gosling convulses after drinking! HELP!!!

[Southerngirl]

I lost 5 pilgrim goslings from Ideal this year who all acted that way when I received them. I think it is personally some neurological condition from breeding stock. The first batch did not have this, the second one did. Some diseases are passed this way to the young and you never truly know until they hatch.Good luck with your baby.

 

[Serina81]

How long did your goslings last before they died? Mine is still alive and must be getting food and water down because he doesn't seem weak.

 

[momof247371]

i have a baby duck(bout 2 months old) that does that occasionally ..He flips over and falls down, head shakes, the whole nine yards...It looks to me like it is having a seizure...He has done it once that I SAW, and it was right after he got a drink of water...I had 4 of them to start with, i would come out and find one dead every other day.. didnt know why.. BUT then i witnessed the seizure in that one, and i think its whats killing them.. Hopefully someone can help you, i just wanted you to know your not alone! Hopefully i can learn from your post also...

 

[Serina81]

I feel sorry for the poor guy he flips about so much! I'm almost not sure I'd want him to live the rest of his life like that. He was swimming today and he drank some water in the pool and started thrashing around in the water. I'm afraid he might drown. He still seems healthy though. Did your ducklings show any other signs before they died?

 

[adrian]

Assuming they are, in fact, seizuring, is it possible that there is something that doesn't develop properly in the brain, and when they drink a certain part of their brain is active that sets off the seizure? It's really bizarre that it would take place only during drinking... Are there any other triggers at all?

 

[cici_p]

I wonder if it is not the actual act of drinking that triggers it, but the act of tipping his head back and up. If he had any brain swelling or edema that could cause the seizure. . .

 

[chickygirl2]

You might want to try some polyvisol vitamin drops. If it is a defiency of sorts, they might help.
I once had a goose that looked sideways and then skyward. It happened all of a sudden.The only way she improved was giving her some cortisone meds I had from a poison ivy incident. It came back once after the initilal episode and then seem to be gone for good. Good luck !

 

[momof247371]

No my ducks didnt have any other symptoms other than the "seizing", i assume thats what killed them because thats the only thing i noticed wrong with them... so i dunno.. Im sorry im not much help but i am in the same boat that you are...

 

[jessi]

Serina, maybe the problem is the vet. I had a goose who almost died 6 years ago, and I had to take her to 3 vets in one day before I found one who could find anything wrong with her. He is an avian-board-certified vet, and his special training in birds made all the difference in the world. The other two vets "see birds," but they couldn't tell the problem was a stuck egg inside her. Each one told me they couldn't help her, and I kept saying, "Not good enough. Tell me who knows more than you do." That's how I worked my way up to the guy who saved her life.

The gosling may be "a farm animal, not a pet," but I think we are responsible for the life we bring into the world and the little creatures entrusted to our care. Sometimes it can cost a bit, but it's worth the price of your conscience. This problem of your gosling is clearly something bigger than experienced goose people on a bird forum can handle. And the gosling is suffering.

I don't know where you live, but I can tell you the name and phone number of the vet who saved Rosie (he's brilliant - he also did a successful repair surgery on her when she broke her hip, 6 years after the first incident). His office could possibly direct you toward an avian board-certified vet in your area of the country. They don't charge more than ordinary vets. They just know more.

Possibly you could set up a phone appointment with my vet for some consultation about your gosling (he charges the price of an office visit for that). His name is Dr. Onorati. He's in Seattle, and his phone number is 206-878-4111. Good luck.

 

[adrian]

I had a random flash of thought. Having dealt with pigeons for a great majority of my life, I encountered many neurological problems that afflicted baby birds, often translating from viruses or bacterial infections. There are cases such as this that can not only be picked up from the environment but through the pores of the egg and from the parents – in the case of a virus, which seems most likely, it is likely spread to young through their eggs, or from their parents or other birds that are around them. What I remember most clearly is PMV, or Pigeon Paramyxovirus, which causes somewhat alarming neurological side effects that include twisting of the neck and "stargazing". From the looks of things, Paramyxovirus is not limited to pigeons, and there seem to be many different strains of the virus, some more or less severe. Some strains may only cause neurological symptoms while others cause digestive issues, as well, including diarrhea of a greenish color.

What I remember most clearly is that the birds may act normal unless they are eating or drinking, when most of their symptoms show themselves.

Oh, and you mentioned that his head never seems to sit still? That is another symptom – head tremors. Here, watch this video and tell me what you think:

Also, as there are many different strains of the Paramyxovirus, it is likely your baby has a lesser one that may not be fatal, but manageable. I know of many people who nurse birds such as these throughout their lifetime. Sometimes, birds seem to make an almost full recovery. However, sometimes the disease causes long term neurological side effects. If this baby is not dying while others birds did, it seems likely it is the strain which is different, more deadly than the one you are seeing.