Skinny goose need urgent help!

[Chazzleberry]

Hi, over the last couple of months one of my gees ehas lost a ton of weight. This has caused her to be wobbly on her feet and really lethargic.
We've been to the vets and she doesn't have parasites, he temp and heart rate are low, she had an x-ray but nothing was found. She seemed to have an uncomfortable tummy when palpated but other than that the vet couldn't find anything wrong.
She is severely underweight and despite eating. Looking for advice of what I can feed her to put on weight and any suggestions of what could be the matter? My vet is contacting a specialist with the symptoms and x-rays but I'm really worried it's too late for her

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Did your vet recommend tube feeding? It sounds like she's either not eating enough or isn't able to digest and utilize her feed properly. Given how dire the situation sounds, it may be necessary to broach the subject with your vet - it may at least buy some time until a diagnosis is made and treatment recommended.

@Goosebaby has previously posted about tube feeding a sick gander and you may find it helpful.

Please keep us posted on her progress. Best wishes for her recovery!

 

[Goosebaby]

I'm sorry your girl isn’t feeling well!

What feed is she on?

If she wasn’t checked for Candida and megabacteria she should be tested for those too.

Also sometimes parasite tests can have false negatives, it depends sometimes on wether they’re shedding or not.


Something else you and your vet should discuss is pancreatitis. It’s almost unknown in birds not becasuse it doesn’t happen but because it isn’t studied enough. One of my ganders “Parsnip” was consistently losing weight in 2019 despite eating. All his tests came back normal except his blood amylase which was through the roof. My vet said the only thing she could think of that matched his stomach issues was pancreatitis.
He was put on meloxicam for the pain, vitamin supplements, probiotics and digestive enzymes to help digest his food.
This was the brand I’ve been using, it’s a lot cheaper than the prescription stuff and seemed to help him https://www.chewy.com/naturvet-advanced-probiotics-enzymes/dp/128173 but I never had a chance to try the prescription enzymes so I can’t say that they wouldn’t be better.

I also was giving him denamarin to sooth the liver.
Pancreatitis can be tricky because it can cause issues with other organs but it can also be a symptom of other problems, sometimes liver or gallbladder problems.

Grapefruit juice has a calming effect on the liver and pancreas also, even if that isn’t her issue the boost of vitamin c and antiflamitory effects will help her.

You can try adding a little buttermilk to her feed, it’s an excellent probiotic, you can mix warm water with her feed to create a soupy mash and add a little buttermilk, a little goes a long way. Geese also seem to really enjoy mash once they get used to it and it seems easy on their tummies.

 

[Goosebaby]

If you can get her to eat tomatoes that might help. I don’t know why but any time I fed Parsnip tomatoes he seemed to start feeling better.

 

[Goosebaby]

@Chazzleberry The fastest way to put weight on a thin goose is by feeding them high protein, something like a 30% protein. Though it might have to be administered through tube feeding if she doesn’t like the taste of it.
Here’s some options https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...key-starter-30-40-lb-3005640-305?cm_vc=-10005
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-flight-conditioner-50-lb-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005#
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/encore-avian-gro-rite-for-chickens-2-lb-54010?cm_vc=-10011
The encore avian grow right I used as a substitute for tube feeding formula after I soaked it, my gander Roxby absolutely hated the taste though.

There’s also Harrison’s recovery formula.

High protein can make certain illnesses worse, so it’s a tricky situation sometimes when they need it, but it could make them sicker. I’m concerned why her heart and temperature were both low, did the vet say if her heart sounded abnormal?

 

[Goosebaby]

She might need iodine.

There isn’t a lot of health information for geese, because few raise them in the west so less money goes to research.

So if you can’t find anything for goose health I fall back on chicken health articles, if that fails I go to parrot health articles and forums. If that doesn’t turn up anything human medicine is what I look too.
Avians and humans are very different, and yet surprisingly similar.

Thyroid issues can cause a low heart rate and low body temp. Have your vet look at her thyroid.

https://drdechickerand.com/2017/temp-pulse-hypothyroidism/

 

[Goosebaby]

You could also add kelp supplements to her diet.

 

[Chazzleberry]

You could also add kelp supplements to her diet.

Thank you for your many comments! She is eating, but is super skinny so I think it's a digesting issue, like she's not getting the nutrients from the food. I've kept her inside since Saturday evening and she's eaten apples, peas, corn and dandilions quite happily.
I'm going to do another still sample I think, although I do believe a written burden would show on an x-ray, but it can't hurt.
I have heard of pancreatitis in a cockatiel recently and they said it's rarely diagnosed in birds. Think I will ask for blood tests to check liver and kidney functions.
The vet just said heart rate was a little slower than she would like. I have read that would geese will allow their heart and drop their temp for winter though... Her temp was 39.2, she didn't say what her heart rate was.
I've kept her inside to try keep her warm and not waste energy, but then it means I have to ensure I'm feeding her enough and the right things....

 

[Goosebaby]

Thank you for your many comments! She is eating, but is super skinny so I think it's a digesting issue, like she's not getting the nutrients from the food. I've kept her inside since Saturday evening and she's eaten apples, peas, corn and dandilions quite happily.
I'm going to do another still sample I think, although I do believe a written burden would show on an x-ray, but it can't hurt.
I have heard of pancreatitis in a cockatiel recently and they said it's rarely diagnosed in birds. Think I will ask for blood tests to check liver and kidney functions.
The vet just said heart rate was a little slower than she would like. I have read that would geese will allow their heart and drop their temp for winter though... Her temp was 39.2, she didn't say what her heart rate was.
I've kept her inside to try keep her warm and not waste energy, but then it means I have to ensure I'm feeding her enough and the right things....

It sounds like you’re doing a great job!

Definitely try to get her some digestive enzymes, whatever the issue, it might help her start absorbing what she needs from her food.

 

[Chazzleberry]

We weighed her yesterday and she had put on 500g since Saturday! We've let her out into a small area with the others to graze for a few hours, but keeping her in for the night and will bring her in if the weather turns. She seems much brighter. We almost wonder if what she had, has actually passed and now it's just a case of fattening her back up. Fingers crossed!