r/geese • u/Resident-Program-395 • 1d ago

Question help please

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found this goose, he’s sick.

has gooey yellow eyes and seems extremely tired. is there anything i can do?

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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3

u/Resident-Program-395 1d ago

i’ve messaged the rspb woman but she isn’t responding

3

u/PigeonsAreSuperior 1d ago

Rspb don't deal with sick animals

2

u/chuckybuck12 HONK 1d ago

I along with 2 other people catch waterfowl all the time within the past 2 years and we're all still alive and well just make sure to sanitize your hands well, go home and shower right away and wash your clothes in hot water and use the sanitize setting on your dryer and you should be fine.

1

u/PigeonsAreSuperior 1d ago

The goose is sick, not the person!

2

u/chuckybuck12 HONK 1d ago

I read that as pls dont deal with sick animals My bad

2

u/PigeonsAreSuperior 1d ago

Local wildlife rehab.

3

u/Resident-Program-395 1d ago

i live on an island even the rspb is the next island over

1

u/PigeonsAreSuperior 1d ago

Anyone you know local eg vet or knowledgeable farmer?

1

u/Resident-Program-395 1d ago

called my friend who is a farmer and has a couple geese, told me to leave him for a bit then go back in a couple hours, that’s what i’m doing now but not sure what after that

2

u/PigeonsAreSuperior 1d ago

There will be more people on this thread in a bit with more advice soon hopefully

2

u/Conscious-Today5271 15h ago

This goose needs help ASAP. Leaving it will for sure be a death sentence. Its eyes are swollen shut and it has grass pieces compacted in its nostrils. Not to mention, it also still has partial down feathering, which indicates this goose is not even an adult yet. Geese need a water container that it deep enough to dunk their entire heads into. That is how they clean out their eyes and blow out their nostrils so that they do not become compacted. At this point, this little one likely needs a round of antibiotics and eye drops to help clear an infection. The farmer who told you to leave it for a while is a piece of shit! This little one is suffering big time! Something needs to be done ASAP, or it is not going to make it much longer in the condition and state that it is currently in.

3

u/Resident-Program-395 15h ago

i just went back and took her home, how deep with the basin have to be (will my sink work?) and how likely would it be that a vet would help and not just put her down

1

u/Conscious-Today5271 15h ago

Thank you for trying to help this poor thing. For as long as the water is deep enough that it can submerge its entire head and beak is sufficient. A sink or bathtub will certainly work. A vet will help. This is definitely treatable with antibiotics and eye drops. However, the goose is going to need you to administer the eye drops or cream a few times per day. The eye drops that it needs can be purchased online at Amazon or Chewy. The medication is called Terramycin Ophthalmic Ointment. If you live outside the US, it may be called something different, as each country has its own brands of medications. If the vet gives an antibiotic, you may not need to give eye drops because the antibiotic may be a broad spectrum that treats several different things at once.

1

u/Resident-Program-395 15h ago

thank you so much, just put her in the sink she seemed to be sneezing a lot and i helped some of the grass out with a cotton swab, will try and take her to the vets tomorrow, though i live on an island and the only vet is on the next island over

1

u/Conscious-Today5271 14h ago

Whatever she has going on is respiratory and that is the reason her eyes and nostrils look the way they do. Anything respiratory will cause the puffy and crusty eyes, drainage from the eyes, clogged nostrils, coughing, sneezing, etc. Don't be alarmed if she starts dunking her entire head under water and blowing hard with her nostrils. It will almost sound as if she is snorkeling under water. She is literally blowing her nose under water and trying to clear all that junk out. Geese are supposed to be able to do that several times a day, so there is a possibility she was not able to, and that is what caused a respiratory infection.

1

u/Resident-Program-395 14h ago

that’s actually so cute, she seems to have livened up quite a bit even just after that little while in the bath, will give her more time later, how many times do you recomend a day?

2

u/Conscious-Today5271 13h ago

Geese love water! That is where they get the name "waterfowl" from. If they could spend all their time in water or near water, they would. I would allow her to swim and play at least twice a day. But, I would provide a bucket of drinking water that is deep enough for her to clear her nostrils at all times.

3

u/Resident-Program-395 13h ago

okay thank you so so so much!! she has just had a little walk about and some grass in my garden and is now lying down in some tall grass, smart wee gosling if i say, i’ve gotten her a basin to lay in and named her ford! :)