Is this Goose too Thin?

[Allears]

She has been living on lettuce for the past week. The only reason I'm giving her lettuce daily is because she stopped eating normally about three weeks ago. I've seen her nibble at grass, but she won't take any other food, or treats. She is drinking well, but I'm concerned because she used to eat laying mash, corn, apples, watermelon and plenty of grass. She has lost weight too. The flock was dosed for worms about two months ago and neither the duck, nor the 4 EG goslings have gone off their food. I can't see any sign of swelling around her neck and I haven't seen any sign of a worm infestation. Your thoughts please....?

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[casportpony]

What did you worm with? How much wight has she lost?

-Kathy

 

[Allears]

What did you worm with? How much wight has she lost?

-Kathy

Mediworm - praziquantel / pyrantel pamoate - was mixed in with each birds food. She's lost around 1kg now. I just fed her more lettuce, she ate about half a leaf and is is sitting in her pond preening. She's going through a rather long moult at the moment, but is still active and alert.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I was going to suggest de-worming with something like Safeguard, but Safeguard shouldn't be used during molt since it can cause fret marks in the feathers. Me, I don't worry about their feather when I think they're sick, 'cause they'll molt them out eventually.

Not eating = tube feeding. Let me know if you want to learn. Would also be helpful if you could post some poop pictures.

-Kathy

 

[Allears]

I was going to suggest de-worming with something like Safeguard, but Safeguard shouldn't be used during molt since it can cause fret marks in the feathers. Me, I don't worry about their feather when I think they're sick, 'cause they'll molt them out eventually.

Not eating = tube feeding. Let me know if you want to learn. Would also be helpful if you could post some poop pictures.

-Kathy

She's still very strong and I've just recently had my two beautiful Cornish Rock x's euthanased because I was unable to treat / nurse them on my own. I'm no wimp and I've nursed many animals, but they were just too big to handle on my own. I thought you might ask about the poop so I put newspaper in her house last night...

 

[Allears]

The vet agreed to let me pay a deposit and then pay off the remaining balance. Please G-d the rest of my animals must remain healthy for the next year!

There was no obstruction in her throat, no redness in the mouth, no wounds, no swelling anywhere. Goose got a baytril shot and we managed to get a faecal sample. I'll get results back tomorrow... When I caught her to be examined I felt how light she is and how boney. I didn't see it before because she is so fluffy, with the moult it became more obvious. I was so shocked when I realised just how thin she has gotten! She's lost 6kg over four months!

 

[casportpony]

Glad you were able to have the vet look at her. Her poop looks similar to poops from birds with one or more of the following: bacterial infections, coccidiosis and worms. Did the vet leave antibiotics for you to give her?

-Kathy

 

[Allears]

Glad you were able to have the vet look at her. Her poop looks similar to poops from birds with one or more of the following: bacterial infections, coccidiosis and worms. Did the vet leave antibiotics for you to give her?

-Kathy

Thanks so much for your input Kathy.
The vet didn't bring anything except injectable baytril, but will give antibiotics to follow up with after she's done faecal analysis. She mentioned tablet form baytril and possibly flagyl, depending on the results of the smears. I'd be fine to inject, but I'd need help holding her to do that, but open to suggestions...... With the tablet form of baytril I can just straddle her and pop it into her mouth.

 

[casportpony]

Glad you were able to have the vet look at her. Her poop looks similar to poops from birds with one or more of the following: bacterial infections, coccidiosis and worms. Did the vet leave antibiotics for you to give her?


-Kathy

Thanks so much for your input Kathy.
The vet didn't bring anything except injectable baytril, but will give antibiotics to follow up with after she's done faecal analysis. She mentioned tablet form baytril and possibly flagyl, depending on the results of the smears. I'd be fine to inject, but I'd need help holding her to do that, but open to suggestions...... With the tablet form of baytril I can just straddle her and pop it into her mouth.

Tablets would be fine... If the smear comes back inconclusive I would talk to the vet about giving both baytril and metronidazole. That combo should cover most bacteria. Also talk about false negative fecals and the benefit of worming just to be safe. The worms in geese I would worry the most about are capillary and gizzard.

-Kathy

 

[Allears]

Thanks so much! I would think I should do the whole flock then with the wormer, but since none of the others are showing signs of bacterial infection, I would only treat Goose with antibiotics?