By Lorraine Aubert | Executive Director
Callie & her sister were cute, fluffy ducklings that were likely Easter gifts to children. When they got too big and messy, Callie and her sister were abandoned at a residential pond. Callie and her sister struggled to survive on their own. A caring resident looked out for them and did her best to keep them fed. Over time, Callie’s sister died and Callie wasn’t doing well, having infections in both eyes and losing weight. We received a call from the resident and she asked if there was anything we could do.
We agreed to take her and one of our volunteers picked her up and transported her to Medical Center For Birds. Over several veterinary visits, we discovered that poor Callie was a train wreck. Her eye infections cleared up but she still had this lingering swelling on her head and neck. Her cute puffy cheeks were what drew in many of her followers and they fell in love with her. Callie had also suffered a broken tail due to someone kicking her hard. As a result of being kicked, her intestines were herniated into her chest cavity causing heavy breathing whenever she got scared or agitated.
Callie’s head and neck swelling was not improving and after some diagnostic testing, it was determined that exploratory surgery was needed. What Dr. Gianopolos found was scary. Callie was loaded with sarcocysts, a parasitic infestation common in mallard ducks. In fact, our veterinarians had never seen it in a live duck before. Dr. Gianopolos and Dr. Speer did some research and came up with a treatment plan in hopes of saving our girl.
Callie was doing well, enjoying life with her duck friend, Mattie. She was feisty and full of sass! Suddenly, overnight, she took a turn for the worst. She developed unexplained wounds and was pooping bloody diarrhea.
Ultimately, Callie's demise was due to the severity of the sarcocystis. Upon necropsy, it was found that she had cysts in all of her skeletal muscles. Both doctors believe the cysts were causing severe muscle breakdown which probably caused the wounds to appear.
Callie is the poster child for all dumped ducks. Domestic ducks do not belong in the wild because they are not wild. They don’t thrive and need to be in loving homes with protection.
Your donations helped Callie get the veterinary care she needed. While she didn’t have the outcome that we wanted, we are comforted knowing that we did our best and that she knew love.
We thank you for your donations and support. We are all making a difference together as #WaterfowlWarriors.
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