Need Help!-Goslings are breathing heavily/panting

[willowvale]

We have two goslings under five weeks old. We are currently keeping them in a horse stall in our barn. It's in the 80s outside, but the barn is much cooler inside, so I've assumed that they are comfortable. However, the goslings started breathing rather heavily this morning and I'm not sure why. Are they too hot? One is not "chirping" as much as usual. We've made sure they have plenty of water to drink and a small tub of water to splash in. I just placed another larger tub of water in with them, thinking that maybe they aren't getting cool enough with the smaller tub ...Any thoughts on what else I could do? Could the panting be caused by something else? We lost a gosling earlier in the spring (we think it overheated)...We do not want to lose any more!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm not sure what the problem could be. Those temps aren't too too high. Are they getting into the tubs of water? i'm new to geese myself and have three goslings about 7 weeks old. Mine like to lay in tubs of water or in their kiddie pool when it's warm.

 

[willowvale]

Both goslings are still breathing very heavily (chest cavities heaving in and out dramatically). The one, slightly older gosling is still making lots of noise and he is eating and drinking normally, but the other, smaller gosling doesn't show any interest in food right now, though she is walking around normally with her brother. I'm worried that she'll weaken because she's exerting all this energy and not eating. Do geese normally pant like this? Could the panting be caused by something other than heat?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i have no answers for you. Can you get them into a vet. Heavy breathing can be a sign of stress (in chickens, i know). It can also be a sign of some type of lung injury. If you have already lost one, i would get them into someone who can do a proper diagnosis and treatment.

 

[willowvale]

Since they are still breathing heavily and it's now a cool evening (and we've given them extra water and ventilation), I'm thinking this has to be something respiratory. I removed a damp piece of wood from their pen, which may have been harboring mold and bacteria...If the situation doesn't improve over the weekend, we'll head to the vet...

 

[Denninmi]

I don't think it would be wise to wait. If they have a respiratory infection, they could die in 24 to 48 hours from onset of symptoms without treatment.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i wish we could get more responses here. i'm limited by my own experiences. But if you have now ruled out heat, as it's evening and cool, then there is some type of injury or infection. If both are breathing heavy, it's probably not injury. So there is some sort of contagious infection, or something they have both been exposed to, like mold or fungus from that damp board.

i hope they get better over the weekend.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Geese can get Aspergillois, also called brooder pneumonia, comes from mold being inhaled into the lungs, best get them treatment asap.

 

[Rosebud 18]

They could be lacking in niacin. First thing in the morning I would get a poult-pak from the feed store and try that in their water. If you have any brewers yeast sprinkle some over their food now. Thats what I would do but I'm no expert as this is my first year with geese to. I too wish there were more responses.

 

[willowvale]

Can't some poultry fight off aspergillosis on their own? The vet is only open on weekends for emergencies, so I'm hoping he will consider this an emergency...Anything I can do in the meantime?