# Older Cockatiel with Tumor



## rwork71180 (Oct 5, 2010)

I have 3 cockatiels that are siblings and have never been seperated. They are about 10 years old. Up until about a year ago, we thought they were all males. One started to lay eggs. We gave her a nesting box and the father and mother took turns sitting on the eggs. Nothing ever came of the eggs, they would eventually push them out of the box. 

Recently, they were sitting on some new eggs and I wasn't seeing the mother come out of the nesting box very often. I knew from the past that the father and mother would take turns, so I just assumed my timing was off. Then one day, I caught the mother out of the box. She had a tumor on her wing about the size of a nickel. 

I have done some research on the internet and see that it could be a fatty tumor or cancer. I am wondering if it might be the fatty tumor due to possible lack of nutrition since she wasn't coming out of the box as much. 

She is picking at it occasionally and making it bleed. I don't want her to get an infection or bleed to death. I know I should take her to the vet, but the closest one is 30 minutes away and I'm afraid he's going to say it is cancer. I am also afraid if she dies, that the father bird will be lonely and depressed. He has his brother, but they have never been close. 

Anyone's thoughts would be helpful. Any idea what the tumor might be? Will it go away? Is there anything I can do from home? Should I make her as comfortable as possible and keep her with her mate until she is in pain? 

I've never had to make a decision like this and I just don't know what to do. Thanks.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Can you post a pix of it? it could also be a feather cyst>


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## rwork71180 (Oct 5, 2010)

*Picture of the tumor*

Here is a picture that I took of my bird.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Below is pix of what a feather syst looks like. Since it is a dark colored bird the cyst looks darker because the impacted ingrown feather makes it look darker. The yellow i=under the skin is keratin material, and because there is a feather under there there is veins showiing because there is a blood supply to this area.

From you pix...the mass looks pinker because it is a lighter colored bird. It does not look like a feather cyst...but I am not sure. if a cyst it can be lanced and the contents expressed out, and firm pressure till the bleeding stops. But if a tumor it would have to be sugically removed.

i would suggest that you do go to a vet to determine exactly what is going on.


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## Hemlock (Aug 1, 2010)

I would take her into the vet. We had something similar happen with Rio. We had the mass biopsied, and it turned out to be benign, but it did contain mutated cells. We have since moved to a different vet due to a huge fiasco with the old one, and he feels that based upon the bloodwork, she'll most likely develop bone cancer (her growth was in the bone itself).

I know how absolutly terrifying situations like this can be, but for her sake, she needs to see something. If they are able to do a biopsy, and it does come back malignant, at least you'll know and will be able to make her comfortable and begin preparing her partner.

I would call your vet, get an appointment, and go from there. I would, though, make sure that your vet is experienced in performing surgeries on birds.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

That's a very large lump to have developed in such a short time. Cancerous tumors usually develop more slowly so this might be something else. You need to take her to the vet to find out what it really is. Even if it's cancer, an earlier diagnosis is better than a later one because there might still be time to do something about it.

BTW it's not a good idea to let siblings make babies because there's a high risk of birth defects. Even if the eggs never hatch, it's an unnecessary strain on your birds' health (especially the hen). There are simple techniques for reducing their hormone levels, and these methods are effective for most (but not all) birds. The techniques are described at http://cockatielcottage.net/egg_laying.html on the bottom half of the page.


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