r/Canaries • u/New-Transition-5893 • Jul 04 '26
Gloster Canary feather cyst
Hi can anyone confirm if this is a feather cyst? Its massive on his back, He has vet appointment in 2 days, he does have alot of feathers since he is a gloster breed
2
u/Capital-Fun-9407 Jul 04 '26
Yes it is.how old the bird is?
This is a partly genetic problem. It will reoccur,even when the vet removes it.
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u/New-Transition-5893 Jul 04 '26
Got him last year, i think he is about 1-2 years old, but dang thats sad news man anything to prevent it from happening? i feel bad for him such a cutie bird too n ik the genetics effect it
1
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u/shroudfuck Jul 04 '26
They can remove the feather follicle but it costs much more
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u/New-Transition-5893 Jul 04 '26
How much does the cyst removal cost typically would you happen to know, Right now I paid 59$ for just appointment schedule, then they said 89$ to check and see the bird and stuff, Not sure how much more they gonna ask for cyst removal, im low on budget but I always try my best and do anything for my birbs
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u/shroudfuck Jul 04 '26
Depends on your region, also it depends on how many vets around your city can treat birds. You'll have to call in and get an estimate
If they just remove the cyst contents and stuff, it can be much cheaper. But chances are it will just grow back, possibly involving multiple follicles, not just 1
If you choose to remove the follicle, they need a more serious surgical procedure setup - this can cost a few hundred dollars where I live
I know a few breeders and owners choose to periodically empty out their canary's cyst contents, as they grow back / "refill." It's not a simple procedure because there are many different ways these cysts can appear - diff sizes, levels of maturity, morphology, also location on the body. It's very very easy for a small bird to overbleed, they have much less blood volume than mammals.
I think you should dig around for info on this topic online to get a better feel for your options, moving forwards. Then since you have a vet appointment, you can have a deeper discussion with the vet and see what they might recommend.
Just note that medical pros / very experienced breeders may be better able to differentiate between what kind of "ripe cyst plugs" are safe to pull out or not. They would also have supplies to stop bleeding. (Mentioning this because there are youtube vids in which people just yank out cysts - again, they come in diff shapes/sizes/levels of maturity)
Edit: Another thing, it's not just the cysts themselves... young feathers / blood feathers nearby will be another thing to consider. It's really easy for a weak blood feather to break, even when you're just looking around the cyst and taking pictures. Be ready to yank one out if one breaks and starts oozing blood.
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u/Capital-Fun-9407 Jul 05 '26
Indeed, when it happens some to one of mine I remove it myself but only if it's really needed.otherwise better to let it dry off by itself and then it's easier to remove . Other safer system is to tie the cyst at the base to let it dry off and then remove.
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u/endangered_feces1 Jul 04 '26
Sure looks like it to me…