My parrot has a neck lump. What's causing it and what to do?

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!

Hi Alexa, From the picture, I suspect Kuka has a ruptured air sac (lung) and air is leaking under the skin. In some cases, they can resolve but Kuka may need to have the air removed with a needle. At this time, as long as she is eating, drinking, and breathing well, try not to worry. If you notice the bulge growing larger, Kuka develops respiratory distress or stops eating please reach out to us and we will do our best to help. Otherwise, I would plan to get her to a veterinarian Monday.

What you are likely seeing is your bird's crop (an outpouching of the esophagus that acts as a food storage area as food slowly makes its way through the GI tract) filling with food then emptying. This is normal!

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!

It's possible there could be an infection or something stuck in Kiwi's crop, or even something affecting the muscles or tissues around the neck itself. As swelling of the head and neck are often very concerning signs it would be best to seek an exam with a local avian veterinarian ASAP to have it examined.

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.

Although a picture of it would help to determine more specifically underlying cause, this kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, a cloacal type of prolapse, infection, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.