- Aug 15, 2012
- 11
- 0
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Hi there,
We have had two Pekins, Harold and Paulie, since we rescued them as ducklings 6 years ago. Harold has always been weaker and prone to problems, including pneumonia as a baby that left him with knee infections that made him bowlegged and crippled. He's progressively slowed down over the past few years and the last few months couldn't walk very much because he seemed to be very weak, but was otherwise healthy. Harold developed some kind of wound Monday which became covered in maggots in just a day. We took him to the vet, and at first they thought they could fix him up. But once they started cleaning up the wound and getting rid of the maggots, they saw the damage was too extensive. We decided with our vet it was best to put him to sleep and our sweet Harold passed over the Rainbow Bridge Tuesday morning.
Paulie is now left by himself, as Harold and Paulie were our only 2 ducks. We do not want to get another duck because it was already such a huge commitment caring for them in the first place and we couldn't bear to lose another one. Harold and Paulie were very close, especially in the beginning and did everything together. But the past couple years, they became pretty independent and did things on their own, probably because Harold was content to float in the pool and take the weight off his crippled legs and didn't often feel like following Paulie all over the property. But they always went to bed together in their pen or garage in the winter at night and would swim together and nap together.
Anyway, they were together for 6 years since they were hatched and we are worried how Paulie will do alone. We hate to give him to a sanctuary, even though he'd have friends, because we love him so much and he is so spoiled and used to his home for the past 6 years, with a strawberry patch, pool, pen, helping my mom garden, chasing my dad and the dog, and spying on us through the window.
Does anyone know how the remaining half of a bonded pair will do once his friend is gone? Paulie seems to be doing fine, he is molting heavily right now so is just resting and taking it easy a lot. He chattered to my mom when she got home today and was roaming about. Will he miss Harold and mourn for a while, but eventually forget about him and move on as if Harold had never been there? Or will he be extremely lonely and depressed and in need of another friend? If so, we would probably take him to a sanctuary to be with other duck friends.
We have had two Pekins, Harold and Paulie, since we rescued them as ducklings 6 years ago. Harold has always been weaker and prone to problems, including pneumonia as a baby that left him with knee infections that made him bowlegged and crippled. He's progressively slowed down over the past few years and the last few months couldn't walk very much because he seemed to be very weak, but was otherwise healthy. Harold developed some kind of wound Monday which became covered in maggots in just a day. We took him to the vet, and at first they thought they could fix him up. But once they started cleaning up the wound and getting rid of the maggots, they saw the damage was too extensive. We decided with our vet it was best to put him to sleep and our sweet Harold passed over the Rainbow Bridge Tuesday morning.
Paulie is now left by himself, as Harold and Paulie were our only 2 ducks. We do not want to get another duck because it was already such a huge commitment caring for them in the first place and we couldn't bear to lose another one. Harold and Paulie were very close, especially in the beginning and did everything together. But the past couple years, they became pretty independent and did things on their own, probably because Harold was content to float in the pool and take the weight off his crippled legs and didn't often feel like following Paulie all over the property. But they always went to bed together in their pen or garage in the winter at night and would swim together and nap together.
Anyway, they were together for 6 years since they were hatched and we are worried how Paulie will do alone. We hate to give him to a sanctuary, even though he'd have friends, because we love him so much and he is so spoiled and used to his home for the past 6 years, with a strawberry patch, pool, pen, helping my mom garden, chasing my dad and the dog, and spying on us through the window.
Does anyone know how the remaining half of a bonded pair will do once his friend is gone? Paulie seems to be doing fine, he is molting heavily right now so is just resting and taking it easy a lot. He chattered to my mom when she got home today and was roaming about. Will he miss Harold and mourn for a while, but eventually forget about him and move on as if Harold had never been there? Or will he be extremely lonely and depressed and in need of another friend? If so, we would probably take him to a sanctuary to be with other duck friends.
I do not know what to tell you to do..that would be a tough decision.
