Expert: Julia Booth - 6/12/2008

Question
I have more than one question. I live next to a duck pond and have become attached to a big white duck I think referred to as domestic ducks. He was not a pet duck and lived in a natural environment.  He died in front of my eyes today and I have been crying.  His leg was swollen for the longest time and everybody thought it was broken.  What do you think caused his death?  In addition, other  ducks were hanging around when he was dying.  Is this there way of mourning and saying goodbye?  Will his duck companions miss him?  
When he was dying his neck was going to the side and his beak was going in shallow water.  I was going to help him, but the other people said that he is trying to end his suffering.  I went over to him and put my hands on him and petted him and stayed with him along with his duck companions.
I really am torn up over this and am not eating.  He always responded when I called him and would come to me when I called him.  During his final days, he hung around in front of my door a lot.  Could he have been attached to me?  Did he want to die in front of me?
I just need closure because I am bothered by his death and I feel that I should have taken him to animal services to end his suffering but at the same time selfishly I did not want to lose him.

Answer
I'm not sure how much I can tell you for sure. Lots of ducks do form attachments to one another and to their human owners.

If you felt there was something between you, then there probably was. The cause of his death could be injury, infection or something else altogether. I don't know. Typically, they don't live more than 2-3 years anyway.

I know of some Vets that will cremate your pet, have their ashes placed in a wooden box and there's a place on the front of the box for a photo and inscription. My mother-in-law finds this to be the best way for her to get closure when losing a pet.

I don't think you should waste any energy trying to decide if this could have been prevented, because you may never really know for sure.

Sorry!