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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Garcia the goose gets a nose job! Vets make fibreglass beak after freak accident

This farmyard goose has had a nose job after breaking off the top half of its orange beak in a freak accident.

Garcia was left with her tongue exposed after apparently becoming tangled up in a fence at her animal sanctuary.

Vets fitted a black prosthetic nose and she is back to eating as normal - even if the matt finish does make her stand out by the lake.

After: A fibreglass replica was fitted to the farmhouse goose under general anesthetic. Eventually the original will grow back and the 'false' £175 nose will be removed

After: A fibreglass replica was fitted to the farmhouse goose under general anesthetic. Eventually the original will grow back and the 'false' £175 nose will be removed

Before: Garcia the goose had the top half of her orange beak sheared off in an accident

Before: The farmyard goose had the top half of her orange beak sheared off after it apparently became tangled up in a fence

There were fears the farmyard goose would have to be put down as she was left unable to fend for herself - but vets managed to create a false nose.

Bird expert Dr Alan Jones crafted the fibreglass beak before it was fitted while the animal was under general anaesthetic.

It was attached with wires which were placed in the goose's skull at the British Wildlife Centre in Newchapel, Surrey.

A metal framework was built for the new beak before it was filled with a fibreglass paste called Technovit.

Terry Kemp, a veterinary nurse and founder of the Happy Endings Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Hailsham, East Sussex, where Garcia lives said: 'We couldn't believe how great she looked after her nose job.

'Who would have thought you could save a goose's life with a piece of fibreglass - it's absolutely incredible. We are delighted.'

Garcia and her friend Morgan - named after actors on American police drama Criminal Minds - were taken in by Happy Endings four months ago after they had been dumped by their owner at a wildlife sanctuary.

Back at home: Garcia with her new 'false' nose back with her friend Morgan back at the Happy Endings Animal Rescue Sanctuary

Back at home: Garcia with her new 'false' nose back with her friend Morgan at the Happy Endings Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Hailsham, East Sussex

Mr Kemp said: 'She was absolutely fine in the morning but in the afternoon I noticed her beak was missing. She's a very inquisitive goose and likes waddling around seeing what is going on. I can only think she got her beak caught on some fencing in her enclosure and it got torn off.

'Morgan was being very protective of her, probably because he knew she was vulnerable without her beak. She couldn't eat anything so we soaked her food in water and syringed it into her mouth a little at a time.'

He added: 'I had heard of a vet who had made a beak for another bird but I didn't know if he could help. When I took her in I was expecting to hear we would have to have her put to sleep, I was overjoyed when the vet said he could help.'

Dr Jones, who is based at Eynsford, Kent, said material used for replacing horses' hooves was used in the novel operation.

'We made a wire framework with three points which went up into the bones of her skull and then built a framework which we filled with Technovit which is normally used for repairing horses hooves,' he said.

'It is a powder mixed with a resin, it makes a soft paste which hardens. It all had to be made to measure for Garcia.

'Because the beak broke behind her nostrils we put plastic tubing into her artificial beak so she can breathe.'

The unusual operation took about an hour to perform.

Dr Jones said: 'Her new beak works fine. She can preen and feed and it stops her mouth and tongue from drying out.

'She has been back to see me so I can check it's working and to smooth out some of the bumps using a drill and a grinding tool.'

Happy Endings, which is self-funded with donations from supporters, paid £175 for Garcia's new beak and she will have to return to Dr Jones to have it re-shaped as her original beak grows back.

Dr Jones added: 'Because the base of her beak was undamaged it will grow back from the root slowly, and will gradually push the prosthetic off and we might have to modify it.

'It will take about 12 to 18 months for it to grow back completely.'

Mr Kemp added: 'Celebrity nose jobs cost thousands of pounds so I think £175 was very good value - it was worth every single penny to save Garcia's life.'

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