My pigeon has a growth near its eye or ear. Is it an infection?

Make sure there is nothing caught around the toe that could be causing constriction, if so remove it. It looks like the claw could be infected so you would need to take the pigeon to the vet and clean the toe with chlorhexidine whilst administering antibiotics such as baytril or terramycin.

It would be best to try and bring the bird to your vet ASAP to have it treated as the eye and beak both look like there may be a pox or other sort of infection irritating it. You can use a clean washcloth to remove any debris from the eye to help keep it open and more comfortable. Making sure to keep the bird away from any other pets or people is also a good idea to prevent the spread of any illness until it can be treated by your vet.

Generally speaking 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, infections, 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

If the baby's parents are still caring for it it is best to just leave it alone, especially if the bird is still acting normally. If you see any signs of illness such as lethargy, stumbling around, etc, it is best to contact a local wildlife rescue as this is a wild bird and they will best know how to care for it safely.

This looks like Pigeon pox, some birds recover from the disease spontaneously others don't but there is no treatment for it (not dangerous to humans). Pigeon pox is a viral disease to which pigeons are susceptible. Pigeon pox is caused by a virus that is spread by mosquitoes and dirty water but not in droppings. The disease causes pox scabs to form around the bird's face, mouth and feet.

Ear infections are not common in birds so what you are describing is a little concerning. I would recommend taking Tory in to be examined by a veterinarian so an accurate diagnosis can be made. She may need an antibiotic to help her get over the infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This is most likely pigeon pox. I would just leave it alone. There is no cure or treatment. In some cases it will resolve on it's own. It can be transmitted to your other birds. There is a vaccine and it is recommended.