LoveToBirds

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Apr 6, 2023
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Hello there,

I could really use an advice from people who have geese and had experience with injuries in the ankle area. I have lots of experience with chickens but none with geese.
I saw this poor little guy in a park. He hopped on one leg, raising the other. I brought him home, examined the bones and they seemed intact, but obviously the area where the joint is was very swollen (no open wounds). Calls to various vets, wild animal rehabs did not yield anything. So, I decided to give it a try. (Also, as a part of the back story, my friend saw that same goose two weeks (or more) prior in the park - which means the injury was not recent when I brought him home.)

I applied a splint for two weeks. As you can see in a video he started walking with the splint on, after almost two weeks. Then I took the splint off on day 16 to examine the foot. The joint looked still swollen, but a bit less. It seemed stiff, but I noticed slight bending (- very slight) when the goose walked. He seemed to have walked much better with the splint on, and now he is not wanting to walk very well without it. Did I take off the split too early? I think I should put the splint back on for another week or two?

Today I have have started reading on this forum what else I can do for the little goose. I also downloaded the splinting manual that @casportpony kindly shared, and I did read just now what it says about joint injuries. But this little goose started to walk!! - which is huge, since he did not walk before. I am hoping he can get better and still have a good life in the wild.

Were two weeks too short of a time for such an injury to heal? Should he be walking on his foot or stay in his crate? He really seems to enjoy spreading and flapping his wings. Also he loves to swim in the kiddie pool I've set up for him in my garage a day ago.

He is not eating super well. What do I feed a wild goose?

I've been giving him a good variety of grains, and pick different kinds of grasses from the park area where geese usually graze. Thankfully lots of grass is available. The little goose prefers to eat grains though, and only sometimes grass... Did not like veggies, or boiled egg, or corn, or lettuce, or berries. His food intake to me seems much less than should be for such a big bird.. He also lost a pound since I found him :-(. He drinks a lot of water (I give him water with vitamins and electrolytes) and has runny poop of mostly normal grainy consistency, but occasionally those light green or dark green slimy poos, that often indicate that something is not quite right, as is usually the case with my chickens.

Please help!

(Sorry, I had to remove the video of the goose walking, since it seemed to have upset some people.)


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The dark green droppings are cecal poos, it’s normal.

If all of the droppings were a bright green color that would indicate an issue, possibly organ or digestive issue.

You can try giving him/her some flock raiser or all flock type food to get his weight up.

As for the joint, I’m in expierienced in this type of injury so I unfortunatly don’t know what to do.

It you’re in North America it is illegal to capture and keep wild waterfowl, unfortunatly. It doesn’t really seem fair though when you see an injured bird and going about it the right way “calling fish and game and rehabbers” doesn't help as no one seems to care.
 
The dark green droppings are cecal poos, it’s normal.

If all of the droppings were a bright green color that would indicate an issue, possibly organ or digestive issue.

You can try giving him/her some flock raiser or all flock type food to get his weight up.

As for the joint, I’m in expierienced in this type of injury so I unfortunatly don’t know what to do.

It you’re in North America it is illegal to capture and keep wild waterfowl, unfortunatly. It doesn’t really seem fair though when you see an injured bird and going about it the right way “calling fish and game and rehabbers” doesn't help as no one seems to care.
@Goosebaby Thank you for your reply. Yes, it is very unfair that those who have expertise and should be able to help - wouldn't. :-( Thankfully, it's not illegal to help injured wildlife where I live, as long as the animal gets released afterward. (I am very glad I live where it's ok to help wild animals in need!)

I very much appreciate your advice about the feed, and will get it today for him. It is very encouraging to me to see that the goose is getting better nevertheless, and I am certain I will be able to release him soon : )
 
Bless you, for caring and helping the little goose.
Thank you so very much @Miss Lydia!:love I really appreciate it! God bless you as well!

As an update on the little goose... He seems to be doing well overall. Still limps while walking - sometimes less, sometimes more, or doesn't want to step on the foot. Others who I asked say that I shouldn't put the splint back on (he wore it for 16 days total)... So, perhaps I shouldn't...
I got him some aquatic plants, roots from the pond today and clovers and more grass - he sure was happy and gobbled that up! Definitely will keep bringing that to him.

Hope to see more improvement and less limping in the next few days...
 
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My friend raises geese and one thing she tells me is they need much more niacin then ducks
Have you tried giving durvet vitamin B complex ?
My ducks get 1ml either over small treat or directly by syringe
When I see any of my birds limping even from a sprain I give it
The extra seems to help leg issues
Don’t add to the water as it dilutes it to much and they don’t get the full dose
Also try adding nutritional yeast flakes in with the grass or grains you give
Hopefully this bird will heal
Thank you for caring and doing your best to provide care for it
 
My friend raises geese and one thing she tells me is they need much more niacin then ducks
Have you tried giving durvet vitamin B complex ?
My ducks get 1ml either over small treat or directly by syringe
When I see any of my birds limping even from a sprain I give it
The extra seems to help leg issues
Don’t add to the water as it dilutes it to much and they don’t get the full dose
Also try adding nutritional yeast flakes in with the grass or grains you give
Hopefully this bird will heal
Thank you for caring and doing your best to provide care for it
This case here is more of an issue regarding an injury to the joint and not a vitamin deficiency. B vitamins can boost the immune system and help the liver to cleanse and heal itself so regardless even if there isn’t a deficiency B vitamins can do a lot of good.
 
This case here is more of an issue regarding an injury to the joint and not a vitamin deficiency. B vitamins can boost the immune system and help the liver to cleanse and heal itself so regardless even if there isn’t a deficiency B vitamins can do a lot of good.
I use it for injuries in the legs
Was just always told it’s very helpful
Now I know why :)
 

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