Gosling with bloody stool.

[rivermedic]

I noticed today that one of my goslings has a bloody stool. The blood is red and not black or tarry. I think the liquid excrement was also redish but I couldn't tell what came from where. The bird is a 10 day old chinese goose. He is not acting sick and is eating and drinking normally. He lives with a female gosling, two runner ducklings and two chicks. They are in a large plastic container and have never been outside. How should I treat him? Should I seperate him from the others? He gets freaked out when he's alone.

I went to TSC and they gave me tetracycline and Warzine 17. Neither is specifically labeled for geese and I am skeptical. It's Sunday night and I don't have access to a vet. I was hoping to treat him before he gets worse. Thanks for any help.

 

[Cottage Rose]

You shouldn't treat your gosling randomly without knowing first knowing what is going on.
If it has coccidiosis an antibiotic or dewormer won't help.
I would recommend taking a stool sample to your vet and have it checked out.
Good luck.

 

[pete55]

X 2 and best of luck with your baby.

 

[rivermedic]

I e-mailed Ideal and I'll post their quick reply below. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a poultry vet at the moment. I live in NC, are their agencies or organizations that do this kind of testing? Anyway, here's an update. I watched the two geese last night to be absolutely sure which one it was that was sick. Neither one had any blood in their stool. All the birds are asymptomatic and eating & drinking happily. Unless something changes, I think I'll just monitor them. I'd rather not be an amateur and treat them unnecessarily or inaccurately. I'm a medical professional myself and I find it frustrating that it's been difficult for me to find quality info on diagnosing and treating illness in my birds, although it's entirely possible that I just don't know where to look and who to talk to for them like I do for people. I appreciate the helpful feedback, guys!

"
Jeff –

If the stool is bloody, it may be Coccidiosis. This is easily treatable by starting a cycle of Amprolium. Most all would have Coccidiosis if this one is experiencing it. Please check other stools as well. We hope this information helps. Thank you.

Ross Windham
Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms, Inc.
254-697-6677
254-697-2393 FAX
www.idealpoultry.com"

 

[rivermedic]

I watched them closely last night and they had a number of normal bowel movements. Then I noticed one of them had another bloody stool. I couldn't tell if it was one of the ducklings or goslings. I think I'll go ahead and treat with Corid 9.6% oral solution but I am having trouble finding accurate dosing instructions. Do I just mix it in their drinking water and how much? Is it safe for ducks, chickens, and geese? I have all three living together.

 

[pete55]

What is Corid used for?

 

[Cottage Rose]

You really do not need a poultry vet to check a fecal sample.
Any farm vet can do that or possible even a regular small animal vet.
Ask around.
It's not wise to blindly treat for illness.

 

[pete55]

If this is Coccidiosis then Amprolium is generally safe and less harsh than broad spectrum antibitoic therapy. In the UK it is used as a water based medication for 5 days as Coxoid.

Although the dark red bloody stool is one of the classic signs of Coccidiosis there are other conditions that will cause this too. Are your babies generally bright eyed and thriving? Have they been given access to some nice grass as the goslings thrive on it. Any stress can cause bleeding from the intestinal wall and it may even be diet related. As Vicky said with these babies and at their young age its wise to know what you're treating. Are there any Labs in the States which offer a screening service?

Pete

 

[rivermedic]

So far, the stool is the only sign of illness. They don't act or appear sick. I'm really at a loss for what to do. I called 3 vets in my area, including one that treats poultry, and not only did they not know what I was talking about, they couldn't even pronounce the words when they were trying to ask around the office. I am quite disturbed. They have not been outside or eaten anything but a good quality starter feed (unmedicated). They have also not been exposed to any birds who aren't from the same batch they all came in from the hatchery.

 

[pete55]

What kind of starter feedare you using? I would put them in a pen to start grazing some grass and continue to observe.