Six week old goose just started limping last night (not sure what's wrong?)

[jemagsy]

Putting this in the goose forum (please move to emergency section if more appropriate there, but didn't know if it might be better to put in goose specific forum)

Give us the following information. The more you tell us, the better we will be able to help you.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Six week old gosling (Hatch week was April 14th)
I *think* it's a female Pilgrim? goose, but not sure (please feel free to let me know if you do! )

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Limping & lying about

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Since last night

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Seems to be favoring one foot. Linking a couple videos showing her on the ground & in the pool. Also a close up of the bottom of her foot.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
She's clumsy as all get out on land... possibly tripped and fell or stepped on a piece of sharp gravel/broken stick? Nothing appears to be lodged in her foot.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Very much so. She does not miss dinner or drinking from her fountain.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Normal

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Watch & wait. Looking up possibile illnesses on the internet & Merck Vet Manual

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Intend to treat myself, but will take to a vet if necessary.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pine shavings (fine)
Automatic chicken waterers
Open air pen
Other inhabitants: Brahma Chickens & Khaki Campbell ducks, in brooder portion of the pen former "hatchmates" 5 chicks & 1 turkey

Excepting the young/small birds we do let them our birds out during the day to roam through several acres of woods. We do have a very small section of open yard & a couple kid pools, an old koi pond and then down the hill theres a small creek & waterfall. The geese haven't ventured more than 100 yards from the pen yet though (they like to stay in sight of the younger birds that they came from the hatchery with).

This is our first year with geese & a turkey;we’ve been raising chickens and ducks for several years now.

All I can come up with right now is bumblefoot or maybe she's injured her foot somehow?

 

[livininbrazil]

Putting this in the goose forum (please move to emergency section if more appropriate there, but didn't know if it might be better to put in goose specific forum)

Give us the following information. The more you tell us, the better we will be able to help you.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Six week old gosling (Hatch week was April 14th)
I *think* it's a female Pilgrim? goose, but not sure (please feel free to let me know if you do! )

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Limping & lying about

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Since last night

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Seems to be favoring one foot. Linking a couple videos showing her on the ground & in the pool. Also a close up of the bottom of her foot.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
She's clumsy as all get out on land... possibly tripped and fell or stepped on a piece of sharp gravel/broken stick? Nothing appears to be lodged in her foot.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Very much so. She does not miss dinner or drinking from her fountain.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Normal

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Watch & wait. Looking up possibile illnesses on the internet & Merck Vet Manual

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Intend to treat myself, but will take to a vet if necessary.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pine shavings (fine)
Automatic chicken waterers
Open air pen
Other inhabitants: Brahma Chickens & Khaki Campbell ducks, in brooder portion of the pen former "hatchmates" 5 chicks & 1 turkey

Excepting the young/small birds we do let them our birds out during the day to roam through several acres of woods. We do have a very small section of open yard & a couple kid pools, an old koi pond and then down the hill theres a small creek & waterfall. The geese haven't ventured more than 100 yards from the pen yet though (they like to stay in sight of the younger birds that they came from the hatchery with).

This is our first year with geese & a turkey;we’ve been raising chickens and ducks for several years now.

All I can come up with right now is bumblefoot or maybe she's injured her foot somehow?

Maybe Bumblefoot, but find Ruru on the Sebastopol and gosling threads, she´s a bit of a wiz with Bumblefoot.

 

[RURU]

Maybe Bumblefoot, but find Ruru on the Sebastopol and gosling threads, she´s a bit of a wiz with Bumblefoot.

First off what kind of food are you feeding your gosling? If it is chick starter it is not enough for goslings in minerals and vitamins they need. Goslings need a waterfowl or gamebird feed they first 3 weeks of their life. But if you can not get it then put brewer's yeast for animals on their feed. Just sprinkle it over the food when you serve it.

Looked at the foot I see some swelling on that foot. Try soaking it in some warm novasan diluted water. This is what my vet had me do when I get it. Use warm water for 15 minutes three times daily! I do not see any sores on that foot that is black crusted which bumblefoot shows black crusty stuff.
That gosling seem more lame on that foot not wanting to walk and laying around. But if it is a start of bumblefoot the novasan soak three times daily for 5=7 days will help if there is a start of bumblefoot. Also you can spay it with vetericyn after each soaking hold gosling until the foot dry's so it soaks in.

