My son noticed a large lump on his budgie's wing last Sunday. It definitely wasn't visible on the previous Friday and the budgie was flying well. On Sunday it was the size of a marble and bald. We immediately took him to the animal hospital and they rescheduled an appointment with their avian specialist for today. By today it was doubled in size and the moment the vet saw it she immediately recognised it as a feather cyst.

 

Budgie is booked in for an appointment on Wednesday for surgery to have it removed. Vet said it definitely needs to come off ASAP but it's not an emergency and can wait until Wednesday. Meanwhile the poor budgie is picking at it so it's obviously annoying him.

 

I looked everywhere here for some pictures of a similar lump but couldn't find anything but we'll get some pictures to post on here before and after so people can see what it looks like.

 

He's such a sweet bird, it will be a relief for him to get rid of the lump. I am absolutely amazed at the speed with which it's grown.

 

And just a warning to people - a lot of vets are listed in the phone book under "avian vets" who are not. (I'm sure people already know this)

Glad they can do something about it. Pictures would be great. I hope it all works out for you, *hugs*

Hope it all goes well.

Keep us posted and as AV said, pictures would be great

Another budgie,the same colour, would be a lot cheaper,by along way. :mellow:

I treat feather cysts myself. BUT in my experience they just keep coming back in different places on the same bird. If its vets care / surgery every time, it becomes a gold plated bird at the end of it. Feather cysts are hereditary...more often than not they occur when parents have been bred too closely. Once in a family line, you dont breed with those birds because it just keeps occurring.

Another budgie,the same colour, would be a lot cheaper,by along way. :mellow:

Yes I know. My mother replaced my budgie with a similar one when it died, thinking I wouldn't notice. She obviously didn't know me very well.My son is not interested in obtaining another similar looking bird as he actually has a great love for his pet who is very tame and affectionate.He's already been raising money by doing car washes and tomorrow he's making cupcakes to sell to raise money for the operation. I know some people might think it's silly but I find it an admirable quality in a child that I am keen to encourage.It's probably going to cost around $100 - $150 which is a lot. But he wants to do it and he wants to pay for the surgery out of his own money so I have absolutely no right to tell him he can't and I'm pretty proud of him actually.

I treat feather cysts myself. BUT in my experience they just keep coming back in different places on the same bird. If its vets care / surgery every time, it becomes a gold plated bird at the end of it. Feather cysts are hereditary...more often than not they occur when parents have been bred too closely. Once in a family line, you dont breed with those birds because it just keeps occurring.

How do you treat them?This one seemed to blow up overnight. It is the size of a cherry and the bird went from a healthy, mobile creature to one who cannot even fly enough to get from the perch to the floor. We've taken him from the aviary and put him in a small "infirmary" cage.But I had no idea about them being hereditary. This is the first feather cyst he's had in two years and my son has bred three clutches from him already. The babies have been absolutely beautiful actually and so far there have been no problems in the offspring. At what age does this problem normally seem to present?I think the bird is about 3 years old.

Another budgie,the same colour, would be a lot cheaper,by along way. :mellow:

 

 

Yes I know. My mother replaced my budgie with a similar one when it died, thinking I wouldn't notice. She obviously didn't know me very well.

 

My son is not interested in obtaining another similar looking bird as he actually has a great love for his pet who is very tame and affectionate.

 

He's already been raising money by doing car washes and tomorrow he's making cupcakes to sell to raise money for the operation. I know some people might think it's silly but I find it an admirable quality in a child that I am keen to encourage.

 

It's probably going to cost around $100 - $150 which is a lot. But he wants to do it and he wants to pay for the surgery out of his own money so I have absolutely no right to tell him he can't and I'm pretty proud of him actually.

 

 

Your son sounds like he is going to grow up into a very valued member of society and you have done a wonderful job at teaching him these values. Give him a pat on the back from me for being a very responsible pet owner. I will be thinking of you all during the operation and I hope and pray things go well. Good luck and please keep us posted. maesie xo

Your son sounds like he is going to grow up into a very valued member of society and you have done a wonderful job at teaching him these values. Give him a pat on the back from me for being a very responsible pet owner. I will be thinking of you all during the operation and I hope and pray things go well. Good luck and please keep us posted. maesie xo

 

Thank you maesie. He is a lovely kid - he's only 11 and has already raised over $2500 for the local animal shelter in the past 18 months. I know there is a certain point that it's not viable to continue giving treatment to a sick animal but when it's a very sudden, unexpected and easily treatable thing, I think it's only reasonable for me to let him have his pet treated.

