New Gosling with Leaky Nose and Heavy Breathing

[The Dim Side]

Hi, all,

I've been posting quite a bit in the Geese category, but now I'm really concerned about this new 4-week-old Roman Tufted gosling we just got yesterday. We got him to keep our other one (almost 6 weeks old) company since she was lonely, but he came with a stuffy nose, so I could hear him breathing. I asked the breeder if it was okay, and she thought it was fine. But this evening, still stuffy and loud-breathing all day, his nose is also leaking, and he's breathing heavily.

I put some VetRx on his chest and under his wings and a few drops in the water. Is there anything else I can do for him? And do I need to separate him from the older gosling if he's sick? Since he just got here, she isn't showing any symptoms yet. I also just saw in the Urgent Reminder thread that we should have quarantined this new bird (for a month?). Should I do that now, or is it too late for the first gosling? The breeder and a couple others had said that it would be fine to put them in together. Especially since they were each lonely, I didn't want to keep them separated for long (I put them in separate areas last night and moved them together today), and we've only had the first one for two weeks.

He's still eating the non-medicated duck food (with niacin) and some grass and drinking water with pro-biotics and electrolytes, and there's grit available. He's still active, too, but I feel bad that he's breathing hard.

His poop has seemed pretty watery since he got here, but there has been at least one or two that I've seen looking more solid. Other than that, I think it looks normal (but I'm new to geese, so I'm still learning what's normal and what isn't).

We have some Koop Clean chicken bedding in their brooder. I had pine shavings for the first gosling, but she kept eating it all, so we just recently switched to the cut hay/straw mix.

We don't have any goose vets nearby either, I think the closest are a couple hours away. So any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

Poor little guy Do you know how he was being kept before? Perhaps he didn't have water deep enough, or there were issues like ammonia buildup that were affecting him.

I'd switch away from the Koop Clean because it contains PDZ, and that possibly might be irritating him.

 

[The Dim Side]

Poor little guy Do you know how he was being kept before? Perhaps he didn't have water deep enough, or there were issues like ammonia buildup that were affecting him.

I'd switch away from the Koop Clean because it contains PDZ, and that possibly might be irritating him.

From the couple photos I saw, it looked like he was in a wooden room like part of a barn maybe, with hay or straw on the floor. He was hatched and raised by two parents. I'm not sure what his water situation was, but I imagine it was probably okay since the breeder has the parents (and previously other goslings) that seem okay?

Ah, I was worried about the odor-neutralizing substance, but the bag said it was all natural, so I thought it might be okay! He did have the stuffy nose prior to this bedding though, so I know it didn't cause it, but it could be further aggravating it. Do you have a suggestion on an alternative bedding for them? The pine shavings will just get eaten (more than I think is probably an acceptable amount of munching) by the older one.

And could I try Tylan to see if that helps him? I'm not sure whether to go to an emergency vet tomorrow or if I should wait and see if anything else can help him (but then it's the weekend after that, when everything is closed). I don't want to wait too long to get him medical care if he needs it, but my boyfriend would rather avoid doing vet trips for the poultry, especially to emergency ones.

 

[The Dim Side]

He hasn't had a leaky nose since the one night, but he still has a stuffy nose that comes and goes and makes his breathing heavy.

 

[Pyxis]

Sorry, I missed your reply!

For alternative bedding, I'd try just plain hay. If the older one eats it, that's fine, it's just dried grass which they would eat normally.

I'm not really sure what you can do about the stuffy nose. You can try the Tylan and see if it helps. If it does, that might mean he's got a respiratory infection. Or he could have Mycoplasma, but hopefully not.

 

[The Dim Side]

Thank you! I did start putting in some regular hay, which they both have been eating, lol. I was worried because of how long some of the hay pieces are though, but if it's okay for them, then that makes me feel better! I'll keep using that.

And cool, I'm still giving him the VetRx a couple times a day on his nose, but we'll get some Tylan tomorrow and try it out. Thanks again!

 

[The Dim Side]

Sorry, I missed your reply!

For alternative bedding, I'd try just plain hay. If the older one eats it, that's fine, it's just dried grass which they would eat normally.

I'm not really sure what you can do about the stuffy nose. You can try the Tylan and see if it helps. If it does, that might mean he's got a respiratory infection. Or he could have Mycoplasma, but hopefully not.

Sorry, one more question I have! I just noticed he sometimes has this head trembling thing happen. And I see my other gosling does, too. Does this happen when their gizzard is working? I never noticed it in my older gosling till now (after we got the younger one).

 

[Zindagi]

Hi, all,

I've been posting quite a bit in the Geese category, but now I'm really concerned about this new 4-week-old Roman Tufted gosling we just got yesterday. We got him to keep our other one (almost 6 weeks old) company since she was lonely, but he came with a stuffy nose, so I could hear him breathing. I asked the breeder if it was okay, and she thought it was fine. But this evening, still stuffy and loud-breathing all day, his nose is also leaking, and he's breathing heavily.

I put some VetRx on his chest and under his wings and a few drops in the water. Is there anything else I can do for him? And do I need to separate him from the older gosling if he's sick? Since he just got here, she isn't showing any symptoms yet. I also just saw in the Urgent Reminder thread that we should have quarantined this new bird (for a month?). Should I do that now, or is it too late for the first gosling? The breeder and a couple others had said that it would be fine to put them in together. Especially since they were each lonely, I didn't want to keep them separated for long (I put them in separate areas last night and moved them together today), and we've only had the first one for two weeks.

He's still eating the non-medicated duck food (with niacin) and some grass and drinking water with pro-biotics and electrolytes, and there's grit available. He's still active, too, but I feel bad that he's breathing hard.

His poop has seemed pretty watery since he got here, but there has been at least one or two that I've seen looking more solid. Other than that, I think it looks normal (but I'm new to geese, so I'm still learning what's normal and what isn't).

We have some Koop Clean chicken bedding in their brooder. I had pine shavings for the first gosling, but she kept eating it all, so we just recently switched to the cut hay/straw mix.

We don't have any goose vets nearby either, I think the closest are a couple hours away. So any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

What works on my chickens may work for your duck. I’m sure it will take oatmeal. Get some oatmeal, add warm water(thick but mushy), add oregano flakes(helps fight infection)and cinnamon(this helps with respiratory). You can even feed fresh oregano and cilantro. Ducks and chickens will eat herbs naturally if they have access to them in the wild, and this is how they survive without any real medications. It’s what I use. These remedies also work on humans too.

 

[seminolewind]

Does this gosling understand how to dip his nose/face in water several times a day to clear his nostrils and wet his eyes?

 

[The Dim Side]

Does this gosling understand how to dip his nose/face in water several times a day to clear his nostrils and wet his eyes?

Yeah, and I think the panting was unrelated to the stuffy breathing, just that he was overheating with the heat lamp and not regulating his temperature well. It also seems like either his breathing has gotten better, or I just haven't noticed it as much as he's been doing fine since then! He's actually quite the flyer now! And he's a very loud talker compared to my other one, lol. =)