It
was begin August 2000.
Pipke was still in good shape and healthy.
Only one week before she got ill for the very first time
in her life.
But
then suddenly mid August we could see that she wasn't doing so well,
her health started to deteriorate.
It
was very obvious to see that she was once again in the moult.
She
had the same problems as the previous years, but this time it seemed
much worse.
She
began to eat less and less when at a given moment – after
approximately one week – she just stopped eating completely. We
were very worried about her well-being. Now she hadn't been eating
for almost a fortnight and she became far too skinny. Therefore we
started to weigh her every day and the scale told nothing good!
Every
day she lost almost 25 to 40 grams, and measured to her total body
weight – that was very much.
At the start of the moult.
It
was Sunday, August the twentieth, and we trusted it no longer.
We
were afraid that we might lose her.
One
week earlier, one of our neighbors (who knew about Pipke's situation)
had given us the name of a veterinarian who lives in our
neighborhood.
And
did we have luck. Quite by chance – he was a bird-specialist.
So
we phoned him and described her situation.
He
was so kind to receive us although it was his day off.
He
examined Pipke superficial, but he couldn't find anything at that
moment and therefore he gave her a vitamins injection. If it wouldn't
be better the next day then we had to come back.
It
wasn't better the next day – only worse!
She
sat there lifeless in her little water tub.
We
even couldn't lure her to eat an earthworm, and that had always been
her favorite treat.
She even refused to nibble on the roots of
dandelions.
Therefore
we made a new appointment with the vet the next day on Monday, August
21.
Before
we left, I washed my face with cold water to hide that I'd been
crying. My eyes were all red and puffed up – I really looked awful.
When
we arrived at the vet we were very surprised to see that there stood
a large truck of the Belgian Dutch-language television station parked
at his practice.
There
was a TV crew recording film images for an animal program called
'Animal Clinic'.
We
had seen that program very often on the *Belgian Dutch speaking
broadcaster (*BRT at that time) and now they were here – filming!
Already
on the parking lot two members of the TV crew came to us to see which
animal needed the vet's help.
They
were very surprised when they saw Pipke.
Of
course – they didn't expect to see a duck, but rather a dog.
They
also could see that she wasn't an 'ordinary duck'!
So
we went inside and while we were waiting in the waiting room they
asked us many questions about her. So we had to tell them her story
(in short of course)!
How
her life started – how our bond grew and so on.
They
also asked us what Pipke's problem was – so we told them what was
going on at that moment. Of course now that they came to know more about her situation, they were eager to film her during the consultation at the
vet's examination room.
First
I refused. I was a little embarrassed because I looked so dreadful.
This wasn't the appropriate moment to appear on TV – not for me –
but surely not for her!
Actually
– we both looked terribly – but the manager of the film crew
insisted, and after hesitating a while I agreed. I did it in fact for
Pipke. It was about her, and now she could be seen by so many viewers
of the program. (At that time there were about “one million”
viewers and believe me – that's a lot for such a small country like
Belgium.)
A
member of the film crew installed a little microphone on my shirt and
so we could enter the vet's examination room.
I
suppose you know a little how the filming of such scenes goes and
because I can't show you the scene I'm going to describe you how it
went.
(Sorry but I can't show the film scene. Why – I will explain later at
the end of this chapter.)
The host of the program asked us which animal was sitting in the container.
Then I had to come in action, and while I took away the lid of the container where Pipke was sitting in I said:
"this is Pipke our pet duck".
Our little jack -in- the- box
Actually,
although she was in such a thorny delicate situation, it was funny to
see that, when I lifted up the lid, as a jack -in- the- box, Pipke's
head came peeking up just above the edge – very anxious quaking and
looking around.
She
was so afraid that she tried to jump out the container on herself.
Therefore I took her out the box, put her on the examination table
and embraced her to reassure her that she was safe with me.
Actually
– we both were not at all at ease with the camera aimed at us.
The
vet examined her again and this time more thoroughly. This time he
also took a sample of her feces and held it under the microscope.
So
while the vet was busy with looking in the microscope, the host
asked me to tell him how it came that we had a duck as pet. So you
can guess it: once again I had to tell her story in short.
In
between we could follow the examination on a screen – and there
appeared two evildoers!
She
had not only an infestation of *flagellates but she also had worms.
We
could see something very small moving. It were the flagellates –
(cells with one or more whip-like organelles).
*This
a very common infestation for all kind of birds.
Although
these flagellates are such microscopic small things – they can
cause much problems. A heavy flagellate infection can even be fatal.
Flagellates
affects and destroys the intestinal wall and so the animal can not
digest food anymore.
The
symptoms of flagellates are, a loss of appetite, and loose and dark
stools.
Also vomiting can occur.
(Actually
- on the one hand: Pipke had 'bad luck'!
She
now had to defeat two strong enemies – while she was totally
weakened.
But
on the other hand: she also had 'much luck' because – without the
help of the vet she had never been able to win the fight.)
Then
the vet gave Pipke two pills to kill the worms.
Thereafter
– to give Pipke the necessary injections the vet turned her upside
down. (Oh, she was so afraid when he did that!)
By
doing this, the tiny feathers which Pipke was losing flew all over
the place.
By
manner of speaking: 'it was snowing fuzz'.
The
result was that now the table was covered with her white fuzz.
He
gave her then, one injection against the flagellates, and yet another
one with vitamins to support her. Thereafter he gave her tube
feeding which he had prepared for her.
He
took her beak to open it but she opposed it, so he had to force her
to open it.
