Fever and panting

[Goosebaby]

One of my female geese “Tuesday, 2 year old Roman x Toulouse cross” has been panting for the last several hours and her feet and bill are hot to the touch, her heart rate sounds elevated but isn’t racing.
At times I think her stomach hurts because she stands with her legs staggered at times, which I know from past expierience means stomach discomfort of some sort. A few days ago her stomach was gurgling slightly but I haven’t heard that since.

Other than these symptoms she is alert, active, her droppings have been normal, her appetite has been normal, the temps today were fairly mild, it’s a warmish night, but not uncomfortable “70 degrees Fahrenheit.”

I thought she could have been getting heat stress earlier today, she seems to be more prone to that and she’s had more and more bouts of panting over the last two days, but this is now abnormal.

The only unusual things that’s occurred to her recently is:
A Something possibly came into her and the others cage last night and stole two eggs (not hers, she hasn’t laid in several weeks) and
B she started visibly molting today.

None of my other geese are exhibiting any of these symptoms.

I’ve never had a bird do this, have what appears to be heat stress for no reason, a fever but otherwise acting normally.
I’m getting really worried for her!
Has anyone seen this?
Not just in geese, I know not a lot of people have experience with geese so I’m asking if anyone has seen something like this with ANY bird, chicken, turkey, duck, whatever.

 

[azygous]

Have you treated her for heat stress? It wouldn't hurt and might even help. Give Gatoraid or a cup of cool water with a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch odf salt and baking soda.

 

[Goosebaby]

Have you treated her for heat stress? It wouldn't hurt and might even help. Give Gatoraid or a cup of cool water with a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch odf salt and baking soda.

Thank you!

I gave her some of her vitamin mix in her water last night, she only seemed mildly interested in it but she did take a few sips. By 11pm she had stopped panting but was still breathing heavily. She was still breathing a little heavier than normal but otherwise seemed fine at 1:30 am, she was normal the rest of the night and so far has t been breathing heavily or panting yet today.

She’s very ruffled, it looks like she’s about to drop all of her feathers at once, whereas two days ago she looked completely normal so maybe she’s having a really fast, tough molt?

 

[Goosebaby]

I just checked on her after posting that and she has heavy breathing again.

 

[azygous]

Vitamins won't do anything for heat stress. Electrolytes are needed. Try giving her the mixture I suggested and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Goosebaby]

Update on Tuesday.

After I posted last I brought her out and made sure she got some extra long bath time, she cooled off pretty quick. I got her some electrolytes in her water afterwards but she was feeling much better and didn’t like the taste, I didn’t bother syringing it down her throat because she wasn’t having an issue then.

Last night she got a little of the heavy breathing again so I gave her some more in her bucket, she settled down after a few minutes and was fine the rest of the night.
She got a little to hot today and started panting but was fine after I got her more cold water.

When I first posted, cool water wasn’t having an effect at alleviating her symptoms so I don’t think overheating was the only issue, it wasnt that hot that day, just moderatly warm but it was humid.
She seems fine so far now and she hasn’t had a repeat of her more extreme panting so I think it was a combination of things, stress from whatever climbed into her cage and took the eggs the night before, molting probably isn’t helping, and overheating from working herself up with the humid warm weather.

I’m going to keep a closer eye on her regardless though.

 

[azygous]

It sure does sound like a combo of heat and emotional stress. I think the water dunks may have also relieved her stress. Is she able to spend any part of the day outside on grass? How large is her cage?

 

[Goosebaby]

It sure does sound like a combo of heat and emotional stress. I think the water dunks may have also relieved her stress. Is she able to spend any part of the day outside on grass? How large is her cage?

Her bedtime cage that she shares with her brother and one of my female buffs is 6 by 10 foot. During the day she and the others are out and about in the yard, they have two large lawns to forage on plus the lower yard, the lawns are more like wild pasture, I’m not into the manicured look. There’s a lot of weeds and clover for them to graze.

 

[azygous]

That sounds like goose paradise.

 

[Goosebaby]

That sounds like goose paradise.

I’m trying to make it more goosey everyday!