Goose with overgrown bill serrations and very bad breath

[cheesy]

Ah - I'm aware of it with regards to pigeons and doves but haven't had first hand experience. I believe that kills them fairly promptly if untreated though and this one had the problem a few months back. No doubt it hasn't gone away and I only notice it if I look closer than simply saying hello to him when i walk past. Plenty to read tonight.....

 

[Goosebaby]

Abnormal beak growth can be caused by trauma, maybe something in the inner structure of the beak healed abnormally.
Also have you seen him preen? When he eats his grain does he chew it a bit or just swallow it whole? I’m wondering if he has pain in his beak that’s making him reluctant to chew, graze, or use his beak in any way, and that might put him off using it for anything other than downing the most addictive food for geese which for mine is grain.

This might sound completly absurd but if everything else is ruled out I would have him tested for psittacine beak and feather disease. It’s a virus that to my knowledge doesn’t affect waterfowl but I may be wrong and we live in weird times where it seems like viruses are jumping species every day now.

 

[cheesy]

Thanks Goosebaby.

He does preen - but doesn't have such a pristine coat as others. It's waterproof, but a bit messy as if he's just done the basics - so you might be right that it's painful. Clearly in its current state I'd expect it to be unpleasant to use but the desire to survive ensures he takes food in.

I'll find some antibacterial mouth wash that I can gently brush on and inside his bill and do this daily. Hopefully if I maintain it regularly I'll wear down the excess and calm the bacteria.

Graham

 

[Goosebaby]

@cheesy cleaning his beak is a good idea, you could also try letting him have access to a bucket with a solution of water and apple cider vinegar for him to play in, cleaning his own beak as he does.
I was thinking about his beak and another thought occurred to me, his initial injuries and pain could have been what made him reluctant to wear his beak down, causing the overgrowth then infection, the infection is now what’s causing tenderness which is now perpetuating the overgrowth as he doesn’t want to use his bill for anything, a vicious cycle.

 

[Miss Lydia]

ACV is a good way to kill some bacteria. It’s also a good tonic for our birds.

 

[cheesy]

Evening/Morning (delete as appropriate)

I've just brought him in for his first round of medication. I didn't use antibiotics given the issue is external to the body and seemed better to direct efforts on the visible.

I bought some simple antibacterial mouth wash intended for fungal type infections as opposed to plaque removal. I'll give him some ACV tomorrow when I bring him in for his morning teeth brushing. Even before I started the smell has calmed dramatically and internally it looks a lot less 'mung.' There was very little that I could remove that I hadn't already taken when I first messaged here but it appears harder and less squashy. I've attached a picture of the outside which essentially is how it was when I finished the other day. The mouth wash was gently brushed on the inside and edges of his bill paying attention not to have his head so that it would dribble down his throat but down and out - not that I was doing it liberally. After a while I ran water across his mouth and told him everything was gonna be alright whilst rubbing his crop area hoping to reassure him before popping him outside again.

Hopefully with regular dental visits he'll keep on top of it himself. I need to file the end of his bill down a bit more as that remains a little long but I've been concentrating on the sides and internal unpleasantness although I did shape the tip a little the other day so ensure the mandible and maxilla do come together at the end. The angle of this photo makes it look worse than when on direct side view. As no doubt you're aware - close up goose photography is best done with 2 people.

Thank you all!

Graham

 

[Miss Lydia]

He’s such a good boy to let you work on his mouth. And your awesome to be doing it. I had a bantam hen that had beak over growth ( top) and I used the dog Dremel for their nails to file hers down worked great.

 

[DiYMama540]

How is Stinky?? Any improvement @cheesy ?

 

[cheesy]

Hello,

I hadn't tended to him for a few days but did earlier and the growth continues. Very strange.

I had to finger pieces out of his bill and around the edges again although not to the extent when I originally posted.

I don't have an issue plonking him in a towel and becoming a goose dentist every few weeks but it is odd. He's here forever given his lack of sight in one eye so there are worse things one has to do than this. Hopefully I'll gain further understanding as to the cause and subsequent prevention.

Graham

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any avian vets in your area that you could pick their brain about this?