We had a group of deer come through our property yesterday. I’ve been watching these fawns since they were born. They have a nesting spot not too far from here. I’m worried about them.
I’ve been an avid deer watcher since moving to Twain Harte around 2000 or so. This is the first time I’ve noticed any tumors. Out of the four fawns who came by yesterday three had tumors. They were born with them, the tumors weren’t something that came up overnight.
This is the worse one. This little guy has tumors on tumors. I wonder if it has to do with radiation? It couldn’t be due to the retardant used on the Rim fire, since these were born before the fire even started. They are only three to four months old.
The tumor on this deer is under the chin. You can see him here eating a lettuce stalk. Could this be from eating GMO food? Is it something else? I did a search on google images for deer with tumors. Notice that they are white. It was not pretty. Did I mention I was worried sick?
This seems to indicate that the causes are abscesses, but these fawns were born this way.
Why Do Fawns Have Growths on their Necks and Chins?
According to DFG Veterinarian Dr. Ben Gonzales, deer can have multiple lumps due to cutaneous tumors (aka papillomatosis or fibromas) which are thought to be induced by viruses.
The location you describe of these lumps makes him think they are more likely jaw abscesses which can develop from a broken tooth, or more likely from the migration of grass awns or foxtails. Foxtails migrate forward and find the path of least resistance. The body tries to fight this foreign body by delivering white cells (neutrophils), which collect, die and form pus-filled abscesses. The abscesses also find the path of least resistance between tissue layers and thus can end up on the upper neck. Since this is the time of year when foxtails are dry and are easily picked up and ingested during feeding, my best educated guess is that you’re seeing foxtail-induced abscesses. [Read More]
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