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

(he's even been doing physiotherapy with the "Fizzer" to help him keep up his muscle tone so he has a better recovery!)

Smudgie, Will Your son take donations????

Oh boy, I see a vet in him one day! But one who also cares... not just any vet...

How do you treat them?This one seemed to blow up overnight. It is the size of a cherry and the bird went from a healthy, mobile creature to one who cannot even fly enough to get from the perch to the floor. We've taken him from the aviary and put him in a small "infirmary" cage.But I had no idea about them being hereditary. This is the first feather cyst he's had in two years and my son has bred three clutches from him already. The babies have been absolutely beautiful actually and so far there have been no problems in the offspring. At what age does this problem normally seem to present?I think the bird is about 3 years old.

I do small surgery on them. The feather cyst is like having an ingrown hair...only its an ingrown feather thats stays within and folds in on itself. Fluid and pus and greasy substance builds up in there quickly and needs release. I wont go into the how to do it in case those less experienced will try based I what I do and can acchieve. I have vet nursing experience and hundreds of budgies and have learnt to treat those I can...others see the vet. Feather cysts pop up at any time. As I said before usually hereditary but maybe it takes two parents and two sets of genenes to produce the problem. Most often its due to the parents being too closely related. But, in saying that I recently had a whole clutch of feather cysts babies ( they had to be put to sleep ) and those came from the fathers side as the hen had had no issue over many clutches but just with him.

 

I applaude what you son is doing...an amazing young man. I hope this surgery works out and in this case its a one off and not a repeat performance as most feather cyst cases do turn out to be.

 

Best of luck. :angel1:

Edited August 9, 200816 yr by KAZ

Smudgie, Will Your son take donations????

I never even thought of that. Do you think it would be okay for him to just straight out say "I'm saving for my budgie's operation?"See I already suggested to him that he brings Fizzer along with him in the little cage when he sells his cupcakes so that people can see for himself and they know he's working for a good cause.He planned to actually *work* to raise the money but I suppose if people said they don't want a cupcake but they would like to give him a dollar it would all help!That might be a good idea

I do small surgery on them. The feather cyst is like having an ingrown hair...only its an ingrown feather thats stays within and folds in on itself. Fluid and pus and greasy substance builds up in there quickly and needs release. I wont go into the how to do it in case those less experienced will try based I what I do and can acchieve.

I think you are very wise because I am sure someone will try to do it at home.Honestly - this is gross! I will see if I can get my husband to download the photos of it so you can see how bad it is. My poor kid feels terrible for not noticing it because he didn't pick it up in time but I swear it was NOT there 10 days ago and it has grown like a weed. I do think that this one is a job for a vet. We took the budgie to Lort Smith because we know that they will not string us along and try to make money out of another sucker that comes in. The vet was lovely and she was also VERY optimistic - but still explained the risks.I would not at all feel comfortable dealing with such a huge lump. I am glad I don't have any veterinary knowledge or I'd feel obliged to deal with it. And then I would throw up

Smudgie, Will Your son take donations????

I never even thought of that. Do you think it would be okay for him to just straight out say "I'm saving for my budgie's operation?"See I already suggested to him that he brings Fizzer along with him in the little cage when he sells his cupcakes so that people can see for himself and they know he's working for a good cause.He planned to actually *work* to raise the money but I suppose if people said they don't want a cupcake but they would like to give him a dollar it would all help!That might be a good idea

 

Often people like to know what they are supporting before they buy something anyway. Taking Fizzer along and telling people why he is selling cupcakes is an excellent idea...

Oh goodness I have had all these lovely PMs!Thank you for all your kind thoughts. I have to get dinner and go to bed early as I work an early Sunday Morning shift so please don't think I am ignoring you. I'm quite overwhelmed actually.

Oh boy, I see a vet in him one day! But one who also cares... not just any vet...

I think he cares too much to be a vet!(not meant in a bad way)But people ask him all the time if he plans to become a vet and he says he doesn't - he just wants to keep volunteering at the local shelter forever!

I hope that Smudge makes it through okay. Everyone has different thoughts on raising budgies and I see your son has learned a very valuable lesson "the gift of life" and though we all see it in a different perspective I wish more people would give it a higher value then there would be less homeless pets including budgies.

