Sick Gander?

[CanadianSkeptic]

I have a 2 year old American Buff Gander that just doesn't seem right to me. He's lost weight and seems less energetic (sleeping more than usual). I don't see him eat really, but he will eat a bit when I bring food right to him. He ate a bit of bok choy tonight, so that's good. He seems to be drinking but his poop is green (not super bright). Just so you know, he lives with 2 Buff geese, ducks and chickens, and they all eat poultry grower with a tiny bit of scratch and some black oil sunflower seeds mixed in. I've checked for lice/mites and don't see anything, and he has no injuries. Also, it's about to get fairly chilly again (-20 Celsius or -4 Fahrenheit).
Tonight I put some poly-vit in their water so we'll see if that helps. Anyone else have any other suggestions?

 

[Goosebaby]

He might have swallowed something he shouldn’t have, like bits of metal or paint, it sounds like it could be zinc or lead toxicity, though it could be a number of other issues. Is a vet an option b an chance? His symptoms are fairly serious so I think only a vet really has the ability to figure this out and treat this.

Also what kind of poultry grower is it specifically? If it’s formulated for chicks it might not have the right levels of b vitamins that waterfowl require which could make him sick like this.

Also if you could post a picture of his droppings it could help too, sometimes if they’re reallly bubbly it could point to a bacterial infection.

 

[CanadianSkeptic]

No, there's virtually no chance of him swallowing something he's not supposed to. He's in my large run and there's nothing that any of the birds could eat that would be toxic to them. Also, no, a vet isn't an option due to the fact that there are no vets anywhere near me that will see birds.
The grower is an all flock style that is meant for all types of birds.
I brought him into my garage this morning and he started eating almost right away. I put Nutri-Drench in his water. He also had a bit of my apple. Now 4 hours later he seems to have perked up a lot. He'll be staying in the garage overnight and then I'll see what tomorrow brings I guess. Fingers crossed.

 

[Goosebaby]

No, there's virtually no chance of him swallowing something he's not supposed to. He's in my large run and there's nothing that any of the birds could eat that would be toxic to them. Also, no, a vet isn't an option due to the fact that there are no vets anywhere near me that will see birds.
The grower is an all flock style that is meant for all types of birds.
I brought him into my garage this morning and he started eating almost right away. I put Nutri-Drench in his water. He also had a bit of my apple. Now 4 hours later he seems to have perked up a lot. He'll be staying in the garage overnight and then I'll see what tomorrow brings I guess. Fingers crossed.

If you can get B vitamin complex that can give him a boost as well, at the least it can give his body an extra push to help get him over this.

You did good getting him somewhere warm and giving him apple, whatever treats he’ll eat let him have, apple’s great because the sugars and water content will keep his fluids up, if you have any leafy greens like romaine lettuce that can entice him to eat too. Geese usually can’t get enough romaine. Foods that are antioxidant rich might be good for him too, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, and strawberries. Cantaloupe and watermelon are also good choices.
apple cider vinegar with the mother in his water won’t hurt, fresh grapefruit juice has a calming effect on the liver and pancreas, thyme and oregano have antibiotic properties, you can put a drop or two of the oil in his water or crush fresh herbs into his water “which is what I do.”

In my state antibiotics of any kind can’t be bought without a prescription and I’m not a vet so I can’t say what kind or the dosage for sure, his illness could be something that can be treated by antibiotics, but without testing by a vet it’s imposible to say, if you have access to any antibiotics they should be administered by weight, or in a dosage for small/ toy dogs, baytril is one I know of that people have given to their birds, I have no expierience with it personally, I’ve had azithromycin prescribed to one of mine because it’s a broad spectrum antibiotic but it’s very powerful and had devastating effects on one of my ganders because my then vet prescribed too large of a dose for too long, so that is something that can be given to a goose but like any antibiotic it has to be used very carefully.

 

[Percheron chick]

Has he ever been dewormed?

 

[CanadianSkeptic]

Has he ever been dewormed?

Not since last summer.
I don't see anything in his (or anyone else's) feces, and as strange as it sounds, I've checked with a decent magnifying glass (who knew I'd be using it for that? )

 

[CanadianSkeptic]

Just an update on Ben. He spent a few days in the Garage, got lots of treats and I dewormed him just in case. He's been back out with the rest of the flock and he seems a lot better. Much more active and responsive. It's still cold here but he's eating, drinking and acting more like himself now. Thanks for everyone's help

 

[Goosebaby]

Just an update on Ben. He spent a few days in the Garage, got lots of treats and I dewormed him just in case. He's been back out with the rest of the flock and he seems a lot better. Much more active and responsive. It's still cold here but he's eating, drinking and acting more like himself now. Thanks for everyone's help

That’s wonderful to hear! I’m so happy for both of you!!