GEESES Peanut Butter Cup
Songster
- May 15, 2019
- 70
- 92
- 134
The gander hasn't eaten anything since Feb 23 local time (it has been 2 days local time). The gander previously had fungus infection long time ago (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-needed-gander-seems-sick-with-severe-gaping.1542210/), so the fungus infection might or might not have come back.
He sometimes exhibits the wing moving as shown in the video below when laying down (the brown gander):
(*****This video wasn't taken recently, but he shows something similar on Feb 23. He's not having as severe wing movement now, but it looked as if he was shivering, trembling, or something similar. Unlike in the video, the wings do not open wide. The wings stay close to his body as they normally do when he lays down sleeping.)
He seems to be faking his wellness by making sounds.
He seemed well on Feb 22 except for the wing movement.
Feb 22
Starting on Wednesday Feb 22nd, due to the snow here, we had to move him indoors, which might not have as fresh air as the outdoors and might even have fungus developing, and he exhibited gaping, gasping, open mouth breathing, and heavier breathing similar to what he had when he had the fungus infection , but it doesn't look as severe as the last time he had the infection.
He walked around in the house, seemingly to explore, but I can't be sure if he was OK or if it's actually because he didn't feel well.
Feb 23
He still has the breathing issues.
Early on Feb 23rd, he ate a little bit of lettuce but hasn't eaten anything after that.
He drinks a lot of water.
He preened and rubbed the his oil at night for a little bit, but he looked tired and his walking gait (stepping) looked lacking power.
Feb 24
He still has the breathing issues.
At night in the A.M., we gave him a Doxycycline pill (the one Dove Lewis Emergency Hospital, Oregon, United States, gave him the last he had fungus infection). Currently, there's no sign he's getting better.
He refused to drink fresh watermelon juice.
He still drinks a lot of water. Today, we made 2 containers of water available to him, one simply water, the other with small amount of brown sugar and very small amount of salt. He drinks a lot of the brown sugar mix water.
He attempted to eat lettuce, but we don't know if he succeeded.
We tried to give him another Doxycycline pill approximately 12 hours after the initial dosing, but he got away with it (and seemed happy that he succeeded). Not wanting to exhaust him, we gave up giving him the pill.
Also noticed is that when it's daytime, he seemed more energetic when the sun pierced through the window.
When I enter other rooms with the door open, the gander will highly likely follow me and look around in the rooms he seldom has chance visiting. Not sure if he did so to fake his unwellness or he indeed wanted to explore the rooms.
Update
He started attempting to eat grass seeds, but we don't know if he actually swallowed them.
-----
In addition to the re-emergence of fungus infection, we also suspected hypothermia and avian flu (there are wild crows in the yard the geese usually stay) but can't be sure.
I noticed that when he's indoors on the day, as the temperature dropped, gaping and gasping reduced to almost none, but the heavy breathing remained; as the temperature increased, gaping and gasping would emerge.
His beak doesn't seem hot, but I can't be sure if it's because he has been drinking a lot of water. His feet are kind of cold.
There was a time when the gander and the other goose both laid down and slept. The gander would exhibit the unusual wing flapping movement, but the other goose didn't. The same remained when the indoor temperature was high enough for the other goose to breathe heavily. I suspected hypothermia, but I wasn't so sure anymore given that the other goose felt hot, but the gander still showed unwellness.
The other goose seems normal.
The gander might have started molting, but no large-amount feather dropping for now.
-----
Due to the heavy snow where the vet is and the weekend, we can't take him to the vet for at least two days (and might even longer if the snow stays, new snow comes, or no appointment slot, so on). What can I do for him before taking the gander to the vet?
He sometimes exhibits the wing moving as shown in the video below when laying down (the brown gander):
He seems to be faking his wellness by making sounds.
He seemed well on Feb 22 except for the wing movement.
Feb 22
Starting on Wednesday Feb 22nd, due to the snow here, we had to move him indoors, which might not have as fresh air as the outdoors and might even have fungus developing, and he exhibited gaping, gasping, open mouth breathing, and heavier breathing similar to what he had when he had the fungus infection , but it doesn't look as severe as the last time he had the infection.
He walked around in the house, seemingly to explore, but I can't be sure if he was OK or if it's actually because he didn't feel well.
Feb 23
He still has the breathing issues.
Early on Feb 23rd, he ate a little bit of lettuce but hasn't eaten anything after that.
He drinks a lot of water.
He preened and rubbed the his oil at night for a little bit, but he looked tired and his walking gait (stepping) looked lacking power.
Feb 24
He still has the breathing issues.
At night in the A.M., we gave him a Doxycycline pill (the one Dove Lewis Emergency Hospital, Oregon, United States, gave him the last he had fungus infection). Currently, there's no sign he's getting better.
He refused to drink fresh watermelon juice.
He still drinks a lot of water. Today, we made 2 containers of water available to him, one simply water, the other with small amount of brown sugar and very small amount of salt. He drinks a lot of the brown sugar mix water.
He attempted to eat lettuce, but we don't know if he succeeded.
We tried to give him another Doxycycline pill approximately 12 hours after the initial dosing, but he got away with it (and seemed happy that he succeeded). Not wanting to exhaust him, we gave up giving him the pill.
Also noticed is that when it's daytime, he seemed more energetic when the sun pierced through the window.
When I enter other rooms with the door open, the gander will highly likely follow me and look around in the rooms he seldom has chance visiting. Not sure if he did so to fake his unwellness or he indeed wanted to explore the rooms.
Update
He started attempting to eat grass seeds, but we don't know if he actually swallowed them.
-----
In addition to the re-emergence of fungus infection, we also suspected hypothermia and avian flu (there are wild crows in the yard the geese usually stay) but can't be sure.
I noticed that when he's indoors on the day, as the temperature dropped, gaping and gasping reduced to almost none, but the heavy breathing remained; as the temperature increased, gaping and gasping would emerge.
His beak doesn't seem hot, but I can't be sure if it's because he has been drinking a lot of water. His feet are kind of cold.
There was a time when the gander and the other goose both laid down and slept. The gander would exhibit the unusual wing flapping movement, but the other goose didn't. The same remained when the indoor temperature was high enough for the other goose to breathe heavily. I suspected hypothermia, but I wasn't so sure anymore given that the other goose felt hot, but the gander still showed unwellness.
The other goose seems normal.
The gander might have started molting, but no large-amount feather dropping for now.
-----
Due to the heavy snow where the vet is and the weekend, we can't take him to the vet for at least two days (and might even longer if the snow stays, new snow comes, or no appointment slot, so on). What can I do for him before taking the gander to the vet?
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