Then– very carefully he brought in the long tube. This is a very delicate
action because the trachea and the esophagus are located so close to
each other. You can imagine what would happen if you did this wrong.
Actually
he gave her a kind of parrot food because there exists no liquid tube
feeding especially for ducks.
Bah,
she didn't like that at all!
Comprehensible – she also wasn't a
parrot!
She
even shook her head repeatedly – trying to spit out the food,
luckily without success otherwise the calories which she needed so
desperately would have been lost.
Parrot
food is in fact the only bird food with so much calories, and she
needed as much calories as she could get.
After all this 'abuse' she had become so frightened that
she jumped up
straight into my arms – afraid that there would follow other
maltreatments.
Of
course in her eyes this was maltreatment, no one had done this to her
before.
(It's
really so unfortunately that I can't show you this particular scene.
It's so touching to watch how – after she jumped into my arms –
she hugs me and hides her head in my hair. I can't get enough of this
scene!)
When
the examination was finished we went outside to the waiting room
while the host followed us.
He
thanked us for our cooperation on their program and wished that Pipke
would get better very soon.
So
we went home with the hope that Pipke's problems would be over now,
but this hope became a great disillusionment.
Even
several days after this second visit to the vet – and being filmed
to appear on TV later that year – Pipke still wasn't getting
better.
She'd
lost now more than half her weight and it still went downwards.
A
terrible time for us all followed – interspersed
by concern about her wellbeing – and sleepless nights by fear of
losing her.
At a given time we were even close to despair.
Seeing
her suffering – not being able to alleviate her pain it was really
heartbreaking.
Going
to the vet so many times and watching her – to undergo the torture
of the tube feeding. When I think back at these periods then my heart
still bleeds, but it was for her own good that we went on with it,
otherwise she wouldn't have survived it.
So,
we had to revisit the vet for tube feeding – in total *19 times
(*and this only that year) – before she started to eat again by
herself.
Fortunately – after more than one month she started to recover.
In
total it took nearly two months to return the 'lively Pipke' as we
previously knew her.
In
fact, Pipke was a real riddle for the vet. He never had experienced
such a case before, although he is a well-known eminent veterinarian.
He gives lectures all over the world.
During
all the years (ten) that we consulted him we saw there people who
came from Holland, Luxembourg, Germany and even England with their
birds, birds of all species like: Cranes, Owls, Eagles, Falcons,
Hawks, Parrots, Pigeons and all other kinds of small birds.
We
saw only a few ordinary mallards, but – Pipke was of course not an
ordinary duck!
She
was a duck with a tuft on her head: a crested duck – and a special
lovely one.
Also
for the vet she became a special case. She had captured his heart
too. He would treat her for the rest of her life.
Now
we still say that we really have had much luck to find him at that
very moment that Pipke went ill for the first time, otherwise she
wouldn't have survived it.
We
also were lucky that he lived so close to our home, only approx.
three km away.
Now
that she had survived the ordeal and was fully recovered we pampered
her more than ever before.
After
such a long period of worry and fear of losing her we discovered what
and how much she meant to us.
She made my life complete!
We
couldn't imagine our life without her.
From
that moment on, I started to write about her in my diary, and this
time, it became a real diary.
I
noticed every move she made in a manner of speaking. I hadn't done
that before.
Later
that year, the TV producers informed us that the program 'Animal
Clinic' would appear on TV. We hadn't told our neighbors nor friends
about it. We had kept it silent – so it became a real surprise for
them.
They
– we – and also approx. one million viewers saw the broadcast on
TV on November 14, 2000.
I
can assure you, seeing yourself on TV is odd.
For
me it was a real disenchantment: 'was this my voice!' I disgusted my
own voice.
Knowing
that I was being filmed – it made me a little uneasy to find
the right words.
I
must admit, I will never be a good actress. Although – actually you
can't compare this with acting. I had no time to study and repeat a
text. I also did not know which questions they would ask me.
No
really – in this regard – you haven't missed a thing. Maybe it's
even best that you also can't hear me talking, otherwise you would
perhaps close the speaker:) !
It
was also weird. I almost didn't recognize myself on the screen.
But – other people had recognized me. The next days when I went to town to
do my shoppings, several people asked me: “aren't you the one with
the duck on TV?”
Then
– even several years later, those same people sometimes asked me
how it went with my duck.
Well,
and how it went further with Pipke, that I will tell you in the next
chapter.
I'm
going to close this one with the words the host used in the program:
“and here's Pipke again –
the most affectionate duck in the
Western Hemisphere!”.
Yes, wasn't she a sweetie!
When
the series ended later that year, at the end of the very last
broadcast the host mentioned Pipke's name.
He
expressed a special word of thanks to Pipke for her cooperation to
the program.
Wasn't
this a beautiful way to close the series!
That
made our day!
Till
next time – then I will go further with: A Dissolution.
Bye,
bye
and thanks for reading my story.
I
hope you enjoyed it!
PS: as promised I will explain why I can't show you the film images of the broadcast on TV.
Because I couldn't retrieve the images of the broadcast which we ever recorded on VHS, I have sent a mail to the manager of the image archive of the TV station with the request to send me a copy of the images on DVD.
I was very surprised that – before they would send me the film images I first had to sign a document in which I declare that I will use the footage only for private use.
Because I wanted to show the images on my blog, I sent them the request to allow me to show only a small part of the film images but it was denied.
So – I have received the film images on DVD, but because of the
copyright I can't show them on my blog!
I hope you understand that I have to comply the agreement.
Here you can find more detailed information about the problem.
