Please help! Wobbly adult geese???

[Gray Farms]

@Gray Farms can you pull up the link in the sticky’s about flushes just in case? I’d use the activated charcoal if you decide to try a flush. It might be worth it to try putting out feed along with grazing. At this point it may need to be elimination to find out for sure what’s going on.

What is a "sticky's"?

 

[Gray Farms]

I have 12 geese on about 7 acres of pasture that isn't grazed by anything else. I have had the main flock for 3-4 years now and have never had any issues. I've always let them graze during the growing season as their main source of food. They have no interest in grain or feed when they have grass. Since I've had these weak ones, I've been penning them in and feeding a 22% protein feed twice a day in addition to 24/7 grazing so I don't think they would be nutritionally deficient?

My vote is for blood work then.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I agree blood work sounds like the best thing to get to the bottom of the problem.

Here is what I was wanting to post but couldn't on my phone
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/flushes-for-aiding-in-toxin-removal.700526/

Probably not a toxin but good to have for reference.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What is a "sticky's"?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/geese-sticky-topics-index.497391/ Beginning page of goose forum top of the page.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/geese.47/

 

[dianneS]

I've decided to treat them for worms since I've covered most other bases. I gave them all Wazine in their drinking water yesterday. I'm starting the molasses flush right now. I do have herbal parasite inhibitors on hand too. I've given everyone activated charcoal too, just to be on the safe side.
I can get one of the birds examined and bloodwork done by an local exotic animal vet, but she is pricey.

 

[dianneS]

OMG, the saga continues. The exhibition giant dewlap that just started showing symptoms last night, well I'm not sure if his symptoms are related to the other bird's or not because things just got a little crazy!
I've noticed that the underside of my dewlap's bill had sort of a small orange "pelican pouch", the same color as his bill but soft and stretchy. Today that pouch was very large. When I caught him, I realized that he is very under weight. When I opened his mouth I discovered that his tongue was caught in a hole in his lower bill! I had to reach in a pull his tongue free! No wonder he is losing weight!
The other afflicted birds are doing okay today, still a little wobbly, but not falling down or laying down all the time.
Check out this pouch in this ganders lower jaw! The bulge extended all the way to the tip of his bill before I pulled his tongue out of the hole. I'm emailing his breeders right now.

 

[dianneS]

I think I've figured out the gray bird's problems. Gapeworm!!

I've been watching them eat and the three afflicted birds squeak when they swallow their feed. They do crane their necks and gape their mouths on occasion too.

I wormed with fenbendesole yesterday, all symptoms are gone and only two or three squeaks during breakfast this morning. I think I've resolved one of the problems, hopefully.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's great but I maybe wrong but I think you have to treat for 5 days for gape worms. I'll go see if I can find information. So don't quote me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-warning-graphic-pictures-and-videos.1090991/

Post 15 gives dose for safe guard. and it is for 5 days.

 

[dianneS]

I did read that it is a five day treatment.
I'm putting an herbal worm inhibitor in their feed too.

I will probably follow up in 2 weeks with another dose of fenbendezol just to be safe. I think I lost a gander to gapeworm last year. We didn't recognize it. We thought he got held under water on the pond fighting with another gander and got a lung full (we lost a duck that way due to mating on the water). I sure hope this is the answer, it seems to be at this point. I'm so relieved that they all look so much better today.

 

[Gray Farms]

Hope you get them straightened out. Lingering illnesses are so frustrating.