these drugs at the same time. 

I think to be on the safe side if you could persuade you vet to add in the Metronidazole it would be good, as it is quite a safe drug with a large benefit if it is canker gone undiagnosed.

Karyn


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Yes, as Karyn says...


Some abcesses can be 'dry'...where trying to draw fluid would only show that no fluid is present to draw...but, it can still be an abcess, only a 'dry' one.


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

Here are some pictures of the lump, I've been trying to get good ones but he's not very up for keeping still. Just had his last feed and he was very lively as normal.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Yes, I can make out the lump quite clearly in the photo, Glad he is now on the Baytril, but as I mentioned, in truth, I would feel a little better if he were on Metronidazole as well. I will mention that his/her urates (the white part of his droppings) look nice and white, this a good sign. If you do not add the Metronidazole and in the next 24-48 hours the lump grows at all while on the Baytril, I would take this as a sure sign he needs the addition of the Metronidazole. Ideally, what you want to see is a lessing of redness and a decrease in size of the lump to show the Baytril is having an effect, I have found where a bacterial infection is taking place and the bacteria involved is sensitive to Baytril, almost overnight you can see a positive change in the size and color of the area of infection.

Feeding is always a fun time with these guys, please have a look at the link below, it has a few more links inside for information that you might find helpful (you may have seen most of it already, but I thought I would post it, just in case)

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=475500&postcount=26

Karyn


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## livingdeadgirl (Aug 15, 2010)

Ok well, he's not good today. Still fairly lively but a little wobbly and his breathing is raspy. The lump is much the same. He's had 3 feeds and is sleeping a lot. I'm going back to the vet tomorrow to get the other antibiotic but I'm so scared I'm going to lose him. :'(


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## cuttie pie (Sep 21, 2013)

My baby pigeon is of 3.5 weeks. Yesterday I noticed h heas got a small lump on his neck . He has difficulty in swallowing . He's very inactive these days. I'm giving him winning tonic of Medpet. Still no use. Cam any one help me out.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

cuttie pie said:


> My baby pigeon is of 3.5 weeks. Yesterday I noticed h heas got a small lump on his neck . He has difficulty in swallowing . He's very inactive these days. I'm giving him winning tonic of Medpet. Still no use. Cam any one help me out.



This is an old thread so many won't see it and be able to respond to you. I'll send you a PM on how to start a new thread so others will see it.
But it sounds like your bird probably has canker. Have you checked down his throat to see if you can see any yellowish nodules?


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## Sha_phal (Jun 19, 2021)

livingdeadgirl said:


> Hi, I've joined this forum to get some advice on a baby pigeon I have taken in. I found him 2 weeks ago in the middle of the road with a bashed up eye and several shallow cuts round his face. I think he was around 3 weeks old (which makes him about 5 weeks now) and had fallen out of his nest.
> I have been feeding him eggfood, blended and watered down, with a syringe. In the last few days he has started taking bits of pigeon mix seed and sweetcorn. Also a bit of bread dipped in eggfood to encourage him to eat alone, I know bread isn't very nutritional.
> Anyway, he has developed a strange lump on the side of his neck up to just under his ear entrance. It looks like swelling, but it doesn't seem to be causing him any pain. He's eating well and well in himself, but I'm concerned.
> Any ideas what it could be? Thanks for your help.
> Clare


Same problem ...


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