The Poultry Keeper

MrReee · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Mortain

Ok,so it's not barking and growling uncontrollably.........

7 goslings bought from market 4 weeks ago,age at purchase 5 weeks.
Other 6 are fine,eating,walking,cackling with no problems.
Noticed one yesterday having trouble staying upright,off it's food and water.
Isolated it last night,kept it warm,force fed it water and glucose,tainted with garlic water and cider vinegar every three hours throughout the night,and today it seemed fine. This evening,it's foaming at the mouth,constantly cleaning it's breast and shaking it's head.

I don't think it's Gape Worm,any other ideas please?

......... Ree

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1338 Location: Manchester

hmmm..

I don't know much about geese but it sounds like it could be respiratory - an irritation somewhere in the upper respiratory tract could be causing the head shaking and something lower down causing her to preen her chest.

I'd look at getting some antibiotics pretty sharpish, most resp problems are bacterial and respond well to a course.

sunnyside · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 245 Location: Birmingham

I agree with Vikki -get it on antibiotics sharpish but also have you been providing water that they can freely wash their faces in? if not then have good hard look down its nostrels-it may well have dried up feed wedging up there-which will be fermenting and going horrible...

MrReee · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Mortain

Thanks for the tips,will sort out some antibiotics in the morning.

They all have access to fresh water,usually in buckets with cider vinegar and garlic water,and there's a 8m x 5m pond that's currently (and very slowly) filling up from the well.

I'm just wondering that,if it is a respiratory infection,then it's possible the other 6 might be affected too. Also,their bedding is hay....... should it be straw or shavings?

Thanks once again....... Ree

CP · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 11:24 pm Post subject:

Hay is supposed to be more likely to harbour mould spores. Use straw or shavings instead. Wink

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1046 Location: Cornwall

It;'s the hay for sure. Never use hay with geese/ducks/chicken. As CP said, it habours mould spores. Sounds like the gosling has aspergillosis.

And again as CP said, use straw or shavings (preferably the sawdust free ones).

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3235 Location: Monmouthshire

And if it is aspergillosis, cull the goose & get some anti fungal medication for the others. This is one of those nasties that can be transmitted to people.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1338 Location: Manchester

Aspergillosis isn't often seen in geese so I'd be less likely to put it down to that as to a different sort of Mycotoxicoses - there are a number of types all caused by different fungal or mould organisms but having read into it I think I'm going to go back on my original thoughts of respiratory problems and lean more towards toxicity from something it's eaten, either a mould/fungus or something else toxic that it may have got into.

Can you check inside it's mouth for signs of damage to the tissues, if there is then it sounds like a micotoxin from the genus Fusarium. If the goose doesn't make it and you feel comfortable doing a necropsy this can be verified by necrosis and inflammation of the esophagus, proventriculus, and gizzard.

sunnyside · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 245 Location: Birmingham

any possibility he has eaten a toad? toads make animals feel distinctly unwell and foam at the mouth so presumably would do same to geese.

MrReee · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Mortain

Thank you all for your help and suggestions..

I checked on it the following morning before sunrise and was it was on it's last legs,so did the humane thing as I don't think it would have made it to the vet or been affected by any medication,it really was that bad.(grrr I hate doing that part)
Anyway,did an necropsy and at first thought it was a respiratory infection because of the inflammation,but found a semi-digested salamander (the yellow and black type) in it's stomach.
Since then,I have washed out their housing,removed the hay,looked all over for hiding places for more salamanders and kept a close eye on the rest of the geese. All seems fine at the moment.
Thank you all once again.......... Ree

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1338 Location: Manchester

Glad you found the culprit!

sunnyside · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 245 Location: Birmingham

thats a shame but sounds like you did the right thing.
if you spot any others doing similar I wonder if it would be possble to give them a strong laxative and flush the poisonous critter out? liquid paraffin prehapse? or get charcoal suspcension down the animal to try and neutralise some of the poison? might be worth having a chat to a vet if these salamanders are common by you.

CP · Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject:

Sorry to hear it didn't make it. Crying or Very sad