The gosling may have also injured it's self by running and stumbling and twisted it's ankle some so hurt's to walk. I would also take the gosling off to the side and make it rest off that foot until it heals somewhat. Plus you can put feed and water in with the gosling. Take it's mate with it when you put it up separate until you find out which you are dealing with.

I hope I have helped you some with this. But please do something quickly because goslings can go down fast with any problems!!! Good luck. Also look up bumblefoot and treatment on here they have pictures and directions of what to do but it is with a chicken. But it still is done the same way with geese...

 

[jemagsy]

We started off feeding them Manna Pro

Gamebird/Showbird Feed for the first three weeks and then went to DuMOR

Chick Starter/Grower 20% Feed with supplemented greens from our garden, and this week we started letting them free range some.

We'll get started on the warm water soaks & I'll check the store today to see if I can find some Nolvasan, if not I'll special order it & see if we can't get that swelling reduced. I'll also remove the two geese to the smaller pen & add brewer's yeast to their diet.

Thanks so much for your help! And yes, I do fortunately have help!

 

[RURU]

We started off feeding them Manna Pro

Gamebird/Showbird Feed for the first three weeks and then went to DuMOR

Chick Starter/Grower 20% Feed with supplemented greens from our garden, and this week we started letting them free range some.

We'll get started on the warm water soaks & I'll check the store today to see if I can find some Nolvasan, if not I'll special order it & see if we can't get that swelling reduced. I'll also remove the two geese to the smaller pen & add brewer's yeast to their diet.

Thanks so much for your help! And yes, I do fortunately have help!

Novasan is expensive but is great to have around because you can use it on so many things with infection. The vet would come here when we had a mini horse with an absess and lanced it and then gave me some novasan to put mix up with water and put in a syringe an spray it inside of the wound. Super stuff!!!
Also forgot to tell you that if it is bumblefoot you will need some antibiotics to help from the inside. Penicillin G Procane spelled wrong, will work good. Depending on the weight of your gosling 1/4 to 1/2 cc shot in the muscle chest area works great every other day for 7 days. Or you can get baytryll I forgot how to spell it... Which is a last resort because it is a super strong antibiotic and not to just be used on anything. But also a very good antibiotic to have around for super bad injuries to help heal from the inside...

Please keep me posted on how things work out for the gosling by pm-ing me... As well as posting on here too. As I said before good luck.

 

[RURU]

This afternoon did surgery on my Spicie's one foot. I did not take picture's because I have a very impatient husband. I was lucky to get him to help this afternoon. I have been having problems with Spicie and bumblefoot..... My husband went out and got Spicie. I put a clean towel down on the counter top.
First we soaked Spicies feet in warm Novasan solution for 15 minutes to help clean all the mud and stuff off the foot.
Then took him out and I started the surgery. I had purchased scalpels and they work super great. He had a 2 and a half inch pine cone shaped bumblefoot on there since we did surgery last year. It grew like crazy!!!
So I started cutting a far back on the foot area as I could and cut the whole hard cored bumble off. It was super hard and just full of hard pus..... I took off as much as I could and then sprayed it off super well with vetericyn, the white iodine. Then took what is called liquid bandaid which is like a super glue and put it on and let that dry. Then I took vet wrap and wrapped it around the foot and made sure to spread out the foot so he could walk. The took more vet wrap and took a very long strip of it and then cut that in half and wrapped it on the first wrap and went up his leg with it. Then went and wrapped it more on the foot and made sure it did not just fall off. Then gave a penicillin shot 1/2 cc to help fight infection in the foot. I will give him a shot every other day for 6 different times...

After done took Spicie out and put him in a small pen so he can rest and lay down I put straw in there for him which is clean fresh straw.

I hope that this helps more on this subject..

But always make sure you soak the foot before because it helps clean the foot and soften that hard core as well. Make sure you have everything you need right there by you so you can just grab it and work with it. Disinfect tweezers, scissors, have clean towel to help wipe foot off and help clean blood that will come out.
On the tweezers and scissors I take a microwaveable bowl fill it with water and heat up for 6 minutes and bring it out and put the scissors and tweezers in it and let them soak for 20 minutes in that hot hot water. You can also pour alcohol in or novasan.
Make sure to have some scalpels ordered they are not very expensive and they are all sterile and individually wrapped.
Make sure to have latex or vinyl gloves to put on.
Vetricyn, Mercuroclear, Liquid Bandage and a super glue for humans.
These are supplies you need to keep around the house at all times because you never know when you will need them!