 

Instead of just asking out right for money if he could have a little fund raiser that would be better I think. I think out right asking for money on the net or to people you don't know makes everything look skeptical (but that is me). Like a lemonade stand, a little sale of toys he doesn't use anymore etc....

I hope that Smudge makes it through okay. Everyone has different thoughts on raising budgies and I see your son has learned a very valuable lesson "the gift of life" and though we all see it in a different perspective I wish more people would give it a higher value then there would be less homeless pets including budgies.

 

Instead of just asking out right for money if he could have a little fund raiser that would be better I think. I think out right asking for money on the net or to people you don't know makes everything look skeptical (but that is me). Like a lemonade stand, a little sale of toys he doesn't use anymore etc....

 

That's such a good idea too. He has about a hundred of those "beannie bear" things that were popular a few years ago and now they just take up space!

 

Good thinking 99 - I'm taking him to the local shops this afternoon so we can bring those damn beannie bears as well :fear

I have a budgie that underwent surgery to remove a lump from her wing, but it was not a cyst, it was a tumor. She has other health issues (lipomas elsewhere and liver disease also) but she came through the surgery wonderfully and has not had a recurrance yet. Her tumor also grew appeared quickly, and once I saw it she went to the vet. Thankfully I caught it almost immediately after it began to grow. They also were not in a hurry to remove it as she did not bother it. But shortly after the initial vet visit, it almost doubled in size in a short period of time and reached a point where she began to pick at it and made it bleed, (luckily this happened on a Saturday -when I could stay home over the weekend, catch her and stem the bleeding whenever it occurred). Then the possibilty of her bleeding out while I was at work was real and her surgery was moved up to Monday. I dropped her off at 7 am and she came home the same day. Thank goodness for caring avian vets! It is very admirable what your son is doing, kudos to you for encouraging it and also for being willing to take his budgie in for surgery. I hope your budgie comes through the surgery fine, and the cyst does not recur.

Edited August 10, 200816 yr by Rainbow

Thanks Rainbow. It's encouraging to read a success story. Fizzer has been picking at his lump too and he's had a couple of small bleeding episodes over the weekend. Unfortunately the only day we can book him in for surgery is Wednesday so I'm just hoping all will be well until then.

 

 

 

I've just loaded some of the pics onto photobucket.

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/squa...er/100_0406.jpg

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/squa...er/100_0405.jpg

Edited August 10, 200816 yr by **Liv**
photo turned to link because it was over the size regulation of 640x480, resize before posting images again

I have seen some syst in my time in budgies.But that the biggest I have seen.I guess this one has been there

for a while to get that big,

Poor boy

I bet he will be very happy to have it removed. I hope all goes well on Wednesday.

 

White pepper is great for stopping bleeding.

Edited August 10, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Oh, poor guy. It must be very uncomfortable for him and I'm sure he'll be happy to get it removed. It has grown heaps... especially since you only noticed it last Sunday. Good luck on Wednesday

Oh sorry about that Liv. I have never posted a photo on here before so I thought it would just not accept it if the size was wrong. I don't know how to resize unless my husband or son does it for me. Thanks for making it a link.

 

 

 

 

Oh and my son decided on selling jewellery to raise some money since I suggested people might be a bit grossed out and not want to buy cupcakes. I just brought him back from the local shopping village and he made $30 from selling bracelets that he made. Not a bad effort on a freezing cold day. He brought Fizzer with him in the little cage so that people could see how bad it was but that meant we couldn't stay too long because poor budgie would have been losing a lot of his body heat through the cyst.

Edited August 10, 200816 yr by Smudgie

After seeing a photo of the poor guy, I wouldn't take him on any more money raising activities. My reasons are 1) It is very big and people might be grosses out (as you said), 2) Because of the size of it, it would be putting him under stress and by taking him out into public, this would add to this, and 3) If he is not with you, you can stay for longer!

 

Congratulations on the money raised today.

I have seen some syst in my time in budgies.But that the biggest I have seen.I guess this one has been there

for a while to get that big,

 

No it hasn't! That is what is so shocking. We estimate only about a week or ten days. He's very attentive with his birds and doesn't have many - only 9 birds.

 

It wasn't visible at all a week ago. When we took him to the vet she said they can "blow up" quite fast and it depends on how many feathers are involved. She thinks there may be a few feathers that broke off and all became involved in the same cyst to make it so big and to grow so fast.

Thats twice as big as the worst I have seen too. Hope it gets sorted fast for him and he can start to feel better