Any vets or even human docs on here? Quail problem.

Hi all,
I have a very old quail named Zorro.   He's my first quail, and he is dear to me.  He's 3.5 y/o.  

I've been sick with covid, so I missed a day (Friday) taking care of my birds.  I went down there yesterday (Saturday), and Zorro was limping, holding one leg off the ground.  He had been fine on Thursday.

I took him out of his pen and checked him over.  He looked fine.  The only thing I could find on him was a small bump on the outside of the affected leg, on the hock joint.  It looks like a blister, and is hard.  It looks like if you stick a pin in it, clear liquid will come out.  Everything else looked normal, no bumblefoot.

I would think he had hurt himself, except this summer, his daughter had exactly the same thing happen to her.  Exactly.  I left her alone, not really knowing what to do, hoping it would heal on its own.  She was OK for a while, but then one day, she could hardly move.  I picked her up, and she was very thin.  I euthanized her.

This morning, I put Tylan and Poultry Cell in the water, and I gave him a drop of Metacam in his beak.  I'd really like to keep him around as long as possible.  He's special to me, and I'd like to get some chicks from him if I can, as he is a beautiful bird.  I'm mad at myself for not doing it sooner.

I went down to check o him just before sunset, and he was walking around just fine, so the Metacam must have kicked in.  It also tells me it's not a broken bone or any kind of serious trauma.  Something internal is going on.

I'm including the best pics I could take on my own, so you can see the bump:

I do not own quail but I tried to do some research to see if there was anything hock-related that seems to happen to other keepers.

I'm not feeling confident that this is the issue you are experiencing, but I have read a few instances of quails slipping tendons on their hocks causing them to act lame.

I'll be following, I hope someone with experience might be able to chime in!

Timothy Norton wrote:I do not own quail but I tried to do some research to see if there was anything hock-related that seems to happen to other keepers.

I'm not feeling confident that this is the issue you are experiencing, but I have read a few instances of quails slipping tendons on their hocks causing them to act lame.

I'll be following, I hope someone with experience might be able to chime in!

Hi Tim,
I don't know why, but I never got a notice you answered.  Anyway, I poked a hole in it, and sure enough, clear fluid came out, looking and feeling exactly like K-Y Jelly!  It refilled by the next day.  I asked around on the quail list on FB, and one lady told me it looked just like a ganglion cyst.  I looked up ganglion cyst, and sure enough, it sounded exactly like what he has, right down to the clear fluid.  And it said they come right back if you pop them, unless surgery is performed to remove the interior lining (I think).  So I continued the Metacam for a few days, and he seems to be OK now.  I also took his leg band off.  Perhaps he had bumped it on something and caused the cyst to form in the first place?  I don't know.

I tried incubating some eggs, but none of them were fertile.  Either he's too old, or there's just not enough light this time of year.  Or he can't get up where he needs to go due to his leg.  I will try him with another hen in a month or so, maybe even do an AI.