Goose ripped into by dog, breathing raspy. Need advice

[Percheron chick]

If he is able to bathe regularly, mites should not be an issue. He's probably not interested in it but I would offer some water to bathe in. A large litter pan, a flat 3 gallon feed pan or even fill the tub with a few inches of water and see. Put him in a wire crate and place it on the lawn Grass is their natural diet. You are getting to a critical time where he does need to eat. 4-5 days is as long as i would let him go. Throw his food in a blender and syringe feed him if you have to. I agree that his mate will help him. You could take him out to the barn and see if she can get him to eat. Take an old t shirt. Put the head through an arm hole, cut holes for the legs and gather the rest and tie it up on his back.

 

[Melodychick]

How’s he doing today?

 

[Honk and Tonk]

Thanks for checking in on us. Honk's wounds are sealing over remarkably well and overall he seems a bit brighter. He's nowhere close to the loud, obnoxious, bite-me-in-the-butt-when-my-back-is-turned guy that I know and love, but he's alive and seems to be fighting to keep it that way. I'll take it.

Right now he's drinking water laced with electrolytes and probiotics but still seems averse to eating. I tried to syringe feed him various things -- the soaked mash that was suggested, canned catfood, etc. -- but he wagged his head back and forth and wasn't having any of that. He definitely had an opinion.

Breathing is improved but he's still a tad "snorkely and the few soft utterances he's made sound "harsh" or raspy, almost like he has a sore throat. Could that maybe be related to his reluctance to eat?

I took him outside in the grass for a few minutes this morning and he perked up. He didn't eat, but he was very interested in what was going on around him. I'm going to try taking him back to the barn for short windows of time and see if his home environment plus the presence of his partner will help him start eating again.

I'm going to google it, but can anyone give me the "cliff notes" version of how to syringe feed an unwilling goose?

A serious thank you for all of your help. I counted over 25 bite marks that first night and had no idea whether he had a chance. You've all given me hope.

Let me know if you have any additional thoughts or if there's something else I should be doing.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks for checking in on us. Honk's wounds are sealing over remarkably well and overall he seems a bit brighter. He's nowhere close to the loud, obnoxious, bite-me-in-the-butt-when-my-back-is-turned guy that I know and love, but he's alive and seems to be fighting to keep it that way. I'll take it.

Right now he's drinking water laced with electrolytes and probiotics but still seems averse to eating. I tried to syringe feed him various things -- the soaked mash that was suggested, canned catfood, etc. -- but he wagged his head back and forth and wasn't having any of that. He definitely had an opinion.

Breathing is improved but he's still a tad "snorkely and the few soft utterances he's made sound "harsh" or raspy, almost like he has a sore throat. Could that maybe be related to his reluctance to eat?

I took him outside in the grass for a few minutes this morning and he perked up. He didn't eat, but he was very interested in what was going on around him. I'm going to try taking him back to the barn for short windows of time and see if his home environment plus the presence of his partner will help him start eating again.

I'm going to google it, but can anyone give me the "cliff notes" version of how to syringe feed an unwilling goose?

A serious thank you for all of your help. I counted over 25 bite marks that first night and had no idea whether he had a chance. You've all given me hope.

Let me know if you have any additional thoughts or if there's something else I should be doing.

Honk is a very luck guy that it was you who found him! You have a big heart!

 

[superduckrescue]

The vet gave Honk two shots -- Torb and a mix of dexamethasone/penicillin and a third drug I don't recall. The vet is out of town now so we'd have to seek out someone else if we need another vet visitl.

I spent the last hour trimming feathers. There are many more puncture wounds than I was aware of. I'll keep working on it. Thanks for the suggestion.

Question: if I move him into the house, is there anything I need to be aware of (mites, etc)? There are a few small black things I find as I'm working through the feathers and, although I will do what I need to do to help him, I really don't need another problem so would rather be proactive than reactive.

I'm not sure about bringing his bonded partner home. I can ask about that...not sure how that would work but I was wondering the same thing. Oh the things I gets self into, lol.

Any idea how much healing needs to occur before he can return to the barn? My instinct is that the sooner it's safe to take him back to his home environment, the better. Flies will be an issue so I know we need to wait awhile, but I'm thinking a pen set up in the barn where he can be near his partner and the duck, but in a controlled setting safely away from the dog, might be good for him mentally. The problem if course is cleanliness and flies.

Thanks for the advice. I've done plenty of medical care on dogs, cats, and horses, but a goose? I might as well be working on a Wookie.

You can put blue kote on to keep it clean and Flys off

 

[superduckrescue]

and it helps the wound heal

 

[Percheron chick]

Geese will not eat cat food. Fruit, vegetables and grass should be his main diet

 

[Honk and Tonk]

Geese will not eat cat food. Fruit, vegetables and grass should be his main diet

I tried it primarily out of desperation. Strange as it might sound, the geese used to chase the barn cats away from the bowls of canned food I put down for them and then dive in like it was candy.

I took Honk to the barn and, although he seemed happy to see his partner and he let out a few loud honks in greeting, it's clear as he stands next to her just how weak he really is.

He took a couple of drinks of water but has shown no interest in eating, even while outside on luscious green grass.

He looks decent from a distance (in my untrained opinion) but the look in his eyes bothers me. He seems tired. And suddenly very small.

I'll push the issue with force feeding when we get home.

His poop is complete water with a lime green cast. Is that normal for a sick goose given that he's not eating? How does one tell if a goose is getting dehydrated?

I don't know. Maybe this is futile. :-(

 

[superduckrescue]

I tried it primarily out of desperation. Strange as it might sound, the geese used to chase the barn cats away from the bowls of canned food I put down for them and then dive in like it was candy.

I took Honk to the barn and, although he seemed happy to see his partner and he let out a few loud honks in greeting, it's clear as he stands next to her just how weak he really is.

He took a couple of drinks of water but has shown no interest in eating, even while outside on luscious green grass.

He looks decent from a distance (in my untrained opinion) but the look in his eyes bothers me. He seems tired. And suddenly very small.

I'll push the issue with force feeding when we get home.

His poop is complete water with a lime green cast. Is that normal for a sick goose given that he's not eating? How does one tell if a goose is getting dehydrated?

I don't know. Maybe this is futile. :-(

probably he is in shock still. Keep him warm. The wounds are not nearly as bad as i thought they would be he is just missing feathers i don't see any wounds that are deeper then the skin. How long has he not eaten?

 

[Honk and Tonk]

How long has he not eaten?

It happened Thursday night, so 4 days now.

The chest wound was large and deep -- I could stick 3 fingers in it nearly to the second knuckle.

The bites on his back were bit enough to put a finger in bit not to the first knuckle.

Both wongs have puncture holes beneath them.

Everything has sealed over.

How does one take a goose's temperature?