# Tumors on pigeons



## Mighty Heart (Aug 29, 2008)

I have a large feral flock of pigeons(about 100) some of which are keepers that I have doctored up. I caught one who appeared injured only to find upon closer examination that two large tumors were protruding from her neck & back. They were the size of small walnuts, black & crusted. Yucky. I planned taking her to my vet the next morning...unfortunately she did not live through the night. I don't know what this is or if it could become an epidemic in the flock.
This morning I caught another bird who has a large tumor on his leg. Any help or advice would be appreciated. I have him isolated in a small cage for now.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Please see this thread and the photos and let us know if you've got the same thing going: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=27152

Welcome to Pigeon-Talk and thank you so much for assisting this and other pigeons!

Terry


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Same basic area, but those growths weren't life-threatening.

Pidgey


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## Mighty Heart (Aug 29, 2008)

Yes these tumors match what I see exactly. Today one tumor opened up and a brown, puss liquid came out. What is paratyphiod. Is it airborn...or how does it spread? Help.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Mighty Heart. Was the "tumour" on a joint in the wing or leg? That would be its location if it was a paratyphoid boil

If it wasn't on a joint, what was the exact location on the leg? 

Temporary tumours wouldn't be filled with fluid as you describe. 

For the time being flush the wound out with sterile saline twice a day.

Cynthia


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

cyro51 said:


> Hi Mighty Heart. Was the "tumour" on a joint in the wing or leg? That would be its location if it was a paratyphoid boil
> 
> If it wasn't on a joint, what was the exact location on the leg?
> 
> ...


I do think that the bird Kippy has, did have a tumor that opened up and then it dried up. I'll send her a PM and see if she can add more information.


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

I did not notice any oozing. 
There was blood when I caught Goliath but I probably caused that from catching him. It was really late so I started him on an anti-biotic and cleaned the growths with diluted hydro peroxide. I believe I even put collodial silver on them. 

The next day I came here online. I may have cleaned them again with hydro and collodial. I really did not do anything else for Goliath but wait for them to fall off which they did. He was never looking ill and ate, drank and droppings were great.

There was another one in my back yard but I was not able to catch him and when I did he died like that day.


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## Mighty Heart (Aug 29, 2008)

the first bird had 2 tumors: one on her neck and one on her lower back. 
the second bird has a tumor on his leg just below the knee and they look just like the photos TAWhatley sent me from a past thread. The tumor on the leg broke open once and it was full of fluid and brownish (blood?) I have not done anything as of yet. Just food & water. He's outside in a cage. I did put VetRX pigeon oil on the tumor to repel flies. Also...How do you treat paratyphoid?


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## Mighty Heart (Aug 29, 2008)

These photos you sent look exactly like what I'm seeing here. Very full, dark and awful.


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## rainbows (Aug 19, 2008)

interesting that both bird cases are from the Phoenix area, kippy & mighty heart


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Is there any chance you could post a couple pictures, Mighty Heart?

A while back a new member came on inquiring about these tumors. He had a pigeon with a couple of them.
He never did post his general location. And sadly, never returned to post an update.

Here's the link to his thread.
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/cysts-on-my-pigeon-wings-and-on-their-necks-28228.html?

Cindy


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Speedy describes the "tumours" as *soft to the touch and has blood in*side.

Now that *definitely* sounds like atypical pox! (also known as Blood Warts)

_Blood Warts:

Wart like lesions appear on the pigeon, usually singly. The lesions are black and vary in size from a small pea to a walnut and bleed very easily. After three to four weeks they regress spontaneously after which no more lesions are seen. Isolation in a protected environment is preferable . Following natural drying out of the lesion the blood wart drops off and complete recover occurs.

It is a form of pox virus and the bleeding can be severe ._

I think that description came from Fit to Win by Dr Wym Peters, but I can't find the book to verify...it may have been the old edition that refered to "blood warts" and the new edition that refers to "atypical pox".

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Blood Warts or Atypical Pox*

This is the description from the newer edition of "Fit to Win":

Blood warts occur fairly regularly though never as an outbreak, even though the pox virus is apparently causative. One or two birds, usually young birds or yearlings, not having aquired immunity, are affected. Wart-like lesions appear on the pigeon, usually singly but occasionally there are a few. The lesions are black, vary in size from a pea to a walnut and bleed easily. Afetr 3 to 4 weeks they regress spontaneously, following which no lesions are seen.

Typical pox particles are seen by means of electronmicroscpyand confirm the etiology of an atypical pox virus. The condition occurs irrespective of a simultaneous pox outbreak or a previous pox vaccination. It has not been established whether it is caused by an aberrant pox virus (mutant possibly) or an abnormal tissue reaction.

Surgical removal is not necessary, as spontaneous healing takes place but injured blood warts bleed profusely and pigeons have bled to death from haemorrhaging blood warts. Isolation in a protected environment is preferable. Following natural drying of the lesion, the blood wart drops off amd complete recovery follows.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

cyro51 said:


> This is the description from the newer edition of "Fit to Win":
> 
> Blood warts occur fairly regularly though never as an outbreak, even though the pox virus is apparently causative. One or two birds, usually young birds or yearlings, not having aquired immunity, are affected. Wart-like lesions appear on the pigeon, usually singly but occasionally there are a few. The lesions are black, vary in size from a pea to a walnut and bleed easily. Afetr 3 to 4 weeks they regress spontaneously, following which no lesions are seen.
> 
> ...


Great information, Cynthia.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Temporary Tumours - Wendell M Levi*

This is a description from the 1974 edition of "The Pigeon" by Wendell Levi. It sounds to me as if "blood warts", "atypical pox" and "temporary tumours" are the same thing.

He starts by saying that the disease was a novel one and that "a case was submitted to Duran-Reynals who considered it a variant form of pox, the cells having typical inclusion bodies."

_Description

The trouble originates with a number (one or more) small lesions on the skin which are, at first, somewhat similar to the lesions of pox. They are, of course, not obvious at this stage since they are situated under the feathers. They occur on any part of the body except the feet, having appeared indiscriminately upon either neck, head, back, breast, flank or wings. They grow very rapidly, and in a week or less may become an inch and over in diameter, usually distending the feathers so much that they become obvious. This is their maximum size. The growths then appear like a "black and blue" lump. The birds usually pick at them, causing some bleeding. They are then serious-looking affairs, for the birds' beak, the growths and feathers surrounding them are all smeared with blood (nb. the pigeons involved were white). There have been as many as four to five such tumours on one bird, and when plucked, other small (one fourth inch) lumps on the skin were seen.

The disease appears to run no particular course and not to be contagious, for often one bird in a pen of sixty foutr was affected, and the next occurence was eight to ten pens removed.

Treatment - The trouble is interesting from a scientific standpoint, but apparently of little economic import, for in three or four weeks the skin lesion shrivels, dries out, and drops off"_


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## Mighty Heart (Aug 29, 2008)

*Good News on Pigeon with Tumor!*

Welp....the tumor opened and drained. Then to my surprise is beginning to dry up! I don't know that it will go away completely. I think he will have some visable scar tissue on his leg. He still eats & drinks. I drop VetRX oil on the leg. It works great to repel any flies and seems to help heal it. I'll let you know when he gets his "flying papers".


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

That's great news!


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