 

[jemagsy]

Okay really starting to think this is nutritional. Goose is worse today, won't stand at all. If we hold her up as soon as we let go she goes back into a resting position (fully laying on the ground). Good news is she is grooming & I saw her eat this AM. Been doing the warm water soaks in our kitchen sink & have seen her drink today only when doing the soaks. I have to imagine she is drinking other times, but I've not seen her do it, which along with the not standing has me concerned.

We've tried several different stores & had no luck w/ the Nolvasan or brewer's yeast. I'm going to try some more stores & my vets in the am & then order offline if I can't find it & have it rush shipped.

This evening since I can't find anything else I took a b-100 complex vitamin and crushed it up & put it in her water & sprinkled it on her food. *maybe* that will help, can't see that it will hurt at this point. Also chopped up some raw spinach, broccoli & rolled oats for her, but all she did was pick at the pan so far.

As a side note, the baby chicks are breaking my heart cause all they do is stand outside her room & cry for the geese. We let them hang out a little today which seemed to calm them & the other goose down.

Really nervous & hoping to get some of those items soon! If you've found them locally can you let me know where? I searched several grocery stores & a couple feed shops for the brewer's yeast and Nolvasan.

Thanks.

 

[livininbrazil]

Okay really starting to think this is nutritional. Goose is worse today, won't stand at all. If we hold her up as soon as we let go she goes back into a resting position (fully laying on the ground). Good news is she is grooming & I saw her eat this AM. Been doing the warm water soaks in our kitchen sink & have seen her drink today only when doing the soaks. I have to imagine she is drinking other times, but I've not seen her do it, which along with the not standing has me concerned.

We've tried several different stores & had no luck w/ the Nolvasan or brewer's yeast. I'm going to try some more stores & my vets in the am & then order offline if I can't find it & have it rush shipped.

This evening since I can't find anything else I took a b-100 complex vitamin and crushed it up & put it in her water & sprinkled it on her food. *maybe* that will help, can't see that it will hurt at this point. Also chopped up some raw spinach, broccoli & rolled oats for her, but all she did was pick at the pan so far.

As a side note, the baby chicks are breaking my heart cause all they do is stand outside her room & cry for the geese. We let them hang out a little today which seemed to calm them & the other goose down.

Really nervous & hoping to get some of those items soon! If you've found them locally can you let me know where? I searched several grocery stores & a couple feed shops for the brewer's yeast and Nolvasan.

Thanks.

You should be able to find Brewers´Yeast in a pharmacy or healthfood shop. Just get the basic stuff. Spinach goes against what you´re trying to do, it´s one to avoid with geese because of the amount of iron...it messes up their intake of the other vits etc they need. Try tearing up bits of romaine lettuce and putting it in her water. Romaine lettuce has niacin in it, which is often lacking in sufficiente quantity for geese in foodstuffs. It´s the VitB3, otherwise known as niacin, that is also in Brewer´s Yeast which can be such a help. Also peas and pears are quite good.

 

[jemagsy]

Thanks again! I do have some pears, think I'm out of peas but will get some more tomorrow. Any suggestion on how to feed those to her?

I feel really really stupid too. Went to the Tractor Supply today & was able to find the Nolvasan, electrolytes, probiotics, and a heap of vitamins to add to her water. With the vitamins will I need to add the Brewer's Yeast? I did find out where I could get some locally by talking to my friends (one of them used to use it when she baked specialty breads).

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks again! I do have some pears, think I'm out of peas but will get some more tomorrow. Any suggestion on how to feed those to her?

I feel really really stupid too. Went to the Tractor Supply today & was able to find the Nolvasan, electrolytes, probiotics, and a heap of vitamins to add to her water. With the vitamins will I need to add the Brewer's Yeast? I did find out where I could get some locally by talking to my friends (one of them used to use it when she baked specialty breads).

Brewers´Yeast is used to make beer, it´s not the same as other yeasts. It has a really good supply of vits etc in it. Does what you bought have niacin/vitamin B3 in it?
You could float the peas in a pot of water for her to play with and eat, maybe split them in half to encourage her to try them.
How did she get on with the pear? sometimes they´re a bit slow to try new things. That´s why I often put it in a pot of water, they like that.