I had a crazy summer. The day I got home from a vacation in June, my Chinese crested gander, Gossie was attacked by a fox. I felt this sick sense that something was wrong outside. I ran out to find our female goose, Buttercup, by herself in the garage. Gossie was unconscious and being dragged into the woods by a small, brown fox.
I scared the fox away and after a few seconds, Gossie woke up and ran to the garage to make sure Buttercup was okay. He had large, deep lacerations on either side of the base of his neck.
He was stitched up at home, as it was a Sunday night and all nearby poultry vets were unavailable. Gossie and Buttercup stayed overnight in the garage. We took him to the vet the next day. They basically told us that his chances were very slim. The said he probably already had a huge infection and would die soon, but gave us a week of antibiotics and a flush. They also found another wound and stapled it up, then told us to come back in two weeks if he was still living. So twice a day, I put two Baytril #22.7 pills in a bowl, mashed them up, added water, and orally medicated my goose.
I was so excited when the week of antibiotics was up. He was NOT healed, but the vet told me that a week was enough, so I trusted them.
He lived that week. He started drinking immediately after we brought him home from the vet. Eating was a little bit trickier, but I figured out that he wanted fresh grass and once I picked him a bowl, he started eating again. When we took him back to the vet two weeks later, they were amazed. They told us he still might not live, but he was a "miracle goose" and he had a chance. They also told us that he had gotten an infection from not being on antibiotics for the last week. They also noticed that his air sac had been punctured by the fox and he had been breathing through a hole in his neck for two weeks. They told us to keep an eye on it and prescribed Gossie the same antibiotic. I decided that I wanted another opinion and took Gossie to a vet a little further away.
They told me that if we let Gossie's wound heal on its own, there was a chance his air sacs would collapse or he would get pneumonia. They wanted to give him surgery and that is what ended up happening. Gossie came out of surgery okay, with six buttons holding his incision together while it healed. They sent him home with FIVE different medication.
The doxycycline was the worst. We had to give him two pills twice a day for fourteen days. The vet warned us that it was bitter, but we never expected the reaction from Gossie. After a few days, he learned to put his tongue up to block the antibiotic and then after a week, he learned to clamp his beak shut. We always did that one first to let the other antibiotics wash it down. Then we gave him the Clavamox, which was one pill twice a day for fourteen days. He didn't enjoy any of the antibiotics but fought this one the least. There was Metacam, which was 1cc twice a day for five days and a probiotic, Bene-Bac Bird Gel. The final antibiotic was a Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.
Gossie came back to the vet and got all his buttons taken off. He was allowed to go outside and swim around in his pond. He is very happy and healthy now and has finally grown back all his feathers.
NOTE: Sorry for the lack of pictures. I will get them up here soon. Lots of pictures to come.
I scared the fox away and after a few seconds, Gossie woke up and ran to the garage to make sure Buttercup was okay. He had large, deep lacerations on either side of the base of his neck.
He was stitched up at home, as it was a Sunday night and all nearby poultry vets were unavailable. Gossie and Buttercup stayed overnight in the garage. We took him to the vet the next day. They basically told us that his chances were very slim. The said he probably already had a huge infection and would die soon, but gave us a week of antibiotics and a flush. They also found another wound and stapled it up, then told us to come back in two weeks if he was still living. So twice a day, I put two Baytril #22.7 pills in a bowl, mashed them up, added water, and orally medicated my goose.
I was so excited when the week of antibiotics was up. He was NOT healed, but the vet told me that a week was enough, so I trusted them.
He lived that week. He started drinking immediately after we brought him home from the vet. Eating was a little bit trickier, but I figured out that he wanted fresh grass and once I picked him a bowl, he started eating again. When we took him back to the vet two weeks later, they were amazed. They told us he still might not live, but he was a "miracle goose" and he had a chance. They also told us that he had gotten an infection from not being on antibiotics for the last week. They also noticed that his air sac had been punctured by the fox and he had been breathing through a hole in his neck for two weeks. They told us to keep an eye on it and prescribed Gossie the same antibiotic. I decided that I wanted another opinion and took Gossie to a vet a little further away.
They told me that if we let Gossie's wound heal on its own, there was a chance his air sacs would collapse or he would get pneumonia. They wanted to give him surgery and that is what ended up happening. Gossie came out of surgery okay, with six buttons holding his incision together while it healed. They sent him home with FIVE different medication.
The doxycycline was the worst. We had to give him two pills twice a day for fourteen days. The vet warned us that it was bitter, but we never expected the reaction from Gossie. After a few days, he learned to put his tongue up to block the antibiotic and then after a week, he learned to clamp his beak shut. We always did that one first to let the other antibiotics wash it down. Then we gave him the Clavamox, which was one pill twice a day for fourteen days. He didn't enjoy any of the antibiotics but fought this one the least. There was Metacam, which was 1cc twice a day for five days and a probiotic, Bene-Bac Bird Gel. The final antibiotic was a Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.
Gossie came back to the vet and got all his buttons taken off. He was allowed to go outside and swim around in his pond. He is very happy and healthy now and has finally grown back all his feathers.
NOTE: Sorry for the lack of pictures. I will get them up here soon. Lots of pictures to come.
