Possible lymphoid leucosis neoplastic tumor + Update: Not injury. Confirmed to be a tumor

[azygous]

I'm reporting a change in my assessment of Tootsie's wounds. Plural.

Yes, he now has one on the other leg, same exact spot. Not infected, though, just abrasion. Therefore, I've concluded he's been injuring himself on his perch. Hard to believe he's getting up there in years and losing his flexibility and finding it hard to achieve lift when hopping up to his roosting perch, which I had already lowered fairly recently.

So I lowered it again drastically to around six inches off the floor. Both he and his dad Strawberry were grateful. I had been needing to help the older roo onto the perch some nights, so they both were happy to be able simply to step onto it.

Toots has one more day on the clindamycin and the wounds seem to be healing. All these developments have set my mind at ease that I can stop thinking about needing to euthanize him. Even though his legs are painful, they are improving.

 

[azygous]

The state of Tootsie's wound healing is no change after a month of wound treatment. He still is hampered by pain, shaking the left leg periodically. The wound still appears much like the photos I posted earlier.

The other day I soaked his legs in Epsom salts two days in a row which he hated, and at one point he thrust himself straight up into the air with such force, he ended up upside down, where he narrowly escaped landing on his head if it weren't for me making a spectacular catch.

I ordered some drawing salve which I'll try next, and I think I'll try another round of an antibiotic, amoxicillin this time. I'm getting desperate.

 

[azygous]

I may be changing my mind about this being a tumor after all. It's growing instead of improving, and now the newest growth is bleeding. It's causing Tootsie pain, unquestionably, although he still walks normally.

His daddy Strawberry is being mean to him these days, interfering with Tootise eating.

I've had a devil of a time keeping the thing bandaged. No matter how well I try to wrap it, he manages to get the wound exposed. I am guessing he is doing this because it hurts and he's likely injuring the wound every time he pecks off the bandage. So I'm going to try leaving the bandage off for a few days.

I also switched to Silvadene instead of the antibiotic ointment and drawing salve. I can't tell if it's having any effect. He just finished another round of amoxicillin, as well.

 

[azygous]

A few days ago, I decided to change my treatment protocol since the wound wasn't healing. I'm now using Oxine and turmeric as the main components. I may be seeing some slight improvement, and Tootsie is behaving like he has less pain.

I'm using the activated form of Oxine and that requires special mixing and care so the fumes can be avoided, but the high amount of oxygen this concoction produces kills bacteria like nobody's business, and the tumeric mixed with aloe and antibiotic ointment has special healing powers. I'm optimistic.

 

[azygous]

The wound is still not healing as I wished it would. However, today I saw a sign that Tootsie may be feeling better. It's a very subtle sign - a beginning of the return of his self confidence.

The measure of this is that he's still in the run with Strawberry, the senior roo, after my hauling Toots out of the coop this morning to eat his breakfast. Usually, Toots has a few bites and Strawberry starts harassing him, and Tootsie flees back inside the coop where he mopes for for hours until I intervene again.

So how does this translate into Tootsie improving? If Toots' wound is finally healing, he's in less pain, so he demonstrates this by his behavior which cues Strawberry to how he treats Toots. Pretty much all of us know that chickens pick up on the decline in health in a flock member who gives off certain clues as to their state of well being. So eight hours later, Toots still being in the run with Strawberry and all is peaceful points to Toots feeling better and giving off positive clues to his state of well being.

I'm feeling less discouraged at any rate.

 

[Sally PB]

Just found this thread. Following...

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

How is Tootsie doing?

 

[azygous]

Tootsie is doing well. It does appear his leg is healing. He finished the cephalexin two days ago. I'm still giving him turmeric each day for inflammation. The two roosters continue to be cordial with each other, so that also tells me Toots is feeling better.

 

[azygous]

Six-month update: Not encouraging.

As you can see from the photos, this lesion is growing again. I wonder if it was in winter low hormone remission. Now it's spring, and hormones are beginning to surge, or it could be just a coincidence and it has nothing to do with hormones.

It still remains a mystery what this is. But in six months, an injury should be all cleared up. All through winter, Toots has been shaking this leg, which indicates pain. He's still holding up psychologically, not feeling vulnerable thereby encouraging his daddy roo to pick on him.

I'm leaning toward this being a tumor. If it is, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's metastatic. He will, however, reach a point where it becomes too painful for him to find joy in life. But that could be years away, and he's already middle-aged for a chicken. So he could end up having a full life regardless.

 

[FunClucks]

Six-month update: Not encouraging.

As you can see from the photos, this lesion is growing again. I wonder if it was in winter low hormone remission. Now it's spring, and hormones are beginning to surge, or it could be just a coincidence and it has nothing to do with hormones.

It still remains a mystery what this is. But in six months, an injury should be all cleared up. All through winter, Toots has been shaking this leg, which indicates pain. He's still holding up psychologically, not feeling vulnerable thereby encouraging his daddy roo to pick on him.

I'm leaning toward this being a tumor. If it is, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's metastatic. He will, however, reach a point where it becomes too painful for him to find joy in life. But that could be years away, and he's already middle-aged for a chicken. So he could end up having a full life regardless. View attachment 3414854View attachment 3414855View attachment 3414856

Sorry he's not healing like you hoped. Hopefully he can still continue to enjoy life anyway. Crossing my fingers for him.