gosling breathing odd and swollen foot.. help

i have an about 12 day gosling who breathes odd he eats fine and has a bowl of water deep enough to clean his nostrils. it sounds almost wet or gurgly when he breathes, but not always.

on a side note the poor little guy somejow hurt his leg and the connectom between leg and foot is swollen snd he limps now. csn i do anyrng other than rest it?

sometimes he also sneezes but otjer than that he's a chirpy healthy gosling!

rebbecka said:

i have an about 12 day gosling who breathes odd he eats fine and has a bowl of water deep enough to clean his nostrils. it sounds almost wet or gurgly when he breathes, but not always.

on a side note the poor little guy somejow hurt his leg and the connectom between leg and foot is swollen snd he limps now. csn i do anyrng other than rest it?

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@rebbecka You can try putting so ACV into his water and maybe it will help clear out anything that maybe causing the breathing odd, What kind of bedding are you using? Cedar is a no no it sends off an oder that is harmful to poultry And heat lamp and wet bedding with the ammonia build up can cause Brooder Pneumonia which is very deadly so it is very important to keep the brooder as dry as possible, Use 1Tablespoon of ACV to 1 gal of water mix it and add to his water bowl but don't use metal when using Apple Cider Vinegar. ACV has some anti bacterial properties

Rest is always good when there is an injury you can try for swelling to soak the leg in Warm Epsom salt water [don't let the gosling drink this water it is also a laxative. Or try making Epsom salt compress by using warm Epsom salt water and a soft cloth dip into the solution wring out so it's not dripping and wrap the leg you can do this as often as you want. Do you notice heat in the leg?

yes the little buldge there is warm, but when he gets excited he can still walk on it and he does, he just limps a bit. should i prevent him standing completly?

also thank you so much for the reply i was getting a little nervous

rebbecka said:

yes the little buldge there is warm, but when he gets excited he can still walk on it and he does, he just limps a bit. should i prevent him standing completly?

also thank you so much for the reply i was getting a little nervous

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@rebbecka Forgot to ask you if your adding anything like Brewers yeast or plain niacin to the feed or water? it is very important that water fowl get this because most of us have to feed chick starter and it doesn't contain the amount of niacin water fowl need for strong legs and brains. So if you aren't I would get some ASAP and start it also usually if it is a niacin [B3]deficiency they make a turn around real quick usually with in a week. Brewers or Nutritional yeast or "Plain" niacin not time released or flush free. 1 Tab of the Brewers Yeast to 1 cup of feed or 125mgs of niacin to 1 gal of fresh water daily till 10 weeks old.
I don't see how you can keep him from standing but just keep him confined to a small area so he doesn't over exert right now. And do the warm water soaks so he can exercise the legs with out putting undo strain on it right now. Water therapy is a great way to keep muscle strong but doesn't over exert. Warm water therapy is filling the bath with warm water and just letting the lil one float around or swim around it's a great way to exercise the muscles and keep them limber while healing.Make sure to get the gosling out before water begins to chill and pat dry then right back under heat to dry. Along with the Epsom salt wraps or soaks. When I soak in Epsom salt I put both legs into a small bucket or dish pan and hold onto the birds so they can't get out or drink the water.

Please update and ask questions as often as you need to hopefully me or someone else will be here to respond.

PS always a good idea to know your brooder temps so they don't get over heated or chilled a good thermometer is best.

@rebbecka How is your gosling doing?

the strangest thing happpened in fact
after i soaked his little foot in the epsom salt the redness, warmth and swelling was almost completly gone! yet today i noticed the same foot red and swollen againinbthe same area.. i was shocked to find a tick on the bottom of his foot hidden between skin! i belive it was one of those littrle critters that caused the problem with the feet in the first place. . he will hopefully bounce back quicl and heal, and i will update you on it. thanks

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rebbecka said:

the strangest thing happpened in fact
after i soaked his little foot in the epsom salt the redness, warmth and swelling was almost completly gone! yet today i noticed the same foot red and swollen againinbthe same area.. i was shocked to find a tick on the bottom of his foot hidden between skin! i belive it was one of those littrle critters that caused the problem with the feet in the first place. . he will hopefully bounce back quicl and heal, and i will update you on it. thanks

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Aww poor baby glad you found it they can cause sickness too so keep a close eye on the gosling.. I hope removing it takes care of the redness and swelling.

@rebbecka How is your gosling doing?