My parrot has a growing red lump on its neck. What should I do?

Hello. I wonder if what you are seeing is a crop full of food or air. The crop is on the right side of he neck and can become very distended normally after a meal, or after a bird has been vocalizing if they take in air. If there is a motility disorder of the crop, this may become abnormally distended and require medications. If it is truly a mass of the skin, muscle, or thyroid, then it would depend on the diagnosis whether any medical therapies would be appropriate over surgery. A biopsy would be a good place to start, though blood work and radiographs may also be indicated. A veterinarian experienced with birds should be able to do an exam and any diagnostics tests needed in order to suggest the most appropriate treatment.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It's difficult to say what this can be without seeing a photo. However, this sounds like it may be a distended crop, the portion of the esophagus that pouches out and stores food. Sometimes, in the case of certain infections, this area can not empty properly. This causes food to get stuck and cause the crop to get larger and even protrude through the skin. This requires veterinary attention as it can prevent normal digestion from occurring. This can also be a mass or abscess, which may require surgery to remove or drain as well as antibiotics, which are prescribed by a veterinarian. I recommend that you have Petey assessed by a vet who either specializes in or sees avian patients as soon as possible. I hope this helps!

Have your veterinarian examine KuKu. A fine needle aspirate of the growth can be done to collect a sample for pathology. Your vet can consult with an avian specialist by phone if necessary. Since the mass is growing, it should be addressed before it begins to interfere with eating and drinking.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This could even be the site of an infection. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have your bird evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for reaching out about Fugi. Swollen sides of the face could be an abscess, cyst, sinus infection or ruptured air sac, just to list a few. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Try placing a warm moistened washcloth to the swelling for 3-5 minutes to see if this helps. Good luck.

Thank you for your question, and thank you for the photo - I can see what you are talking about with the lump. It looks to me to be at the commissure (corner) of the mouth. The lump looks to be a bit crusty. There are a few things that this could be - there may be material stuck to the area or a tissue growth. The material may be food, or it could be exudate (material that is produced from infectious organisms such as bacterial infection). It would be less likely to be a growth based on Cody's age, but there still is a possibility that it could be a benign or malignant mass. I would recommend trying to clean the area to see if anything comes off of it, and if it does, please look at the skin underneath to see if it is intact or if there is any kind of blood or injury underneath. If there is injury or if the material does not come off, then I would recommend taking Cody to a veterinarian. They can perform an examination and make recommendations based on what is found. If they suspect it is an infection, they may recommend performing blood work or starting on a course of antibiotics. If it is a mass, they may recommend taking a sample of it to evaluate under the microscope. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Without a physical exam and diagnostics, it is impossible to determine if the lump is cause for concern. Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian. The veterinarian may recommend blood work, x-rays and/or a fine needle aspirate to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a definitive diagnosis. In the meantime, make sure Dodger continues to eat, drink and defecate normally. Keep him warm, dry and as stress free as possible until he sees the doctor.