Dean's World

"At one point the duck was given pure oxygen through a face mask"

Mary Madigan

BBC description of "Perky's" heroic struggle

Seablogger Alan Sullivan describes how we can sometimes be a little too civilized..

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HokiePundit (RDB) (mail):

If I were a veterinarian and you offered to pay me to resuscitate a duck, you'd better believe I'd do it. Farm vets are one thing, but companion animal vets find themselves doing a lot of procedures along these lines.

1.29.2007 4:18pm

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Bryan Costin (mail) (www):

I guess it's unusual because this is a (formerly) wild animal and not a pet? Because people do that sort of thing for pets all the time.

We spent $600 to save our two cats last year when they ate a toxic plant. That treatment included pure oxygen for one of the cats, IVs, round-the-clock observation, etc.

1.29.2007 4:32pm

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HokiePundit (RDB) (mail):

For that matter, given the right compensation, I'd be willing to try to resuscitate a duck even though I'm not a veterinarian.

1.29.2007 4:36pm

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Buddy (mail) (www):

$1000 Peking Duck anyone?

1.29.2007 4:36pm

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John_B (mail) (www):

Buddy: No, I'm happier with my $30 Peking Duck. But I'll go as high as $100 for Pressed Duck at Tour d'Argent.

1.29.2007 4:52pm

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maryatexitzero (mail) (www):

I have a friend who spent all of the money her family had been saving for a long-awaited vacation to Greece, on a sick dog. The dog died.

In contrast, my mother described how, when she was about 8, her father found a nice home for her pet rabbit (who scratched, pooped in the house and bit) with a nice family on their farm. As they took the bunny away, the farmer called it Hasenpfeffer. Years later she figured out why.

I can understand why people pay for these pet operations, especially when they have kids who are truly attached to the animal. But a duck that was supposed to be food?

1.29.2007 4:59pm

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Linda Frazier (mail):

GASP! It's a miracle! Bird pronounced dead flaps it's wings and LIVES! Sort of the avian version of the Elvis Lives stories, innit?

Problems with the story:

If that duck had been actually dead in the fridge, and sat in there for two days without being gutted and cleaned and frozen, there's no way I'd be eating it. No way.

Any creature, human and non, being sedated for an operation, will be given oxygen. And "pure" oxygen? As opposed to "tainted"? Of course it's pure. It's the percentage that they might want to list, ie 100% vs. 80%. Or the LPM (liters per minute), ie 6 LPM, 12 LPM, or 15 LPM (which would be considered hi-flow in a human). The bird's perfusion would determine how much O2 it would be given.

The duck stopped breathing, so they thumped it's chest? How about this: The duck's heart stopped beating, so they thumped it's chest. OR the duck stopped breathing, so they rubbed it vigorously to stimulate breathing and then used a pin prick (inflicted minor pain) to stimulate breathing.

Not breathing does not necessarily mean no heartbeat (although if they ARE breathing they definitely DO have a heartbeat).

If I were a reporter (can't call this one a journalist) and that was the story assigned to me, I'd want to make sure I was reporting the story with as much accuracy as possible, rather than resorting to childhood myths and misinformation to embellish my story.

Actually, if I were this reporter and they gave me the story of Elvis The Duck, I'd probably go back to my previous job of timeshare telemarketing.

Linda

1.29.2007 5:55pm

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Scott Kirwin (mail) (www):

I can't comment on this, being an animal lover (or should I say, a parent who will do damn near anything to keep his kid from being sad).

But I have this funny vision of the vet pulling out a pair of paddles and yelling clear before shocking the duck back to life.

30 years ago it would have made an awesome Monty Python skit.

1.29.2007 6:53pm

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Dean Esmay:

Quackery.

1.29.2007 8:27pm

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Linda Frazier (mail):

Quackery.

Snort. Good one.

1.29.2007 9:30pm

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maryatexitzero (mail) (www):

Snort. Good one.

heh :-)

1.29.2007 11:37pm

Commenting on Dean's World is a privilege, not a right. Dean is your host, you are his guest, and you should behave in that fashion. Dean is not your babysitter, nor is he your punching bag. Please remember this. In general, you are free to disagree with anyone on any subject you wish, but abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.

Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.