The Spavin syndrome in pigeons
(Internet Published) Oct 2001
In my time with pigeons, lasting for about 70 years I have only had about 6
cases of Spavin growths with my own pigeons and seen only about 6 cases with
other men's pigeons. A Spavin is usually seen on horses but the term locally
is applied to pigeons.
These growths come in 2 forms:
1) A dark purple tumour located usually on the neck or wing shields: A
fleshy 1/2 inch grape like growth. In my own loft I never saw more than
3 of these tumours on any one pigeon, but one pigeon, in the racing loft of
a friend, presented 8 of these tumours. My remedy was to choke off the blood
supply at the base with tightly bound cotton thread. In a few days the
Spavins or tumours just died and fell off with no ill effects to the pigeons
concerned and perhaps more importantly, they did not re-establish.
2) Another Spavin with a narrow stem, yellow in colour and very hard, is
only as big as a small Maple pea. I used the same strangling treatment with
ordinary cotton thread. The result was 100% success and the Spavins never
came back.
Both of the above Spavins are not of Polypus type because they are shallow
rooted. Neither are they malignant or contagious.