gosling convulses after drinking! HELP!!!

[jessi]

Avian vets are not the same as avian board-certified vets. There are only a few dozen of these in the country. I agree that avian vets make a lot of mistakes, which is why I drive two hours to take my geese to an avian board-certified vet. I don't trust anyone else to really know what they're doing.

 

[Calebs Acre]

I want to throw something out there, just in case any of you can give information about it. I read here on BYC, some weeks ago, about ducks and geese getting "water drunk" when they drink too much water, too quickly. They lose their balance, fall over and it looks very serious.

The other night, a friend of mine had a goose do this and within an hour or so, the goose was fine and she has just tried to make sure that he doesn't run out of water so that he overdrinks and it has not happened again.

The only reason I mentioned it to her was because I read it here in this forum somewhere. Is it possible this is happening?

A very well respected wildlife rehabilitator told me that she always keeps her ducks and geese on wood chips, so I am not sure what to think here. She said she has used it for 15 years without a single issue. ??????

 

[adrian]

While I agree 100% that board certified avian veterinarians are more trustworthy than any source, even the best can't draw guaranteed conclusions from hearing a list of symptoms. Symptoms can be widespread. To be entirely honest, the gosling ideally should go to a board certified avian vet, because it's not likely a proper diagnosis can be made otherwise. Dealing with anyone else – from some experienced people on the internet to vets who sometimes see birds – is going to yield less than perfect results. In conclusion, unless so much money can be spent taking the bird to one of these extremely rare veterinarians, and allowing them to see the bird in person, nothing is concrete. All we can do is guess, and try to piece together evidence ourselves. You can disagree, if you will, with doing so, but it is better than nothing, is it not? Isn't it better than culling the bird without giving it a chance to live, as many would do?

 

[adrian]

Quote:
That's quite an interesting piece of information.
However, from what I understand, the gosling exhibits symptoms when eating, as well, and with every single sip of water since he arrived at the original poster's home. To over-drink every time he sips would infer he was constantly full of water, and I think that it's impossible... Plus, the fact that it happens with food would make the theory obsolete. In a way, it's too bad it's not something so simple...

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
That's quite an interesting piece of information.
However, from what I understand, the gosling exhibits symptoms when eating, as well, and with every single sip of water since he arrived at the original poster's home. To over-drink every time he sips would infer he was constantly full of water, and I think that it's impossible... Plus, the fact that it happens with food would make the theory obsolete. In a way, it's too bad it's not something so simple...

I was the one that posted about "water drunk" waterfowl that had become dehydrated during shipping, transport, running out of water etc. If allowed to rehydrateto rapidly they act like they are drunk. I think it works with humans too, in that dehydrated people are only allowed sips of water at first(of course these days they just hook up a IV drip and rehydrate that way). In your case I agree with adrian as quoted above.
Getting back to wood chips, all wood chips are not alike. I can't remember how many discussions I have read about cedar shavings being toxic only to learn that there are several different "cedars" some being harmless and others that aren't. So unless your 'respected wildlife rehabilitator' knows exactly what kind of "wood chips" he and you are using, I wouldn't place much faith on his/her reassurance. As a woodworker I know of several toxic woods, but they are exotic and unlikely to end up in commercial wood chips. If you are getting chips from a tree removal service or a recycling operation that is a different story. Good Luck, where there is Life there is Hope

 

[adrian]

Certainly, I've heard that cedar woods can be toxic, particularly to the lungs, and irritable to the skin. But isn't cedar a red colored wood? The chips in question seem to be pine. That said, I never use wood chips with my birds. Just as a query – could a type of wood be toxic enough to cause such severe symptoms, whether or not that is the case here?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yes the heart wood is redish but the sap wood is fairly white and undesired in wood working projects so it is usually removed and discarded (to become what?) There are woods toxic enough that they can not be used for toys. I was never clear if we were talking about the chips being eaten or just about skin contact. I assumed eating or the other ducks standing on the wood chips would have some problems too. I don't think it is wood chips that are the cause of the problems.~gd

 

[adrian]

Thank you, goosedragon, for your input. I wouldn't think so, either. The fact that sap wood is turned into products such as shavings leads me to believe wood chips are certainly not as desirable a bedding as some may think.

 

[jessi]

I have straw as bedding for my geese for 15 years. It's nice and soft, and works great. Every morning I put a handful of clean straw over any "poop spots," and smash it down with my foot so it sticks. The goose house is then ready for another night (there is a shelf to hold the bale of clean straw built right into the shed).

When there is enough of an accumulation of straw on the floor of the goose house, I pay a kid to use a pitchfork and wheelbarrow to clean out the old straw. This goes onto a pile at the end of my property. After some time, it spontaneously turns into the most wonderful compost, which goes into my garden.

A pretty self-contained system, nice and comfy for the geese, clean and sweet-smelling goose house, and I don't have to buy fertilizer or compost anymore. None of the risks of woodchips, and nicer to sleep on.

 

[Serina81]

Here's an update on my crazy little goose. He's still alive and he's still doing back flips! What more is there to say? He's healthy, he's growing, he's feathering out...and he does a backflip everytime he drinks. Weird, huh?