Budgie with cyst

[Maureen G]

My 5 year old female budgie who is prone to bouts of laying infertile eggs, has developed a soft cyst approx the size of one of the eggs she lays. It is situated at the base of her chest near the rectum (?)

I took her to our local Pet Barn to have her beak clipped and they checked her out and said it was soft & possibly pus-filled and should be lanced by a Vet.

With the cost of Vets - I thought I would first ask on Forum if anyone has dealt with this before and what they did to treat/cure it?

My thoughts are to use a sterile needle and aspirate it, but if it is an infection then she will need antibiotics internally I guess.

Any advice / thoughts would help me make a decision about Vet or No Vet.:budge:

[ronsig]

Hi,
welcome to the forum. I know a user here, Palomino, who I think had a similar problem. She might be able to help you.

Good luck!

Sigrid

[chompie_puppy]

How sure are you (and the people at Pet Barn) that this is indeed a cyst?

I have heard that sometimes an egg can become "lost", or something like that, and then just stay near the vent as a soft lump. I'm sorry, I have really no experience with this, but I am 100% sure I have read of something similar on these forums before. Just thought I would let you know that it might not be a cyst at all, but something else.

I really hope someone comes along to this thread that has more experience and can help you!

[DeBree420]

yes, i agree with chompie, there are heaps of things that could cause that symptom in a female budgie, especially a chronic layer... most of them are life threatening if not treated quickly...
you need to take her to a vet asap

[clifff123]

you need to take her to a vet asap I agree..............

[absolutangel]

From previous posts about similar symptoms there are a range of things it could be, and I don't think trying to drain it would be a good idea. Please take her to a vet.

[Pippin's mom]

We can speculate, but there isn't any way for us to know for sure so the best thing to do is have her seen by a vet and as soon as possible.:)

[Kerry C]

Yes I have done it and even wrote an article for the Budgerigar Journal on the subject. And no, a needle is NOT going to do the job. The puss is a very thick paste that you dig out/roll out along with all the feather quills in that follicle using a pr of tweezers. It does not squeeze out like a zit. If you re not TOTALLY securely hold a bird properly I would suggest you spend the money to go to a vet. A fresh razor blade in the wrong hands could be quite disastrous And holding a bird in a towel is not the type of restraint I am talking about.

[Maureen G]

Thanks to all those who responded to my problem about the cyst.

Our budgie is called Pretty Girl. We thought she was a male called Zac when we adopted her from our daughter two years ago - that is until she layed eggs! She has been very prolific with egg laying in batches and her behavior is strange to say the least at times. I am her enemy and my husband is her "mate" - she "talks" to him and sings and whispers sweet nothings to him. She has been sitting for a very long time int he corner of her cage until recently and I'm thinking that the cyst is too uncomfortable for her now to sit on.

We are not fanatical bird lovers, but this one is a real character and I'm sure my hubby would miss her a lot - me, I think I'd buy a male budgie and teach it to talk etc.

The Pet Barn man said that sometimes an egg can break inside them but if it does it can kill them quickly - this does not seems to be the case, but the idea of a soft egg without a shell is a possibility also a feather cyst, so it does look like it's a Vet visit for Pretty Girl.

Thanks again.

[pal0m1n0]

I do have a female budgie with a big lump. The first time it happened she also seemed sick and the vet put her on antibiotics. It has happened again but she doesn't seem sick so it wasn't treated. But I will be bringing her back in periodically to keep an eye on things. A lost egg, instead of the yolk falling into her uterus where the shell is formed, it misses and falls into the abdominal cavity instead. Sometimes it is reabsorbed and sometimes it also causes imflamation. A vet visit is the best thing, at least for the first time. Just be sure it is a competent avian vet or a very knowledgeable regular vet.

[atvchick95]

she could be egg bound ( i never have found info to state rather an egg bound hens lump was hard or soft though)

could also be a tumor - Budgies are known for many different Tumor's

[pal0m1n0]

I am pretty sure that with egg binding the hen is trying to lay the egg, is she trying to lay? My hen is also a chronic egg layer.

[Maureen G]

:budge: I took Prettygirl to the Vet this morning. He tried to aspirate the lump with a needle but nothing came out. He seems to think the lump is a Vent Tumour.

He said it is possibly an unformed egg (no shell) and has given her an injection to bring on contractions. This will not hurt her even if it's not a 'egg'. The lump is very soft. He has operated on this type of problem before but with varied outcomes, so for now we leave it alone and just keep watch. Prettygirl is happy in herself and does not seem to be in any pain.

Thanks again for everyones input. I'll keep you informed of the outcomes. :confused::confused:

[atvchick95]

Try putting Apple Cidar Vinagar in her water

I've been doing this with all my birds I do it a few times a week ( i'd say they get it at least 3xs a week) and my boyfriend noticed yesterday that Minnie's Lump (by her vent also was very squishy) is almost completly gone you can no longer see it (it was protruding out) but you run your finger across the area and you can feel a very small bump.

[Maureen G]

Thanks atvchick95, I might just try the Apple Cider vinegar - we have some in the Pantry. I'll let you all know if we have any success with it.

[Pippin's mom]

Thanks atvchick95, I might just try the Apple Cider vinegar - we have some in the Pantry. I'll let you all know if we have any success with it.

Others have had success with it.:) I hope you do too!

[Maureen G]

Can anyone tell me how much Apple Cider Vinegar in a 200ml water bottle please? Think I might have made it too strong - Prettygirl hasn't been drinking much this week!:( She is definately not egg bound - she layed one on Sunday with a very thin shell - still don't know how she did it with the size of the vent tumour:eek: She is still eating very well and happy - it just looks huge to me! :budge:

[ryanbudgies]

Maureen, I had a similar situation a couple years ago with one of my budgies and she did have an egg where the shell was not forming. The vet kept her a couple nights and they medicated her and helped to calcify the egg so she could lay it. She had one egg break and fortunately the vet was on it immediately and started the antibiotics to fight the infection. Good luck with Prettygirl and keep us posted.

The question on the vinegar, I'm not certain. I can't remember what the mixture was when I used it. Hopefully someone will advise you the mixture to use.

[Maureen G]

Prettygirl is still with us, she is still eating well and she still has the vent tumour. The apple Cider Vinegar has shrunk it a little and she has layed one egg since all this started and we continue to giv eher it in her water. She does not seem overly distressed at all, so we are leaving well enough alone for now. If anyone has some wonderful words of wisdom about how to effectively treat and cure Vent tumours I would really love your input to help Prettygirl.

[Pippin's mom]

Glad to hear there is some improvement!:) Sorry, but I have no experience with vent tumors.

[Maureen G]

Stuff happens so quickly!!! Prettygirl looked a bit uncomfortable and when I checked her today the tumour has gone ballistic - it is so huge! She was very dirty at her rear passage so I ran her under warm running water to clean her up a bit. I am at a loss what to do now. The lump is bigger than it ever was and now quite firm - she must be super uncomfortable as she cannot sit on the floor of the cage as she usually does! The vet did not engender any confidence in me to want to take her back again. I think I will ring him in the morning and see what he says. Anybody got any thoughts on this new developement? :budge: