Miss Akala caught my attention in the aviary today when she ended up on the floor and couldn't get back up to the perches. About a week ago i noticed that she was holding her wing out a little, but she was still flying around the place without any trouble, chasing her boyfriend Spongebob, so i thought she must have just bumped it or sprained it a little. I didn't think much more of it. Until today that is. When she finally managed to get back up to the perches i realised her wing was poking out more than it had been previously, and as she was flapping up i spotted a bulge under her wing near the joint. I fetched my butterfly net and a glove and caught her to check under her wing. There is a reasonably large lump there. It's spongy feeling and has some yellow and black colour to it. I'm going to phone the vet tomorrow and hopefully get her an appointment for tomorrow evening. I can't imagine there's much to be done really, but i'm hoping for some sort of good news. I might take Spongebob along with her as company.

I had a hen with the same sort of lump in the same place. I turned out to be an injury and swelling and all healed fine with some special attention and being housed in smaller cage for awhile. Too soon to worry. You have done all the right things and the vets visit should be able to put your mind at rest. Best of luck

Akala is booked in for 5:30pm tomorrow. The avian vet is away till monday though, so we're seeing another of the vets at the practice, they're all quite good with birds as they see so many come through. I am starting to think the avian vet plans to be away when my birds get sick, the last 3-4 times i've needed a vet he's been away. I'll let everyone know how she goes. If she needs to come inside i will put the breeding pair back out, i will need the space they're in for Akala. *sigh*

keep us updated it sounds like your initial thought of being injured was correct per what Kaz has said.

keep us updated it sounds like your initial thought of being injured was correct per what Kaz has said.

I hope it's just an injury gone bad. She's such a lovely little hen. :ausb:

Yes, I hope its just a swelling from getting hurt and that rest will help her get better and back to health! Good luck!

I just bought Akala inside, ready for her appointment. I also bought her boyfriend Spongebob in - he's got all the wrong ideas right now. But she's happy when he's with her, so i'll leave them to whatever recreational behaviours they're up to in my brothers room.

We didn't get good news. The vet tried to drain it because it felt fluidy, but nothing came out. Which means it's probably not a cyst or abscess, more likely a tumour. That gives us two options: surgery or waiting it out until it's affecting her quality of life and then getting her put to sleep. Dad's not keen on the surgery route (money), and i can't say i like it much either (complications). The vet said that she's obviously not in any pain at the moment, and that she's holding the wing out simply because the lump is there and not because it's hurting. He also said that it may not get to a stage where it's bothering her much for a very long time, but that it could also grow quickly. For the moment she's perfectly happy getting around and being with her boyfriend, so i guess for now that's enough.

Sorry to hear that Bea :budgiedance: But I commend you on the mature way you are handling it all

Sorry to hear that Bea :budgiedance: But I commend you on the mature way you are handling it all

Thanks Kaz. I was wondering how you handle things like this (if you've had the experience). With so many birds, do you opt for the surgery option or wait and see?

Sorry to hear Bea, but s you say she is not having trouble moving about becuase of it and so her quality of life isn't yet damaged. Are you planning to leave her out with the flock or inside?

I'll leave her out with the flock. :budgiedance: I've got her inside tonight, and maybe for a few days just to watch that she doesn't bleed where they tried to juice her lump. The confinement is one of the reasons i don't want to do surgery. If she got through the surgery itself she would have several weeks of being confined inside. I also think this would have to be alone as Spongebob keeps trying to jump on her back (men!) and i can't see that that would be good for a recovering bird. As well as that there's always the chance the lump will come back, or be attached to her in such a way that it's impossible to remove properly. So much could go wrong, and i would hate to put her under the knife when she might be able to live with it happily for a fair while yet.

Sorry to hear the news was not good Bea but I can tell you that I would have made the same decision you did. Keep us updated on her.

Sorry to hear the news was not good Bea but I can tell you that I would have made the same decision you did. Keep us updated on her.

Thanks, it helps to hear that because this is the first time i've ever been in a situation like this before. *hugs* I'll see how she's feeling in the morning and decide when to put her back out in the aviary. I'll also put some branches from the floor to the bottom of the wire so that she has a way to get back up to her man if she ends up on the floor again.

Sorry to hear that Bea But I commend you on the mature way you are handling it all

Thanks Kaz. I was wondering how you handle things like this (if you've had the experience). With so many birds, do you opt for the surgery option or wait and see?

 

I have experienced a tumour only once Bea. It was in an older hen, and she had a devoted life partner in the aviary. As long as her partner stayed by her side and looked after her every need, I saw no need to intervene. She was not in pain and got around well. After one cold night I found her the next day, dead on the floor of the aviary. She had succumbed during the night. Her partner never left her side. When I found her he was sitting by her body resting his head and shoulders against her. It was a love story. I know of a show breeder who has, in the past, had surgery on any birds with tumours...... but, now, in his experience the tumours keep coming back in other places. Knowing that now, he doesnt prolong their agony.

I have experienced a tumour only once Bea. It was in an older hen, and she had a devoted life partner in the aviary. As long as her partner stayed by her side and looked after her every need, I saw no need to intervene. She was not in pain and got around well. After one cold night I found her the next day, dead on the floor of the aviary. She had succumbed during the night. Her partner never left her side. When I found her he was sitting by her body resting his head and shoulders against her. It was a love story. I know of a show breeder who has, in the past, had surgery on any birds with tumours...... but, now, in his experience the tumours keep coming back in other places. Knowing that now, he doesnt prolong their agony.

That's how it is with Akala and Bob. True love and as long as he's with her she's totally happy. The other day when she ended up on the floor he flew down to her side.

 

The possibility of the tumour coming back especially worries me if we were to go with surgery. It would be awful to go through the ordeal only to end up in the same situation shortly afterwards.

Pheobe has experience with tumors also like Kaz. I remember reading that they do just tend to pop up in a different location. As I said in another post Bea you are such a mature, responsible young lady and I know you will do what is best when the time comes.

Edited August 2, 200717 yr by Elly

Bea, I have a hen who has probably the same problem. My vet said she could have a surgery, but she also said that it would probably grow back. And as long as it's not stopping her from flying, I should leave it. She said surgery is a risk with small birds like budgie and she might not wake up. Giny is my first budgie and is probably quite old, so I decided to leave it and watch her, if it doesn't grow too big. She looks perfectly happy, eats, flys,...And the bump is the same size for like 2-3 months, maybe longer.

She actually had a little one on the other wing too, then she scratched it open somehow, so it was bleeding, but then it went away, and didn't come back.

 

Hope your budgie will be okay too, maybe it will go away

Edited August 2, 200717 yr by Zebra

I'm sorry to hear that the news wasn't good. But like the others have said, I think you made a wise choice. Here's to a slow growing, untroubling lump so Akala can be happy for a long time!

l'm sorry that you got bad news , l believe that you made the right decision too .

Thanks. I think i may as well pop her outside again today. I don't like keeping her and Bob cooped up, and she will be happier with space and all the other budgies.

I would just keep a close watch on her Bea, for signs of knocks to the lump, bleeding and infections. Otherwise, let her have the taste of freedom out there in the aviary. Wise choices all round.