Feather Cyst

[Herr Doktor]

Hey everyone. I'm a little new here. I couldn't really find an answer to this question, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

I have a grey male cockatiel, 6 years old, who has recently developed a feather cyst. I am willing to post a picture if necessary, but it matches the description - starts out squishy, becomes hard; has a darkening at the base and is veiny at the top; is located on a follicle and not at a joint.

What I'd like to know if I can lance and drain the cyst myself, or if it is 100% something I should have his vet do. I'd also like to know if this kind of cyst is capable of going away on its own. It's not causing him any pain - he doesn't even mind if it's touched. If there's no risk of complications, and he's his normal happy self, is it possible to wait the cyst out?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to consider my post.

 

[love4birds]

I could also use an answer to this question. My lovie, Leyla, has a feather cyst that we were going to get surgically removed but unfortunately my vet is away until the middle of October. We've been trying a homeopathic remedy for the cyst, but so far there hasn't really been much change. The cyst doesn't seem to bother her at all, so I'm wondering if it HAS to be removed or not. She's so tiny to be anesthetized and have the cyst removed.

 

[Anne & Gang]

the answer is no, absolutely do not risk this on your own..the chances of infection are very very high...please bring your bird to an avian vet. a feather cyst will sometimes go away on its own but unfortunately, more often than not, it will just get worse and escalate into an infection.. please come and introduce yourself on welcome lane...

 

[srtiels]

my main computer that has pix's andinfo on feather cysts on a cockatiel has died this AM,so I am posting from my laptop, that does not have the pix's.

No, the cysts will not resolve itself, only get bigger. I have seen cysts grow as large as walnuts in size.

Yes it can be lanced...BUT...be prepaired for 'Possibly' (some birds do and some don't) ALOT of bleeding. If so, firm pressure on the area for a minute will stop the bleeding. In the past I have lanced on the end with a sterile pin. The matter that is inside will be a thick yellow stuff which is keratin (sp), and the stump of a bunched up feather. This feather MUST be pulled out with a tweezers, ans if bleeding starts put pressure on it after the feather is removed.

 

[Birdiemarie]

my main computer that has pix's andinfo on feather cysts on a cockatiel has died this AM,so I am posting from my laptop, that does not have the pix's.

No, the cysts will not resolve itself, only get bigger. I have seen cysts grow as large as walnuts in size.

Yes it can be lanced...BUT...be prepaired for 'Possibly' (some birds do and some don't) ALOT of bleeding. If so, firm pressure on the area for a minute will stop the bleeding. In the past I have lanced on the end with a sterile pin. The matter that is inside will be a thick yellow stuff which is keratin (sp), and the stump of a bunched up feather. This feather MUST be pulled out with a tweezers, ans if bleeding starts put pressure on it after the feather is removed.

Only attempt this if you know what you are doing. Complications can be serious or fatal.

 

[Herr Doktor]

Thanks for the responses guys. Unfortunately I won't be able to get to the vet for another two weeks. Do you think that the cyst will be fine until then?

 

[Billie Faye]

Would it be possible to post pictures of it?

 

[JLcribber]

Thanks for the responses guys. Unfortunately I won't be able to get to the vet for another two weeks. Do you think that the cyst will be fine until then?

How long has he had it already and how big is it?

 

[love4birds]

Leyla's had her feather cyst for at least about a month now and there hasn't really been any change. It's gotten the tiniest bit smaller with using a homeopathic remedy for draining cysts, but not by much. Her's is less than 1/8" diameter.

 

[srtiels]

I found some pix's. Does it look similar to this? How much veins are visible under the skin?

 

[love4birds]

Sorry for stealing the thread But- Susanne, my Leyla's feather cyst looks like the very tip of the one in your pictures. Not the big bump underneath, just the blueish bump at the tip of the cyst, if that makes sense. No veins are visible. I'll try to take some pics tomorrow.

 

[srtiels]

Megan...If you just see the black under the skin then this is just the ingrown feather...kinda like an ingrown hair. When the skin swells and gets a yellowish cast this is an infection that turns hard made up of keritin material (simple terms) The most common cause for the cyst is trauma to the developing feather follicle.

 

[Herr Doktor]

I tried to get some pictures of it but I don't know how clear they are to you guys. Basically there is the yellowish tinge to it that suggests a keratin mass beneath as well as there being the dark stuff at the bottom where a feather would be stuck in the follicle. The only thing is that, as you can see, as of today he has some kind of red splotch on it. Has some of the surrounding tissue gone hemorrhagic?

As for size, I'd guess that it's somewhere between .5 and .75 inches in length. I can get the exact measurement if you really want it but I'd rather not hassle the poor guy too much.

His name is Cricket, by the way.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Ugh the pain they must be in.

Flight feather and tail feather cysts are the WORST. Boy do they hurt birds. I had to have Dr. Kraft (avian vet) show me how to remove Beeba's, as she used to get them a LOT (she feather barbers) but since she is in a cone, she hasnt been doing that much and cysts havent been as frequent.

Emma one of our female U2s had one at the base of the tail, and I had to remove it.

Tail and flight feather cysts NEED to be removed asap as they are extremely painful. Its best to take him to the vet asap, and then ask for your vet to show you how to drain and remove the cyst AND remove the feather that is bothering the bird to have cause the cyst. IF you do not remove what is bothering the follicle the cyst will keep coming back.

 

[Herr Doktor]

But he's not acting like he's in pain. My other cockatiel has arthritis and you know when he hurts. Cricket's behavior hasn't changed and he doesn't much care if the cyst comes into contact with anything. He also will still spread his wings and flap and fly without incident.

 

[srtiels]

as of today he has some kind of red splotch on it. Has some of the surrounding tissue gone hemorrhagic?
---------------------------------------------------

He could have bumped it against the cage bars. If he damages it it can bleed worst than a broken blood feather. The inside where the impacted feather is is very vascular. The vet will lance and express the mass out and remove the entire impcted feather focille.

 

[love4birds]

Megan...If you just see the black under the skin then this is just the ingrown feather...kinda like an ingrown hair. When the skin swells and gets a yellowish cast this is an infection that turns hard made up of keritin material (simple terms) The most common cause for the cyst is trauma to the developing feather follicle.

Oh I thought they were the same thing I guess... this is good for Leyla though? Perhaps it was starting to turn into a cyst and that's why the homeopathic remedy made it shrink a tiny bit? Leyla does have a lot of trauma to some follicles because she has polyfolliculitis and I often have to pull feather clusters out.