Greylag goose with gout

In June an inhabitant of the Dutch Wadden Sea Island of Schiermonnikoog spotted a greylag goose that was behaving oddly and distanced from the other birds. The goose was culled and due to the poor nutritional status of the animal and the unusual appearance of lumps on its legs the carcase was submitted to the DWHC for post-mortem exam. Further investigation showed the unusual lumps reported by the submitter to be caused by gout. This probably led to impaired mobility whereby the goose was unable to feed sufficiently resulting in general weakness. The presence of intestinal parasites probably contributed further to the loss of condition seen in this bird.