swollen cheek - black & white growth inside beak

[Hendini-and-friends]

Hey,

One of my hens has become ill this week and I wanted to get some advice from the community.

We noticed her cheek had become puffy and at the time we saw something black protruding from the corner of her beak (not shown in pic / since removed), we removed it and seemed like a seed that had gotten lodged. After a day the swelling had not improved and upon further inspection seems there was more going on inside her mouth.

We suspect this is a canker, but given they drink mostly rainwater, which wildbirds also have access too seems could be a few different diseases. Has anyone had any experience with something similar? Our other two hens are not showing any similar symptoms. I've since removed their rainwater and replaced with a bowl from mains water.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do her beak smell rotten? It looks like it could be canker (histomoniasis.) That is usually treated with metronidazole (Fish Zole, available online and Flagyl, from a vet.) Dosage is 250 mg daily. Canker is a disease carried by pigeons, and your other birds may be at risk. Some use 1/4 tsp of acidified copper sulfate as a preventative in the water for 3 days per month. Here is some info:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/canker

https://www.allivet.com/mobile/p-23...uphqusmdg1_ut1u7ywfy7o7jzwn5e8d0aaj59ealw_wcb

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/acidified-copper-sulfate-1

 

[dawg53]

I'd get her started on metronidazole right away if I were you. Dosage is 250mg once a day for 5 days. Canker is contagious via feeders and waterers and infected birds are carriers. Ensure feeders and waterers are sanitized.

 

[Hendini-and-friends]

Thanks for everyone's responses. We took our chook to an avian vet. She cleared the remaining gunk from her mouth and took a swap to look under a microscope. Nothing was moving under the scope so seemed to be a bacterial infection from suspected injury. We've been given a course of Amoxicillin (200mg) twice a day for 10 days to give her. Swelling has since gone down since starting treatment on Thursday (10th), which is great

Looked very similar to Histomoniasis but needed confirmation before treatment, thoroughly recommend to get a vet to have a sticky break.

 

[Hendini-and-friends]

Do her beak smell rotten? It looks like it could be canker (histomoniasis.) That is usually treated with metronidazole (Fish Zole, available online and Flagyl, from a vet.) Dosage is 250 mg daily. Canker is a disease carried by pigeons, and your other birds may be at risk. Some use 1/4 tsp of acidified copper sulfate as a preventative in the water for 3 days per month. Here is some info:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/canker

https://www.allivet.com/mobile/p-23...uphqusmdg1_ut1u7ywfy7o7jzwn5e8d0aaj59ealw_wcb

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/acidified-copper-sulfate-1

Her beak didn't smell rotten in this case. Thanks for these resources, I'll have a look through to get myself more informed

 

[dawg53]

That's great news. I'm glad it wasnt canker!

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks for everyone's responses. We took our chook to an avian vet. She cleared the remaining gunk from her mouth and took a swap to look under a microscope. Nothing was moving under the scope so seemed to be a bacterial infection from suspected injury. We've been given a course of Amoxicillin (200mg) twice a day for 10 days to give her. Swelling has since gone down since starting treatment on Thursday (10th), which is great

Looked very similar to Histomoniasis but needed confirmation before treatment, thoroughly recommend to get a vet to have a sticky break.

Do you have any idea how she received the injury? I wondered because it it was something she had in her mouth that caused a wound she may have swallowed whatever it was.

 

[Hendini-and-friends]

Do you have any idea how she received the injury? I wondered because it it was something she had in her mouth that caused a wound she may have swallowed whatever it was.

My flock spent some time in another coop whilst we were away for a few days over Christmas, we suspect it might have been a fight with another chicken perhaps. Unsure as we noticed the swelling a few days after they returned home, so it may also be an injury from in our coop or run. The gunk that was removed seemed like a seed or twiggy, so could have also been something akin to a splinter in her gum.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for posting the results of the vet visit. It seems that so many people post about these types of lesions inside the beak, and never really know what they are dealing with. It unfortunately can be too expensive for most people to see an avian vet, but it helps to not waste time treating the wrong disease. Glad that she is on the way to recovery.