Lost a duck need advice.

[dotknott]

This afternoon I came home early to do duck chores. I noticed I was down a duck. I started looking around and after about 15 minutes I found her body in the stream.

I need some assistance figuring out cause of death. There is snow on the ground, and there are paw prints, but the snow isn't fresh and the paw prints could be from my own dogs (who wouldn't have been out today to have been the cause)

There are some black worm like, leech like things around her face, but 99% of her body was submerged. It's possible that they're from the stream.

Thoughts? Ideas?

RIP ol' lady.

 

[dotknott]

Other notes. I do have 2 drakes, so it's possible that with the stream finally thawing this am they were overzealous after a 5 day drought.

There have been no signs that she's been unwell, except that she couldn't bathe and some of her feathers were looking a bit rough the past two days. Since she was not alone in this (everyone was looking a bit rough this week, though today everyone is looking better after some stream time) I'm not sure it's related.

The only prints other than the dog prints that I could find were rabbit prints.

Should I autopsy?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Other notes. I do have 2 drakes, so it's possible that with the stream finally thawing this am they were overzealous after a 5 day drought.

There have been no signs that she's been unwell, except that she couldn't bathe and some of her feathers were looking a bit rough the past two days. Since she was not alone in this (everyone was looking a bit rough this week, though today everyone is looking better after some stream time) I'm not sure it's related.

The only prints other than the dog prints that I could find were rabbit prints.

Should I autopsy?

Doing autopsy would help you determine the cause of death maybe. Do you think the black things were leaches?

Anything is possible even the drakes hard to know for sure.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[dotknott]

Yeah, the black things look very leech like.

Now that her body has defrosted a bit I'm thinking a dog. Her neck is VERY floppy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah, the black things look very leech like.

Now that her body has defrosted a bit I'm thinking a dog. Her neck is VERY floppy.

I bet so they really don't eat them they just kill. And it will be back too.

 

[dotknott]

Just found what may be a puncture. Her feathers were smooth everywhere but right around here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just found what may be a puncture. Her feathers were smooth everywhere but right around here.

Where is that on her body?

 

[dotknott]

Slightly better photo.

 

[dotknott]

Base of the neck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Base of the neck.

It may have been a dog because I would think if a mink or weasel etc. it would have done more than a puncture.